How to Start a Floristry Business

Are you obsessed with all things flowers and plants? If you are considering a career path as a florist, it’s a rewarding vocation that can bring you great job stability and flexibility along with a good income. The floristry and plant sector was worth a huge £2.2 billion in the UK in 2020, an average spend of £36 per person per year, and demand in this sector continues to grow. If you love working with people and being creative, floristry could be a great career choice. Wondering how to start a floristry business? Find out what skills you need, the different paths you can take, important considerations to keep in mind, and how to legally establish your business.

What Is a Florist?

Florists create and design floral arrangements like bouquets, centrepieces, corsages or wreaths among others. They clean, process, cut and arrange flowers (either fresh or dried) and other greenery and accessories, either according to set layouts or as original designs. Of course, florists have to regularly maintain the flowers and pass on that knowledge to their customers, so that they know how to increase the longevity of their purchases.

However, working with flowers is only one part of the job. Floristry is a business, and a florist’s day will also be taken up with preparing quotes, taking orders, billing and invoicing, taking inventory, meeting with clients, sourcing flowers and other daily business-related tasks.

What Qualifications and Skills Do You Need to Be a Florist?

As with most other businesses, such as a pet grooming business or clothing business , you are not required to have any official training or qualifications to become a florist.

Although you don’t necessarily need any qualifications or experience to start and run a florist business, it is advisable to do so. You might enjoy making floral arrangements and be good at it, but running a business is a lot different. Therefore, getting some basic level qualification is strongly advised. You should carry out searches to see where you can get training in your local area. From attending a flower school to getting a floristry degree, the level of qualification will depend on you and how much time and money you want to invest in your craft.

Some essential skills for creating a great florist business are entrepreneurial skills and a variety of creative skills. Creating arrangements to different tastes will be your daily task and, therefore, being a creative individual is key. You will also need great customer service skills to build relationships with your customers in order to keep them coming back. Continuous learning and keeping up with the industry is also essential to survive in the competitive world of running a business. It might be worth considering working for somebody else for a couple of months to get a real idea of how a florist business operates.

What Career Paths Are Available?

Being a florist is a niche, but popular career choice and you will need passion, skills and drive to make a good living and set yourself apart from your competition. Here are four career paths you could consider taking — or maybe you start at number one and go through to number four during your career.

1. Working in a Florist Shop — This is the easiest way to get started as a florist and is often the first place to start to gain the necessary skills and customer relationships. You’ll have to start at the bottom and work your way up no matter what shop gives you employment. You may not get a say in how much you can charge for services, but it comes with the perk of the store acquiring clients for you. The storefront (and online presence) will draw in the clientele naturally, so you don’t have to work so hard to make sales.
2. Working as a Florist Wholesaler — If you don’t want to work directly selling to customers, you can work as a flower wholesaler and sell plants and flowers business to business. You will need to be able to read and understand contracts and you should have math skills to deal effectively with the financial side of the business. You should also have experience working with flowers, so you can speak with authority to growers and retail clients. Wholesale florists also need access to transportation methods, as well as adequate storage to keep flowers and merchandise after receipt and before distribution.
3. Freelance Florist — If you don’t want to work for a floristry business as an employee, you could work freelance. You could specialise in a particular area of floristry, such as wedding or funeral flowers, and sell your services through your website or word-of-mouth. This is a great option for those people who already have a base of customers, so you can just jump right in.
4. Opening Your Own Place — You can do this in one of two ways, opening a franchise or your own florist shop. This option is for florists who not only have the skills but also the entrepreneurial drive needed to start a business. It’s much harder than working for someone as an employee. A franchise can be slightly easier because you have the recognition of a brand name, but you won’t be able to call all the shots. If you open a shop, keep in mind that start-up costs and expenses, as well as administrative work, will drastically increase.

How to Start a Floristry Business

You will need a combination of things to start a florist business, ranging from premises and equipment to relevant skills and experience. Here is a list of aspects to consider before embarking on your florist venture.

• You will need a location, whether it’s a shop space on your high street or an eCommerce website .
• You will need capital to fund your business.
• You will need equipment, including refrigerated cases and buckets, to display and preserve your flower stock.
• You will need a range of skills from entrepreneurial skills to customer service and creative skills.
• You will need to know how to take stock/inventory.
• You will need a business plan and a budget to highlight your plans and finances. Your business plan will also be essential to gain funding.

Ready to Form Your Floristry Business?

If you have your business plan created and are ready to start a floristry business, it’s time to form your company. You can form a limited company or go the sole-trader route. Deciding and completing your company formation is crucial to your business success. Let us help!

Are you ready to start a floristry business? At Mint Formations , we help you form your limited company or self-employed business and take away all the stress that comes with starting a business. All Mint customers receive 30% off our logo and website design services so that you can get started on the right foot.

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