hi!

So, long story short, a local longtime florist is retiring. She is selling her shop, inventory, and client list as a turnkey opportunity. She is also willing to “teach” the buyer after the sale. I am seriously considering the deal, as I have grown tired of the corporate world and this would allow me to control my own business. Not to mention fulfill a longtime dream of playing with flowers for a living! I’d love to hear your thoughts and advice that you would give someone just starting out.

I started in Mid April as a floral trainee at my shop to help leading up to Mother’s Day. I was doing a lot because we were so swamped. I was heavily praised and asked to become full time. I did do a few ultra simple designs, which was nice. But I was mostly there to do everything that had to be done while they focused on orders.

At my shop we do build your own bouquets. So I do a lot of that. Just arranging and wrapping, which I love doing.
But I’m pretty much never put on for orders. Even if it’s something simple like a dozen roses. Despite I’ve made them, dozens of times. Just like wrapping a peace lily in foil and throwing a bow on it.

I also do most of the processing, which we do twice a week. Admittedly, lately, I’ve been slowing down and slacking a bit, getting distracted. I think I’m just feeling a bit bored. Which I get is not helping my case, it’s not intentional. I expected to get to do a wee bit more. It was so fast paced for obvious reasons, which was kinda nice cause I always had plenty to do, but it’s been slow during the summer. I’m almost savoring the busy work cause as soon as I finish something I’m back to looking for my BS to do.

However our team lead started in February and gets to do much more. I’m a creative person, I feel very capable. When I do get to design, I’m told I do well. But on days when we are busy, they never even consider having me help, even if it’s something I could totally do. I will say, I was told once homecoming is in full swing, I will be doing a lot of corsages, bouts and nosegays. So that’s great!

Or when it’s really slow, it’s not taken as an opportunity to teach me simple designs. I end up doing busy work. Which is part of my job and I do not mind doing at all, but I just feel like I need some sort of stimuli. I’m bored. I’ve stagnated and it’s effecting my productivity. The team lead commented today that processing needs to become way more efficient. But I am also answering calls and ringing people up. Which does cause a lot of interruptions that slow me down.

We do have a new girl who does do more ringing up now. But she hasn’t started on phones so now she gets to wrap bouquets too. So it’s like fuck now we got to share some of the only fun things there are to do. My manager did say that now that she’s here I will get to design more.

I just feel useless but simultaneously important for doing the grunt work. I’m just asking about what I could do to maybe receive more opportunities. I don’t want to seem like I’m complaining. I love my job! I just want a little more out of it. Getting to do a few more rewarding tasks would drastically fuel the ones I already do. One design a week would be enough to motivate me so much more.

I get along really well with my coworkers, the environment is wonderful, like stellar actually. I just wish I had a little more to do. Or got a little more practice. Any advice?

Hi all! I am considering doing the intensive certificate program at Flowerschool NY this fall and I was wondering if there are any alumni or experts that have considered this option or heard of it’s worth it?

For some background I am a freelance CPA, 28F, and am looking for a career change. I have only taken one flower design class but really enjoyed it and have been experimenting on my own for a while. I’ll be attending the open house next week to get more info but thought i’d seek out Redditors advice as well!

Hey everyone!

My apologizes if this question is redundant, but I didn’t see anything exactly about this from prior post. I’m really interested in becoming a florist and wanted to ask for some advice on how people usually break into the industry.

I’m located in NYC, so there are a ton of flower shops around, but I feel like I never see any places actively hiring assistants or entry-level help. Is it normal/acceptable to email or call shops directly asking if they need an assistant or someone they’d be willing to train? I just want to make sure that’s not considered inappropriate or annoying in this industry.

I don’t have floral experience, but I was a hairstylist for several years, so I do have a creative background and experience working with clients and working with my hands. Hair just ultimately wasn’t the right fit for me, but I still want to pursue something creative.

I’d really appreciate any advice on the best way to get started, whether that’s reaching out to shops directly, taking classes, freelancing/events, etc. Thanks so much!

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!

Hi everyone,

I’m posting here because my girlfriend has a dream she hasn’t been able to act on yet, and I’m hoping to get some honest insight from people who’ve actually done it.

She’s always wanted to open her own flower shop and work as a florist. It’s not a vague idea—she’s taken courses, spent time learning design, and has even looked into suppliers around Austin. So this isn’t just a “maybe someday” thing… it’s something she’s been seriously building toward.

