How to Start a Floral Business
People purchase flowers and plants as gifts and for their own enjoyment. This growing business niche should be considered like any other retail business with a perishable product line. There are two ways to become an owner of a floral shop. You could start one from the ground up and build the business. The other way is find one that is for sale and make the purchase. There are valid reasons to go either way. The big plus for buying an existing business is they have a following from an existing customer base. This fact will mean an immediate cash flow to the new owner. A purchase of an existing business will cost far more than starting one from scratch. This is the basic reason to start from scratch.
The lower cash outlay to become an owner of a floral business could be the one factor that makes a person go one way versus another. If a person is going to open a brand new shop, they will have to pay particular attention to the location of their new store. Drive-by traffic and walking traffic can make a big difference in how fast the business grows. This type of floral operation would be the typical florist’s shop that you can find in many shopping centers. There are other variations of this type of floral business that a knowledgeable person could start or buy from a current owner. You could get into the wholesale side of the business and supply retail shops. You could supply businesses with floral arrangements that they want delivered every week. Weekly deliveries that are done on a contracted basis could be in addition to the normal business of the shop.
Where to find floral businesses that are for sale
One of the first places to start the process of looking for a business is to contact companies that franchise floral shops. They will know of any for sale or how to start a new one. Another quick source is to use an Internet search engine and see what comes up under floral businesses for sale. Acquireo.com has a list of Florists for Sale. A third excellent way to discover businesses for sale is to contact business brokers to see what they have listed in their firm. All of these sources will probably bare fruit and will jump-start your search for a business you can buy. A study of what is being offered will help you see what kind of money is needed to buy an existing shop that has been successful for a few years. The business brokers will usually know if the current owner is willing to carry back some paper or not. Knowing the lay of the land will give the prospective buyer knowledge of what they will need to do to buy an existing business. Being forewarned and aware could help shape an offer in the best light. A seller that claims that they will not consider an offer that is not the full price may waffle when shown an offer that is close to what they want and will entail a short term payment period for the balance.
February 11 2011 | Making Money From The Floral Business | Comments Off