How To Become A Successful Florist

How will you consider yourself a successful florist? Having a fancy shop front? Doing hundreds of weddings? Landing all the funeral work?

It's so easy in our industry to assume "success" needs to look a certain way.

But let’s get back to the real facts. Opening a flower business is easy.

Jump on Instagram and throw up a few beautiful pictures. Maybe one day you’ll get around to building a website.

From the outside to a new floral designer it all looks so effortless, doesn’t it? It’s all about filling your Instagram feed with stunning, unique designs and then the customers will just come calling. Right?

Except, it’s not that at all.

So many florists get sucked in by the beauty of it all. And with no one out there talking about the realities of building a business and sharing the ins and outs of actually making money, it’s easy to see why so many florists are focused on all the wrong things.

What Doesn't Matter When It Comes To Becoming A Successful Florist?

If I was to create a list of the things I thought mattered... that list would be so long. But I’ll save you from that terrany and tell you three things that really don’t matter.

  1. Your Instagram follower count.

    Don’t assume that more followers equal more money. IN many cases, it doesn’t. Our industry is different. Our customers shop differently. They aren’t going to follow you and then one day be inspired to buy from you. Nope. That’s not how it works.

  2. Being the best designer.

    I used to believe that being the best designer was all that mattered. I tried using the cool ingredients and trying to keep up with the famous florists, but it was exhausting. And I realised it wasn’t really my vibe. In fact, my design skills were secondary to my sales skills. Sharing my expertise and input with my clients is what mattered the most.

  3. Having a shop front.

    In today’s digital world, a shop front is becoming less and less important. Yes, it can be a great work environment and a wonderful way to connect with customers. But it’s not the end all be all of building a successful flower business. In fact, I know dozens of designers who run beautiful businesses from their garage.

How To Become A Successful Florist

If I could back and rewind the clock, there three things I would focus all my time and energy on.

  1. Learning as much about marketing as possible.

    At the end of the day, business is business – it doesn’t matter if we’re starting a scrapbooking company or a flower business. We need to learn that marketing is how you build a business.
    That’s precisely why I’ve set up my Flower Boss Bootcamp. Check it out here.

  2. Get clear on the kind of work I want to be creating.

    There is no such thing as an experience ladder in our industry, no need to “earn your stripes”. When we run a business, we’re in charge. That means we get to decide the kind of work we offer the world, the kind of aesthetic we offer, and the kinds of ingredients we want to offer. It’s entirely up to us.

  3. Uncover my mindset blocks.

    Being human is challenging. Our brain is programmed to keep us safe and wants us to stay warm and cozy in our case. That means it’s going to throw up a lot of stories that will hold us back from taking massive action, from doing things to move our business forward. Of course, we’re never taught how the human brain works, and, if you’re anything like me, you’ll walk around for years wondering what’s wrong with you and asking yourself how everyone else has figured it out. Turns out, learning how the human brain works and shining a light on our limiting beliefs is some of the most important work we can do (as business owners and humans).

That third reason is something I learned really late in the game. But it’s why I’m so passionate about teaching floral designers everything I know.

In fact, I’ve dedicated an entire podcast episode to the topic of failure – uncovering what we make it mean and learning to re-frame our own perspective on failure. You can find it on Spotify here or listen on the player below.

At the end of the day, your success is built on a pile of failures. But so many business owners hold back because of their fear of failure. If that’s you, definitely jump in and check out this week’s episode.

Need Help?

I know building a business can feel super overwhelming. I’ve been there. I’m here to help. Check out my Flower Boss Bootcamp. I created this one-of-a-kind program specifically to help floral designers, just like you, master the business of flowers. I’d love to see you there!

💖

Kathleen

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