A few weeks ago, I wanted to please my wife with a flower arrangement for a special occasion.
My first option was to search the Internet for a florist that would offer me 3 things:
- Good quality arrangements (pretty)
- That I could pay it online and
- That they do the home delivery
To my surprise, I found very few florists on the Internet that met these 3 characteristics simultaneously and also gained my confidence to make a purchase.
It is interesting that a good number of companies already had their website on the Internet with a regular catalog of products, but not with the full functionality and not always with the necessary quality to guarantee a great experience for customers.
Luckily for me, I finally found a florist that allowed me to get a beautiful flower arrangement, which I can pay with my credit card from my PAYPAL account and which was shipped to my door within hours.
Prior to shipping I received a call confirming my order and I cannot say less than the service was simply extraordinary.
So thinking about how many people like me might require this kind of service, I discovered that there is a huge business opportunity that although some already see, not all are taking advantage.
That is why here I present a business plan to set up your own florist:
Online Florist Business Description
Essentially the business model consists of an online store for the sale of flowers.
The objective of thinking about it online is because it has many advantages, one of the main ones being that it allows you to work from a small office or from home since initially the installation of retail stores is not contemplated.
For this we will need an online store with the functionality of being able to accept various means of payment and at least one courier or subcontract an errand service that can make deliveries.
Initial investment
The initial investment for the assembly of the florist is divided into 3 main areas:
- The raw material that will be the flowers and all the accessories for the elaboration of the arrangements such as: baskets, tools for the elaboration of the arrangements and of course the minimum furniture.
- The website (online store) that you should consider as part of your assembly: design, web positioning, online marketing and the incorporation of payment systems.
- The legalization of the business that includes everything related to inscriptions, tax records, commercial patent, printing of invoices, etc.
This initial investment is estimated at about US $ 4,000 (3,300 Euros) for a medium-sized flower shop.
Inventory
In the case of the florist, an initial inventory is not required as such since the product is perishable, so the regular purchase of flowers, roses, foliage, balloons, stuffed animals, chocolates and everything essential for the artisanal elaboration of The arrangements.
What does require a minimum inventory are accessories.
Furniture
As part of the minimum furniture, the following should be considered: 2 work tables, refrigerators, shelves, water supply, knives, tweezers, wire scissors, gloves, protective glasses, slats, silicone, etc.
You can have a space at home to prepare the arrangements or if you prefer your option may be to rent a small space to work more comfortably, this should have a minimum recommended area of about 50 m2.
Strategic aspects of sales
The conception of this business is that it is an online store, so all efforts should be focused to promote it either through digital marketing, investing primarily in Adwords and in Facebook and social networks in general.
A good job of organic positioning should also be done so that the site gains visibility and the costs of ads are gradually reduced.
In addition, due to the type of business and the type of client that is handled, the enormous importance of the service must be taken into account. Remember that people buy flowers for an anniversary, a birthday, a funeral and in general for many important occasions.
In this business you will not be able to afford to fail on the dates, the products requested or the deliveries, that would be fatal for your corporate image. Deliveries must therefore be made strictly and carefully on the date, time and place indicated, without any fault or excuse.
Another determining factor for the success of your online florist will be the quality of the photos in your product catalog. Remember that this is where the customer is conquered. So make sure you take the best photos, with a good resolution and that they look good in your catalog.
In my search, I discovered that many sites were failing in precisely this detail. Difficulty in appreciating the quality of the arrangements due to very small or poor quality photos is fatal. So don’t forget it.
It is important to always negotiate intelligently with suppliers in order to maintain the best prices and advantages in the acquisition of raw materials, as well as to be able to have access to credit options that strengthen and leverage your florist and allow you to grow.
Hence, smart financial management and maintaining a good payment record is key for your providers to provide you with these benefits.
Business legalization
The procedures and procedures to legalize your business may vary in each city, however some are common and must be considered within the business setup are:
- General opening procedures such as commercial and tax registrations
- Registration as a commercial company or individual merchant
- Registration of contracts with the Ministry of Labor (for dependents)
- Registration with the consumer protection department
- Respective health licenses (when applicable)
About payment systems
Today it is extremely easy to open up to new payment options and this becomes an important competitive advantage.
To start, I recommend opening your Paypal account today, one of the best and most reliable payment resources today. Find out about other local payment services and also request your Payoneer card to do some negotiations with customers in the USA and also consider accepting payments with Xoom.
All those mentioned here are safe systems and if you are not familiar with them, it is important that you start learning today because otherwise you would be limited in terms of the possibility of having a greater volume of sales.
The key factor of the florist business
Finally we cannot fail to mention the enormous importance of good taste in the elaboration of the arrangements. This is the only thing that will guarantee that they recommend you and that they buy from your company again.
Make sure you have an expert florist or pay for the necessary courses to become one that ensures that floristry is an art rather than just a business.
So don’t forget, flowers are a great business that will never go out of style but at the same time it is a detail business and the customer will expect that throughout the sales and delivery process.