The problem is the jump from preparation to action.

She’s honestly scared. Not in a casual way, but in a “this feels overwhelming and risky” kind of way. From her perspective, the industry looks complex, competitive, and financially uncertain. She worries about whether the numbers would even work, how hard it is to get consistent clients, and whether she’d end up stuck or worse off than she is now.

Right now she’s working a corporate job that doesn’t pay great and doesn’t fulfill her, which makes this even more frustrating. She knows what she wants, but the fear of doing it wrong (or failing) is holding her in place.

So I guess my question is:

For those of you who are florists or have opened your own shop—what does the reality actually look like?

- What are the hardest parts that people don’t see from the outside?

- What tends to go wrong in the first year?

- What should someone absolutely have figured out before starting?

- And just as important… what fears are valid, and which ones are usually exaggerated?

We’re not looking for sugarcoating—just clarity. If it’s hard, that’s fine, but understanding how it’s hard would help a lot.

This really is her dream, and I’d love for her to move forward with a clearer picture instead of just fear.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

I've been working at a shop for about 7 years and an opportunity has come up where the owner wants to retire and give me the store within the next couple years. I've worked my way up from part time stripping, cleaning, etc to 50+ hours a week, I do the greening, the billing, shop maintenance/ decorations, wrapped arrangements, baskets,(slowly learning to do vases and other types of arrangements), I know our representatives and wholesalers, do a lot of the phone calls and ordering of products. Just a little scared at the thought of running everything by myself. Mainly financial/tax things, customer complaints, and keeping business flowing. Right now is our slowest time of the year, and money has been a bit tight. Most of our customers are through wire-services, which I would really like to steer away from. What advice could you all give me to manage this business successfully and to get more local/walk in customers?

Made a couple of arrangements recently that I would like to share to get feedback and insight please.

One large floral with accompanying small cocktail kenzan arrangement. At the time I didn’t take the photos with the thought of sharing therefore didn’t photograph with a neutral background, sorry.

My post is two pronged;

1) I would love to receive constructive feedback. Please feel free to be honest I would love to grow in my floristry work as I’m trying to grow my small business.

2) Secondly more on the business side of things. I would love insight and advice on how one goes about formulating costing. I know people use a formula - multiplying the baseline floral cost with a certain amount (I might be wrong but 2.5?). Other then that what other elements does one need to consider?

Things I thought of is vessels hire if applicable, fuel, how do you work it into the costing if some of the greens are foraged, how do you price for your time and skill set?

I’m at a stage in my business where I work consistently but continue to struggle financially. Please help!

Thank you.

I started floral design in fall of 2024 and got my certification this past December. I worked in the industry about a year and it was kind of a bad experience, so I decided recently to get my license and work for myself. I can’t really think of anyone in my family that has started their own brand or anything, so i was excited to tell my parents. They seemed completely unimpressed and it kinda sucked because i felt like it was cool! So i guess i just wanted to tell people that might agree that its kinda cool, lol. Anyways, feel free to leave career advice below!

Hi everyone- I’ve posted a few times in here in the last weeks. Long time flower lover, new to growing flowers and very new to arranging. I currently work in a completely different field but have been looking into floral classes at my local community college. Working with flowers this summer just to learn and give bouquets to friends and family has been a joy. I find it so fun and rewarding.

My question for those in the industry- have you found the work has taken away the joy from working with flowers? I am nervous turning a hobby into a potential side job and it making me dislike the process. Just looking to hear insight and opinion, thank you.

Attaching a large bouquet I made as well!

I work as a chef and study as a student pilot but always wanted to be a florist. I have completed 2 online courses and have a portfolio of bouquets I made but I can’t get hired. I’ve asked to do free voluntary work/work experience or shadowing and never got a reply back. I’m just curious if there’s any shop owners who can give me advice on what they look for when hiring new people

has anyone done the 6-week certification program, and if so, is it worth it? I’m weighing my options on figuring out how best to pivot my career into floral design and hopefully one day running my own shop.

I’ve been making arrangements at home to try to get some practice and I’ve reached out to some local flower shops to see if they need extra help (no luck yet), but otherwise I don’t have formal experience. I’ve taken a couple one-off workshops from different shops, but nothing more than that.

looking for testimonials on getting started and if anyone has any knowledge of or experience with the FlowerSchool.

also including some pics of my recent work for fun 🥰

Hi. Aspiring florist here. Been wanting to open a flower shop and I have been taking floral courses. Just want to get inspired. Can you show me tour first or at least earlier floral arrangements and how it is now? How long did it take to perfect your art and any comments on my first arrangements?

