Hi everyone! Today I am interviewing a special woman. Aside from the fact that she is stylish and beautiful, she is also a quickly rising female entrepreneur. Her business Something Borrowed Blooms (co-founded with her cousin Laken) offers brides a different option for florals through high quality silks. They seek out flowers and design collections that follow the trends and have them delivered all across the country. I am so excited to dive into today’s podcast. Welcome to the show, Lauren Bercier!
WHAT YOU WILL HEAR ON THIS EPISODE:
- What are the first steps to start a functioning business?
- What are a few mistakes to learn from?
- How important is custom packaging?
- What is a difficult aspect to running a business?
First steps to start a functioning business
Choosing florals for a wedding can be a stressful and expensive step in planning a wedding. Lauren and Laken wanted to offer another option to brides. After being inspired by the idea behind, Rent the Runway, Lauren and Laken came up with Something Borrowed Blooms. Once they had the idea, they flew to New York to find premium silk flowers at a wholesale price. Then created their first five collections of wedding bouquets, boutonnieres and other wedding florals. Once the collections were created, they showcased them on their website and had their first wedding three months later!
Mistakes to Learn From
When first starting out, Lauren struggled with the quantity of inventory to order. While trying to be cost-efficient, she quickly realized she was not ordering enough when a few of their products became discontinued. They would then have to find a similar replacement for the collection. Looking back, once they found a product that they know they liked and would continue to use, ordering a larger amount would have been the smartest choice. Also, in the early stages of starting a business it is so easy to say “yes” to too much. Lauren would not turn down a single client or meeting in attempts to convert every inquiry to a sale. It is so easy to assume that meeting in person is the best option, but sometimes it is not the most efficient use of your time when things can be done quicker and easier over the phone or via email. Now, Lauren stays true to their system and beliefs and is able to say “no” to more things.
Custom Packaging
Packaging was one of the first things that Lauren thought about when starting Something Borrowed Blooms. If you are shipping items nationwide, it is important that the product is intact when it arrives. Lauren researched different options and created custom foam inserts that work perfectly and allow the items to ship more efficiently. When a bride opens up her package that contains her wedding florals it is important that their experience is a memorable one. Lauren has added rose scented paper as well as beautiful stationary that inclues a special note to the bride. The brides are excited and feel so special when opening the flowers!
Difficult Aspect to Running a Business
With the excitement of a new business, especially a successful business, it is easy to become impatient. Everyone has big visions and where they want to see the business go, which is great! But, it is so important to be patient and understand that it is a process. Sometimes you want to run with your business, but once you learn to walk everyday instead that is when you will appreciate the growth.
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. – Henry David Thorough
CONNECTING:
Website
Instagram
Facebook
