Florist News

I am about to start my city and guilds this september and am also doing as many private run day courses as possible at the moment to try and keep my hand in as I can't afford to jump ship yet and be the oldest trainee shop florist in the world But i do want to work freelance as well, and have two small weddings sorted for next year (family friends so no profit). I wanted to know if its worth registering as a business when you are just starting and freelance or if there's anything else i could do to appear more appealing to wholesalers who i am finding difficult to source for supplies. I have got a contact at Barensden, courtsey of the lovely Rach, and will use them for big orders like weddings, but due to minimum order value i can't use them all the time.
I realise the name of the game is to keep plugging away and thats what i intend to do, but as you lot have mostly been there and done that any advice or tips from those much more savvy than me would be appreciated.

I found that if I had a cheque book or some wholesaler's invoices in my business name they were happy. Some of the smaller wholesalers - plants and sundries - didn't seem to care where I was from but they tended to be the smaller ones with the least varied selection. The bigger wholesalers are the fussiest, I've had to produce all sorts - vat reg certificate, utility bills etc for them.

I just finished level 1 C & G in March and will start level 2 in September. Like you am doing as many non-certificated courses as poss.

I don't think you need to register as a business, but I was advised to tell the tax man - have done this, very easy. I am going to try and build up local clients over the next year - hopefully got a wedding at Christmas, and my hairdresser wants regular flowers too.

As for wholesalers, my local never asked if I was trade or not and now are really friendly when I go in as have been in a fair bit this last few months.

It might be worth getting some business cards printed - can be done really cheaply. I put my website together and it cost about £40 - I just used the best photos from C&G and other courses. Its really an awareness thing - I don't sell from it cos am still working. Have got lots of plans to build up a business and hopefully getting some shop experience - that is vital I think. A shop near me is actually up for sale and if it was 18 months down the line I would snap it up (its the only one in the area, near a couple of crematoriums, passing traffic can stop etc) - the florist is selling it because of ill-health. I spoke to her, and she's going to let me work in the shop when i take a week off in August. Hope this helps - if you want any more info you can pm me and I'll give you my email address

__________________
www.treesfloraldesign.co.uk

Ooh, tree can I stick my oar in?

If there's a shop for sale and you fancy it, go for it!! It will take a while for all the legals to be dealt with on the transaction anyway, mine took nearly a year cos they stalled for ages to get thru all the peaks . Don't worry if you're still at college, if you've got the confidence to go out there and get wedding work and contract work then you'll be fine with a shop!!! And you'd be buying it as a going concern which gives you a huge headstart.

Thanks so much for the tips, i have thought of business cards and plan to get them sorted but embarrassingly i haven't yet come up with a name for myself Useless or what, i've been so wrapped up in actually getting started and sorted that it hasn't really been something i had thought of and now i have the time i have a mental blank As for the website, my hubby is a web designer so hopefully that won't be a problem, i just need to get some decent pics and a name, not much then

Took me ages to come up with the name for my shop, it's important to get it right!

Thanks Rosa, am considering it - i pass it every day to and from work. The pull to floristry as my career is so strong now, that I know I should so something. Don't want to rush into anything tho.

I'm off to a conference on Wednesday and back the following Friday. When I get back am less busy with work so will look into it more. It'll mean selling my house - which is a sacrifice am more than prepared to do - although the plan was to get some contract work this next year to get the mortgage down, but it won't be nearly enough so will probably have to sell up in a year or so anyway.

__________________
www.treesfloraldesign.co.uk

Yeah I know I think thats half the reason that i can't come up with something. I'm scared that i will think of a name thats pants and not realise it until its too late and i have printed the cards, and then i will look like a right t**t

my shop had been going for years and years when I bought it so I decided not change the name. but we formed a limited company so I spent ages thinking about the name for that so I could use that as well for things like weddings that the company didn't previously do

__________________
Sarah Creating Bespoke Wedding Flowers Cheshire

I am just going to have to sit down in peace and quiet ( the two children having been locked in the garage) with a large glass of wine and have a really long hard think