Personal experience: I opened a flower shop for LGBT

Svetlana Ahmetdinova opened flower for LGBT people in the middle of summer, and now it is the only such store in Russia. The guys working on this project, seeking to show that the flowers - for all, regardless of gender, age and orientation. We talked with the founder and find out why the store are afraid to invite customers, who make bold pictures to Instagram and how bouquet went to Alexander Gudkov.

Bouquets for home and training

I graduated from journalism in Samara, moved to Moscow and worked as a reporter for a long time on federal channels: doing documentaries, many conversations with people and express themselves creatively. Over time, with TV gone good projects and began stellar illness: everyone started to shoot, how celebrities cocoa, write and sleep with each other. To me it was quite interesting, because I was engaged in serious investigations and criminal love theme. From what is happening around me just sick. In the fall of 2016, I finally retired from journalism and start again look for yourself.

I was 30, and I realized that apart from the main profession, which was left behind, nothing else can do.

Once I arrived at the base of the flower to decorate the house, and realized that the flowers here are much cheaper than in stores. I started to bring small bunches in a gated development for itself and its neighbors. In floristry I was a complete ignoramus, so the flowers dead two days later they are likely to be stale.

In order to pump a little, I went to Moscow Flower School. It was there that I realized that I wanted to do floristry, but working for someone else is not an option, because the low-paid profession. After the wages at the federal channel did not want to go back to 40 000 rubles, so I decided to open your own business.

The first store and a serious failure

In 2018 I was finally ripe for offline point. Afraid to do exclusively online store, because I thought that I could not move - it's hard to do until now.

I opened a small shop at the Kursk at a breakneck lease 90 000 rubles. The point was expensive because we are in the new business center with access to the Garden Ring. Around the business center of class A with oil and gas and energy companies inside. It would seem that the money should go directly into the pocket, but nothing like this Did not happen. The point was completely new in this place before was not a flower or any other store. In such circumstances, it takes more years to let people know about you.

It was very hard to drag myself out, because in addition it had to pay more wages and florists. In total, I gave the girls some 45 000, because of the changes of their own closed. This is a very important point to understand the business, you need to stand behind the counter - wash the floors, cleaned the flowers and watch them die. I held on to this point, 7 months, and I was able to go to zero only through the living interest in the case.

I sold flowers to neighbors and make a profit at the expense of third-party resources, but it is wrong. The place should pay for itself alone, but your body language - it's extra income. If you go to zero without them it is impossible, you need to fold. So I did.

From invested 500,000 rubles came back only half. Of these, 100 000 - net profit March 8And the remaining 150 000 - refrigerator and floral table. When compared to other floral shops in Moscow, the losses were not all that and more. Many after such fakapov discouraged, but I tell everyone that lost 250,000 - a payment for a very cool business course. I learned from him a lot of useful knowledge.

Finding solutions and reluctance to work with the investor

It's hard to create a profitable floral business. Talk about the fact that in the first month after the opening of the store you can buy a car and then an apartment, and after March 8 separate housing for their children - is a myth. 100 000 rubles a month - it's really cool for a flower. If you are going to get so much, then you are incredibly steep businessman with stunned florist or have a smart point. The rest should expect about 40 000 rubles monthly net arrived.

I knew then what I can exist in two categories: either with a point with a good cross, or with the investor. Find a good place in Moscow is almost impossible, because all work "tickets": often the ideal point of taking their people or those who have a lot of money.

One day I was offered a normal location, but the entrance had to pay 40 thousand dollars will not be returned.

The contract in this case was concluded for a year, but I knew that this time it is impossible to fight off 2.5 million on flowers. To do this, you need to close half of the existing stores in Moscow. In general, I refused, because I was afraid to take risks.

everything is also very easy with the investor. You have to understand that you will share with them the money, but you can swear once. To put forces and to develop the idea, then to hear the "Good-bye!", Do not want to. This scheme did not like me, so I decided to concentrate on cool idea which will go on the market without a well positioned point and support investor.

Check ideas and assistance in terms of feelings

The idea to open a flower shop for LGBT appeared spontaneously. I remember that one day my friend Nick came and asked to make a bouquet for her boyfriend. He is very shy, so about this issue with great trepidation. We picked the perfect option, and I decided to find out why he has not got a bouquet in a regular store. It turned out that it is not easy: florists always ask for whom these flowers, so we have to constantly lie and squirm. People continue to ask questions, and as a result of the conversation falls apart.

