Flowers have always held a special place in our society. They have always played a special role in celebrating events like weddings, births, festivals, or even deaths. While some are used for their fragrance or decorative purposes, others tend to be historically imbued with some sort of special meaning to them. Given all the importance we tend to place on floral arrangements, the job of a floral designer is indeed worth looking into.
A floral designer is a creative and artistic individual who works with flowers, plants, and other hand-crafted flower arrangements. They earn their livelihood by procuring flowers and creating exquisite arrangements. These are then sold to the public, displays, functions, etc.
Duties and responsibilities of a floral designer
- Responsible for creating flower arrangements and formal displays for customers to purchase.
- Create flower displays for special occasions like weddings, birthdays, meetings, banquets, and holidays.
- Prepare designs and arrangements based on special demands by clients.
- Provide services within a reasonable budget
- Coordinate with various departments to gather raw materials for making exquisite arrangements
- Properly storing all the fresh flowers, greenery, ribbons, and other embellishments that may be used in the arrangements
- The job of a floral designer also includes growing their flowers in-house or procuring them from greenhouses or wholesalers.
- Design and enhance efficient, safe keep of plant-based food and other gardening accessories
- Ensure timely delivery of orders
- Supervise all production devices for maintenance projects for successful completion.
- A floral designer should also maintain an organized and an up to date inventory. This includes details of both the items purchased as well as those which are sold
- Develop merchandising strategies while paying special attention to pricing and signage
- Keep an inventory of vases, floral wire, and other necessary tools used by floral designers to create artistic arrangements.
- Stay up to date with what elements flowers can withstand as well as their temperature requirement.
- Possess background information about flowers; their history, and their origins
- Provide exceptional customer care service to retain the quality of work
- Attend all telephone calls as well as resolve any problems faced by customers
- Devise strategies to beat the competition and promote their own business
- Supervise packaging and presentation of the flower arrangements, especially those that are for public display
- Ensure compliance with all health and sanitation programs as well as maintain safe practices.
Skills required for the job of a floral designer
While the job of a floral designer does not require one to have any formal education, however, to earn yourself a name in the business, you must possess the following skills:
- Extensive knowledge about plants and flowers (Including their history, seasonality, lifespan, temperature and water requirement, etc.)
- A good sense of color and shape
- Excellent practical skills
- Sharp business acumen as well as an understanding of USP
- Creativity and imagination
- Good time management skills
- The ability to work under pressure
- Strong communication and organizational skills
- The zeal to go the extra mile
What about salary?
Be it the United States or anywhere in the world, there will always be room for the job of a floral designer. What’s even more exciting is the fact that floral designers need not restrict themselves on a 9 to 5 schedule. They can choose their working hours. While weekends and holidays may hold more potential in terms of sales but at the end of the day, it’s up to the floral designer whether they choose to work on these days or not. Moreover, given the flexible working hours, the salary of a floral designer is also quite lucrative. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, one can expect to earn $21,190 to $31,970 annually on the job of a floral designer.