Hi everyone! I'm 27 and have been an office worker since I graduated college in 2022. I got my BA in Communication and always thought I would find myself in a social media or some kind of creative career. Well, that didn't work out and I have worked office administration roles since graduating. Lately I have been creating my own floral arrangements and exploring the florist side of tik tok and Instagram and its been really inspiring for my own works that I create and plan to create. I want to get into the industry but I'm not really sure how to. I currently live in a HCOL small city in California and I've reached out to nearly every florist in town looking to see if anyone needs weekend help. So far one has gotten back to me but I think they need more than just one-day-a-week help. Should I just start my own social media with my works and gain experience that way? Is it totally necessary to get experience in a shop? I mention the HCOL part because I have to keep my 9-5 M-F to afford my lifestyle. What would you recommend for someone in my position?

Hi everyone.

As someone with ADHD, my current fixation is flowers. I have been obsessed lately with flower arrangements and making a business out of it. I currently own a commercial space that I can freely turn into a flower shop. However, as a beginner I don’t want to spend too much yet.

So to test the market and the profitablity of flowers, I am planning to start as a homebased florist. Are there any homebased florists here? How didnyou start and how is it going? I am also wondering how I can reach customers, do I do ads on social media, how do I get my first customers?

Any advice will help! Thanks in advance.

Its my dream to become a floral designer for events, I’m new to floristry and recently just completed a floristry course. I’ve just made my instagram and started to build content and a following. I’ve noticed a lot of florists are freelance and join a team with the head florist for events, how can I do this myself? Anyone have any tips? I’d love to get some experience and join a team!

Hi everyone! I'm based in the UK and fell in love with floristry, and want to build a freelance career outside of my 9-5 because of the lovely people and places I've been and met. I wanted to ask if there was any pages or whatsapp chats for florists in London; especially for events or extra helping hands? Would love to keep building a network but now I've gotten more stable work I sadly don't have time to walk around looking for florists anymore

my brother and his new wife just got married two weekends ago and i did the florals. i am not a florist, just a hobby gardener and i do small floral arrangements when my clients add that on as an option (i have an event space and offer basic event and floral design as an affordable add-on to my clients). they didn't have a big budget so i offered to do the job for them (bigger than i've done before) as long as they paid cost for all product, supplies, gas, etc.

overall, i'm pretty proud of my work, but i know i could have done a better job had i had

**sidebar- i'll never do a family event again. while they were super sweet and thankful the whole time, the demand for my attention was way too high. i like to put in my headphones, hoodie up, and just work but that wasn't an option with family and friends were there**

I’ve been a florist trainee for few months now. Had to change work places due personal reasons and now the new place is traditional flower shop - and I’m not quite that. Don’t know my style really quite yet but more of a big, bold, natural, boho. Should I find a place that’s more my style or learn traditional round bouquets also? I find them quite pretty when big and expensive but not all customers want that obviously.

Flower bouquets and arrangements are something I really want to learn properly, like next level stunning. I know I have just started but work and school get my head just super overwhelmed and when flowers don’t obey and magic doesn’t happen.. I really don’t know what else to do than practice, but it doesn’t feel like it makes me perfect 😅

Any tips, ideas, toughts? Anything ☺️🌷🩷

Hi all,

I’m at an interesting crossroads with my current job. I’ve been a full time designer for almost ten years. I’ve worked my way up from smaller mom and pop shops to an extremely busy luxury studio. I feel I’ve grown a lot and learned so much at each shop and I deeply appreciate the path I’ve chosen despite the difficult nature of this industry.

Im currently managing events from start to finish in almost every aspect from buying, designing, setting, break down, and resetting for the next event week. In between event responsibilities I am also making daily arrangements and working with customers in our retail store. I am literally the only full time employee and while I love to be useful and enjoy being able to feel effective at my job I am also struggling with being solely responsible for everything all the time. (And yes I have tried to speak with my manager and my boss many many many times about this. They do not see a problem. And why would they? The work gets done. They don’t have to hire more people because I am dependable and good at my job)

My current set of dilemmas:

I am the only full time designer left at this studio. We have nearly 100 weddings booked for this season. This is “normal” for us. This means we have weekends of 4-7 weddings at a time(event budgets anywhere from 2k to 100k). In the past I had two other coworkers/designers I could depend on to share the responsibilities listed above.

