How to Become a Florist
Lily Sweeney, writer
The flower shop industry is booming in 2021. If you love flowers and think you could thrive as a business owner, why not discover how to become a florist with a franchise investment? Plant the right seeds today, and start growing a successful franchise business tomorrow.
If you’re looking to become a flower shop owner, you should know that floristry is huge in the UK, with the flower industry enjoying a market size of £403 million and employing over 17,000 people [IBIS World]. This makes it a great industry in which to invest your money. In this article, you’ll discover exactly how you can make a career change with a florist franchise and start living your floral dreams.
What does a florist do?
The first question to answer, before you seriously consider investing, is whether or not a career as a florist is right for you. And the way to answer that is by diving into what, exactly, a florist does. As a florist, you’ll be arranging displays as gifts, and providing floral adornments at occasions such as weddings and funerals. You’ll be responsible for the following things on a day-to-day basis:
- Arranging displays/bouquets/wreaths
- Communicating and negotiating with customers
- Taking orders
- Delivering orders
- Preserving and caring for flowers
- Staying up-to-date on the industry/the latest floral trends and techniques
Learning is lifelong in the floristry world. Even very experienced florists can’t rest on their laurels if they want to stay current. They’re constantly keeping on top of new trends and learning new designs and new methods. - The Florist Guide
Beyond the strong demand among the UK public for floristry services, which shows no sign of dying down, there are many different advantages to running a flower shop as a franchisee, including:
- The ability to follow a true passion
- The chance to create multiple strong streams of revenue
- The opportunity to help a new customer every day
- The ability to get involved in the local community
- The wide range of franchisor support and training provided to you
>> Read more:
- 5 Advantages of Franchising for Young People
- 9 Things to Know Before Becoming a Franchisee
- Mythbusters: Common Misconceptions About What Makes a Successful Franchisee
- 5 Great Reasons to Become a Franchisee
- Franchising 101: Are You Ready to Become a Franchisee?
- Franchising 101: 6 Things to Know Before Becoming a Franchisee
How to start a flower shop franchise
With a strong understanding of what you’ll do as a florist, and why investing in this industry is so viable (and ideal for many entrepreneurs), it’s time to lay out your next steps. To become a florist and start your own florist franchise successfully, you’ll need to make sure you cover the following three steps...
1. Assess your skills and qualifications
The first crucial step you’ll need to take will be to determine whether you would be a good fit for the industry. If you don’t have experience, you might consider achieving a related qualification. Though this won’t be necessary in many cases, it might be to your benefit as you build your business, shortening the time it takes you to reach profitability. Qualifications to consider include a Level 2 Diploma in Floristry, a Level 3 Advanced Technical Diploma in Floristry and a Florist Apprenticeship.
Aside from your qualifications, certain transferable skills and abilities will set you up for success as a flower shop owner. Consider carefully whether or not you have these skills, and whether you think you could develop any that you lack. Are you:
- Attentive to detail?
- Able to work with your hands?
- Good at communicating?
- Creative and inventive?
- Able to sell products and negotiate with customers?
- Able to work well with others?
2. Find the right franchise fit
Though there are many investment opportunities available in floristry, finding the one that’s truly right for you might take some time and effort. Think about what you want to be doing each day, and look into the daily life of franchisees with a wide range of florist franchises to match up these requirements.
Also consider those important logistical needs, like the cost of investment. If you can’t afford to invest with a franchise, it isn’t perfect for you. Overinvesting could end up making your franchise unit one of the very small 1% that closes citing commercial failure [British Franchise Association], so look into every cost, from the initial fee to the ongoing fees like royalties and marketing.
>> Read more:
- 4 Advantages of Running a Flower Shop Business
- How to Start Your Own Florist Franchise
- Swoon Over These 6 Franchises Perfect for Valentine's Day Shoppers
3. Do your due diligence
When you know you’ve found the franchise opportunity that really suits you, you’ll need to assess that opportunity (and the franchise attached to it) fully and comprehensively, ensuring you know exactly what you’re getting when you sign the franchise agreement. Do your due diligence and discover:
- The franchise’s financial situation
- The franchise’s track record and history
- The franchisor’s track record and history
- The franchise’s existing reputation with franchisees and customers
- The amount of time it will take you to recoup your investment as a franchisee
- The level and type of support and training you’ll be offered as a franchisee
Franchise opportunities in the flower industry
One amazing investment opportunity currently open to you, if you’d love to become a florist with an exciting twist, is Endura Roses. Endura Roses is a franchise that specialises in beautifully preserved floral bouquets and arrangements suitable for any and all occasions.
- Becoming an Endura Roses franchisee: You don’t need industry experience, but you should be dynamic, driven and creative, with the ability to keep growing and positively representing the Endura Roses brand.
- How much you need to invest: You'll need to make a minimum initial investment of £50,000, with franchise fees of £15,000 and a total investment cost of £120,000 (plus ongoing advertising and royalty fees).
- What you get for your investment: You’ll be fully supported with fit-out, marketing and ongoing business development. You’ll also be fully trained and mentored, and provided with design manuals and operational guidance.
Why not try running a franchise that combines profit and passion?
If you have a green thumb, and you’d love to work with flowers and plants, you could thrive as a florist. But you might also be suited for a career in the wider world of gardening. Before you make your final decision, consider browsing the gardening franchise opportunities available to you, or find out how to make a career change with a gardening franchise.
Lily Sweeney, writer