How to become a florist

A florist is a professional who specialises in the selection, design and arrangement of flowers.  These are then presented in a variety of different ways, such as in bouquets, vases, baskets, bowels etc.

Sometimes a florist will have arrangements that have been already made and available to buy there and then, other times they will have to customise a specific order. 

Some designs can be very striking and extravagant, particularly when made with special celebratory occasions in mind, such as weddings, christenings and birthdays.  Another important use of florists would be in the case of funerals, where they can meet the needs of the bereaved with a beautiful arrangement that has meaning to it.

As a florist you will need to have the following skills:

• Creativity and good colour co-ordination – as this is quite an artistic profession, you will need to know what goes with what whilst still being original, as well as having a real eye for detail.  Many florists work with more than just fresh or dried flowers; there will be other decorative things to get creative with such as ribbons, foliage etc.
• The ability to communicate effectively with people – you need to work out exactly what your clients’ requirements are, as well as being able to express your own ideas.
• Patience and sensitivity – many of the most important and expensive jobs will be for weddings and funerals.  You may have to deal with a fussy bridezilla or be very aware of someone who has recently lost a loved one.
• A passion for the job – sometimes you may be working long and odd hours.  This is usually when there is a big job on so you will have a tight deadline to stick to; therefore you need to be able to work quickly and efficiently whilst under pressure.

Florist’s responsibilities will revolve around caring for the flowers, making sure that they are watered and conditioned.  Maintaining the cleanliness and attractiveness of the shop will also be top of the list – particularly when it comes to the displaying of the arrangements.

Qualifications and Training

There are many ways of getting into floristry; there is the option of either full-time or part-time college-based courses or apprenticeships.  Then there is the opportunity of developing your skills even further by taking a university degree.  Many florists decide to go it alone and start their own businesses once they have gained the experience.

You will learn how to care for flowers and plants, how to make them last longer, the meanings behind each different type of flower, how to arrange and work with other ornamental decorations etc.

Here are some useful contacts for advice and for finding colleges, universities and courses: (as well as current news on the floristry industry)

• The National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies
• The British Florist Association 
• Flowers & Plants Association
• National Apprenticeship Service

Benefits of freelancing as a florist

There are many advantages to becoming a freelance florist, for example the main reason why many people decide to freelance is due to the money – by taking on more than one client, you can often find you can earn a lot more. By using our Freelancer Calculator you can work out exactly how much you could potentially take home.

Other benefits include:

• Greater tax benefits being a freelancer
• Control of your destiny
• Flexibility and time management
• Job satisfaction and doing a job that you enjoy

Finding work as a florist

A strong client-base is vital for becoming a freelancer.  Word of mouth guarantees you more work, but to have this good reputation, you will need to market yourself and sell your services well.

Here are some helpful suggestions on how to do this:

• Make business cards and give them out to friends and family.
• Talk to retailers whom you buy your products from.  They may need your services or can suggest anyone who would need a florist.  You could even leave business cards or leaflets with them
• Set up a professional website.  Once you start gaining interest, your potential clients will need somewhere to go to see who you are, what your offering and your prices.  And of course you will be more easily found by people searching the internet for florists.
• Set up an advertisement in your local newsagents, or even see if there are notice boards in your local garden centres.
• Take advantage of social-networking sites.  You can set up links to your business website from your personal accounts, which should hopefully generate more interest.