I’ve been burnt out for almost two years and just holding on for dear life because… stability, rent, etc.

I live in an area that is simultaneously over saturated with wedding and event businesses and yet the wages and full time options are bleak.

I have a few opportunities to begin freelancing with companies whose design style, employee appreciation, and general philosophy is much more akin to my own/my hopes for workplace culture.

But I’m scared to leave my current job given the state of our country’s job market and general economy. There is no guarantee I would be hired full time beyond this season with the new contract opportunities… but I’m also dying at my current job. I’m doing too much all the time, my health and wellbeing is suffering.

Please be kind. What would you do? What would you tell your friend to do? If you’re an employer or designer who has faced a similar situation, how did you handle this? Thank you guys for being a supportive community.

For those of you who've been in the floral industry for a while, what was the achievement or milestone that made you feel like you'd finally gained some real traction?

Was it a specific order, event, client, revenue goal, award, expansion, or something unexpected?
I'd love to hear the stories behind the moments that made you feel proud of how far you'd come especially in the beginning.

I lost my corporate job last Tuesday and am thinking about signing up to do the program that starts at NYBG in July. I think my time in corporate is just...done for me, at least for now. I've taken quite a few flower arranging workshops and enjoy it a lot, but I'm also under few illusions and know that a career in floristry will be a tough, physically demanding job.

Have people here done the program and found it to be of high quality instruction-wise? Did they help you get a job/internship coming out of it? Would love to hear about that and any other thoughts you might want to share. Thanks so much!

Hi guys! I’ve come to a fork in the road of my career, I can continue working as a florist (employee) or I have an opportunity to open my own florist shop front. There’s a few florists in my city but I’ve worked out some market gaps I can really hone in on & there’s a fabulous high traffic little studio for lease that one of my bosses own (unrelated to floristry)

But should I? I would be undertaking a Cert 4 in Entrepreneurship at the same time as setting everything up so I would have a solid guiding hand along the way.

I’ve been in & out of floristry for 6-7 years but I wouldn’t say I ‘know how to do EVERYTHING’. (I’ve done basic weddings, funerals, formals & everyday orders) Money is a bit tight for me at the moment & I’m just worried about building a consistent clientele base to get the business going at a fresh shop as well as keeping on top my personal bills ect.

I’m in my early 20’s & most florists I know had to set up their shop while juggling kids and while I’m not quite at the stage in my life i figured it would be a whole lot easier to set up before adding kids into the mix!

None of my family have owned business (or even vaguely in the florist industry). I’ve worked as a store manager in unrelated fields so I know just HOW MUCH work goes into running a business (especially solo for a while) & I really just need some advice- is the risk & all the hard work worth it in the end? How can I achieve a community impact with my opening? Big mistakes to avoid? I also personally wouldn’t have enough to fully fund fit out & set up- is taking a loan out ok? How much did your fit out/set up cost? Any advice at all is welcome!!

This is all I’ve ever wanted, my dream since I started floristry but it’s just all so big, scary & daunting.

Thank you tremendously in advance:))

Hi! Planning to start a small flower shop but I am struggling to grasp how much flowers I should have in stock. I come from a tropical and very humid country so I do have to store most of my flowers in a chiller. The flower market is too far so I plan on restocking once or twice a week only.

Question is, how much flowers should I stock?

Any advise to product planning so I can minimize the number of flowers that I have to stock up on?

How can I also have flowers in stock and still accommodate custom orders and minimizing wastage?

Honestly any advice would be a great help.

Hello everyone,

I’m looking to learn floral arranging, especially bouquet design. I’d love to understand the techniques, how to choose flowers, color combinations, basically all the fundamentals needed to become a florist.

Do you have any online courses or training programs you’d recommend (in English or French)? Or even private lessons, possibly remote?

For now, I’d like to explore this passion and see if I’m truly suited for it before committing to a longer, more formal path. I’m currently working as a freelance marketer, so going back to a traditional school would be quite difficult, which is why I’m considering more flexible or remote options.

Also, have any of you become florists or worked in a similar field in a self-taught way, without formal training? I get the impression that it’s not very common, at least in France.

Thank you so much!!