By Tonneli Grüetter
Within the flower industry, corporate floral services represent a lucrative and stable specialty. Flower businesses offering these services cater to the specific needs of businesses and organizations, offering finely orchestrated designs that enhance corporate environments, events and business relationships, affirming corporate brand identity through the language of flowers. Taking the time to learn about and understand opportunities that exist within the three main types of corporate floral contracts—corporate event flowers, corporate display flowers and corporate gifting—can open new revenue streams for florists new and old alike. In this article, we dive into these contract types, explore how to break into the realm of corporate florists, discuss potential earnings and explain how incorporating corporate floral services can equalize your weekly workflow.
Photography: Forrest Cornwell
Corporate Event Flowers
Within the world of corporate flowers, there is no fish bigger than event florals. Getting the opportunity to partner with brands for public-facing and private special events is an elite category of floral work that demands high standards in every facet. For those of us who enjoy scrolling through social media, scanning through TV channels or flipping through the pages of a magazine, this type of floral work stands out due to its high visibility within mainstream culture.
The opportunity to partner with a business to create event floral installations is an especially liberating opportunity, as well, for florists who may usually feel hindered by conservative color palettes or repetitive trend cycles. Poppy colors, bold forms, creative freedom and, perhaps most important of all, big budgets are all par for the course in the world of corporate event flowers.
For the beginning florist, getting to this ultimate goal can take time and determination. Proving yourself reliable and capable of performing at the level corporate clients expect begins at communication and carries just as heavily through the establishment of professional contracting practices as it does through design execution.
If unlocking this type of floral work is on your 2024 dream board, we recommend beginning strategically. Instead of locking your sights on a big project, on which you may not have direct access to receiving leads, try instead to evolve your business first to create arrangements for smaller company events such as regional conferences, local product launches, holiday parties and important meetings. Florists doing corporate event work must be adept at understanding and translating a company’s brand into floral designs, often working under tight deadlines to ensure timely delivery and setup. Leveraging your ability to create these kinds of arrangements and marketing them as a key offering within your business will provide a key step toward unlocking bigger opportunities later.
Corporate Display Flowers
Another highly visible but much more frequently accessible point of entry into corporate floristry work is corporate display flowers. This category includes ongoing services where florists provide regular flower arrangements for office spaces, including lobbies, reception areas, conference rooms and executive offices as well as retail spaces. These arrangements are typically sold on a recurring schedule, similar to residential flower subscriptions. Offering this service can give you the chance to consistently deliver fresh and modern designs that reflect the corporate environment and seasonality of business. Examples of businesses to seek opportunities to perform this service at may include:
• Hotels: To enhance guest experiences with fresh flowers in lobbies and other public areas, lounges and restaurants, guest rooms and event spaces.
• Restaurants: To create an ambience of luxury and add a touch of elegance and freshness to dining experiences.
• Luxury Retail Stores: To enhance a store’s ambience and shopping experience, as well as reinforcing its luxury brand.
• Law Firms: To create a professional and welcoming atmosphere in client-facing areas, as well as for client gifts throughout the year.
• Real Estate Firms: To create a sophisticated and upscale atmosphere in client-facing areas, as well as for client gifts throughout the year.
• Corporate Offices: To maintain a polished and pleasant working environment.
• Salons and Spas: To create a sophisticated and relaxing ambiance for clients.
Corporate Gifting
The next category of corporate flowers involves creating floral gifts that appeal to business clients. For this category, options such as live flowering and foliage plants, easy-to-order vase arrangements, and gift and gourmet baskets are all popular choices for employee, client and shareholder gifts. These gifts are often used for employee recognition, client appreciation and special occasions that may happen on a recurring annual basis.
Florists looking to improve their stake in this facet of corporate flowers should focus on providing personalized and high-quality arrangements that convey the company’s gratitude and foster positive relationships. To open this door, we recommend paying special attention to online ordering options, ensuring that your business accepts payments in alignment with ways the corporate world functions. Offering the option to pay via invoice on terms for large orders and accepting forms of payment favored by the corporate set, such as American Express, can do a great deal to help buyers see that you understand the world in which they operate and are equipped to meet their needs.
Requirements for Gaining and Maintaining Corporate Clients
Now that we’ve explored the three main types of corporate florals, let’s now look at the skills required to thrive in this niche genre of floral design. To become a corporate florist, one must be committed to gaining expertise in a wholistic sense. Trends within corporate florals differ wildly from wedding and residential work. Developing strong skills in modern floral design, particularly with low-maintenance and long-lasting flowers and plants, will appeal to corporate clients. This might include contemporary minimalist designs that complement professional environments but can vary from client to client and by region. Additionally, developing an understanding of corporate clients’ specific needs, schedules and budgets will help you stand out as the right choice for these buyers. Offering customized solutions and demonstrating reliability and flexibility are also key to building long-term relationships.
To thrive in the corporate world, it is essential build an online portfolio (ideally a shoppable one) that showcases your corporate work and is updated often. Capturing business clients requires showing off your ability to serve them specifically. It is especially important to include examples of your corporate event décor offerings, office décor and gift options. Completing this step is essential not only when approaching potential corporate clients but also in opening the door so they can come to you directly. In addition, incorporating specific words and phrases on your website and within online reviews will help your business rise to the top in searchability.
If your business has not yet cultivated a corporate clientele but is looking to enter this segment, it is wise to invest time and effort into networking. Do not stop at simply designing corporate-style arrangements for your online portfolio; also send it to a local business or group that may open doors for you such as the concierge association in your city or state or a local city club. To connect directly with potential corporate clients, attend corporate events and join business associations ranging from local chambers of commerce to international trade associations. Being able to build effective marketing strategies, including a professional website and a local presence, are crucial.
Corporate florists can earn substantial income, with earnings varying based on location, client base and the scale of services offered. On average, corporate floral services can significantly increase a florist’s revenue, with corporate contracts often being more lucrative than individual orders due to their recurring nature and larger scale. Adding corporate floral services to an existing flower business can also diversify revenue streams, reduce the impact of seasonal fluctuations and provide more stable year-round income. Contracts for recurring flower and plant displays, combined with event and gifting services, can create a steady cash flow, enhancing the stability and growth of one’s business.
For florists currently focused on more traditional work or even weddings, it’s important to know that the schedules of corporate florists can differ markedly. While florists with contracts to provide weekly flowers to corporate offices, retail stores, hotels, restaurants and the like are often able to align with standard business hours, delivering weekly orders on the first two days of a workweek (typically) can require a team of designers to work on Sundays to fulfill at least the Monday orders. Not to mention the procurement and processing of the flowers. Furthermore, some hotel and restaurant work requires designing on site, and those clients tend to want that work done in the early morning or late night hours.
Develop a Plan, and Go for It
Ultimately, venturing into corporate floristry is not just about adding a new revenue stream; it’s also about transforming your business into a versatile, high-demand service provider that can thrive in various market conditions. It can provide a path not only to increased and, often, consistent revenue—which will improve your cash flow and financial stability—but also to creative fulfillment. Keep in mind that in order to attract and retain corporate clients, you will have to demonstrate the ability to delight organizations that demand a high level of professionalism; develop an understanding of corporate trends, client needs and operational schedules; and create a strong online portfolio and effective marketing. And, by starting with smaller projects and building a reputation for reliability and excellence, you can pave the way to larger, more prestigious projects.
Are you ready to elevate your flower business to new heights? If you think this segment of the floristry business might be right for you, embrace the challenge, seize the opportunity and watch your business flourish.
