[Hua11.com Original] In the flower industry, floral studios and physical flower shops are two very common business models. According to our own statistics, among students who want to start a business, the ratio of those opening floral studios to those opening physical flower shops is approximately 1:1.

Why does this result occur? Let's delve into the differences between studios and physical flower shops, as well as the resources and conditions available to the students.

Advantages of Opening a Floral Studio:

1. Lower Cost: Opening a studio typically involves lower costs. You only need to rent a residential house, do simple decoration, and prepare necessary materials to accept orders.

2. Customer Visits: Since customers rarely visit the studio in person, florists can even live there. Additionally, there's no need to stockpile large quantities of flower materials; you can purchase them as needed after receiving orders.

3. Flexible Time: Working in a studio allows for more flexible time management. There's no requirement to stay in a physical shop, and nobody will know if you take a nap during work hours. :)

Due to the cost-effectiveness, it's ideal to rent a studio in a strategically located area where purchasing, production, and distribution are convenient. If you choose a commercial and residential building, you can also use this address for business licensing or company registration.

(For details on studio costs, refer to: [Hua11.com · Flower Shop Startup Series 1] How much does it cost to open a flower shop or a floral studio?)

Disadvantages of Opening a Floral Studio:

1. Order Sources: The main challenge is sourcing orders. Without a physical store, there's no natural customer flow from the street. You have two primary ways to obtain customers:

- Find orders online.

- Engage in ground promotion.

Receiving orders online and enticing customers to choose your floral services isn't an easy task. Considering the current domestic online landscape, here are some feasible online channels for your flower business:

1. WeChat Moments

2. WeChat Official Account (Not recommended for personal operation due to high maintenance costs)

3. Weibo

4. QQ

5. Taobao

6. Group-buying apps (such as Meituan)

7. Douyin (TikTok)

8. Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book)

9. Local WeChat groups and official accounts for business information (especially useful in smaller cities)

Quick results often require paying for advertising and services on these platforms. If you want to save costs, maintaining these channels consistently is essential.

Another effective approach is ground promotion. We recommend this method because it directly targets specific audiences, avoiding blind promotion. While it's more efficient, it does require certain personal qualities, including external image, behavior, speech, and communication skills. Fortunately, these qualities can be gradually improved through training. (For more insights, refer to: [Hua11.com · Marketing First Step Series 8] Why prioritize ground promotion for flower shops and studios? Isn't online marketing easier?)

In the end, whether you invest money or time and energy, success doesn't come easily. As the saying goes, "How can you gain wealth in the world without hard work?" Everyone faces the same challenge—it's about who works harder and smarter.

The demanding nature of marketing remains the biggest "disadvantage" of running a floral studio. That's why Hua11.com created the book "How to Run a Flower Shop and Floral Studio." It aims to help clarify business ideas beyond just craftsmanship. The book covers marketing knowledge and practical cases in its "Marketing First Step Series," "Marketing Advanced Series," and "Marketing High-End Series," all drawn from our practical experiences and applicable after digestion.

Third, Advantages of Opening a Physical Flower Shop:

1. Capturing Customer Flow: The most significant advantage of a physical store is its ability to capture passing customer traffic. With customer flow, there's a possibility of generating orders. However, the actual number of orders, unit prices, and repurchase rates depend on the refined operation of the flower shop—a topic we won't delve into here (please refer to other chapters in this book).

2. Sense of Substantiality and Trust: Physical stores provide a feeling of "substantiality." They are less likely to "disappear" and tend to instill trust in customers. This trust endorsement makes it relatively easy to negotiate orders or discuss projects with business clients.

3. Brand Building and Image: Outward-facing physical stores allow florists to fully utilize each position for layout and display. When the store's image is strong, it naturally becomes easier to attract orders compared to competitors.

Fourth, Disadvantages of Opening a Physical Flower Shop:

The main challenge of opening a physical flower shop lies in capital investment. Beyond rent and decoration costs, there are expenses related to soft decorations, abundant materials, flower supplies, labor, and ongoing management. Maintaining the daily image of the flower shop is a comprehensive undertaking. While the scale of this project can vary, many tasks require personal attention.

For novice shop owners opening their first store, we recommend avoiding excessive initial investment to mitigate risks. Steady development is preferable. (For details on the cost of opening a flower shop, please refer to: [Hua11.com · Flower Shop Startup Series 1] How much does it cost to open a flower shop or a floral studio?)

In summary, understanding the main differences between opening a floral studio and a physical flower shop allows everyone to make a reasonable choice based on their unique circumstances. At Hua11.com, we prefer physical stores. We'd rather immerse ourselves in beautiful flowers, engage face-to-face with diverse customers, and lead a down-to-earth life than spend our days typing and receiving orders on a computer in the electronic world.

What about you? What's your preference? :)

Copyright Statement:

This article is an original creation by Hua11.com and is included in the “How to Run a Flower Shop and Floral Studio” Ebook. The content of this article may be periodically updated and is initially published on the Hua11.com official website blog. You can find the article at this link: https://hua11.com/blog/4672.html.

Reproduction of this article is permitted, provided that it is reprinted in full and all copyright information is retained. Any form of plagiarism, whether partial or complete, is strictly prohibited. Legal action will be taken against violators.

The work titled “How to Run a Flower Shop and Floral Studio” is copyrighted by Hua11.com. Additionally, the “Practical Floral Training” model and the concept of “Light Decoration” are original creations by Hua11.com. The trademark “花艺意” is registered and protected by relevant national laws.