Content

• Steps

If you have the skills and experience in floristry and have a head on your shoulders for a successful business, a great opportunity could be to work as a florist in your own flower shop. Florists sell flowers in their shops, create flower arrangements and bouquets for weddings, funerals and other ceremonies. Your first step in this case will be to acquire the knowledge necessary to open a flower shop.

Steps

1. 1 Develop your skill. The florist must have a trained eye for the correct selection of colors and sizes, as well as have knowledge of the composition of bouquets, corsages and other compositions. If you are lagging behind in one aspect of the art of floristry, sign up for courses or self-study with video tutorials and books. Consider hiring an experienced designer to enhance your capabilities.
2. 2 Decide which business scheme to use when starting your own business. Most flower shops are located in showrooms on the ground floor and do retail, but there are other options as well. You can sell flowers wholesale to florists, or you can sell florist supplies instead of or in addition to floral arrangements. It is possible to work from home using a website and catalog instead of a showroom.
3. 3 Find a place to put it. If you decide to work from home, you will need premises for a warehouse and office. It is a little more difficult to find a space for a showroom. It should be a place with a constant flow of people and not a large number of competitive stores nearby.
4. 4 Check with your city council to find out which licenses you need. Ask about zonal regulations if you are going to do business from home and will regularly host buyers.
5. 5 Obtain the required local and state licenses. Register with the Internal Revenue Service.
6. 6 Talk to a small business consultant or qualified accountant to learn how best to do business and to discuss income deductions and taxes. Consider a corporate business option. The Small Business Administration will offer help and support to open a flower shop.
7. 7 Talk to your insurance agent about the amount of coverage. If you own a store, you will need insurance for personal injury and physical damage. If you are in the business of delivering flowers, you may need additional vehicle insurance.
8. 8 Connect your work phone. Whether you use a landline, skype or mobile phone, having a separate number for business conversations is more professional, it will also make it easier to track calls. Use professional-quality voicemail. Consider the option of using the services of a third-party service that will receive calls and notify you about them.
9. 9 Order or print business cards and letterheads. You can save money by printing them yourself, but in this case, you must have a laser printer of the right level so that the print is not blurry or faint.
10. 10 Create a website, blog or page on Facebook, Flickr or Twitter. You can use a special service for creating a flower shop website (for example, Floranext), which is not related to the news agency (websites associated with the news agency are usually more expensive).
11. 11 Register with local and national online directories such as Google Places and Mapquest. Find out if your local Chamber of Commerce has a printed or online version of your local business directory. You should also go to your local telephone directory.
12. 12 Consider an advertising strategy. Your website and social media accounts will generate some free advertising, but you also need to go local. You may need newspaper advertisements and publications in print and online publications that cover your target market, such as bridal magazines.
13. 13 Boost your business by supplying flowers and flower arrangements for local events and donating your services and goods as a charity if needed. Partner with other local businesses, especially those that provide products and services to complement yours, such as party organizers, funeral homes, and food service establishments.
14. 14 Find and order the products and equipment you need to run your flower business. You can also include gift baskets or candies on the list.