Today we’d like to introduce you to James Smith.
Hi James, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
Too much to write at the moment as far as “how I got to where I am today,” but as far as this particular venture, we bought this flower shop July 1st of 2022 without knowing ANYTHING about the floral industry or even flowers for that matter. The previous owner past away during COVID, and the family wanted to sell it to someone who would be willing to keep the staff they’ve had for years. We actually couldn’t have done it otherwise, and so that’s what we did. We’re still learning, and it’s had highs & lows, but the staff is like family now, and everything and everyone is starting to meld, and the shop is thriving. We’re very proud of the product our staff puts out and proud to be in this business. My wife and I are looking forward to many years working together in this family floral business.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not smooth at all, the floral industry, namely the wire side of it, is very fast-paced and brutally demanding. We’re open 7 days a week at 7 am, so up at 5 am or earlier every day of the week since July 1st. Other than Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day, etc. Only closed 6 days per year. A lot of hard work, long hours, and a huge learning curve, which we’d like to think we’ve handled very well (now that we know what we know). The companies who send us orders are also not the most honorable so you have to learn to play their game very quickly and then play it better than them, or you’ll lose a lot of money and fall by the wayside. The local side of the business, dealing with local customers, and gaining new customers is awesome! To see the smiles and know you’re making someone’s day or making an event a success is very rewarding.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
We’re a small flower shop that does A LOT of volume for FTD, Teleflora, and 1-800 flowers but also do high-end, custom arrangements for personal enjoyment and events. We also specialize in fast turnaround with same-day delivery within a 20-mile radius. What definitely sets us apart is the quality, style, and feel you get for much, much less than ANY high-end shop in town. We buy such high volume that I get quality flowers for 30-50% less than most others. We charge customers for custom arrangements based on what we have in the arrangement and not based on the going rate at other shops. We don’t really care about the competition, we want everyone to thrive, but we just aren’t comfortable overcharging people. We’d rather they come back more often and tell their friends about their experiences here.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up.
Wow! Just one? Probably best, or we’d be here all day. I’ve been so blessed to have a wonderful childhood, surrounded by a ton of unbelievable family members but fishing with my uncle Stan at our family cabin in the Sierra Mountains has to be my fondest memories.
Contact Info:
- Website: BeauMondeflora.com
