Florist News

Hi everyone, finally plucked up the courage to post! I joined a few weeks ago, and have been browsing sneakily in the backgound until now, but I am about to buy a business and would really value any advice and help anyone would like to give. I have been entering floral arft competitions for a couple of years and was working in a totally un-related field until November, when i finished a contract and went to help out at my local florists 'over Christmas'. I have been there ever since and now the owner is retiring and I am in the process of buying the business, together with another member of the existing staff. We are basically buying the stock, changing the name, taking on the lease of the shop and then getting on with it. We feel there is much more potential in the business and are really looking forward to getting out teeth into out own business. we know there will be long hours (there are already!), heartache, cock-ups etc etc, but we're not put off. Must be mad. My first question is, what is the best piece of advice you were given when you started out? Iam also keen to hear views on buying a van V leasing a van, is it best to try and have a separate driver or to use staff? (We use staff currently and it just doesn't seem to work, stretches us at busy periods, or is it best to be better staffed and then you won;t miss the person who goes out on delivery too much????). I have loads more questions but I think that's enuff for now... sorry!!!

Welcome Ally
I can't really help you as I'm in the same boat. Although you are futher down the line from me. I do wish you luck in your venture. As regrds to drivers, all the shops I've worked in ideally like the staff to have a clean driving licence and be confident enough to drive the van. Personally I do enjoy delivering but NOT all the time. some of the staff hate it and really resent it. I'm sure that if you search the threads we may have discussed this before.
There are loads of helpful people on hear, so no more hiding in the background!

Hi Ally, welcome .

I think it depends how busy the shop is whether you have dedicated drivers or just get the florists to cover it. I have part time drivers who are flexible and work variable hours each day to cover the vaguaries of order volumes. Plus they all work extra hours at the peaks, saves me having to find temp drivers.

Hi Orchidlover
Thanks for that. I don't feel 'further down the line', though, I suspect it's going to be a long haul. We are going to have a period where we have the same (rubbish) shop layout, chaotic staffing, old name outside the shop/on the van, etc etc as we are being pushed to the wire - we are hoping to have bought the business and be running it ourselves by 5th Nov, but the way things are going it doesn't seem likely...! we don't even have the price hammered out yet!!! Grrrrrr!

I am with Rosa on this think I would wait for a while before I would buy van still staff use your car and look for retired person/mum with kids at school friends family etc

Hi Rosa Alba
Wow! Never mind a shop, you must have an empire (I would put a 'cheeky' smiley here, but don;t know how, sorry!). We are going to be 2 full-time, 1 part-time staff every day (roughly), but I was wondering if I could maybe source a local, retired person who might be quite flexible to do deliveries, because the shop is constantly in chaos due to under-/erratic staffing. At Xmas we will rope in our husbands/boyfriends (In my case husband and in her case boyfriend, before anyone gets the wrong idea!!!!!)

Hi rach
Good to hear that you think the retired person thing might be a goer. We will probably have a van from day 1, as the seller thinks she will part with it (although today she said she might keep it! For what, i have no idea...). It won;t cost us much as it is old, clapped out and on its last legs, but it would do for a few months until we see how we are going...

Hi Alli if you are taking over an existing lease or entering into a new one with the landlord may I give you the same advice that I gave to Dragonfly last month? I would suggest that you get a surveyor to do a Schedule of Condition. This will tell you and the landlord what work needs doing on the property. It will cost you between £400 - £500 but is well worth doing. You can ask the landlord to do the work before you take the property over, or ask for a reduction in rent or rent free period to do the work yourself. If you don't do a Schedule of Condition at the end of your lease the landlord can claim that you have not left the property in as good a state as at the start of your lease and serve a Delapadation Order on you. The courts can then make you pay for the work to be done for the landlord.
If you know that the premises are in really good condition then you do not need this advice but if the are issues with the building I would cover your back. All the best.

__________________
Rainbow

Quote of the day : To keep the heart unwrinkled, to be hopeful, kindly, cheerful, reverent that is to triumph over old age.
Amos Bronson Alcott

Hahaahaha not exactly an empire, more like a millstone lol .

Have only 1 driver in per day, but I have 3 covering the 6 days a week we are open so I know I have cover at the peaks, they are all on call as required. Two are retired, I find with the hours it's not really suitable for mums with kids as they don't have a guaranteed finish time.

Hi Rainbow
That's food for thought, and I'll ask my solicitor about it when we draw up the bill of sale. Though I think it will be OK as the owner of the building refurbed it all from top to bottom about 8 months ago (it was in a very poor state!), re-wiring, re-plumbing (even moved the loo to a better place!), paint job, new blinds etc etc. We are going to add a clause via the solicitor when we buy the business to say that the previous owner can't open a floristry business in a 5-mile radius (or summink similar) within the next x amount of years, and that our new business has no responsibility for the old businesses debts/contracts - or do you think we are being paranoid??? !