Would you like to become an accredited floral designer who creates beautiful arrangements for others? It is an ideal career path for artistic people who want to provide an important service in local communities through heartfelt moments or fashionable flair. The floral design business is always in demand, and if you have a passion for flowers and designing, this may be the perfect career path for you. Be your own boss and do something you absolutely love is something that many people aspire to do.
Here are three critical steps that will help you learn how to become an in-demand floral designer and business owner.
Step One: Identify Your Personality Traits
Do you have what it takes to be a floral designer? Here are a few personality traits you need:
- Artistry: An artistic trait that is dominant in floral designers is a love of decor and color coordination, which allows you to envision flowers and greenery aesthetically
- Creativity: Creativity is a learned ability most often found in floral designers who have natural insight into creative design concepts based on the reason arrangements are needed
- Detail-oriented: Floral customers know what they want and depend on floral designers to deliver; being detail-oriented allows you to get orders out on time and in the correct arrangement; an order mishap will cause mistrust in your abilities and customers will not return
- Communications skills: Communication is a critical skill as you will work directly with your customers and vendors; ask pointed questions and offer product suggestions when customers are not sure what type of floral design they want; offer advice about plant care and maintenance as it will boost your authority in the floral industry
- Leadership skills: Innovation and leadership skills are important for floral designers and shop owners; leadership qualities allow you to use your creativity and communication skills to share your artistic abilities with co-workers and customers which will showcase your ideas.
Step Two: Acquire Floral Design Industry Knowledge
Industry knowledge is a critical component for success as you need to understand horticulture as well as how to position flowers in a beautiful arrangement. Learning how to cut and arrange live, dried and silk flowers is a skill that is important to gain. You will also want to learn floral industry linguistics, tools and inventory requirements that your business will need to meet customer requirements as well as provide them with facts on proper care techniques.
Floral designers gain training and skillsets by taking floral design and management courses after high school, through internships or on-the-job-training. While you do not need a degree to be a floral designer, a certification course will instill the education needed to identify flowers and plants and learn greenhouse techniques, floral design and business concepts.
Step Three: Gain On-the-Job Experience
If you are starting out as an entrepreneur in floral design or wanting to pass a certification examination, working for a local floral company or greenhouse will give you the time it takes to build your skills. It will be helpful to hone your abilities by practicing tasks like flower cutting, order taking, inventory care, flower arrangement and decorative technique which will boost your industry capabilities.
Use any occasion to show off the skills you learn during your certificate coursework. You will also need a lot of practice to grow into an expert floral designer and local business owner.
