any advice for Florist working from Home? Thread

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any advice for Florist working from Home? (Forums : Questions & Answers : any advice for Florist working from Home?)	Locked
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duckorchid	Jun 2 2010, 4:26pm Anchor
How does an "at home" florist be taken seriously buy customers? Hello I am a tafe trained florist who has opened up a small business from home. I have a small baby and could not work the 9-5 hours required of a full time florist. Also working opening up a florist shop and hiring staff was not an option because of the recession and cost of overheads. After talking to sev. florist friends who have had shops and than ended up having to sell they all recommended working from home. I have joined up with Petals and this is working quite well for me, but I would like to get into slowly doing weddings and corporate work. Although I have not had many years experience operating as a florist, I have previously owned a retail business. The problem is because I work from home ( I have a fully stocked workshop) I have been negatively judged by calling clients when they find out I don't have a retail shop presence. Many people think this is a hobby but I work hard like any other florist and take pride in my work. I have tried to maintain a professional presence but I am also an honest person and when I asked where my shop I feel the need tell them I do work from home (this is where most people snigger). Just wondering if anyone was in similar situation of had any advice. At the moment I feel like an artist without an exhibtion hall!
EFlowersAlive	Jun 2 2010, 8:35pm Anchor
Please email support@eflowersalive.com.au and introduce yourself with more information on your situation. It sounds like you are in a situation, as many new florists are, being a talented florist lacking business management skills. EFlowersAlive have software written especially for Florists by Florists of many years experiences of operation of shops, kiosks and at home floral studios. A wise tip, your exhibition hall is your customers homes and busines houses, very clever, you do not have to pay excessive rents to display your talents. Our Point of Sale *"Snap-eFlorA*" software will answer hundreds of questions for you. Cheers and best wishes from the Wise Old Owl at EFlowersAlive.......Ron Please read informaion gained on our research of the Florist Industry in this Flowergoss forum. Welcome to the Florist Family.......Ron Edited by: EFlowersAlive
lrm	Jun 9 2010, 12:41pm Anchor
it can be hard, maybe explain to your customers that you do it to keep overheads down and therefore can pass on better prices to them. After all there are alot of factors in owing a shop that you have to add in to your your prices. Maybe setup a great website and really plug it. I guess people want to know you are legit. vistaprint offer great websites for about $25 per month with no setup cost. It does take a while to construct it but its super easy and very effective. good luck!
heather	Jun 14 2010, 4:14pm Anchor
Hi Duck Orchid I am a florist who only works from home and only does weddings and corporate events. I am also still starting out, but it has definately helped having a website displaying all of your work. Most of my business though comes from word of mouth advertising, and it keeps me busy enough so far 2 wedding a month or so in peak season.....although, I would also love some advise to get my name out there further. But i do think that currently I am only able to do 2-3 weddings a month as I also work full time in another job. But I am considering cutting back on that and doing more florist work.....just a big risk..... Any advise also people.....?
mushy	Jun 15 2010, 8:52am Anchor
This is a difficult subject as there is also the other side of the coin - the florist with a retail outlet, paying rent, wages, insurance, GST, super etc. etc. Are the @ home florists charging according to the market or charging less as they have less overheads - this is another dilemma, as it can make the florist with a retail outlet look over- priced in the eyes of customers. Public perception would more likely be that a back yard florist should be cheap, as you would expect to pay less because of less overheads etc.. eg. you have a dress made by a dressmaker who works from home- obviously you do not expect to pay the same as if you had the dress made by a dressmaker with a retail outlet. sensitive subject to discuss- do not wish to offend florists working from home....what do others think about it?
heather	Jun 15 2010, 1:49pm Anchor
I completely understand your concern mushy. I do believe that the prices (particularly for weddings, events etc) should be on par. I pay the same for the cost of the flowers, sundries etc as a normal retail florist does - and it is ALOT more difficult for me to get work because I do not have a shop front attracting customers on a day to day basis. Advertising such as newspapers, internet and bridal fairs adds to our costs. We also sometimes have to hire staff to help us acheive an event. I also believe that the hours I do to do a wedding/event are the same, so why should we not charge the same prices? I also only work when I am hired to work, and at times I actually believe my pricing is higher than some retail shops, and have at times been underpriced by a store. I actually believe that there is a perception out there that us 'at home' florists are undercutting prices, whereas I think that it is the 'discount' retail stores are the problem. Ive seen some bridal bouquets priced in some local shops near me which are under the cost price I can purchase the flowers for, let alone all the extra special touches that I believe should go along with them. I believe that my product is of high quality, and all of my experience is with wedding work such as specialised wiring and bouquets, and I charge accordingly. Sometimes it does cost me jobs though.... But I do understand and completely agree that its the public perception that is the issue and I dont know what can be done about that. Anyway - I hope what I have to say though doesnt upset any of you as I believe crazy pricing hurts all of us - both retail stores, and us 'At Homies'

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duckorchid

Jun 2 2010, 4:26pm Anchor

How does an "at home" florist be taken seriously buy customers?

