Florist News

When i was at college, which was 7-5 years ago, there was a wide variety of people there, all ages backgrounds etc etc, most of the young ones just wanted to do the course and then open up shop, which i thought was crazy. Most thought working in a florist was a waste of time, and that they just wanted to do their own thing. I was one of only 2 that had a placement throughout. Most i've never heard of or seen since, and one did open up shop which closed within 6 months. I've worked in 4 different florists since then and only now do i feel the time is right for me to branch out alone. I feel if i don't do it now, perhaps i never will and its something i don't wnt to regret not doing.
I'm not saying everyone is like this and i know alot are not, but this was my experience.

I'm also in a very mixed age class but have the opposite experience. The younger girls are either already in a shop or, knowing they don't want to go the A level/uni route, are using the course to figure out whether floristry is their talent in which case they'll go into a shop full time or onto the advanced course and then into a shop full time on slightly better wages.

The ones that want to set up on their own as soon as possible are the more, er, mature ladies that either don't want a boss anymore or feel that they have enough life/business experience to profitably run their own shop and have chosen floristry to do it in because the course gives a damn good basic training in the field. Watch out, Jane Packer, these women are after your ass!

Me? Of course I'd love to run my own business. I'd also love to work three hours a week and earn a million quid a year but none of 'em are gonna happen anytime soon so meantime I'll just carry on with the best of both worlds - learning the techniques in college and the reality from work experience and reading here.

Sounds like a good outlook to me Pinky!!!!

I've gone to college for a few reasons...

1) I wanted to learn the 'taught' way of doing things. Some may teach me incorrectly or I may pick up bad habits.

2) I wanted to be absolutely sure it's what I wanted to do.

3) I have to have major surgery soon and didn't want to get a job in a florists that would rely on me, and let them down, or have to leave sooner than planned because of poor health, it just didn't seem fair.

4) There is nowhere particularly local that I would consider working.

I love college, and we all learn so much from each other; sharing experiences of different workplaces, part-taking in exciting events, having time to perfect skills when the end product is not too important (not like in a retail environment.

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Jake, u have raised some great points there.........especially about bad habits.....theres alot of florists who use short cut methods etc for things, not saying this is bad but its best to learn the proper method before diciding if a short cut is possible and why!!!!

To me it's just like driving. To pass your test you have to do everything absolutely properly then once you've got some miles under your belt you cross your hands on the wheel and don't look in the mirrors half as much!

Won't be gettin in the car with you!

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oh no just realized daughter will be taking lessons next year! i will have to get in the car with herhow scary.

oh no just realized, daughter will be taking lessons next year! i will have to get in the car with herhow scary.