Brianna’s Flowers is located at 102 W. Lake St Bloomingdale, IL. with a perfect corner location the store is visible to everyone who passes through the town. Brianna’s Flowers has flowers for every occasion such as Grandparents Day, Labor Day, Weddings, Birthdays, the list goes on. They even have arrangements that celebrate Woman’s Equality Day. Needless to say they have it all. Brenda Nicolin, the co-owner, apart from her husband, of Brianna’s Flowers was gracious enough to answer a few questions about the business and how Brianna’s Flowers became the company it is today.
How did the business get started?
Brenda’s husband Jerry started at the flower shop as a part-time delivery person. The previous owner of the shop ended up having to lose the shop. So Brenda and Jerry had to decide if it was worth their consideration to take over the business and run it. Brenda had said how it seemed to have a great location, and the floral designers were dedicated. The shop seemed to have plenty of customers, etc. So they thought outside of the box and decided to give it a try and took over Brianna’s Flowers on March 11, 2011. Since then the flower shop has been doing very well and they are now almost at their 5 year anniversary date!
Are you happy with the location of the store?
“I LOVE the location of the store” says Brenda. “Every single day they have a customer stop in to buy flowers and say ‘I have been driving by your flower shop for years now – and just decided I’d finally stop in and check you out!’ Once you visit our flower shop – hopefully you WILL come back again!”
What was the biggest win for the company?
Brenda said that the biggest “win” with Brianna’s Flowers was the fact that they pretty much started with nothing and developed the flower shop into a successful and thriving business. Brenda explains, “Flower shops have suffered in the poor economy. The flower wholesalers have raised prices tremendously to the flower shops because THEY were getting less business. That is why many, many flower shops also have had to close down in the past 6 years.” The location of Brianna’s Flowers has helped them a lot, Brenda said. “It makes a big difference when a small company is more visible from a major street/intersection.”
Lessons Learned from owning a business?
The biggest lesson learned was that you CAN start your own business with a ton of work and passion. Brenda had said that getting Brianna’s Flowers back up and running well was not easy. The building, grounds, and vendors were not taken care of when Brenda and her husband took over the business. So they felt as if they were starting from scratch. Because of this they then had to “regain” the trust of their vendors and previous customers. They also had to buy furniture, vases, and products needed for the store like the cooler, etc.
If you had an extra $100,000 how would you spend it?
Brenda said there are many things she would do. She would revamp areas in and outside of the flower shop. She would also try to do more with Brianna’s Flowers L.O.A. (Love One Another) Project. It has always been a dream of Brenda’s to help those less fortunate. She would love to start a “stop off location” for people struggling to find a place to live or are in need of a job. It would provide them with a free shower, free meal, free clothing that they can choose from and a bus ride to a nearby facility that could house them and teach them a trade. She feels many people just need a break in life, and she would be honored to help with something like that! [Editor’s note: What a wonderful woman!]
What is your business motto?
Brianna’s Flowers business motto is simple: Provide customers with the best, freshest flowers and plants they can – for the best price they can – in a comfortable friendly atmosphere. They have many people tell them how they would like to bring in a lounge chair, set it up by the coy pond and just relax there for a couple hours. They don’t care if a customer purchases one flower or a dozen flowers, all customers get treated the same at the store, with respect and courtesy.
Favorite quote?
One of Brendas favorite quotes is actually on a chalkboard in the shop: “Life is all about Plan B”
What do you love most about your job?
Brenda says that the best part of owning a flower shop is that you are providing people with a happy, positive product. In this fast, violent, computer based world we live in – getting fresh beautiful flowers ALWAYS makes people smile. Brenda likes the way their product is given to family and friends when they are happy and when they are sad – and always helps make people feel better and like someone cares. She says it is very satisfying to her husband and herself when a customer calls their shop after receiving a flower arrangement and tells them how wonderful it is and how much they will enjoy it.