I realized that this is a problem: people can not freely share their love openly say who expresses feelings. Above him laugh, and in the worst case even refuse - such as shops, oddly enough, there are in Moscow.

As soon as my head crept idea to create a flower for LGBT people, I immediately told her about his best friend Stas. We met on the first year of university, when studied on journalism. At one time I liked him, but I was refused. It was a blow, so I grieved and could not forgive him.

A year later, we met in the regional library and Stas said that he Homosexual and just recently I met a great guy Andrew. By the time all my wrongs have already passed, so I was very happy for him. Since then, we've been friends for 16 years.

Stas responded to my idea without much enthusiasm, said: "Like anything." We agreed to ask around with friends, as interesting: he in his, and I have his. I did not want to dwell only on LGBT people, because I knew that there are people like me - just Friendly. They can also buy bouquets and bring their friends. After interviewing the friends we realized that we need to get down to business.

Fear of Haight and search for like-minded people

Title Frozz Rose came quickly. I wanted it to be short and sonorous. With the slogan more complicated, because it is important to convey the meaning. I remember how to call friend in the night and asked him to somehow translate into English the idea that flowers above any gender. After two hours of communication, she said: «Above Gender Flowers», - and I realized that this is what you need.

In society there are stereotypes that gays and lesbians can not give each other flowers - these relationships are not recognized. If a man give a bouquet of heterosexuals, it, too, will look askance. It's just bullshit.

Flowers can give everything, and for this there is always a reason.

People come to us because they want to express feelings: bouquet complements their thoughts, wishes and words. It is an extension of their love, so customers are very sensitive to the choice, and I like it.

We exist on the Internet, but there are physical point. Rent a small - 25 000 rubles, because we share the room with other guys. We do not tell anyone where we are, because we are afraid Haight. Once we wrote a strange client who asked a lot of questions to direct and said he wanted to come personally. It seemed to me that it is better to hide our location. When he realized that he did not know the address, quickly merged. We can invite people to himself, that sure, but most do not do: experience that will come homophobes and do something crazy.

I immediately knew who would work with me: florist engaged Vera - very nice girl, which is also the topic. Recently, we were joined by a guy who offered to deliver bouquets. BUT Progress in social networks Stas deals. I knew that he must keep Instagram, because I really like the way he writes. I gave him carte blanche - allowed to do whatever he wants, because for a long time with him to make friends and know for his humor and style.

Prices and availability

First, we collected monobukety LGBT flag colors, but now expanded assortment and increasingly makes it particularly compositions for each person. One important that in a bouquet of peonies were, others asked to keep a range of colors, such as black will do a bunch of these days. Some pictures from Instagram take off and asked to review the account to come up with a suitable alternative. We look, and once you understand that if a person in tattoos and with attributes BDSM on the frames, then it definitely will not work something pink, soft and airy.

Once we have made a bouquet for separation. It turned out that the guy does not like cloves, but loves roses. We combined them to the composition said: "You are cool, thank you, he was with me all these months." And at the same time: "Bye-bye, here cloves that you do not love."

There was another situation: the guy said that today is the anniversary, but he breaks up with a partner and collects the suitcase. I asked to do something dark but beautiful. Just one day before the delivery, he wrote that he changed his mind to leave and parses the suitcase, so now he needs a bright bouquet. We were very happy and made a colorful composition, because love goes on.

When I was doing my first flower, I was faced with a problem: people think that 5000 rubles, you can collect a huge bouquet and everything will be great. In fact, in January, the money can buy approximately 11 pions, beautifully packaged them - and you get awesome. Yes, it's quite a bit, but really beautiful. We try to explain to customers that do not need to chase volume. The main thing - to make stylish and give to the soul.

We have a standard mark-up - is the same as everywhere in Moscow. At the same time, we never do not give discounts and bouquets of 1250 rubles. It came to nothing lead, because eventually someone will still be deceived - or clientOr you yourself.

