When purchasing a flower shop, business owners have several decisions to make.
On one hand, a homegrown, built from the ground-up approach to the flower industry has obvious perks. Without needing to buy into a larger franchise, startup costs are considerably less (and can be scaled depending on your budget). Operating hours can be shorter, and staff can be reduced to just a few individuals. Often, customers respond favorably to the concept of a flower shop that is “family owned and operated”. They appreciate arrangements created by your florists, for your flower shop.
However, a DIY approach also has it’s setbacks.
Large operations such as 1-800-flowers have ecommerce, email marketing, and promotions all built into their design. The buy-in cost for a franchise includes tapping into years of research, and contacts with suppliers at the best possible rates. Smaller operations often end up searching for the tools for marketing and promotion, after they’ve already tapped into too many of their “lifeline” savings. A quick Google search for “flower shops for sale” showcases just how often mom-and-pop operations end up selling their stores.
So is a franchise the best flower shop business model?
Not necessarily! A franchise also comes with fees per purchase, and commitment to the franchise’s catalog/suppliers/policies. Often, this results in very little flexibility if your local market has not been responding to the store.
What’s the solution?
We recommend working in a flower shop, identifying “pain points” (POS systems, seasonal sales slumps, delivery issues) and creating a reasonable expectation prior to delving into your own franchise. Additionally, the technology behind ordering and fulfillment can make or break the shop. It’s important to make sure that sales and marketing are functioning like a well-oiled machine.
Read our additional Tips for a Successful Flower Shop here, and feel free to contact us if you’re interested in learning more about South Florals.