You love nature, and you love being surrounded by vibrant, exotic, aromatic flowers. Maybe you have a creative flair and a great sense of aesthetically pleasing designs? Then you should definitely think of becoming a Florist. But not sure how to become a florist? We’re here to help you out.
Is Floristry a Good Career Choice for You?
Does it brighten up your day when you see people buying flowers for their loved ones? Does it give you a sense of fulfilment to help someone pick flowers for Mother’s Day? Do you love being surrounded by beautiful blooming flowers and plants and taking care of them? Do you get compliments for the flower arrangements you create?
If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to all of them, becoming a florist might just be your true calling.
What your heart desires and what is practical can be two very different things. But not when it comes to floristry! Being a florist means you get to do what you love, make people’s day and earn good money at the same time.
Aside from your hobby and passion, there are a few more things to consider. Being a florist also means long hours, not shying away from physical labour, and a strong determination to live through the ups and downs of the business.
Therefore, just like any new venture, the very first step is to assess your own needs before taking a firm decision. For instance, ask yourself — how interested are you in floristry? Is this something you want to pursue as a full-time career, or just temporarily? Do you want to learn on the job or take a course? How much time and money are you willing to spend on your education?
Answering these questions will help you figure out the best way for you to gain experience in the trade and understand how committed you are. It’s also worth asking yourself at this point if you like the idea of self-employment or a job.
If your passion for floristry sways your career choice to be a florist, keep reading to find out how to become a florist.
How to Become a Florist?
First of all, you don’t need any formal qualifications to become a Florist. But can get into this profession with a college degree, through apprenticeships or by working towards this role.
What qualifications do you need to become a florist? To become a florist, you can have a high school diploma or a GED. In addition, classes in botany, biology, art, or design will prepare you for entry into this field.
If you want to do a college course to learn the skills and knowledge you need in this job; you can take these courses –
- Level 1 Certificate in Floral Design
- Level 2 Certificate in Floristry
- Level 3 Extended Diploma in Floristry
The second route to becoming a florist is through apprenticeship. In apprenticeship based work placement, you will get the opportunity to learn on the job at an actual floristry business. However, the apprenticeship will still be managed by a college or educational institute. And this is mostly for people who currently work, or at least have some experience in floristry.
The best part of an apprenticeship is that you get paid while getting valuable experiences of working in the industry. So take a leap and work one prom season in the local floral shop and see if it’s your cup of tea.
Whatever route you choose, we recommend taking a Floristry Academy Diploma course to gain the necessary skills. A QLS certification can help you stand out from clothes in this competitive and volatile business environment if you’re applying for jobs. Or, in case you’re thinking of running your own business, it’ll give you the necessary knowledge, competence, and confidence you need to start and run it smoothly.
Must-Have Knowledge for Florists
There’s more to becoming a florist than the artistic part of the job. Here are a few must-know things for a florist.
Principles of Floral Design
Floral design or a flower arrangement is the ultimate art of creating an eye-catching and balanced composition or display using plant elements and flowers.
Along with having an artistic flair, floral designs must abide by some principles of floral designs. It refers to the basic standards used to create the design elements are balance, dominance, colour and contrast, rhythm, proportion, and scale. And a floral arrangement is judged based on how well these principles are applied when making a beautiful creation.
Knowledge about Popular Flowers
When you think about going into floristry, there’s no alternative to knowing about flowers, such as the names of flowers, when they bloom, where they are available, how long they live, how much water or misting they need etc.
Some of the must-have or popular flowers for flower shops are –
- Roses
- Lilies
- Daffodil
- Sunflower
- Orchid
- Carnation
- Bluebell
- Freesia
- Poppy
- Sweetpea
- Spray roses
- Delphinium
So educate yourself about the properties of these flowers and how to care for them to extend their lifespan.
