How to advance your business if you don’t have a storefront
If you’re just starting out in the florist business, there are essential things you must put into place. But what if the usual cornerstone step isn’t acquiring a business space or storefront? This notable difference doesn’t have to hold you back, it can propel you in different ways! Whether it is just temporary or the way you want to run your flower business, here is a comprehensive list of things to consider and tips to help push you forward!
First, consider your answers to these questions:
- What makes your business stand out?
- What styles are driving you forward?
- What space will you use for designing?
Perhaps you’re doing some freelance floral design or this is your full time business, here are some things to keep in mind:
Be intentional with your website
- Design a website that reflects and encompasses your brand, your style, color palettes, and the audience that you want to attract. This is the center hub of any business, but it is especially crucial when you don’t have any physical place for clients or audiences to see your work in person.
- Update your content and information regularly. Your business will adapt over time, and your website should reflect those changes.
- Post products for sale. Utilize E-Commerce and sell your flower arrangements online.
- Maintain a large portfolio. Show off what you have created for weddings, events, retirement parties, anniversaries, and more.
- Write blogs for engagement and to let people know more about you.
- Make a calendar accessible on your site to tell people what farmers markets you’ll be selling to or where you may be hosting a pop-up next.
Stay up to date with social media
- Post regularly. Posting photos of events, bouquets, weddings, or regular arrangements will showcase to your future clients that you are regularly active online.
- Use trends, whether it’s for tiktok or reels, using a sound that is gaining popularity can help grant you access to a larger audience.
- Create a style for your grid, but don’t let yourself be limited to match a closed-off aesthetic. Stay consistent with your personal style, but allow yourself to grow creatively. Let there be a stylistic link between your posts, so that your brand is easily recognized on the homepage.
- Tag business accounts for events, weddings, and celebrations, but not for personal “one-time” business. It is a great idea to tag venues and photographers when you design the flowers for a wedding, but for just regular business, leave it to the customer to tag you.
- Include links to your website, blogs, or other social media accounts. Let this be your virtual business card and tag everything you would like to have associated with your business.
- Use your own original content. Take photos, videos, create graphics, and more.
Establish a good relationship within your community
- Choose wholesalers you can trust. Perhaps the most important relationship to have, building a rapport with a wholesaler can give you access to good products. Research the area, as well as flower pricing, so you can be prepared for what you will need.
- Connect to other designers within your florist community. Get to know the other florists in your area. There may be a day you need advice, are going out of town and need someone to send any orders to, or may want to go into business with.
- Collaborate with local businesses. Get to know the owners of event venues, wedding planners, and photographers in your area to build a rapport with them. Consider showing them your work so they can suggest you to their clients and friends. A good word goes a long way, especially from someone highly trusted in the entertainment and event industry.
Create a clever floral series or write a book
- Film content for multiple platforms, like YouTube. Give teasers on your social media pages, post floral series or flower design tips on youtube, and provide content for your website.
- Create a floral series that follows a specific color scheme, replicates paintings, pays homage to locations across the world, displays creative shapes, etc.
- Write or design a book. If floral designing has been a hobby or a profession for a while, gather your photographs or write down your expert tips and ideas for a book. Create a beautiful coffee table book, design a “behind the scenes to finished product” style book, or a “Floral Designing 101” guidebook. By writing a book, individuals will enjoy a lasting artform that won’t droop over time like real flowers. You never know, you could inspire a new wave of floral designers!
Do workshops or classes in your town / city's rec center or park
- Offer classes at your town’s rec center. Considering you do not have your own building, you should contact your local community center to see if you could access or rent a space to teach, have a designing party, or even as a work space on busy holidays.
- Offer pop-ups for birthdays, Mother’s Day brunches, bridal showers, and more.
Establish your business
- Get your proper licensing, tax id numbers, and everything necessary to be a proper business. This is the first thing you should do to have a successful and properly operating business. Do your research, consult a lawyer or tax expert, and read the fine print to ensure your business is operating properly.
- Offer traditional flower shop services like flower subscriptions.
- Offer excellent delivery options. Give buyers the ability to have hand-delivery for same day, same hour, or pre-planned delivery.
Sell your flowers and products at local farmers market, online, or partner with local businesses
- Most towns have a farmers market. Find the contacts that can get you into the stands. Some flower farmers completely rely on farmers markets to sell their flowers, but this is an excellent outlet for florists as well.
- Partner with a local coffee shop by preparing a selection of “grab and go” bouquets. Customers will be drawn to the accessibility and quality product. Make sure to include branding for your wrapped bouquets!
- Use a refrigerated vending machine. If there is no farmers market nearby, or it is out of season, and this idea is within your vision or dream, invest in creating a flower vending machine. If you are in a big city or a downtown area, this idea will take off! People love two things: convenience and cleverness. When you have a refrigerated vending machine, it protects the flowers from the heat of the outside and prevents theft by only unlocking one locker once it is purchased. It’s a brand new way to reach customers without having a traditional storefront.
Marketing and PR
- Have business cards and QR codes around town to advertise if you don’t have a big budget for billboards, signs, or ads.
- Go around to local businesses and give out a free arrangement in return for promoting your business when patrons mention needing flowers.
- Consider offering to supply flowers pro-bono for a handful of events to build your reputation and portfolio. Word of mouth spreads further than any ad campaign can, so make sure to do the best job you can! Ask the organization or the people running the event to tag your social media account to get visibility.
In conclusion
Being tied to a specific location with a storefront can provide comfort by having a consistent place to conduct business, design, and greet customers. However, modern floral designing does often take florists out of their store for events and pop-ups. Any business can thrive with hard work, creativity, and trusting your community. Run a successful brand without a storefront by staying intentional with social media and your website, by offering workshops and classes, and establishing good relationships within your florist community.
Need more inspiration or help to grow and sustain your business? Check out our other blogs: How to Elevate Your Brand, How to Sustain the Summer, and The Power of Consistency.