How to Get Into Floral Design

Some people remember the music; some people remember the food and some are in awe of the venue. But you recall every stunning – and sometimes not-so-stunning – detail of the flowers. You take photos of arrangements. You sneak into people’s yards to snapshots of unique plants and you spend hours on Pinterest looking at floral designs. In your wildest moments, you dream of stepping out of your dreary job and stepping into the world of floral design.

But where to start? You love flowers. Isn’t that enough? In a word . . . ‘no’. The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that around 20% of small businesses fail in the first year and 50% fail by the fifth year. And although there are many reasons for businesses to fail, lack of planning is one of the primary reasons. Before you think of transforming yourself into a floral designer, read through these recommendations.

Floral Shadowing

You may love flowers. You may love working with flowers. You may think you love everything about flowers, but do you really? Before investing time, money and energy into becoming a floral designer find a florist or floral shop that will allow you to come in and job shadow for a week or even a few days. The work is unpaid but the big bonus is that you will gain great behind-the-scenes experience and insight. You may find that, while you love flowers themselves, you do not enjoy the business side of flowers.

Flowers – Read, Network and Read Some More

Gather as much information as possible about the world of floral design. Talk to people in the field! Ask questions. Along the way, evaluate – objectively – whether you are willing to do the work required to become a floral designer. Consider joining a floral design networking group either in-person or online to get a real feel for the field.

Polish Your Floral Business Skills

Running a profitable business requires a lot more than ‘just’ creativity. Work at enhancing your time management skills (think Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day); customer service communication (think about the empathy required for funeral arrangements); bookkeeping; social media plans; marketing; advertising as well as self-care. You won’t be able to lift heavy containers of flowers and other products if your body is not well-tuned and well-maintained.

IWED Floral Designing Courses

Now you’re ready to enroll in a floral design class because you know you’ve got what it takes to start a business with your eyes wide open. When searching for a course, ask yourself the following questions:

• Is the course accredited?
• Does the program have a good reputation?
• Is there lots of hands-on experience?
• Does the course include information that is new to you?
• Are the instructors experienced and knowledgable?
• Is there support after you have completed the program?

If you can answer ‘yes’ to these questions, you have probably found a great floral design class. For a topnotch, highly reputable program check out IWED for all of your floral and event designing needs.