Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in florist but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Shelley Rosen, founder, and CEO of Luxe Bloom, located in Chicago, IL, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Luxe Bloom (R) is a transformative innovation in the antiquated floral industry. We sell real rose arrangements to leading luxury businesses on a subscription basis. Our roses need to no water to keep their natural beauty and can last up to 60 days in a hotel or a year in your home. Our customers are the General Managers and owners of leading luxury hotels.

Tell us about yourself

I began my career in traditional advertising and moved on to work for McDonald's Corporation in brand strategy, innovation, and change management. I have a left and right brain and have the ability to invent, create and scale a new idea from a piece of blank white paper within a large company or a start-up. I love talking about new ideas.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I started in my basement, and without any knowledge of the floral industry, I figured out how to go from a farm in a foreign country to the front lobby of a luxury hotel with a completed arrangement that saves time and money without compromising beauty. No one was doing this before I started Luxe Bloom. Saks Fifth Avenue, Ritz Carlton Hotels. St. Regis and The Waldorf Astoria believed in the value proposition.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

In Q1, 2020, our business finally turned around with large-scale clients. We saw record sales and large contracts. By March 2020, 100% of our clients closed and canceled all the hotel contracts. The catastrophic events of COVID negatively impacted the hospitality sector. Two years into COVID, there is no recovery in sight. Industry experts project 2023-2024 for a meaningful recovery for hotels, spas, restaurants, and hospitality overall.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Do the math to make sure your product PL makes money. If the product you sell does not have the right margin, your company will never make money.
  2. Obsess about your customer. Define your customer and then align everything you can to service and delight them with every single transaction and interaction. Your customer is your boss.
  3. Be prepared to give up everything in your life for your dream to come to true. No one else can make it happen. A start-up is not an ATM Machine. Be ready to work harder than you have ever worked in your life, ever.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

  1. Decide if this is a side hustle or hobby or a real job. It will make a difference in the capital and ability to scale your company.
  2. DO NOT HIRE friends or ask for free help. You will pay for it later.
  3. Once a quarter, really look at the numbers. Look for patterns. Cut anything that is not working fast to spend money on the right things later.
  4. Write thank you notes to everyone. It's free.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.luxebloom.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/luxebloomroses/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luxebloomroses/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelley-rosen-1b52664/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.