Own style and shooting for Instagram

When I started to think about Instagram, immediately I understood that it is necessary to remove the flowers as it did nothing. Beautiful cover girl on a white background all already tired, so need people to see that, people will say, "Damn, it's all in the garbage? How did they do that? "

His head immediately arose images, and I decided to connect to the process of acquaintance, which used to work in television. When I turned to her with a request to take pictures, she immediately agreed, because I always wanted to carry out shooting in a similar category. I immediately said that untie her hands.

Want to put a man on the floor, lift your feet and put them in a bunch? You are welcome! You need naked body? There are people who agree.

first in photoshoot Stas was involved, and then he pulled his friends who brought friends - models we definitely did not have deficit. The problem arose when my former colleague has departed on vacation, and we were left without a photographer. I wrote the guy, whom she met on the quay in Samara 15 years ago. Now he is in the top 50 best photographers in the country and removes all star wedding. Of course, the money for it, we did not, because each shooting stands out not more than 12 000, which include the photographer salary, purchase flowers and studios for rent. Fortunately, when I said that we will shoot in a homosexual way of drag queens, he immediately agreed to participate in the project and gave us a great discount.

Photos turned chic, and then he wrote in Instagram, he homophobe. It turned out that the guy agreed to a photo shoot in order to overcome the internal rejection and reach a new level for yourself. Of course, none of this is not known, and capture on he behaved very calmly. In general, we are still human and have treated.

We were afraid that encounter a total Haight, but negativity Hardly ever. In the beginning, we hung three weeks in the shadow bath, but most of these incidents were not - the people, on the contrary, they write that we are great, and are asked to continue.

In our Instagram just incredible involvement, although we do not expect. Subscribers retain the posts and send to your friends, so that they, too, have read.

I think that the success that we are doing all this not for the money. If you want to simply earn a business model quickly fall apart.

One girl in the comments under the photos admitted: "Subscribe to flower, but in the end every day if I go for a session the therapist." It is a conscious decision. We wanted to get away from the mundane frazochek about lace praline chocolate roses, because this information slips past you and does nothing. Flipping beautiful content, too boring, so we decided to talk to our audience. Flowers just an excuse for this.

I immediately knew what should be our Instagram: with humor, sarcasm and concrete facts. Sometimes you look at the bloggers who write about the clear sky and the blue sea, and you realize that it's awful. Now is the time millenialovAnd it is the purchasing power of the audience, which in addition also reads. Empty fresh positions will not work - you need to consider the texts that predispose a person to internal reflections and experiences. Recently, she wrote, she read us 2 months and finally decided to comment because it touched the post. It's great when you know how to talk with their audience - the only way we can move our ideas and products.

Costs and Benefits

Now our costs - 25 000 Rental and 10 000 at Target in social networks. Sometimes we send bouquets bloggers or pay them money - all it takes from 3 to 5 thousand. Recently gave flowers to Alexander Gudkov. He was very surprised, took the bouquet in the studio Comedy Woman, sfotkalsya Stas and said that we just superstartap. We were very inspired! As a result, with such gifts and Instagram photo shoot for our monthly costs about 40 000 rubles.

In the first month of activity, we left at a loss, in August, worked to zero, and in September received a small advantage - 10 000 rubles. From it we will gradually form a salary Stas, because one can not but encourage the person. Now it is our primary objective. And we want to further understand the TARGET and invest in it.

We already have a point in St. Petersburg, Rostov and Samara - these are my friends florists who have agreed to promote the idea in their cities. I knew exactly what they Friendly, therefore, support my ideas. Hard to open branches in other places, because you should be confident in the man and the style in which it operates. There are many florists in different directions, but it is important for us to Sochi people received the same bouquets in Moscow, rather than trash awkward composition of colors in incomprehensible packaging.

Our next goal - to deal with not only sell flowers, but also organization weddings LGBT. Once we wrote the girl and asked for help in finding people for the ceremony in the city of Samara. We wrote the post, and under it gathered 90 comments to recommendations: some advised a photographer, the other a jeweler, and others - the Master of Ceremonies. All of them, of course, Friendly.

She was happy, and we realized that the important events for the LGBT community is also a problem. People find it difficult to organize a small family celebration, not faced with the stupid questions from the category of "Why do you need two ring size 17.5?". I think at the end of this or next year, we find contractors and begin to organize your wedding.

