SECRETS OF SUCCESS FROM SONIA
• Do not ignore even a small job for a small fee, because often business depends on reputation and “word of mouth”.
• Look around for potential partners and assistants – engage them in your business.
• Take risks! Luck comes to those who do something.
• Love what you do. Then your business will bring not only benefits but also a great pleasure.
The peculiarity of this project is that instead of the traditional decorative flowers that are mainly grown and delivered to our country from abroad: chic Ecuadorian roses, hydrangeas, Dutch tulips, alstromeria, and many other exotic flowers with complex names, the project “BikeFlowers” uses modest wildflowers and garden flowers: daisies, campanula, forget-me-nots, peonies, dahlias…
The name “BikeFlowers” was born almost immediately and combined something that Sonia loved the most: flowers and a bicycle. And in order to start a business, she simply added a cart to her bicycle, loaded the flowers, and went to the streets of the city with her flowers.
Sonia found a farm that grows seedlings for sale. It turns out that they sell only the root, and they do not need a flower at all. Also, Sonia, working as a volunteer at the Botanical Garden, saw that the beautiful and rare flowers were weeded out and thrown into the compost because they were accidentally brought there by the wind from the neighboring flower beds. So Sonia started to buy all of those flowers. She also cuts weeds on abandoned land adding them to the bouquets for wildflower fleur. In winter time Sonia sells adorable dry flower bouquets.
Sonia started with about $300. Half of the sum was spent on a special wooden cart for the bicycle – a showcase for flowers. The other $150 she paid for a class learning how to select, process, and arrange cut flowers. Three months later, the project began to generate profits. More and more people were learning about the project every day despite the fact that Sonia does not use any paid commercials for promotion; only words of mouth and social networks: Facebook, and Instagram. Of all these social networks, Sonia was getting orders.
Clients order bouquets, similar to the photos on social networks. But exact copy is never possible, and nobody really cares, because all the bouquets are addressed to the people who value individuality.
People always can find on my bike small bouquets for $25-50. Besides little bouquets, people started ordering wedding flowers and special events décor.
Sonia accepts cash for small orders and anywhere takes credit card payments over her phone using credit card processing services.
Sonia started her business working from home. Now she is renting a part of a basement in the building she leaves.
Order over $100 is free of charge for delivery within 5 miles of her workplace. Sonia takes care of every order very carefully, and always worries about whether a client would be pleased with her creation.
Sonia realizes that to make her business grow she needs her own greenhouse, refrigerator to keep the flowers, etc. And these are completely different investments…
But Sonia is sure that she will succeed because her wonderful project gives people joy.
Read more about how to start a floral business.
Great and inspiring article!