Curious about becoming a florist?
I am often asked about the florist career path. I’ve now worked professionally in the industry for 23 years and have had my own business for 19. It’s wild to me that in this industry I’m now considered by many to be a “veteran” but here we are and, honestly, I love it now more than ever! In most regards, my business model really hasn’t changed much since I’ve started but the industry definitely has and I’ve learned a lot along the way. One of the biggest changes has been the sheer number of people becoming studio florists! With that in mind, here are some important things to consider when modeling out your own floral journey!
Why do you want to become a florist?
Sometimes the most basic questions are the most important. Everyone who wants to become a florist loves flowers and while that’s probably the most important “rule” let’s move beyond it. Here’s a few reasons that I think often motivate people into the field.
- You want to be creatively fulfilled
- As an income source
- You want the flexibility and freedom of creating your own schedule
- You want to travel
I think those are all great reasons to get into the field! And hopefully all of those sound good to you! That said, it’s really important to prioritize your top two as that will guide you into what type of floristry you want to pursue!
Types of florists
Here’s a few avenues of floristry to consider and where they fit in to those priorities (in my humble opinion!)
Traditional Shop Employee- I believe working in a traditional retail flower shop to be the best place for training. You’ll learn the industry from top to bottom, sales orders, customer service, flower orders, processing, cleaning, designing, delivery. That’s the biggest pro in this column in my opinion. This is also probably the most stable place to find a job. You likely won’t be traveling much or have much flexibility with your schedule and you definitely won’t be working from home in this environment. This is how I started out!
Wholesale market employee- Similar pros and cons to above. You’ll also be working early hours (often 5am-1pm in PDX) which might be great or might be challenging.
Grocery store florist- Also similar to working at a retail flower shop. Additional [ros are you’re likely to get some of the benefits of working for a large company (healthcare, pto, sick leave) but you probably aren’t getting as much training from a seasoned professional and some people find it less creatively fulfilling.
Freelance Florist- This is a great option for anyone who wants freedom, flexibility and the ability to travel for work! Everyone who works with me is an independent contractor, ie freelancer. Freelancers typically get paid more per hour than employees would and move around between designers giving them exposure to a lot of different styles and processes. Biggest downside is the insecurity. You’re also typically not in charge of the designs but rather fulfilling orders. I worked as a freelancer briefly while starting up my business to cover expenses while also having flexibility.
Retail flower shop owner- We all know what this is. Please, I beg of you, before you start a flower shop work in a flower shop. Consult with accountants, attorneys and business advisors. It’s a ton of work and a very tough business!
Educator- This may be at a floral school, high school, destination workshops, or smaller workshops such as wreath making parties. A lot of florists who own shops or studios also educate to fill out their schedules.
Studio florist owner- This is me! 🙂 As a studio florist I work almost exclusively in the event and wedding industry and am not open for retail or walk ins. A big benefit of this business model is that it really limits wasted flowers and labor as everything I purchase is pre-sold. It also allows me the flexibility to completely block off time when I want to go on vacation or do other jobs. Personally, I love being a small business owner who “does it all”. There are days when all I do is clean buckets, others when I’m doing all my accounting and others when I’m at glamorous events. Financially, being a small business owner certainly is not as reliable as an employee at a large company but I do get the privilege of creative and strategic freedom. I work out of a studio that’s separate from my home but a lot of studio florists do work from home. This style of business fits me really well and I’m so glad I went this route!
Last but not least!
Floristry as a career path is not for the lazy. It’s not going to make you wealthy. You will be working in customer service with very emotional people. Flowers are not a necessity and they are expensive. The industry has a long way to go in terms of environmental responsibility. 80 hour work weeks will be the norm during holidays and wedding season. You will work all nighters and miss important personal moments for clients who forget to say thank you. At some point you will most likely fall off a ladder, sprain an ankle, pour hot wax on yourself, develop arthritis and need stitches from a knife cut.
You will also see and work in the most beautiful places. You will also meet incredibly interesting, diverse, kind people. Some of those will be clients and others will be the farmers and vendors you rely upon. People will open up to you and grant you the honor of helping them celebrate some of the most important, pivotal, intimate moments of their lives. And you will be surrounded by flowers.
At the end of the day, I’m one of the nuts who love this job!
If you have any questions please feel free to reach out!
A bit about pricing…
Imported rose prices are sold at auctions and so the pricing can vary pretty dramatically week to week. These are very “traditional” auctions so supply and demand is very much in play as well as global events, gas prices, etc. For example, “toffee” roses have been really popular in the last few years for their gorgeous coppery hue. In the fall when that color feels so perfect they will often cost 3-4 times that of a more true orange. Fortunately, we’ve been buying and selling roses for a long time so I feel pretty well versed and adopt the pricing risk myself. When you sign a contract we honor quoted prices.
Locally grown roses are typically much more stable in pricing but also start at a higher price since they’re often field grown in smaller quantities and require a lot more hands on care from the farmers.
So, how do you decide which ones are right for you?!
Flowers are so personal and favorites are totally subjective so I’ll show clients samples so they can let me know if they have preferences. To be honest, most of the time we use a combination of all three styles with the most expensive in places like the bridal bouquet, cake and on the outer edges of centerpieces where they get the most viewing time. We’ll tuck the larger, less expensive blooms in places like ceremony arches and low in centerpieces to fill things out.
I’m a huge fan of roses and how could I not be as a florist in the City of Roses?! I hope this post was helpful! Please reach out to us via our contact page to learn more!
Wedding Photos by Amanda K Photography