Errors and insights

People from the LGBT community is very vulnerable and emotional. That's partly why I hired Stas: it is better to understand how to write a post like this, not to offend anyone. A topic may seem to me not so serious, but for some it is a critical moment. We value and respect our audience, so we try to be very careful. People trust us, share personal experiences, and we are afraid to lose it all. Specific fakapov has not yet been, but we are waiting for them. There is always the fear that you do not step back.

My main mistake at the time of opening of the first flower - a complete lack of understanding of their target audience.

I offer products to people who could not get it on the financial and aesthetic reasons. My goods did not conform to the consumer. I wanted to tell people about the person who want to give flowersAnd I collected a cool song for him. In fact, people grabbed the first available cheap giant roses instead of stylish small bouquets.

Shop at Kursk made me think about what I'm doing for someone bouquets. So I came to the LGBT floristry. These people are often the representatives of creative professions, so they have a delicate taste. They can appreciate what I'm doing. If you hit the target audience, the person does not need a discount - it will be ready to buy a bouquet of 10 000 rubles, without any shares, because he likes what you're doing.

Another important point - Instagram. On your page should be a place not only for the beautiful pictures, but also for useful information. If it is not, you will not read. The competition is very high, because the flower shops just darkness - especially in Moscow. Any stall has its own Instagram, so that contact with the people you need to either invest one million rubles to the Target, or promote cool ideaWhich you are sick. In addition, pay attention to the pictures.

I skimmed through the tape and knew that I could not open another flower with the standard picture, - I need a challenge and extreme, which catches the eye.

Last fakap that we will soon correct, - a lack of understanding of how the target-advertising in Instagram. You need to pay attention to this enormous, because people can come to us only from the web - we are online store. We do not have enough budget to spend on advertising 50 000 rubles per month, but we are committed to this. I think one should just pick up and start a massive campaign, otherwise we will never privlechom more customers to get good returns.

Life hacking by Svetlana Ahmetdinovoy

• Do not open the point of more than 15 square meters - it's just pointless. Many remove huge premises on 50 squares and clog space plush toys, figurines, postcards. This frozen money. You invest from 50 to 100 thousand rubles, but will sell this little thing for a year. I advise you to spend on furniture and consumables no more than 150 thousand rubles, which already included the price for a refrigerator. lift off with minimal costThat in the case of closing you do not have much to lose.
• Be improved, to work out the internal taste and do not waste bouquets. To collect the composition of the spiral can be learned in just 15 minutes, but it does not make you a florist. It does not interfere with the very expensive flowers as possible cheap. This is the same, what to wear torn slippers and a bag by Chanel. Tasteless impossible to work in our profession. We are always applying colors to each other before forming the bouquet to match the colors of on and not to seize everything, to make faster. This is the same creative process as designers or artists. You need to feel what you're doing, otherwise there is no sense to open flower.
• Do not think that the low price will solve all problems. The buyer comes for a service, or because he likes you and your visual. Recently, she wrote that she wanted to give us an award for the best the SMM, because no one before that did not communicate with her as we: politely and at the same time funny. We have no one begging for a discount. People come to the idea that they want to give something good and we can help. Stocks, on the contrary, cause additional questions from the public. Maybe you sell stale flowers?
• Remember that you are not a fairy, which flits over the flowers and create beauty. It is necessary to ensure that, as the consumption of materials, to know all suppliers and understand colors. Learn to distinguish at a glance how much you are selling fresh flowers, so he did not die at the customer the next day. Stand behind the counter and learn about their customers, to understand his desires and needs.
• Stop in to see customer dollar icons. It is impossible to perceive your business as a business that you do just for the money. We need to live flowers and understand them, otherwise you just will not work. Only the part it seems that the florist - is a solid beauty. In fact, the car has to be washed constantly, because it is contaminated just two days of purchase. You go without a manicure and your hands are constantly wounded.
• Always guided by the best. Do not look like a business building adjacent floristic salons. Highlight major projects and try to reach their level. In Moscow, there are flowers that have from 80 to 150 000 subscribers. This is a huge business with revenues of about 150 000 rubles per day. Intermediate options with earnings of 40,000 rubles do not interest you, because you will achieve their results, stop and stay the same as the guys at the next corner.