Ever considered opening your own floristry business? Filling your day with peonies and roses might sound like a daydream, but with the right plan, you can turn it into a reality. The industry is largely made up of independent flower shops, too, highlighting the value of small businesses in this colourful industry.
To start taking steps towards becoming a florist, we’ve put together this guide on how to open a flower shop.
1. Register Your Flower Shop Business
Before you open a flower shop, you’ll need to register your business with your government.
The business structure you choose will affect how you report and pay tax, as well as your personal liability for debt and legal claims. In the UK, for example, you can choose to register as a:
- Sole trader: You’ll run your flower shop independently and keep all the profits, but you’re personally responsible for any debts or losses.
- Partnership: You’ll share ownership and responsibilities of your flower shop with one or more people, splitting profits and liabilities between you.
- Limited company: Your flower shop will be a separate legal entity, which limits your personal financial risk but does involve more paperwork and can be more complex.
As you begin trading, you might also need to register as an employer and register for value-added tax (VAT). Get to grips with the regulations in your area to ensure compliance.
2. Focus On Your Branding
Your small flower shop ideas need to stand out from the ideas of your existing competitors. This is where branding comes in.
By creating a clear brand identity with a unique selling point (USP), you give your target audience a reason to choose you instead of another florist. Great branding can also raise brand awareness and boost customer loyalty, setting your business up for lasting success.
When registering your business, you’ll choose a name for your florist. Opt for a name that’s easy to remember, reflects your identity, and resonates with your target audience.
Other areas of branding to focus on include:
- Logo design
- Your colour palette and typography
- How you package and present your flowers
- The aesthetic of your flower shop
- Your brand’s tone of voice
To stay consistent, put together a document of branding guidelines. This will outline your key visuals, the tone that should be used across your marketing, your USP, and brand values. When you’re onboarding new team members or outsourcing your marketing, it’ll be super useful to have all your branding information in one place.
3. Choose the Right Business Technology
Technology makes starting a floristry business a lot simpler. The right tech can automate repetitive jobs, make complex tasks simpler, and help you build a professional brand image quickly. When used properly, it should boost the customer experience too, which is a must for securing great reviews early on.
Consider using software to simplify setting up your flower shop, including tools like:
- A drag-and-drop website builder
- An online ordering system that integrates with your website
- Accounting software
- Email marketing tools
- Customer relationship management (CRM) software
There are also digital devices that you’ll need when your shop is up and running. For an all-in-one system, look into a point of sale (POS) device for your flower shop. These handy tablet lets you process purchases, take card payments, and track customer loyalty programmes, all from a single device at your checkout.
4. Source Your Flowers
When you open a flower shop, the quality of your flowers will be central to your success. Spend time looking into sourcing options and the range of flowers you want to stock. Start speaking to suppliers, too, for quotes and details about seasonal blooms.
If you haven’t already, this is a great opportunity to develop a USP. You might choose to source UK-grown flowers, for instance, that reduce the carbon footprint of each bouquet for eco-conscious customers.
Sourcing unique flowers to have in your florist's? Discover Orangiata, the new orange-coloured rose that’s causing a stir in the floral community, and give your flower shop a unique pull to kickstart your business.
5. Find the Ideal Location
Where you set up your flower shop can make a big difference to your success. Search for a location with good foot traffic, such as on a high street or by a train station. A little bit of target market research can help you find the right spot for your audience.
It’s also important to think of the size of your shop. Most florists need room for a small workspace, refrigeration for fresh flowers, and space to display arrangements.
What about an online shop? If a physical location isn’t right for you at the moment, you can start a flower shop entirely online and use your home to store and arrange the flowers. Look to brands like Bloom & Wild and Freddie’s Flowers for inspiration and competitor research.
A lot of business owners now blend a physical shop with a website, cashing in on both high street and online traffic for the best of both worlds. This is a great way to establish a local presence while reaching a wider audience, maximising your flower shop’s visibility.
6. Market Your Flower Shop
You’ve registered your business, connected with suppliers, and built your website. Now it’s time to start marketing your flower shop.
If you’re on a tight budget, look into cost-effective marketing methods that you might be able to do yourself, like:
- Social media marketing
- Email marketing
- Adding your website to Google Business Profile
- Search engine optimisation (SEO)
- Sending press releases to local newspapers
- Encouraging word-of-mouth referrals
You can also boost your local presence by joining popular events in your town or city. A table at a farmer’s market, for instance, is a brilliant way to start engaging with your target audience, drum up attention, and establish yourself as a part of the local business community.
Looking to reach a wide audience quickly? Partner with another local grand to tap into their existing customer base. You might collaborate with a bridal shop, for instance, offering them free bridal flowers to decorate their interior in exchange for social media shout-outs and in-store promotions.
Love of Flowers
Turning your love of flowers into a business doesn’t have to stay a daydream. Setting up a flower shop is a real, achievable goal, and we hope these 6 steps have helped inspire you to give it a try.
Looking for more floral news to help you stay in the know? Read the latest on Thursd.
