Can you stand to be around flowers all day? This is a deal breaker, if you really don't like flowers that much, think about how you will feel growing them, cutting them, wrapping them, talking about them, and growing some more.
It sounds wonderful to be surrounded by flowers all day, but a flower shop I went into last week had most of the store crammed with birthday cards, baby bears, and fake cane baskets.
Very few flowers were to be seen.
When I questioned why the lack of flowers, the answer is a warning to all new flower stores.
Selling flowers takes a lot to cover rent, so they sell other products.
Customers know little about flowers You will spend time learning about all the beautiful flowers you could sell and how to say their Latin or Greek names to impress customers.
Then they will say, give me a dozen red roses.
Understand that few people know what flowers mean or associate with and feel at risk if they choose flowers that the receiver will not want.
Take more time to learn why and what flowers potential customers will buy.
Be comfortable with the fact that your biggest sales will be roses.
Spending seasons fluctuate widely Know in advance that your business will be dead quiet most of the year with only a handful of days when it will be very busy.
The most important day for flower shops is valentines day and mothers day as everyone is trained to buy flowers on these two days.
The problem is that you have to survive an entire year on the money generated on these two days.
Have a look in your area and see what other days of the year need flowers.
Locate your business near a hospital Your business will grow, pun intended, if you establish the business right near a hospital.
Most flowers are bought when people are sick or dying, this is a reality to get used to as a flower shop owner.
Package small flower bundles that are suitable for get well gifts in your local hospital.
Near a cemetery will help boost your sales as people often wait until they are near before buying flowers.
Hopefully you are seeing where your advertising needs to be aimed without me stating it outright.
You will need more than flowers To maximise your profit margins you will need to secure cheap but quality looking packaging materials for your flowers to be placed in.
This is where the opportunity comes to charge higher fees because the flowers look much better in high quality wrapping, boxes, ribbons, and cards.
Source the best materials you can buy, because the design of the flower package will sell more than just wrapping a dozen roses with a single leaky plastic cover.