A Day in the Life: What It Takes to Run a Florist Franchise

If you’re in search of a creative career that will see you meeting new people on a daily basis, bringing colour and beauty to their lives, look no further than starting your own florist franchise. As a florist, you’ll help many different customers to celebrate their important moments. Here’s what a day in your life might look like as a flower shop owner.

The floristry industry in the UK is large and competitive. It’s worth £403 million, and employs over 17,000 people [IBISWorld]. This shouldn’t put you off getting involved, though, as this competition is a result of very high demand. As a franchisee, you’ll benefit from that demand at a lower level of risk, and if you can keep on top of the latest sector trends, you’ll also stay ahead of the competition. If you’re wondering whether making a career change with a florist franchise is right for you, keep reading.

A day in the life running a florist franchise

I’m responsible for everything. We still oversee every design and installation, and spend a lot of time up ladders or sending emails. Thankfully, we just hired an office manager and we have a team of freelance florists, too. - Katie Smyth

As a florist, you’ll be responsible for juggling many different floral and organisational responsibilities. Before you commit to making an investment with a flower shop franchise, it’s important that you have an understanding of these responsibilities - and in turn, an understanding of whether life as a florist feels like something you’d enjoy. On average, a day in the life of a florist will entail the following things:

• Communicating with customers, taking and managing orders
• Visiting flower markets and purchasing flowers
• Keeping flowers in perfect condition 
• Arranging displays and bouquets
• Keeping up to date with industry trends and techniques
• Maintaining a clean and tidy flower shop (and clean and tidy equipment/vases/etc.)

As you navigate all of these responsibilities, it will help you to be a tzorough person who pays attention to the smaller details and works well with their hands. You’ll also need to be a  strong communicator, with an ability to sell and a knack for customer service. Finally, you’ll benefit from having some basic technological and mathematical proficiency when it comes to the managerial and costing side of things.

Advantages of running a florist business

Starting a franchise of any kind comes with advantages, but as you’ve already discovered, the floristry industry is particularly in-demand right now, and that’s a huge benefit. Spending on wedding and funeral flowers alone accounts for £300 million each year [Sectors Donut]. Further advantages of running a florist business include:

• The opportunity to develop multiple streams of revenue
• The ability to follow a passion
• The ability to get involved with and improve your local community
• The opportunity to make an impact on the lives of others
• The chance to benefit from comprehensive franchisor training and support
• The scope for future growth and expansion
• The chance to be creative

If you love all things creative and enjoy arts and crafts, floristry may be a good career choice for you. There’s certainly an art to flower arrangements, so being inventive and having a keen eye for flair and an original edge will put you ahead of the competition. - International Career Institute

Challenges of of starting a flower shop franchise

Running a flower shop will, on the other hand, come with its own set of challenges. The best way to deal with these challenges is to do exactly that. Don’t let them snowball, and always remember that you have your franchisor to fall back on in particularly complex situations. Your franchisor will always have your best interests at heart, as what’s good for your franchise business is invariably also going to be what’s best for the wider franchise network.

Examples of possible challenges you might face include tough competitors, difficult customers and, if left unmanaged, high levels of stress. Even in the world of franchising, business ownership requires a lot of hard work and effort, and managing stress before it overwhelms you is an important skill to pick up.

Remember the difference, when you face a challenge on your flower shop journey, between something you can control and something you can’t. Can you make sure your customer service is amazing, and all of your staff are kind to shop visitors? Yes. But can you be blamed for the fact that your fifth customer of the day already happens to be in a bad mood? No. Do what you can, and try not to worry too much about the rest.

Franchise opportunities in the flower industry

There are many exciting florist franchise opportunities in the UK for you to choose from as you start your research and begin your franchising journey. One of these opportunities, and an example of an extremely successful company in this sector, is Endura Roses. Endura Roses specialises in unique preserved floral arrangements and bouquets, and has been flourishing in the UK since 2016.

• Becoming an Endura Roses franchisee: You don’t need industry experience to franchise with Endura Roses, but you will need to be dynamic, driven and creative, with ambition and a vision for the future of your franchise business.
• 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.
• 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.

Indulge your green thumb and start running your own business in a thriving industry

A florist franchise is a great chance to reconnect with nature, but if the day in the life you’ve discovered in this article doesn’t feel right for you, floristry isn’t the only way that you can indulge your green thumb. Browse Point Franchise’s wide range of gardening and lawn care franchise opportunities to see what else is out there, and find out how to make a career change with a gardening franchise.