Veteran florist Lesley is now in her 33rd year in the business and still going strong. A specialist in funeral work, Colchester-based Lesley uses her big and bubbly personality to connect with all of her customers and has kept her business thriving through talent, determination and a keen business sense.
I love the GFG because it’s the only directory of florists that has any accreditation of florists whatsoever. For me, that’s really important because a lot of places have no filter system. You know they are proper florists not order gatherers or unscrupulous traders. I think every florist should get themselves up to scratch and get themselves on the Good Florist Guide!
How closely and intimately we deal with our clients is a surprise to lots of people. Whether that’s for a wedding where they tell you the ins and outs of every last detail or whether you’ve got a family that’s just lost a child or a baby and you’ve got to be empathetic. For me that’s what floristry is about. You can go and buy a bunch of flowers from Tesco but there’s no emotive gesture if you take those to somebody. What we offer, above and beyond, is they’re able to make that gesture by having them delivered.
It’s no good filling your shop full of things you love, you have to fill your shop full of things that are commercially viable for your clientele. You have to get what works for your customers. If you do everything to your own taste that doesn’t always work. We’re on a housing estate where 80 per cent of our customers are over 50 and we have a Tesco next door! You have to know your customers.
