Saturday, October 23, 2010

Selling Flowers , have FUN & make MONEY!!

SECRETS OF STARTING A VERY PROFITABLE FLOWER VENDING OPERATION
(Read this and STUDY it- if you want to start your own small business with very little money) IT WORKS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE SERIOUS ABOUT BUSINESS!

Selling flowers at strategic locations has become a highly profitable retail business for many
 enterprising  individuals. These entrepreneurs are taking advantage of a market that is, for the most 
part, impulsive in nature.  Many people buy flowers on the spur of the moment, and the presence of a
 flower vendor is usually their  inspiration. Often, men on their way to a date will see a roadside
 flower vendor, and suddenly find the idea of taking flowers with him quite appealing. The same holds true
 for many men heading home from work. If they’re married, these men will often purchase flowers from
 roadside vendors for their wives. The flowers are attractive,
 not expensive, and the buyer doesn’t even have to get out of his car. Women are also potential customers 
for flower vendors. A woman will buy flowers to add color and decoration to her house or apartment, 
or sometimes, just to cheer up a friend. In any case, the purchase is usually made on impulse, brought 
about by the availability of a flower vendor. Starting a flower vending business is not difficult. 
No previous experience is necessary. There’s only a minimal initial investment required,(the flowers) and you
 won’t need a lot of equipment. What you will need is an adequate supply of wholesale fresh, attractive flowers,
 a good location for selling, and a cheerful disposition. After all, you will be dealing directly with people, 
so a good disposition is a necessity. If you live close enough to the market you want to reach, your
 own garage can serve as storage space as well as your preparation area. Your operating expenses will be 
minimal, and you’ll have the opportunity to realize a high margin of profits. Depending on the size of your
 investment (both time and money) and the size of your trade area,
 a flower vending business could net anywhere from $10,000 to $75,000 per year. It can be an extremely
 high profit business, if you choose your selling location(s) wisely, and offer fresh, attractive flowers.
 
BUSINESS OVERVIEW
Successful operation of any small business depends on several key factors.
 Perhaps the most important is the ability to be a good business manager. 
Although no experience is necessary to start-up a flower vending business, some small business
 management training could give you the edge needed to insure success. 
Most community colleges offer night courses in small business management and,
if you are unsure about your business knowledge and/or management skills, enrollment in such a course 
would be a good idea. Here are other basic steps involved in the successful operation of a 
flower vending business:
 
(1) Know your market. Proper knowledge of your market will enable you to
 set-up at the best locations.
 You’ll need to know the high-traffic areas as well as the time of day traffic is at its peak in order 
to take advantage of a roadside operation.  
You’ll also need to investigate other potential locations such as restaurants, malls, and flea markets.
 
(2)        A dependable source for fresh wholesale flowers.*
                   See info at bottom of this newsletter.
 
(3)       Establish a workable preparation area. The space needed should be adequate for storing flowers
 and materials used for the preparation of bouquets, as well as for the preparation itself.  
 
(4)     Advertise, promote, and be consistent with your business. Effective advertising and promotion 
can help generate sales and profits. And a key step to success in any street vending  business,
 is Consistency. Setting up same day(s) of every week, same time,
 for repeated exposure to potential customers is important. 
Example: Once you decide on the proper location, setting up every
 Friday afternoon, evening,at same time & at same location for commuters driving home from 
work will  help to generate future sales, they will remember seeing you, and Expect to see you 
there when they need flowers. Also, for beginners, an attractive roadside sign is helpful.
All of these steps can be taken with a relatively small initial investment, and your flower vending business
 can be in operation, and realizing a profit, in just a few weeks. However,prospective entrepreneurs should
 also be aware of, and comply with, any rules and regulations that apply to this particular business in their area.
 Some cities do not require a street vendors license. However they do require the vendor to ask permission
 to sell from the property owner, if on private property, or in front of a store.
 Check your local requirements in your area. If outside of the city, the best thing to do is contact
 the business-license department in the city your market covers to find out what licensing 
requirements you must meet. If you plan to sell flowers in restaurants and nightclubs
,it is usually not necessary to have a license.
 
