

gpasi 



MANAGING A RETAIL 



FLORIST'S BUSINESS 



Here is a careful exposition of the prohlems that are the most important 

 for the heg inner in the retail florists' business. Heard ivith much interest 

 at the Canadian convention this week, it should he given carefid reading by 

 aspiring retail florists wherever they may be situated. 



OST of those who start in 

 the retail florists' busi- 

 ness are men or women 

 wlio love flowers and have 

 worked in a greenhouse or 

 retail flower store, who are 

 anil)itious to be in business 

 on their own account and 

 generally think it advis- 

 able to begin in a small 

 way, as they do not feel safe in under- 

 taking to finance a large business. Usu- 

 ally the retail florist who begins business 

 in a small way will eventually be the 

 most suc(!essful, for he gradually ac- 

 quires experience and learns how to 

 manage the business by being in closer 

 touch with every detail, and he thereby 

 escapes many of the troubles and losses 

 to which lie would be liable if trying 

 to handle too large a business at the 

 beginning. I do not wish to discour- 

 age any person who is absolutely sure 

 he has the knowledge, ability, experi- 

 ence and finances to handle a large busi- 

 ness when the demand warrants his 

 doing so, but I would say, be very care- 

 ful not to overburden yourself finan- 

 cially until you are reasonably sure of 

 the trade which your busi- 

 ness will command. 



As so much of the suc- 

 cess in managing a retail 

 business depends on the 

 alnlity of tlie manager, I 

 should like to draw atten- 

 tion to a few of the quali- 

 ties which I believe are re- 

 quired in the person who is 

 to fill this position. 



Manager's Qualifications. 



lie should be a per- 

 son who loves flowers and 

 the growing and handling 

 of them. It is next to im- 

 possible for a person in any 

 business to be successful 

 unless ho likes that busi- 

 ness and is happy and con- 

 tented while employed in it, 

 and I believe this trait is 

 more necessary in the retail 

 florists' than in any other 

 trade or profession. You 

 should know the florists' 

 business if possible b.y hav- 

 ing had practical working 

 experience in all its 

 branches; otherwise it will 

 be difficult for you to han- 

 dle the business successful- 

 ly, for it is essential that 

 you know that those per- 

 sons whom you employ are 

 giving the best results in 



By A. M. TERRILL. 



the different departments, such as grow- 

 ing, handling, selling, arranging bou- 

 quets, floral designs, decorations, etc. 



You must also know that the stock, 

 which it is often necessary to buy from 

 other growers and from wholesale 

 houses, is such as your trade will re- 

 quire and is purchased at a price which 

 justifies you in handling it for the 

 benefit of your customers and at a 

 profit to the business. 



Pleasing Personality. 



The manager should be of good per- 

 sonality and one who makes friends and 

 commands the respect of those who are 

 employed in the business. He should 

 aim to have the good will of those with 

 whom business is transacted, either in 

 buying or selling, for if the manager 

 is not well liked by those with whom 

 business is transacted, it reflects strong- 

 ly against the success of the sales de- 

 partment. The lovers of cut flowers 

 and plants will not purchase from a 

 store where they do not like the man- 

 ager if they can find any other place 



For Beginners 



D D D D 



So many are entering the retail florists' 

 business just now, at a time when 

 capable management is more than ever 

 necessary, that the sage advice of one 

 who has had forty years of practical 

 experience and is now head of a highly 

 successful business, at Calgary, Alberta, 

 is most timely. Careful study of the 

 points considered in this paper will give 

 such beginners an excellent start on the 

 road to success. 



to buy from, and they invariably can. 

 I would strongly advise against start- 

 ing business in a town of less than 3,000 

 population and only in a town of this 

 size when there is a good prospect for 

 sales of cut flowers and plants to the 

 people of the country and towns adja- 

 cent. Unless there is this amount of 

 local business which can be depended 

 on, it will be dilBcult to be successful 

 financially. To the person who would 

 be successful in a small town, in the 

 suburban part of an eastern city or in 

 one of the western cities, I should ad- 

 vise purchasing, not leasing, property 

 in the best location possible, where the 

 real estate will become more valuable 

 if you should find it advisable to sell 

 within a few years. Build on this 

 property a store and office with green- 

 houses attached thereto, such as your 

 finances and business will warrant at 

 this time, with plans for adding to the 

 greenhouses as the business demands. 

 In constructing the buildings do noi 

 l)uild too expensively or for too great 

 permanency, as the location may be- 

 come too valualde in a few years for 

 you to continue occupying it with green- 

 houses; also, as the busi- 

 ness increases it may be 

 found necessary to enlargo 

 your store space or change 

 your greenhouse construe 

 tion to correspond witli tue 

 district in wliich your busi- 

 ness is located. 



Grow Variety. 



(irow a variety of cut 

 flowers and plants such as 

 your experience will teach 

 you tlie local customers de- 

 mand, always with a few 

 novelties included, so that 

 your greenhouses and store 

 may be attractive for cus- 

 tomers and their friends to 

 visit whether they desire 

 to purchase at the time or 

 not. Always be sure that 

 after 10 o'clock in the 

 forenoon each day your 

 store and greenhouses are 

 clean and neat and the 

 paths are free from exces- 

 sive moisture, so that a 

 woman can feel safe in 

 walking through without 

 soiling her clothes; other- 

 wise you will find you will 

 not liave the privilege of 

 sliowing your flowers an<l 

 jilants to the customers 

 whose trade you should en- 

 courage in as many ways 



