Petal Perfect: Inside the world of entrepreneurial florist Georgie Wilding

 we were eager to learn what it takes to run a successful florist business.

What inspired you to buy the business? Was it something you always envisioned yourself doing?

I was a florist at Flowers Vasette in Melbourne when the opportunity arose to purchase Jenny Burtt Florist. I had worked there for four years before moving to Melbourne and always had fond memories of my time there, so I naturally jumped at the opportunity to make it my own. It was always my plan to gain experience in floristry and return home to Christchurch to own a business.

What challenges did you face when taking over the shop, and how did you overcome them?

This has been an enormous learning curve for me in so many areas of the business. I have been incredibly fortunate to have tremendous support from Dale Brown (the previous owner), who continues to mentor me with her 19 years of experience. I also have an amazing team, which I inherited with the business, which has made taking over a smooth transition.

How do you balance the artistic side of floristry with the business side of running a shop?

My passion is most definitely the creative side of this business, but I have learnt how important it is to stay on top of administrative tasks such as emails. To ensure a good balance, I have  ‘flower time’ and ‘admin time’ and usually need to divide my day accordingly. 

What are some of the biggest trends in the floral industry today?

As in all areas of fashion and design, trends come and go in floristry. What was once considered old-fashioned can now be sought after.  Some examples of this are… Dahlias, Anthuriums, Gerberas, Carnations, Gypsophila, Cala lillies. These flowers are all having a moment.  The arrangement style is more architectural, with stems considerately placed at different heights than in the traditional dome style. We are getting a lot of requests to incorporate fruit and vegetables with our event work at the moment, which is a lot of fun.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of taking over and running the florist?

 Being creative as a career, employing a fantastic team of women, working with some beautiful quality brands who trust us and growing the wedding and event side of the business.

What advice would you give to someone looking to take over a family business or start their own small business?

Make sure to have fun, have a great team behind you and allow yourself time to work in the business before making any drastic changes.