How to Choose the Florist Franchise That's Right For You

Choosing the right florist franchise for you is one of the biggest steps you’ll need to take on your franchising journey. But with so many different franchises already out there, how do you choose the right franchise for you?

Deciding that you want to be a part of the busy, specialist florist industry is easy enough to understand. But what kind of franchise you want to work with can become an altogether more difficult decision. With so many franchises out there, how do you choose the right florist franchise for you?

Bricks-and-mortar franchises

As the most traditional kinds of flower businesses, a huge amount of available florist franchises will be standard, high street, bricks-and-mortar storefronts. 

These kinds of businesses operate to more tried-and-tested working schedules. Although, as the owner of the business, you may need to be prepared to put the hours in to get the business off the ground. You will also need a larger or smaller number of team members to help you run the business and take care of the store when you’re not there. On top of this, you will also need to find the right property to open your business.

Running a store such as this can be a costly endeavour, but as a franchisee, there is a lot of support available to help you do exactly these kinds of things. 

How to choose the right bricks-and-mortar franchise for you

If this kind of flower business sounds like the right opportunity for you, you will need to get yourself prepared early. These kinds of franchises will often require you to make minimum investments towards all the aspects of your new business, from the location, to recruitment, to marketing. 

The good news is that, because franchising is seen as a safer way to operate a business, you will be able to look forward to more competitive financial deals to get your business going. Depending on your credit history, many major banks and lenders are prepared to offer up to 70% of your traditional start-up fees, so even if you can’t afford the investments up front, there are alternative options.

Online franchises

Partly because of the pandemic, and partly because of the expenses of running high street businesses, many franchises now prefer to simply operate from home. Online-only businesses have thrived over the last 18 months, and there’s no sign of these businesses slowing down in popularity any time soon.

As an online or remote-only flower business, all you need is yourself, some inventory, and the right tools for the job. No costly rents or expensive staffing requirements are needed. Your shop front is your website, so it’s important that where you save on time and money by operating online, you reinvest this energy into making your online presence the best it can be.

As a florist, your website is your online shop window – where you showcase your style, capture people's imagination, and help customers order flowers online 24/7. In this technology focused world, a website is essential for any small business to grow and thrive - but just like plants, a website needs the right conditions to bloom.
- Florist Pro 

How to choose the right online florist franchise for you

When it comes to choosing the right online florist, there are a few different points to note. First of all, it’s quite likely that you won’t need to make as big a total investment to start your business. The average start-up cost for a franchise is around £42,200 [British Franchise Association], but without any of the fixed costs of a location and rent, you can expect an online franchise to be cheaper.

Instead, you’ll want to pay close attention to how much support is available to you in areas such as designing and running a website, deliveries, and maybe even things like subscriptions and sales support. There are lots of different online florist businesses out there, so you’re sure to find one that suits your needs.

Van-based and mobile franchises

Another trend changing the way many businesses work is the growth in popularity of van-based businesses. These are mobile and footloose businesses that can be set up temporarily in shopping centres, hotspots and anywhere else.

These kinds of businesses have also proven themselves to be worth their weight in gold. In much the same way that online franchises are able to avoid many of the normal costs of traditional businesses, mobile franchises are able to give business owners a lot more flexibility and independence in terms of where they take their business.

Mobile franchises also have the option of attending events, such as outdoor festivals, village fetes, markets and other large gatherings. Due to the temporary and pop-up nature of these events, van franchises can be a very effective way of getting to certain events.

How to choose the right van-based franchise for you

Something important to take stock of when it comes to mobile franchises is how much you need to invest to get a vehicle, or whether your franchisor will help you acquire a vehicle. Different franchises will have different levels of financial support to help you get the right vehicles in place, while others may expect you to use or own, or to buy a new vehicle entirely. So this is an important question to help you determine what franchise is a good fit for you.

Join the florist industry today

The florist industry is an exciting and profitable industry, and hopefully after reading this article, you’re in a better position to choose what kind of florist franchise is the right one for you.

If you’re still not sure if the florist industry is the right one for you, you may find an insight into the daily life of a florist franchisee a useful pointer. Alternatively, for a complete list of franchises in other sectors, you can have a look at the UK franchise directory.