EQUIPMENT AND INVENTORY
Since a flower vending business does not require an abundance of sophisticated equipment, 
start-up costs can be kept to a minimum. The basic equipment :For the preparation of your flowers 
and floral arrangements, you’ll need stem cutters or a knife,  and a supply of cellophane or florist’s tissue. 
You will also need several plastic buckets to keep the flowers in water and fresh while being transported as 
well as on your selling sites. (you can find perfect buckets behind bakeries, ask them for some,
 usually not more than 1.00 a piece or sometimes free.)To prepare the flowers for selling, you will need a
 preparation area. This area should be cool and shady to help keep your flowers as fresh as possible. 
Your own garage may fit that description. Your preparation area will require several storage containers
 and a table. Some refrigerated coolers may be necessary, but since most flower vending businesses
 order their flowers as needed, and sell them as quickly as possible, that sort of storage requirement 
should not be excessive.However, during the summer and winter months, you may need an air-conditioner
 and portable heater to keep your flowers in salable condition. If you don’t already have these items,
 you can count them as a business expense and they are tax deductible.
CHOOSING A LOCATION
Once you have a marketable inventory, you will need to set-up in a good location. If you choose the wrong
 location your business will not be successful. For flower vending, the two best selling locations are
 restaurants and roadsides/street corners. Restaurants are good selling locations if they attract large lunch 
and dinner crowds. Especially good restaurant locations are those with specific themes. French,
 Italian and Mexican restaurants are usually profitable locations for flower vendors. Many restaurants are
 attracted to the idea of flower vending at their places of business because it offers an extra “romantic” touch
 to their service. Usually, the management of a restaurant will charge the flower vendor only a nominal fee.
 In some cases, the fee may simply be a few flowers to arrange and display throughout the restaurant. 
For street-selling locations, freeway exits and stoplights on main streets are preferred. 
These areas represent the highest amount of traffic therefore, the largest number of potential customers.
 Ideally, your locations should be along streets,highways and exits that feature a great deal of late 
afternoon and/or early evening rush hour traffic. These conditions are ideal if you can find an area 
where the traffic must come to a stop, or at least has to slow down. Your location must be plainly
 visible so that oncoming drivers will be able to see you in enough time to get out of traffic and pull
 off the road safely.
It is important that you stay away from roadside locations that could limit the 
ability, or desire, of your customers to reach you. Never set-up at dangerous 
intersections, along steep hills and other areas that could be hazardous. 
You could lose a lot of business if potential customers don’t stop because they
fear getting struck by other traffic.
When selling on city streets the most desirable locations are those that take advantage of both automobile
 traffic and pedestrians. You should try to find a spot in an area of heavy pedestrian traffic as well as 
vehicle traffic. Business will usually be better when people are on their way home. If you know which 
side of the street is the “going-home” side, that’s where you should set-up. 
Operating a flower vending business allows you more flexibility than many other businesses have. 
 You won’t have to stay in one location, if it proves unprofitable. You can move around as often as it takes
 to find the locations that afford you the most success.You may have to experiment in the beginning. 
Simply keep a record of the number of flowers sold at each location and the number of hours at each spot.
 From these records you’ll be able to determine the most satisfactory locations for your business. 
You will also have a better idea as to the actual inventory you need so you can cut down on the amount 
of excess that results in spoilage.
DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS
Operating a flower vending business does not require hours of strenuous physical labor. However, 
that does not mean flower vendors lead a life of leisure. With any business there are demands that require
 time and effort. The flower vending business is no exception. You will need to be well organized from the time 
of preparation until the day’s selling is done. Preparing flowers for sale is an essential part of a flower vendor’s
 work day. In order to be salable, your flowers must appear fresh and colorful. Also, every bouquet you plan to
sell must be arranged in an appealing fashion.
Any bouquets you sell should be wrapped in tissue or green cellophane. Not only do the flowers keep better 
wrapped, they also appear more attractive and are more appealing as gifts. Unwrapped bouquets do not
 have a particularly neat appearance, and they probably won’t stay fresh and colorful as long as they would if 
wrapped. How much time should all this preparation take? Well, most successful flower vending businesses 
spend no more than two to three hours a day buying and preparing flowers. It will probably take a new business
 a couple of months to become organized and experienced enough to cut buying and preparation time down to
 two hours per day.. The best times to sell depends on location. Street corner and roadside vending hours
 are most successful during the late afternoon and early evening hours when most workers are heading
 home. Most people are more apt to take the time to make such a purchase as flowers on their way from 
work than they are on their way to work. Weekends have also proven very successful for many flower
 vending businesses that operate all day on Saturdays and Sundays.
If you are selling in restaurants, the most profitable time will be during dinner hours. In some cases,
 lunch crowds will buy flowers, but usually the evening diners will be your best customers in a restaurant.
 It is important that you  be as poised and as professional as possible when selling at any location, 
especially in restaurants. In restaurants, a low-key approach is much better than an extremely aggressive 
sales pitch. Be polite and friendly, and utilize flattery as an effective tool. Approach the man in a couple and 
in a casual and friendly manner ask if he would like to compliment his lady companion with a beautiful flower.
 Most men will then buy a rose for their dining companions.
 
