In 1941, George Orwell said: “It is worth noting a minor English trait which is extremely well marked though not often commented on, and that is a love of flowers.”
Since then, not much has changed.
While impulse-based trade has been losing ground to the supermarkets for years, aiming at the quality market — catering for birthdays, weddings and other special events — can still reap rewards
In the UK, flowers still mark occasions; they still decorate our rooms and express our feelings. It’s not surprising, then, that a florist is one of the most popular choices for those running their own business for the first time.
While the traditional, impulse-based trade has been losing ground to the supermarkets for several years, aiming at the quality market — catering for birthdays, weddings and other special events — can still reap rewards. The internet has allowed top-end businesses to reach much larger markets than ever before.
Hard work
But David Greenfield, owner of Rosanna’s in Watford and a quality florist for several years, has a few words of caution for those considering entering the trade: “You have to be very, very dedicated, and not afraid of hard work.
“The biggest mistake is not having any experience. It’s quite common for someone to take a flower-arranging course and, on a whim, try to run their own shop. After a couple of years, it’s closed.”
The idea of spending days on end concocting flower arrangements might be attractive to many, but the reality of cold winter mornings and icy vases of water can soon hit home. Greenfield recommends that people spend at least six months working in a florist before making any serious decisions.
Greenfield searched extensively for a well-established business with a reasonably sized shop. “One question to ask is whether you keep the existing name,” he suggests.
“We kept the name and changed the reputation, making it apparent that it was run by different people. We changed everything from the decor upwards — in other words, we changed it from a typical florist to something a bit more upmarket.”
Florists typically cost between around £18k and £100k — although some West End businesses can sell for as much as half a million. But the cost of running your venture will be higher than the purchase price, so look beyond it.
Greenfield estimates that you’ll require a cash flow of two or three times the purchase price over the first year. You won’t initially need any more than one or two staff, depending on what you can afford and how many hours you can personally cope with.
Location will obviously affect rent, but fortunately, florists require relatively little floor space. As for stock, you’ll have a rapid turnover (flowers and plants obviously wilt very quickly) but the cost isn’t onerous.
If you’re trying to turn around a flagging name, one thing is of vital importance: high-quality, well-trained staff. You yourself will need the right qualifications, unless you’re hiring someone to manage the business for you.
Aspiring florists often learn on the job, perhaps doing a part-time course in the evenings.
One of the best ways to demonstrate your eagerness to a potential employer is to attend a course in basic floristry, join a flower-arranging club or work voluntarily until they are impressed enough to take you on full-time. Alternatively, you can undertake an apprenticeship scheme or full-time course prior to looking for work.
