{"id":47071,"date":"2023-10-20T15:52:18","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:52:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/startupsmart.test\/2023\/10\/20\/floristry-business-startupsmart\/"},"modified":"2023-10-20T15:52:18","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:52:18","slug":"floristry-business-startupsmart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/uncategorized\/floristry-business-startupsmart\/","title":{"rendered":"Floristry business – StartupSmart"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"How<\/div>\n

The floristry industry is one that has a long lifespan \u2013 flowers are perennially associated with friends, family and loved ones and enjoy huge demand from a broad customer base.<\/p>\n

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Florists work hard and face tough competition \u2013 the industry might look fairly simple but behind the scenes are some very sophisticated operations.<\/p>\n

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StartupSmart spoke to some industry experts about what it takes to make it in the flower business.<\/p>\n

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What is it and who is it suited to?<\/h2>\n


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Floristry is a term used to describe the professional flower trade, which includes cultivation of flowers, their arrangement and the business of selling them.<\/p>\n

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Florists traditionally sold their produce in bricks-and-mortar stores but the rise of online retail has seen a wave of web-based florists enjoying huge success.<\/p>\n

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People often choose floristry as a second career later in life because there are no age barriers to success, but previous experience in design certainly comes in useful.<\/p>\n

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To be a florist you need to be able to design and assemble floral displays for distribution and sale, with arrangements varying in size from individual bouquets to elaborate centerpieces for important events.<\/p>\n

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In order to succeed in the world of floristry you must be able to multi-task and work under pressure, particularly around days such as Valentine\u2019s Day and Mother\u2019s Day, when florists are run off their feet.<\/p>\n

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You also need to have excellent personal skills because flowers are associated with a wide range of emotions \u2013 one customer could be honouring a deceased loved one while another might order flowers for her wedding day.<\/p>\n

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You need to know how to run a small business. Many people start a florist business with excellent floristry skills but little business sense.<\/p>\n

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In order for the business to succeed you must be prepared to develop a variety of skills, including sales and marketing, stock ordering and accounts.<\/p>\n

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Rules and regulations<\/h2>\n


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There are no specific rules you need to follow when starting a florist business but if you employ staff you need to comply with employment legislation such as minimum wages and working hours.<\/p>\n

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Research and competition<\/h2>\n


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According to the Floral Art School of Australia a course in floral design is highly recommended if you intend to operate as a florist.<\/p>\n

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\u201cMany of our students enrol in our floral course to become a florist or floral designer in the floristry industry or to work from home,\u201d principal Fay Chamoun says.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIn the commercial floristry course you will learn how to care for flowers so they last the longest possible time and the basic rules of flower arranging.<\/p>\n

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\u201cYou will also learn all about the floristry industry, including flower shop management and retail florist training.\u201d<\/p>\n

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An important trend to note in the industry is that consumers are increasingly ordering flowers online rather than going to traditional florist stores or flower stalls.<\/p>\n

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According to online flower retailer 1300 FLOWERS the increased penetration of broadband internet will continue to boost the number of online flower businesses, posing a threat to their offline counterparts.<\/p>\n

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\u201cMore and more people are ordering online flowers as a means of saving time and effort. As a result a small number of reputable businesses have set up offering online flowers,\u201d a company spokesperson says.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe trend towards online flowers in Australia is certainly not a new one and we are not alone \u2026 the online flowers market is even more developed in the United States and the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIn fact a number of the overseas online flower retailers have branched out into other online gifts such as gift baskets, wine and lifestyle products.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Costs and earnings<\/h2>\n


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It\u2019s estimated that you\u2019ll need between $10,000 and $50,000 to start a flower business.<\/p>\n

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Regardless of whether you decide to start up online or offline you will need to set up a work station and storage area, which will require refrigeration units in addition to at least one delivery vehicle.<\/p>\n

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You will have to purchase consumables on a regular basis, including flowers, containers, wrapping paper, floral tape, gift cards, balloons and stuffed animals.<\/p>\n

That is in addition to electricity, water, advertising, internet access and \u2013 at a later date \u2013 staff wages.<\/p>\n

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With regard to earnings it\u2019s important to note that only half the cut flowers sold in Australia are sold via traditional florists.<\/p>\n

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Increasing competition from other retailers is responsible for the other half, cutting sales substantially. For example eFloristsRus.com.au sells express flowers ranging between $45 and $400.<\/p>\n

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According to IBISWorld using convenient flower outlets is still the most preferred way to purchase flowers, followed by the phone and internet.<\/p>\n

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If you are planning to operate offline make sure you choose a location with a fair amount of foot traffic.<\/p>\n

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An average day<\/h2>\n

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As the Floral Art School points out, floristry is not all glamour, there is a lot of hard work and long hours involved. Duties as a florist could include:<\/p>\n

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  • Unpacking stock as it arrives.<\/li>\n
  • Conditioning flowers and watering plants.<\/li>\n
  • Pricing merchandise and displaying it attractively.<\/li>\n
  • Attending to customers.<\/li>\n
  • Answering the phone.<\/li>\n
  • Completing orders and making up designs for the store.<\/li>\n
  • Ensuring the store is kept clean and tidy.<\/li>\n
  • Keeping up-to-date with bookwork.<\/li>\n
  • Handling deliveries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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    Contacts<\/h2>\n


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    Floral Art School of Australia and International Floral Design School<\/p>\n

    03 9523 6925<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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    Flower Association of Queensland<\/p>\n

    07 3824 9537<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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    Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry<\/p>\n

    02 6273 2311 (Canberra)<\/p>\n

    03 9668 9950 (Melbourne)<\/p>\n

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    Australian Government Small Business Support Line<\/p>\n

    1800 777 275<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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