It’s been a year since I decided to shift from selling flowers to offering business consulting services. 2024 has been a transitional year. Admittedly, I have dabbled in flowers. Yet, for the most part, flowers have been limited to my garden and all the beautiful projects and designs I’ve seen other floral industry professionals post on social media.
I Miss…
I don’t miss the constant driving all over the area to gather up supplies or aching hands and feet at night. But, I really do miss seeing and touching flowers on a daily basis. I miss the quiet hours of designing in my workshop or seeing the natural light reflect off of a completed arrangement about to go out for delivery. I miss the creative satisfaction of a job well done or saying to myself, “Wow, that arrangement is really pretty!” I also miss crossing paths with colleagues I’ve met over the years. Hearing the latest chatter in the floral community. Talking about gorgeous dahlias at the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market that morning or how much the cost of rose stems were at another. But, I have my ways of getting floral tidbits from time to time. 😊
While I miss all of these wonderful familiarities of the flower biz, it hasn’t been strong enough of a draw to come back. I love this exploratory phase I’m in now.
When I started my business in 2014, my son was really young. He’s not now. He has his own schedule and a couple years away from driving. Being a small business owner has allowed me to continue “working” and grow as a professional. It’s also given me the opportunity to raise my son in the way I wanted to. He’s seen a mother working long hours, put herself out there publicly, taking risks, succeeded on some days, failing on others, and learning through it all! He’s seen her win awards and be on the cover of a local magazine. He's also seen her cry in a corner and pick herself up off the floor after she’s lost a lot of money in a business decision gone wrong.
We are in a different time, a different world. Business is evolving every single day. I have to think about my age and how I measure up to those entering the workforce. I’d like to retire in 20 years or so and travel the country and see my son take on the world. I never thought I’d be here thinking these thoughts, but here I am. The consulting space has been a great opportunity to see where I want to go. I love helping others achieve their business goals.
But, let’s be honest, we don’t go into the floral business just for the money. Not as a florist. We are drawn to the flowers. The story. The romance of it all. The beauty and joy flowers bring into our lives is intoxicating. Unless we are endlessly rich, the dollars and cents need to start adding up to stay in business. It took several years, but finally my mind shifted from the romance of flowers to the finance of flowers. Profit and loss are real.
Website and Social Aren’t Buzz Words Anymore!
Lately, I’ve been digging deeper into the world of ecommerce. It’s not enough to just have a website and social. Neither website or social are buzz words anymore. A business owner needs to understand how to elevate their foundation. Saying you have a website isn’t enough to compete. How the site is built and growing is crucial. SEO is a key factor. Does a website have the core basics needed to continually be growing (gaining traffic) while a florist is working. I think many florists spend WAY too much time focusing on the beauty of flowers and not enough on the bottom line of their businesses. It’s really hard, I KNOW! Taking time and digging into the facts or pulse of your online presence can help flip the switch from loss to profit…. And I mean, paying yourself!
This is where a business consultant can help. Scheduling a once-a-month meeting to keep on track, is key. It’s like having a second pair of eyes on you, the business owner, and your business! A business consultant also looks at your business from a distance. Sometimes, taking a step back gives you a clearer path to success, a.k.a. profitability!
The Algorithm Hasn’t Been on My Side for Years!
And social. I don’t believe in willy nilly posting anymore. For years, there was this belief in posting constantly about whatever to increase traction. I believe in quality over quantity. There’s nothing wrong with posting a spontaneous moment here and there, but posting with intention pays over time. I actually stopped a lot of my random posts. Now, I’m sure the algorithm would dispute my perspective, but the algorithm hasn’t been on my side for years!
What Does the Future Hold?
I don’t entirely know what the future holds for me. I’m taking it day by day and week by week. I do know I love ecommerce and want to immerse myself into it more and more. I want to be a part of something bigger than me and work for a greater cause. I’m not getting any younger and want to learn more about the latest trends and technologies available to business owners. This doesn’t mean I want to adopt all of those solutions. It simply means I want to know what they are, how these tools are used, and how they can help. At the moment, I’m learning a new tool called Loom. Loom is an online platform that enables a user to record video presentations, create online tutorials, and interact more personally while saving time in face-to-face meetings. Next week, I’m attending a virtual webinar on SEO and deep-diving into Google Search Console (I had no idea how important it is!)
What’s on your 2025 goals, and how can I help?
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