How to Become a Florist Guide
How to become a florist guide author Alisa Gordaneer has worked in the florist business for more than 20 years.
With knowledge and experience in both floral design and running a flower shop, she has contributed her expertise to help other florists achieve greater success by writing for several florist industry magazines.
In this guide she shares insider tips and expert advice to help you get started and succeed in floral design and starting a florist business.
The guide covers topics of vital importance to anyone who wants to become a florist, including:
- Essential skills for florists and how to develop them
- Educational programs for florists (no degree or certificate is required)
- Ways to teach yourself floral design
- How to quickly get experience through volunteer work or an internship with a florist
Information about dozens of the most commonly used flowers, greens and household plants you need to know, with:
- Descriptions
- What colors are available
- Uses
- Special instructions for processing
- Storage requirements
- Average vase life (how long it should remain fresh)
- Retail cost
- Principles of floral design, including color, shape, and proportion
- Design styles you need to know (horizontal, landscape, waterfall, etc.)
Step-by-step instructions for creating flower arrangements including:
- vase arrangements
- hand-held bouquets
- container arrangements
- corsages and boutonnieres
- funeral wreaths
- basket gardens
- fruit baskets
- dressing plants
How to Start a Flower Shop
The guide offers helpful tips and links to free resources to start a flower shop.
- An overview of your options for starting a flower shop:
- Buying an existing flower shop (including how to find flower shops for sale)
- Buying a franchise (includes pros and cons of franchising, plus costs and contact information for leading floral franchises)
- Opening a new flower shop
- What to include in a business plan
- What to consider when choosing a location for your flower shop
- A list of tools, equipment and supplies you'll need in your flower shop, and where to get them
- Setting up your flower shop (including how to create displays to promote sales)
- How to find and work with growers and wholesalers that can supply you with flowers
- Managing your flower shop
- Setting your prices
- Hiring employees
- How to organize the day's orders
- What to do when a shipment of flowers arrives
- Options for delivering flowers to customers
Flower Marketing
This guide will discuss Marketing your business and getting customers, including:
- Walk-in customers
- Phone and online customers
- Corporations
- Government
- Hospitals
- Hotels and restaurants
- Funeral homes
- Wire services that can give you orders from customers outside of your city, state or country
- Working with customers
- How to increase sales by greeting customers the right way
- How to consult with clients who need flowers for an event
- Refunds and how to avoid them
- Ways to keep customers coming back
PLUS, you will discover: A special section on how to help couples choose wedding flowers to suit their style and budget.
- The best resources (including florist industry publications and professional associations)
- How to get accredited as a professional florist
Samples of what you need to launch your florist career, including:
- Sample list of questions to determine a customer's needs
- Sample list of questions to ask when consulting about a client's floral needs for an event
- Sample telephone sales checklist
- Sample wedding flower order form and instruction sheet
- Sample proposal to provide flowers for a hotel or other corporate client
- Sample contract (service agreement)
- Sample customer invoice
- Sample price list
- And more! (including free updates)
Wedding Florist
You get a special section for the wedding florist on how to help couples choose wedding flowers to suit their style and budget plus:
- The best resources (including florist industry publications and professional associations)
- How to get accredited as a professional florist
Samples of what you need to launch your florist career, including:
- Sample list of questions to determine a customer's needs
- Sample list of questions to ask when consulting about a client's floral needs for an event
- Sample telephone sales checklist
- Sample wedding flower order form and instruction sheet
- Sample proposal to provide flowers for a hotel or other corporate client
- Sample contract (service agreement)
- Sample customer invoice
- Sample price list
- And more! (including free updates)
Starting a Florist Business Tips
Becoming a florist tips
Invest in the FAB Become a florist business guide.
Do what you love!
Be Unique!
Create a website with Keyword focused pages.
Know your clients.
Create a business plan.