ADVERTISING
For street corner and roadside vending, signs are the best form of advertising.
 All that’s needed is something to let potential customers know you are there, and that you are selling flowers.
 Seeing your sign, many people will act on impulse and stop to see what you have to offer.
 The sign(s) should be hand-made rather than professionally
painted. You don’t want to appear like a big business. And a hand-made sign will give the impression
 of a small, family-type operation which usually means more reasonable prices.
 SUCCESS ANALYSIS 
The profit you can realize from a flower vending business
depends on several factors:
 
(1)     The size of your market. Obviously larger metropolitan areas supply the greatest source of
 potential customers,therefore profits. However, your expenses in these larger markets will probably
 be greater, because of larger inventory needed and a bigger sales team to cover the market adequately. 
(2) Good selling locations. Even if your market has a large selection of potential customers your profits
 will be, at best, minimal if you are not selling in the best locations to take advantage of impulse buying.
 You have something that practically
everyone likes, flowers. But most everyone who buys flowers from a vendor does so on impulse.
To be successful, a flower vending business must locate in areas of high-traffic, increasing the possibility
 of impulse buying.
 
(3) Consistently marketable inventory. If you try to sell flowers that are too old, wilted and faded, don’t 
expect to do much business. Make sure your entire inventory is always flower-garden fresh and attractive. 
Also, price your flowers at reasonable rates. That way, both you and your customers will be happy.
 
(4) A professional sales approach. Whether you are running a one-person flower business, with yourself as
 the only salesperson or have several salespeople, a friendly, low-key sales approach is essential. After all, 
you are selling flowers, not used cars.
Most people who buy flowers from a vendor are buying them for a special person, and a friendly,
 
 non-aggressive salesperson has a good chance of making a sale.
 
(5)     The size of your investment. This does not just apply to the amount of money you invest in the
 business. Your investment also includes the time and effort you expend on making it a success. 
As a weekend business, or operating on a daily basis, a flower vending business will require a 
certain amount of your time and effort above and beyond your monetary investment.
 
