Product Description

New for 2005, this book is a comprehensive guide to all the business aspects of buying and running a retail florist shop. It is aimed at anyone either planning to set up a new shop from scratch, buying an existing shop or needing help with the business aspects of their current shop.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #27499 in Books
• Published on: 2005-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 152 pages

From the Author
My wife and myself started with a tiny florist shop and ultimately moved on to a large shop which I sold upon my wife's death. This book uses all our experience of the many different aspects of assessing the value of a florist shop, buying it and then running it to maximise profit and potential.

From the Inside Flap
This book is a guide for both potential owners of a florist shop and also for existing owners. It covers the different aspects of either starting a shop from scratch or taking over an existing business. Practical advice is given on all the business and administrative aspects of running a shop. The author draws widely upon his own experiences of buying and running florist shops, both small and large.

About the Author
Alan Peck spent most of his working life in management roles in the computer industry. Seeing his wife leading a more enjoyable and fulfiling life in floristry, Alan opted to join her on a full time basis. He has contributed to many books and magazines in the computer world and is now writing his first novel.

Customer Reviews

Excellent resource for new shop owners, expanding businesses
An excellent and practical read. I found this book extremely useful as a freelance florist looking to start up a shop. It's like being a fly on the wall in a busy flower shop at different times of the year. Lots of sound advice to be mindful of the business side of things as much as the creative side. A very optimistic and proactive look at the retail florist business and is especially helpful regarding buying an existing business. He advises that you 'make your own luck' and gives you some tools to do so. The flower industry was in need of a modern resource like this and a big thank you to Mr. Peck for addressing that need!

An excellent reality check for budding shopowners
Having joined the flower industry from the world of finance (I set up my first shop in 2001), this would have been an invaluable book when I was starting out. I have learned many of the lessons that the author, Alan Peck, and his late wife learned, and I found myself frequently thinking 'I've done that!', when they referred to some of the pitfalls that they had found on their way to owning a large floristry business. In particular, Alan discusses the financial aspect of buying and owning a shop, and the importance of being on top of accounts and VAT. He also generously shares details of the balance sheet from a year's trading, and it will be interesting for many readers to note how the profits relate to takings. For those thinking of coming into the flower business, this will probably be a bit of a welcome 'eye opener' insofar as the profits, bearing in mind these represent total household earnings for a couple running the shop, are far from huge. Don't forget too, that this is a large shop with 6 - 8 staff and two drivers.

The author is also candid about how stressful the job can be, particularly at key trading times such as St Valentines Day and Christmas - with anecdotal evidence of some poor florists going into nervous meltdown! These are the times that customers never see - still there at 10 p.m. making bouquets, after a 6 a.m. start, with a raft or orders still to finish before going home for some precious sleep, and another busy 12 hour day.

In these days of less certain 'jobs for life', there are many people, particularly couples with redundancy money, coming into the industry. I can testify to the number who have thought it will be a 'nice little business - working with flowers all day' and subsequently realised that, not only are they out of their depth workwise (frequently having only done a beginner's course at a local college), but it's also far, far harder and more stressful work than they ever anticipated. If this book saves a few marriages (and redundancy settlements), then it will have done a public service!

Owning and running a Floristry business is a not a short cut to a fortune - the only 'rich' florists are the predominantly London based 'celebrity' florists, who can command celebrity prices for their work, write books and appear on TV. A flower shop is a 'lifestyle' business, where, if you love working with flowers and creating something special for your customers, you can find this very artistically rewarding, and it will hopefully provide you with a comfortable living.

This excellent book will give plenty of very sound guidance to those looking to open their first shop, or perhaps move on to something bigger from their initial venture.

Very well written by Mr Peck and a fine tribute to his late wife, who obvioulsy loved what she did, as did her customers.

Highly recommended.

Priceless Advice
What a fantastic book! I couldnt put it down! I myself have recently purchased a floristy shop and thought i was well prepared, until i read this! ..... now i am 100% prepared, the information this book gave me really was priceless, and i would reccomend it to anyone buying an existing business. and alan if you read my review good luck with the novels!