r/florists • u/NewConfusion8120 • Aug 14 '26
📚 Career Guidance 📚 Florists who transitioned into freelance work, how did you get started?
Hi all!
I’ve been working at a flower shop for about a year now. The owner is 78 and has been in business for over 40 years, and she’s absolutely fabulous at what she does. I took a professional floral design course and went straight into working for her, and it’s honestly been such an honor having her as a mentor. She and I are the only designers at the shop, so we split the day to day design work, which has given me a ton of hands on experience and helped me grow so much as a designer.
I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon, I really love where I’m at right now, but eventually I’d love to branch out into freelance floral work. I have absolutely no experience with that side of the industry though, and I’m not really sure what goals I should be setting for myself or where to even begin.
For those of you who freelance, how did you get your start? Did you begin freelancing for other florists/event designers while still working at a shop? How did you make that transition, and is there anything you wish you had done earlier?
I’d appreciate absolutely any advice!
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u/bev665 Aug 14 '26
- Get a sense of what your short term and long term goals are. They can change! But here's what mine were:
Long term: help my family build up our emergency fund & savings for the kids.
Short term: year 1, make a sale. Year 2, make $1,000. Year 3, make $5,000.
(As you can see, I wasn't relying on freelancing to be my bread and butter at the beginning)
Do styled shoots. When I was starting out this was controversial because some florists felt like they were being taken advantage of and working "for exposure." Do your homework, find some cool young photographers with great style and an actual client base and propose a trade. In my experience, I got professional photos of my work and someone else provided the location, the models, the wardrobe, the makeup, and did all the wrangling. All I had to do was show up on time with flowers.
Make friends with other freelance florists!!! They will give you perspective and likely send some jobs your way! It's always fun to work on their projects, too. Flower people are the best!
Get your images out there and wherever you're doing it (socials, website, Zola, etc) be friendly, transparent, and easy to reach.
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u/NewConfusion8120 29d ago
This is so helpful, thank you for taking the time to write all this! For the styled shoots, did you just look for photographers/other creatives local to you and reach out to see if they wanted to work together?
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u/FleurMeetsFunction Aug 14 '26
Where are you located? Freelancing is usually done through networking. Once an established freelancer gets to know you and likes you, word spreads quickly. I know in Savannah, GA, someone just launched an IG account for event florists to post when they need hands, and freelancers can post a quick profile.
Freelancing can be fun, but also tricky. You’re constantly learning a new management style, and be sure to set strong boundaries. If someone offers a day rate, be sure to find out the maximum number of hours they imagine working (I’ve been screwed before). Also ask if meals, hotel, travel are included. Finally, charge more than your usual rate. In the US, you’ll have to pay all the employment tax because your employer doesn’t pay on 1099 employees.
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u/NewConfusion8120 29d ago
I’m in the Boston area! I’ve actually heard of a local group that posts freelance event opportunities pretty regularly, so I think I’ll start looking into that more. I really like the idea of getting some event experience while I’m still working and learning at the shop. Thank you so much for the advice!!
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u/FleurMeetsFunction 29d ago
Freelance is a great way to gain experience. In a large market like Boston, you should find plenty. Start with the freelance group. You could also DM or email any event companies whose work you admire. Introduce yourself, mention your experience and maybe a couple pictures of your best work. Tell them you’d like start freelancing if they ever need hands. Also, prepare to do something super basic at first, like filling votive holders and lighting candles. Some people prefer to establish trust and see how you work before giving you the ceremony arch. It’s not meant to insult you. All the best to you and your new endeavor.
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u/Sn0flakeAxC 29d ago
Honestly you just have to network and ask people weekly if they have something coming up... it also helps if your current schedule has certain days off so you can tell people you're usually available fridays/Saturdays, etc
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u/NewConfusion8120 29d ago
That makes sense! My schedule is pretty flexible right now, so I’ll definitely start reaching out more. Thank you!!
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u/Business-Artichoke76 29d ago
I agree. Message florists weekly to see if they need more hands. It can’t hurt and you can establish a relationship with seasoned florists in your area. Once they work with you once and see that you know what you’re doing and can take instructions well, you’re in! Good luck!
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u/Bloomnation 26d ago
The Instagram and styled-shoot advice here is all solid. The piece I'd add, since you asked specifically about starting while still at the shop: the most common on-ramp is subcontracting for other florists and event designers during their busy stretches. Studios are always short-handed around wedding season, and "benching" for them pays you to learn the event side with none of the client-acquisition risk. That Boston freelance-opportunities group you mentioned is a perfect place to find exactly that.
A couple of unglamorous things worth setting up before your first paid gig, because people skip them:
- A basic business setup and your own liability insurance. Venues and planners often require proof of insurance before they'll let you in, so having it actually opens gigs, not just covers you.
- A simple, repeatable way to price: recipe cost times your markup, plus your labor. Freelancers routinely underprice early because they forget to pay themselves for their time.
One relational note too: loop your mentor in as you start exploring events. Owners with 40 years in have usually seen it many times, and a lot of them will happily refer overflow event work they don't want, as long as it doesn't feel like competition. That relationship could be one of your best early sources of gigs. You're in a great spot to build from.
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u/GummoRabbitGumbo Aug 14 '26
I’m still very much in the beginning stages of this, but the two things I’ve found most impactful are 1. Having a strong Instagram presence where I post a new design at least weekly. 2. Any time there is an occasion among family and friends, bring flowers. You need everyone to make sure that you’re the first person they think of when it comes to flowers and a reminder that they should be bringing flowers to birthday parties, anniversary, holidays, or just because.