 The amount of success and profits you can realize depends, 
in large part, on how much you are
 willing to put into the business.
Some flower vending businesses have reported netting as much as $75,000 a year.
 Smaller markets should expect a net profit of $10,000 to $20,000 per year.
 The thing to keep in mind is that there is always a large
market for a flower vending business because flowers make personal gifts year-round. 
 Obviously, some months featuring special days such as Thanksgiving,Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, 
and Mother’s Day
 will be better than others, but this is not JUST a seasonal business. 
You should be able to realize a healthy profit every month.
 Your initial investment can be as low as $100, or as much as $1,000, depending on what you can afford 
and the size of your operation. It will most likely take several months until you get adequately organized,
 and until you discover all the best selling locations. But within a year you should be realizing a nice profit 
with an efficiently operated flower vending business.
SUMMARY
A flower vending business is one of the best small
businesses you can get into, if you are short on investment
capital. Very little equipment is needed. You can use your own
garage or utility room as a preparation area and for storage. And
you can sell your inventory on location, from the back of your
own car, van or pickup. You may want to invest in a business
management course, if you are uncertain about your management
knowledge. But no practical experience is necessary to get into
this business.
Since flowers have universal appeal, there will always be a sizable market for a flower vending business.
 If you operate professionally, offering fresh, appealing flowers, and 
establish yourself with repetitive location presence, you will create your own job in a most creative
 and fun career which allows you freedom to be your own boss , express your creativity and work with
 beautiful flowers every day outside in the fresh air. 
Your success will be in direct proportion to the commitment and  energy you put into this new venture.
 
Please contact us when you are ready to start your own Flower Vending Business.
We provide wholesale fresh flowers to Florists, Caterers, Party Planners, 
Grocery Stores and Flower Venders.
WE SHIP FEDEX OVERNIGHT TO ANY LOCATION IN THE USA!
We can instruct you how to make your own floral bouquets,
or design & sleeve them for you,  ready to sell,
We carry over 100 varieties of flowers and florist supplies at wholesale prices.
 
OREGON FRESH CONNECTION 
Wholesale Fresh Cut Flowers
 541-995-1600 1 877-850-1600
We deliver throughout Oregon, & 
 We ship anywhere overnight! 
Reminder: Flower Holidays are coming up, so get started now!
 
SOURCES in part, Books: The Encyclopedia of Floristry by Violet Stevenson
 
Work-at-Home.org is a work at home jobs source and work from home community to provide information, support
 and resources to those who work at home and those who want to work from home. 
This special report was written by a third party and added to by fourth party  not associated with Work-at-Home.org 
who is solely responsible for its content.
 

9 comments:

  1. Very interesting and useful for those who are searching for this online. Perpetual Gifts is a platform delivering flowers in Indonesia through online on variety of products and services to people who are smart about their money.

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    Online flower delivery
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    ReplyDelete
  2. Very informative! I have recently started my own flower vendor business! I built my website and got Appropriate licenses, but I am having trouble finding where I would be allowed to set up in my city of Roseville ca. Any ideas? Thank you so much !

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  3. Good idea!I'm ready to sell at street.

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  4. hello we are wondering how to go about selling are flowers to make profit we ahve a lot and looking to fine someone that can help us on this
    Thanks
    Dave Poremba

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You have to call the tax people to get a permit which is good I have one of those and when you do she will set you up or he will set you up then you can just go and sell wherever you want to right now is not a good time covid-19 has hurt the business so bad hard to find places that you can make any money anymore makes me feel sad

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  5. hello we are wondering about selling are flowers can you help us on this we have a lot and have pictures please let me know how we can make a small profit
    Thanks
    Dave Poremba

    ReplyDelete
  6. I know Rose lady where I live I still roses just about everywhere in nightclubs taverns and bars right now is not a good time to go into the bars with this covid-19 so I am going to start selling roses on the street I bought men real cute tent and I'm going to widen my Rose two carnations and baby breath and all kinds of flowers also I am making several knick-knack stand wall hanging things from roses that I have dried out and painted jewelry that I have made myself I used to sell my jewelry when I was young I had a business and that's what I did but yes now I'm crippled I use a cane I can't walk very good anymore but I am going to sit in that pretty pint sell my beautiful roses I am legal federally I have to know what kind of city tax I need to pay or like a vendor's license I guess I already have that because I do pay my city tax in my federal tax every month is that enough? I'm going to have to try to find out

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    Replies
    1. Some of my words did not come out right but I did mean to say I am a rose lady I sell my roses and I'm going to keep it going even though it's hard on me to walk I'm still going to be a roselady

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