Hello I am a tafe trained florist who has opened up a small business from home. I have a small baby and could not work the 9-5 hours required of a full time florist. Also working opening up a florist shop and hiring staff was not an option because of the recession and cost of overheads. After talking to sev. florist friends who have had shops and than ended up having to sell they all recommended working from home.

I have joined up with Petals and this is working quite well for me, but I would like to get into slowly doing weddings and corporate work. Although I have not had many years experience operating as a florist, I have previously owned a retail business. The problem is because I work from home ( I have a fully stocked workshop) I have been negatively judged by calling clients when they find out I don't have a retail shop presence. Many people think this is a hobby but I work hard like any other florist and take pride in my work. I have tried to maintain a professional presence but I am also an honest person and when I asked where my shop I feel the need tell them I do work from home (this is where most people snigger).

Just wondering if anyone was in similar situation of had any advice. At the moment I feel like an artist without an exhibtion hall!

EFlowersAlive

Jun 2 2010, 8:35pm Anchor

Please email support@eflowersalive.com.au and introduce yourself with more information on your situation. It sounds like you are in a situation, as many new florists are, being a talented florist lacking business management skills. EFlowersAlive have software written especially for Florists by Florists of many years experiences of operation of shops, kiosks and at home floral studios. A wise tip, your exhibition hall is your customers homes and busines houses, very clever, you do not have to pay excessive rents to display your talents.
Our Point of Sale "Snap-eFlorA" software will answer hundreds of questions for you. Cheers and best wishes from the Wise Old Owl at EFlowersAlive.......Ron
Please read informaion gained on our research of the Florist Industry in this Flowergoss forum. Welcome to the Florist Family.......Ron

Edited by: EFlowersAlive

lrm

Jun 9 2010, 12:41pm Anchor

it can be hard, maybe explain to your customers that you do it to keep overheads down and therefore can pass on better prices to them. After all there are alot of factors in owing a shop that you have to add in to your your prices.
Maybe setup a great website and really plug it. I guess people want to know you are legit.
vistaprint offer great websites for about $25 per month with no setup cost. It does take a while to construct it but its super easy and very effective.
good luck!

heather

Jun 14 2010, 4:14pm Anchor

Hi Duck Orchid

I am a florist who only works from home and only does weddings and corporate events. I am also still starting out, but it has definately helped having a website displaying all of your work.
Most of my business though comes from word of mouth advertising, and it keeps me busy enough so far 2 wedding a month or so in peak season.....although, I would also love some advise to get my name out there further. But i do think that currently I am only able to do 2-3 weddings a month as I also work full time in another job. But I am considering cutting back on that and doing more florist work.....just a big risk.....
Any advise also people.....?

mushy

Jun 15 2010, 8:52am Anchor

This is a difficult subject as there is also the other side of the coin - the florist with a retail outlet, paying rent, wages, insurance, GST, super etc. etc. Are the @ home florists charging according to the market or charging less as they have less overheads - this is another dilemma, as it can make the florist with a retail outlet look over- priced in the eyes of customers. Public perception would more likely be that a back yard florist should be cheap, as you would expect to pay less because of less overheads etc.. eg. you have a dress made by a dressmaker who works from home- obviously you do not expect to pay the same as if you had the dress made by a dressmaker with a retail outlet. sensitive subject to discuss- do not wish to offend florists working from home....what do others think about it?

heather

Jun 15 2010, 1:49pm Anchor

I completely understand your concern mushy.

I do believe that the prices (particularly for weddings, events etc) should be on par. I pay the same for the cost of the flowers, sundries etc as a normal retail florist does - and it is ALOT more difficult for me to get work because I do not have a shop front attracting customers on a day to day basis. Advertising such as newspapers, internet and bridal fairs adds to our costs. We also sometimes have to hire staff to help us acheive an event. I also believe that the hours I do to do a wedding/event are the same, so why should we not charge the same prices? I also only work when I am hired to work, and at times I actually believe my pricing is higher than some retail shops, and have at times been underpriced by a store.

I actually believe that there is a perception out there that us 'at home' florists are undercutting prices, whereas I think that it is the 'discount' retail stores are the problem. Ive seen some bridal bouquets priced in some local shops near me which are under the cost price I can purchase the flowers for, let alone all the extra special touches that I believe should go along with them.

I believe that my product is of high quality, and all of my experience is with wedding work such as specialised wiring and bouquets, and I charge accordingly. Sometimes it does cost me jobs though....

But I do understand and completely agree that its the public perception that is the issue and I dont know what can be done about that.

Anyway - I hope what I have to say though doesnt upset any of you as I believe crazy pricing hurts all of us - both retail stores, and us 'At Homies'