Must-Have Floristry Tools
Believe it or not, flowers need a lot of care and making floral decorations require a lot of tools. Here’s a list of tools you’ll be using as a florist –
Everything You Need to Know About Becoming a Florist
Becoming a florist is more than just a hobby. It requires handwork, acquiring knowledge and skills and many more. Before you embark on your ‘how to become a florist’ journey, learn the answers to the following questions to ease into the life of a florist.
What does a Florist do – Florist Duties and Responsibilities
We’ve all seen the cute corner flower shop run by a beautiful lady who makes it seem like such an easy job. But, sorry to break it to you, it’s not all about pretty flowers and neat wrapping. And it is definitely more than just selling flowers. Learning about florist duties and responsibilities is compulsory if you are interested in learning how to become a florist.
As a florist, you’ll get to create and design floral arrangements like bouquets, centrepieces, corsages, wreaths, or other structures requested by the customers. You’ll get to clean, process, cut, and arrange flowers, leaves, and accessories to make beautiful pieces of flower arrangements.
You have to regularly maintain them and pass on knowledge to customers, so they know how to extend the longevity of their purchased flowers.
However, working with flowers is just a part of the job. Floristry is a business just like any other business. As a florist, your day will also go by with tasks like sourcing flowers, taking orders, billing and invoicing, inventory, meeting with clients, and many more tasks.
Here’s a simplified list of daily tasks in the life of a florist –
How Much Money do Florists Make in the UK?
Florists actually make decent money in the UK. But the salary of one florist to another might vary depending on experience, skill or employment status. According to National Careers Service, florists can earn an average of £13000 a year as a starter. But with experience, you can earn about £24,000 a year on average.
People with the ambition to own their own business and become self-employed may face fluctuations in their earnings. As an entrepreneur, your earning will mainly depend on –
Even though the workload is more likely to be higher in this route, the financial rewards may be much greater in the long run.
What Kind of Working Environment can You Expect as a Florist?
As a florist, you could work at a store, on a market stall, or in a workshop. You can either take a job there or become an entrepreneur to chase your dream.
However, your working environment may be cool to keep the breathtakingly beautiful flowers from dying quickly. Also, sometimes you may have to travel to make deliveries, purchase flowers, or prepare arrangements.
Career Path and Progression of a Florist
As a florist, ‘what your career path will be’ largely depends on what you want and what you are capable of. A florist has two sides — an artistic side and a business side. These two sides also play a huge role in deciding what your career will be like in floristry.
For instance, with enough experience as a florist, you could start your own floristry business. Or you could become a freelance floral decorator, and you can also do exhibition work, demonstrations. You can also choose to share your knowledge by getting into the teaching profession.
One in four florist shops in the UK has no employees. So it might be hard to find a job as a florist, but it also means that you can be an entrepreneur. The floristry business doesn’t have any entry barrier. So if you have entrepreneurial skills and enough knowledge about the floristry business, you can open your own little shop!
What Skills do You Need to be a Florist?
While having an artistic side and passion for floristry is helpful, that’s not all you need to become a florist. Here are some skills and knowledge you will need to be a successful florist.
- Amazing sense of design
- Extreme attention to detail
- The ability to work well with your hands and not afraid of doing manual work
- Good interpersonal skills to work well with others
- Great customer service skills and selling techniques
- Exceptional verbal communication skills
- Creative ability to come up with new ways of doing things
- Having the ability to work on your own
- Carry out basic tasks on a computer or any electronic devices
Summary
Even if flowers go out of season, the need for floristry doesn’t. From weddings and funerals to birthday parties, any major or special occasions have one thing in common — flowers! Hence, the need for florists.
The journey of ‘how to become a florist’ starts with figuring out if this is the right path for you. While there are no formal requirements to become a florist, to fit in this competitive market, you should have a relevant degree. Practise and training are essential. So get your Floristry Academy Diploma and spend your free time sketching and designing new arrangements.
To become a better florist than you were yesterday, keep looking for inspiration everywhere. Cultivate your own style, but always keep an eye open for new techniques and trends.
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