Transcription
I didn't plan on becoming a florist. I was looking for a part-time job while I was at college doing a course in child care, and my local florist had a Saturday vacancy advertised, so I thought I'd apply. At first, I didn't have much interest in flowers, but gradually I came to love the work. I learned so much from my first boss, Janet. She seemed to know exactly which flowers were needed for each occasion.
I worked for Janet full-time for a couple of years and then for another florist for around six. After that, I felt ready to start up a business myself. I was lucky that my uncle had an empty property which he rented to me for a very low rent, so I found it easier than most to get started.
Being a florist is about so much more than just the flowers. Although some people come in and buy flowers because they love them, customers are usually buying them for a special occasion, and they want them to be perfect. Most people end up having a chat about why they're buying the flowers—for a birthday or anniversary, or because a colleague of theirs is retiring from work, for example. If you are a people person, it's a great opportunity to meet people and find out about their lives. It's really lovely to do flowers for the birth of a baby or a golden wedding. Imagine being married for 50 years—that's incredible—and it gives me a lot of pleasure to help people celebrate these amazing events.
As you can imagine, weddings are one of our largest sources of business. Dealing with brides can be the most challenging part of the job because most of them have very specific, and not always practical, ideas about what they want. Often, a woman will come in 18 months before her wedding day and say, "I must have this kind of flower in this color," but what they don't understand is that it's impossible to predict what's going to be available a year and a half from now.
One thing which has affected our business is global warming. The weather is a lot less predictable than it used to be, which means we can't say for sure what type of flower will be in season in a particular month. That makes it hard for people getting married. We always try to have a backup plan in case their first choice is not available.
There's a lot of creativity involved in deciding which colors and types of flower go together and arranging them in attractive ways. I didn't really think of myself as a creative person, but now I believe that anyone can be like that, but they have to put their mind to it. But florists also need to be sensitive. We sometimes have to deal with someone who's forgotten their husband's or wife's birthday, or people who are sending flowers to make up with someone after an argument. Part of your job is to help customers choose the right flowers.
In the last few years, we've diversified a little. We now sell gifts such as chocolates, picture frames, and teddy bears, as well as greetings cards and balloons. You have to move with the times. We face huge competition from supermarkets, but I think our personal, friendly approach is the key to our success.
I didn't plan on becoming a florist. I was looking for a part-time job while I was at college doing a course in child care, and my local florist had a Saturday vacancy advertised, so I thought I'd apply. At first, I didn't have much interest in flowers, but gradually I came to love the work. I learned so much from my first boss, Janet. She seemed to know exactly which flowers were needed for each occasion. I worked for Janet full-time for a couple of years and then for another florist for around six. After that, I felt ready to start up a business myself. I was lucky that my uncle had an empty property which he rented to me for a very low rent, so I found it easier than most to get started. Being a florist is about so much more than just the flowers. Although some people come in and buy flowers because they love them, customers are usually buying them for a special occasion, and they want them to be perfect. Most people end up having a chat about why they're buying the flowers—for a birthday or anniversary, or because a colleague of theirs is retiring from work, for example. If you are a people person, it's a great opportunity to meet people and find out about their lives. It's really lovely to do flowers for the birth of a baby or a golden wedding. Imagine being married for 50 years—that's incredible—and it gives me a lot of pleasure to help people celebrate these amazing events. As you can imagine, weddings are one of our largest sources of business. Dealing with brides can be the most challenging part of the job because most of them have very specific, and not always practical, ideas about what they want. Often, a woman will come in 18 months before her wedding day and say, "I must have this kind of flour in this color," but what they don't understand is that it's impossible to predict what's going to be available a year and a half from now. One thing which has affected our business is global warming. The weather is a lot less predictable than it used to be, which means we can't say for sure what type of flower will be in season in a particular month. That makes it hard for people getting married. We always try to have a backup plan in case their first choice is not available. There's a lot of creativity involved in deciding which colors and types of flower go together and arranging them in attractive ways. I didn't really think of myself as a creative person, but now I believe that anyone can be like that, but they have to put their mind to it. But florists also need to be sensitive. We sometimes have to deal with someone who's forgotten their husband's or wife's birthday, or people who are sending flowers to make up with someone after an argument. Part of your job is to help customers choose the right flowers. In the last few years, we've diversified a little. We now sell gifts such as chocolates, picture frames, and teddy bears, as well as greetings cards and balloons. You have to move with the times. We face huge competition from supermarkets, but I think our personal, friendly approach is the key to our success.