If you love flowers, enjoy creating beautiful designs, and want to be part of an industry that caters to the special moments in life, a flower shop may be the perfect business for you.
But starting a business can be daunting.
If you want the benefits of owning a flower shop, but don’t want the uncertainty that comes with starting a business from scratch, partnering with an established flower franchise can be an ideal solution for you.
This article is going to cover three great flower franchises (and one bonus option), including key information on each, such as initial franchise fees, ongoing costs, overall start-up costs, what support and training is offered and much more.
It’s a lot to cover, so let’s dive into it.
The information contained in this post is for informational purposes only. It is not a recommendation to buy or invest, and it is not financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. You should seek the advice of a qualified professional before making any investment or other decisions relating to the topics covered by this article.
1-800 Flowers
1-800 Flowers claims to be the most recognized brand name in the industry and the largest floral franchise in the world. I don’t doubt it.
So what does it take to obtain a franchise from them? Let’s find out.
How Much Does a 1-800 Flowers Franchise Cost?
While 1-800 Flowers does not provide information on their website on how much it costs to start a franchise with them, I have found some other sources that do.
According to their 2020 Franchise Disclosure Document on Franchimp’s site, the initial franchise fee is $30,000, with a total investment of between $258,500 to $639,750. They also indicate that you should have working capital of between $60,000 to $100,000.
After you open the doors, you will need to pay a 6% royalty on adjusted gross sales (subject to certain exceptions) and a 3% marketing fee on adjusted gross sales. There are of course other miscellaneous fees, which you can check out in the disclosure document, but these are the main ones.
They do offer a financing option if you meet their criteria (including a minimum credit score of 650). They can finance up to $30,000 of the cost for the build out of the franchise and/or the purchase and installation of signage.
If you happen to be a veteran, you get a discount on the franchise fee (only need to pay $20,000).
What Do You Get As a 1-800 Flowers Franchisee?
First, you get access to their franchise marketing plan, which covers every aspect of running the business. This includes a new store and local store marketing plan as well as a grand opening plan designed to make sure your launch is a success.
Second, you get access to training, including sales modules and support materials. You will receive classroom instruction, printed workbooks, manuals and hours of hands-in experience applying the skills you will be learning.
How Do You Get Started?
If you are interested in becoming a 1-800 Flowers franchisee, you can contact them through their website here. They will then run through an evaluation process which can take between 30 – 60 days. You submit an application and they examine it (as well as your financial information) to see if you are a good fit.
Unless otherwise stated, all information about 1-800 Flowers is sourced directly from their website.
Nectar Flowers
While 1-800 Flowers is the big dog in the space, there are certainly other options. For example, if you want a far more affordable option, there is Nectar Flowers.
Nectar Flowers focuses on helping the franchisee generate revenue through multiple channels, including retail, e-commerce, mobile commerce, weddings, and corporate sales.
While this company seems currently focused on the Canadian market right now, they are accepting applications from across North America.
How Much Does a Nectar Flowers Franchise Cost?
Their franchise fee is dependent on territory size and begins at $10,000. The typical opening cost is expected to range from $40,000 to $70,000, depending of the location selected.
Unfortunately, they do not offer financing, but do require a credit score of 630 or above.
They do not charge a royalty, so your sales are yours to keep. But they do charge a small monthly fee. Based on their “Projected Outcome” table on their website, the franchising fees work out to around $5,200 per year, which is around $430 per month.
How Much Can You Make as a Nectar Flowers Franchisee?
According to Nectar Flowers, the average owner-operator can make at least $50,000 per year.
What Do You Get as a Nectar Flowers Franchisee?
First, as mentioned, they focus on generating revenue from multiple channels, so you get access to everything needed to get each of the revenue streams up and running.
These include access to their famous $20 for a dozen roses deal (retail channel), setting up a locally optimized website (for e-commerce channel), a mobile app (for mobile commerce channel), a wedding website and advertising campaign (for wedding channel), and a sales strategy and training for corporate clients (for corporate sales channel).
You also get floral and flower shop management training, which includes floral design training by their corporate trainers (who all have at least 10 years of experience in floral design, with an accent n European design techniques). This is huge if you have zero experience in designing flower arrangements.
Finally, you will get access to flowers at discounted prices through their farm network, and discounts on other materials like vases, etc. through their supplier network.
How Do You Get Started?
If you are interested in learning more about this franchise opportunity, check out their website here.
Unless otherwise stated, all information about Nectar Flowers is sourced directly from their website.
Speaking Roses
If you want a unique flower franchise that is a bit off the beaten path, you can check out Speaking Roses.
They are not a traditional flower franchise like 1-800 Flowers or Nectar Flowers. Rather they specialize in providing technology that allows printing on live flowers (and other items, like bread, etc.).
You obtain this product by becoming a “licensee.” Once you are licensed, you will get the special printer that allows you to do this.
So you can have an arrangement that has words like “I love you, Mom” printed on each flower. They are basically merging the flower and greeting card industry together. Pretty cool concept and one that could be used to enhance an existing flower shop by providing a unique offering in the marketplace.
You need $7,999 to get started and financing is available (up to 50%). Source
For that amount, you get training and ongoing customer support.
Discontinued Flower Franchise: Now, I would mention that Kabloom (a well-known floral business company) used to offer franchises for years, but they are now out of that business. They are still in the flower business – just not in the franchising business.
If you want another option that is not exactly a flower franchise but is similar, check out this honorable mention.
Honorable Mention: Edible Arrangements
Edible Arrangements: The name says it all. This company specializes in fruit bouquets and other edible arrangements.
They require liquid assets of $80,000, a net worth of $250,000, and they indicate that the total initial investment ranges from $173,660 to $373,450. Source
Conclusion
So there you have – the best flower franchises out there. If you love the idea of owning a flower business, but want a little help from an established company, the franchises discussed above may be a good fit for you.
If you want to learn more about starting a flower shop and what’s involved, check out my article on how to start a floral business: a complete step-by-step guide.
