Billions of people purchase flowers for Valentine’s day alone. Many florists think that owning a flower shop will be automatically profitable due to the relatively high cost of flower arrangements and the numerous events that call for flowers, but this isn’t the case. Building a new business, flower shop or otherwise, is tougher than it seems. If you’re not careful, you’ll end up failing before you even get your business off the ground. How can you grow your flower shop even when you’re between holidays?
We’re here to offer a few ideas. Read on to learn all about making your flower shop thrive.
1. Learn Some Social Media Marketing Skills
New business owners, especially those who are struggling to grow their businesses, often don’t have the means to hire professionals to help them.
If this sounds like you, you need to improve your own online marketing skills while you gain traction and find new customers.
One of the best ways to market your business is through social media marketing. It’s free to get started but you can pay for ads if you choose to do so. It’s not necessary and gaining an organic following is better for your business, especially at first.
Try to focus on the most popular social media channels. Instagram and TikTok are leading the pack right now and they offer plenty of opportunities to get your content seen by the masses. Instagram allows you to take both photos and videos which may be beneficial for you as a flower artist.
You can present tutorials to show off your work and then use those videos across your other platforms. It’s also a fantastic side hustle that may help you earn extra money to put back into your business.
2. Find the Right Flower Distributor
The right flower distributor can really help boost your flower business. You want to be able to save money without sacrificing quality, and that’s a hard balance to maintain with wholesale flowers.
Many flower distributors offer beautiful flowers in all varieties but the costs are often too high for new flower business owners to afford while still making a profit. If you operate your business in a lower-income area, you can’t afford to mark up your flowers as much as you’d be able to in a more affluent community.
Flowers can be pricey, but if you balance price with quality, you’ll be able to give your clients and customers what they’re looking for while still making a healthy profit that allows you to pay yourself before putting money back into the business (which is crucial).
3. Get Involved in Your Community
Most flower shops serve their local communities rather than just online customers. If this is the case for your shop, start getting involved in your community by doing some traditional marketing.
First, you should have a business card. You can include the card in all orders and consider placing it on local bulletin boards. Many people look for florists during wedding season, and they may notice your card and contact you.
If there are local events for wedding vendors, take advantage of them. Even if wedding flowers aren’t your primary arrangements, they’re profitable and those clients will boost your business and potentially spread the word if they like your work.
Even non-wedding events can be advantageous. Local fairs and festivals are great opportunities to get your brand out there so people can see what you can do.
If you have the means, consider hosting workshops and posting about them on social media. Workshops typically include some form of flower arranging and you can charge quite a bit for them because you’re providing flowers and a service. These workshops are a lot of fun and you’d be surprised at how many people have an interest in such a thing.
Having a few affordable workshops between your more serious ones is also a good idea to attract people who may not have otherwise pursued them. Flower arranging is popular right now.
4. Create a Website That Converts
Your website is everything, even if your business is only local. Many people prefer ordering online rather than visiting a flower shop in person. They may also want to see what you have to offer before visiting.
Your website should look clean and visually appealing. Avoid excess clutter on the pages. This can slow down your page loading time, which will be a detriment to your business.
Your website should provide viewers with access to all necessary information. They should be able to find your contact information, your prices (unless all work is custom, then they should be able to get quotes from you), and any information about events. If you’re doing events, don’t forget to type up an event calendar!
Make sure navigation is simple. Viewers should be able to find what they’re looking for within three clicks.
You should also improve your SEO. You can do this by starting a blog about flower-related topics. This way, you’ll show up in search results when people are looking for more information about flowers and flower arrangements (which may encourage them to buy from you).
5. Network With Other Business Owners
Networking is crucial for flower shop owners. You can work together with other businesses to cross-promote and boost each other up.
Even placing business cards at other local businesses will make a big difference.
Any business in your area will be a good resource, but prioritize ones that relate to your niche. Again, weddings are one of your main focuses, so consider other wedding vendors or venues you can partner with.
When someone is looking for a venue, for example, they may see your contact information and decide to use you for their wedding flowers. If the venue can connect you with clients, you’ll see a boost in business for sure!
