People think that being a florist is all about being wrist deep in beautiful flowers, soothing music and smiles. The reality can be quite different! Including wearing a mask 50% of the time even during Pre-COVID period due to pollen, dust and tiny insects. Since events has ceased to a grinding halt, the days have become more routined and it is pretty much what a full time online florist does on a typical day. (Check out our sister retail store The Daily Posy)
The events life is vastly different from what you can expect from being a retailer (selling bouquets / arrangements) but more about that in another post (or several). That's a whole other world of activity.
First thing in the morning once the eyes are opened is to on check new orders that have come in through the night. Believe it or not people actually order flowers online at 3am in the morning! Consolidate the orders, print messages and get updated on world news.
9am: Have a morning coffee while updating the delivery routes for the day, informing the courier partners on their routes. Close the order form for same day.
Head to the flower supplier to select & collect flowers, goods like wrapping, hardware items etc. If the day is too packed or the items are too heavy will pay extra to get them delivered to the Studio. The main difference in Singapore is that we don't have to scramble to the markets too early (like 5am) unlike other countries.
10am: Open the studio and let the overwhelming scent of flowers out. Quickly release the first batch of deliveries.
11am: Quick clean of the studio, the ground is never void of dust or leaves or small petals no matter how many times you sweep, vacuum, mop. Especially when working with pampas grass! (the boon of arrangements the bane of those who doing cleaning). Also not forgetting to condition and categorise any new stock.
12noon: Lunch time!
1pm: Prepare and send the second batch of deliveries out, all items are on their way to the customers!
2pm: Have another cup of coffee or tea, check emails, social media DMs, reply to queries, post some photos
3pm: Prepare for the next day orders
6pm: Pack the studio since the place probably looks like a hurricane ran through and disinfect the place/ tools/pails
On average, closing time is anywhere between 630-730pm depending on the order volume
So that's about it for a retail only day for us! Every shop has their own schedule and if you have a walk-in store front, it will include entertaining customers, creating customised bouquets on the spot for collection or opening the shop earlier. Being a florist is a physically intense job with long hours of standing and tons of packing/cleaning to do.
If you are thinking about being a florist, on average you will only spend 40-50% of your time doing flowers while the rest of the day will be filled with other preparation, admin and cleaning work.
Want more insights on Florist Life? Follow our Instagram page @Botanystudiosg or keep a lookout on this page!
