We don't want to be mere flower sellers, say the young entrepreneurs
When did you decide to open a flower shop in Brno? Weren't you afraid that you would go bankrupt because of the big competition?So it is quite difficult to determine in retrospect when it actually started. The initial impulse was probably a large number of ideas and mainly the desire to do things differently and better, without anyone limiting us. As for the fear of competition, we had more respect for it. We still have it, we will have it in the future, and we sincerely hope that it will never leave us. A healthy respect from competition is a tremendous motivator that drives us forward and brings out the best in us. The worst thing is to rest on your laurels, so to speak.
How did you find suitable premises and what did you have to do for it?We are based in the wider center of Brno. When we were deciding where we wanted to do business, we tried to find a neighborhood where there are no flower shops yet, a neighborhood that is close enough to the center and has enough interesting places and businesses. One of the streets and its surroundings charmed us, so we looked for suitable premises until finally one appeared. In this respect, we were extremely lucky, not only in the place, but also in the lady of the house, who gave two inexperienced entrepreneurs a chance.
How much did you have to invest in order for the store to meet your expectations?As they say, money always comes first, so finances were quite a challenge. We had some savings, the family also helped, but it wasn't enough, so we had to take out a loan anyway.
Barbora Zimolová, 27 years old |
We won't lie, it took a lot of money to set up the store according to our ideas, but we wanted it to be perfect, so there was no other way. We didn't just have to invest money, it also cost a lot of time, planning and, above all, creativity. Our friends and relatives also helped us a lot in everything.
Did you design the interior yourself? Yes, we invented the interior ourselves. We both have roughly the same taste in both style and colors, so it wasn't that difficult as a result. The heart of the whole idea was a bar counter and stylish bar stools. Then it was enough to adapt our vision to the space and it was done.
Where did you get the equipment according to your ideas?Part of the interior, including the bar, was custom-made for us by a carpenter, we did something by ourselves and, for example, we bought the bar chairs on the internet bazaar. We wanted to create a cozy space where people would like to spend time while waiting for a bouquet or flower box. We wanted people to find comfort with us and keep coming back.
Šarlota Palová, 28 years old |
How much do you pay for rent?It is in the tens of thousands of crowns, however, it is a rent that is completely appropriate for the location, size and availability of the store. Will this job support you?It is too early to answer this question. We have not been in business for very long and we are still building a customer base. However, we can say that we are now doing better than we expected. The orders for weddings that we did in the summer helped us a lot. For the time being, our work will sustain us, we hope that over time our diligence and talent will be valued even more.
According to the preliminary results, it can be estimated that our annual turnover will be in the range of two to three million crowns. However, this is only an estimate and it is difficult to predict what the Christmas season will be like for us, which tends to be the strongest.
So how are you different from the competition?We are not a flower shop and especially we didn't want to be a flower shop where you will wait in line for a bouquet for twenty minutes, you will step nervously and your feet will hurt as a result. That's why we wanted to create a cozy interior in which people would be happy to wait. We also differ in the style of tying flowers.
In what specifically?Recently, the style of meadow flowers has been and still is, for example, which we have become a bit fed up with during the time that we have been in the industry. And so we thought that it would need a change. We both like more expressive, colorful and varied bouquets, and we wanted to offer this trend.
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Where do you get the flowers and other components from? We take flowers from suppliers here in Brno. As for accessories, we try to cooperate with smaller Czech suppliers who have interesting products. We buy some components from suppliers from Holland and Estonia, and we choose the best from each.
So also the most expensive? We wouldn't say. We don't want to be just a reseller of accessories, decorations and flowers, but we want to leave a piece of our own added value in our creations. Otherwise, we wouldn't even enjoy it and it would lose its meaning for us. We strive for maximum originality in everything we do.
In what, for example?An example is flower boxes, recently we also started making flower cards. We are a florist, so logically we do everything related to flowers. We also advise people how to take care of the bouquet so that it lasts as long as possible and thrives.
Have you already had a larger order? Just tying bouquets for ordinary occasions, such as a holiday, would probably not make you much of a living. Am I not right? During the summer, we had a lot of orders for wedding decorations, we also decorated a few offices, doctor's offices, and organized several celebrations. We are still at the beginning.
Photo galleryView photo gallery | thousand. It's all about what the customer wants. But we are definitely not one of the most expensive florists in Brno. And nothing will change about that.