You can do similar networking with funeral-related businesses, businesses that offer various types of non-flower gifts for anniversaries and other events, and more.
You may even be able to find a business that highlights other small business owners and you can sell your products through their shop for a percentage of the sale. This will help you gain exposure and a small profit.
6. Set SMART Goals
All good business owners set goals for their businesses. SMART goals are the best goals because they’ll allow you to focus on what’s important and track your progress.
So what are SMART goals? SMART stands for:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Timely
The wording varies for these goals, but the concept is the same.
Let’s offer an example. Let’s say you’re setting goals and you want to increase your sales by next year. This is a reasonable goal, but it’s too vague. You won’t really know when you’re achieving anything worthwhile.
Instead, turn it into a SMART goal.
You’re going to enhance your social media presence to gain new clients. You want to increase profits by 20% by the beginning of the next fiscal quarter.
This is specific, timely, and measurable because you’ve created a plan, an end point, and a number to strive for instead of a vague idea. It’s relevant because you’re trying to increase profits. It’s achievable because a 20% increase isn’t that high when you’re first starting out.
You can set several SMART goals at a time, but it’s best to take it slow so you don’t get too overwhelmed with tracking.
7. Abandon Your Comfort Zone
If you’re not seeing an increase in sales, it’s time to try something new. Abandon your comfort zone and do something that no one else is doing.
This will be different depending on the flower shop owner.
For some flower shop owners, this means veering away from traditional flower arrangements and trying something wacky. Interesting arrangements and displays will help you get more attention on social media (which is, again, crucial when you’re trying to get the word out about your business).
You could also try branching out to clients you’d never thought of before. For example, setting up a large and interesting arrangement for the opening of another local business. This is something unique that many other local florists likely aren’t doing yet because they’re focusing on smaller projects.
The events we mentioned earlier will also get you out of your comfort zone.
Come up with new ideas for social media. Fun TikTok trends may seem embarrassing at first, and you’ll feel uncomfortable doing them. Because they’re so effective for marketing, however, they’re worthwhile (if you’re consistent).
8. Find Ways to Improve Customer Service
You can never forget your customers when you’re trying to improve your business. Your customers are the backbone of your business, and if you don’t treat them well, they won’t come back or recommend your business to their friends and family members.
While you need to maintain boundaries and make sure you’re not being mistreated or taken advantage of by customers, you should try to provide the best possible experience for them.
Reply to emails and phone calls in a timely manner and use people’s names if they provide them. Consider setting up an email newsletter so customers have access to information about your business even if they choose not to use it right away.
Do seasonal deals and discounts that still allow you to maintain good profit margins. Sales around Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Christmas can gain you a lot of customers without sacrificing profits because these arrangements aren’t often too expensive from wholesalers and people are often looking for a one-time florist and will choose the least expensive option.
9. Request (and Use) Feedback
Speaking of customer service, it’s always a good idea to request feedback from your customers. This will help you improve your business, and, if you get feedback in the form of online reviews, boost your SEO.
You can request feedback directly when people use your services. You can also include a brief call-to-action on your customers’ receipts or business cards.
It’s also a good idea to occasionally poll your customers. Asking direct questions that they can mark answers for instead of writing a review will make it more likely that they’ll participate. After all, it’s less work on their end.
Make sure you utilize that feedback. Not all feedback will be helpful, but if several customers have the same suggestion, it’s a good idea to take it into consideration and see what you can do to improve.
10. Prioritize Quality
At the end of the day, quality is what keeps customers coming back for more. If you prioritize quality, you’ll have more happy customers and overall a better business.
Keep up with current trends and never stop learning. Practice your flower arranging skills and sell those pre-made experimental arrangements.
Make sure you’re proud of every single product you sell.
You Can Grow Your Flower Shop With These Tips
Trying to grow your flower shop isn’t easy. You will have a smaller customer base than many other businesses and you will have to focus on peak times. That said, if you’re diligent, you can have a thriving flower shop that’s profitable and that you’re proud of.
These tips will help you get started.
Are you looking for a flower vendor so you can make the prettiest arrangements? Our flower marketplace offers quick shipping and custom packaging so you can provide your clients with what they need as soon as possible.
Shop with us today or contact us for more information.
