Experience in Running a Flower Shop
Article Summary: This article provides small experiences in managing a flower shop, offering detailed introductions.
When it comes to the experience of running a flower shop, every owner has their own business philosophy, and experience is something that needs to be accumulated personally. This article is about the experience of a flower shop owner, which can serve as a reference for those who want to open a flower shop!
Early in the morning, the Hui Xin Flower Market near Beijing's Madian Bridge is full of colorful flowers. Picking flowers, trimming, changing water, arranging the display... Chen Xiuming starts another busy day. This small shop named "Qingyuan Flower Art" is only about 5-6 square meters. Chen Xiuming, who has been the boss for two months, is pondering his business strategy.
Choice - Why Invest in a Flower Shop
Before opening the flower shop, Chen Xiuming was in the leather coat business for 6 years. Just as he was becoming familiar with the market and seeking development, he decided to withdraw due to reasons like no proprietary brand, limited capital, and a bleak market outlook. Like his smart and hardworking fellow villagers from Zhejiang, Chen Xiuming began to seek the next market opportunity.
In this year, Chen Xiuming visited many places in Beijing and surrounding areas, getting to know several trades. After comparison, he chose to open a flower shop. The reasons he mentioned for investing in a flower shop are:
Firstly, the investment is small. Renting a counter in the market, with the fee paid quarterly, equipped with necessary facilities, and maintaining normal inventory, the initial investment is generally around 30-40,000 yuan; secondly, the turnover is fast, with a short product turnover period in this industry, frequent purchases and quick sales are very flexible, and even if switching to another business, there won't be any product backlog; thirdly, it aligns with consumption trends, as fresh flower consumption is closely related to living standards and cultural taste, and there is a lot of room for development in big cities like Beijing.
Suggestions - What is Most Important in Opening a Flower Shop
After two months of business, although the business has been good, Chen Xiuming is still quite practical. He says, "The peak of the fresh flower business in Beijing was around 1999 and 2000. According to the old flower merchants, they could earn over 200,000 yuan around Valentine's Day, but this is unlikely in the future. The era of high profits is over."
What is the key to the flower shop business?
Location is the first consideration when choosing a site. The flower market needs to focus on customer traffic, which is his conclusion from visiting several major flower markets in Beijing. The location should be close to target customer groups with higher incomes and a more stylish lifestyle, such as the income level, cultural atmosphere, and community consumption habits of the surrounding residents.
The most important aspect in the operation is hiring. In the flower market, the variety of fresh flowers is basically homogenous, and the competition is fierce, making service particularly important. Now "Qingyuan Flower Art" employs three workers and one floral designer. The floral designer is the backbone of the owner, as flower arrangement and other "skillful jobs" best represent the artistic taste of the flower shop. They need to quickly understand the customer's requirements and offer appropriate suggestions, which are key factors in attracting customers.
The third is to cultivate regular customers. It is important to offer good value for money, "a penny for a penny's worth," and keeping "repeat customers" is essential for long-term and stable development.
Reminder - Flexible Operation of the "Fresh" Business
Fresh cut flowers have a short shelf life, about 5-6 days in summer and 10-12 days in winter, so it is necessary to buy and stock goods in advance according to the market situation, and the amount and type of goods to be prepared depend on personal experience. The price of fresh flowers fluctuates greatly, almost changing every day. The wholesale price of a rose is usually around 0.8-1 yuan, but it can rise to 5-6 yuan on special days like Valentine's Day. Buying too much can lead to waste, and buying too little might mean missing out on opportunities when the market is on the rise. On September 6th this year, the demand for wedding flowers in Beijing "exploded," and Chen Xiuming's shop could only handle four flower car decorations, earning over 3,000 yuan that day. The price and demand in the flower market change significantly, with daily sales ranging from 500-600 to 3,000-4,000 yuan.
In addition to fresh cut flowers, plant rental is also an important business for flower shops. This business mainly involves using the shop's information and (G-Y) network to provide brokerage services. On August 15th, they took on a plant rental order for a large-scale event called "Care for Girls in Western China," setting up over 1,000 pots of flowers and two 2.5-meter-high flower baskets at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People, earning over 7,000 yuan in two hours, with a profit of 4,000 yuan after costs. This was a big deal for the small shop, and Chen Xiuming says that if they can have several regular customers like this, the operation of the flower shop will be much easier.
Experience - Environment Shapes a Person
In interviews, Chen Xiuming often says that he is just starting out and is far from successful, but his years of experience in the "small business" scene have given him the traits of a businessman.
For example, putting in more effort. Chen Xiuming says that no matter what business you are in, you must fully understand your business and not rely solely on the experience and skills of others. Therefore, to learn the ropes, he followed his friends to the Laitai Early Market every day and carefully observed and learned for a month.
For example, thinking more. Chen Xiuming believes that to fully understand the flower business, it is best to start from large wholesale markets, as these offer a wide exposure and timely information, allowing for a quick start.
And for example, looking further ahead. After taking the first step, Chen Xiuming hopes to open another two or three shops and even plans to open stores in residential areas. Recently, he has been有意 (intending) to develop online flower purchases, which would require an initial investment of about 20,000 yuan and an annual maintenance cost of 2,000-3,000 yuan, mainly targeting office workers and trendy consumers.
Talking about the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, Chen Xiuming says he firmly believes that "the environment shapes the person." No one is born with business acumen, and it is the trials and tribulations of the market that teach you the skills for survival.
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