A floristry company that diversified to overcome the impact of the pandemic on the business is in the running for a national small firm award.
Young Blooms has been selected as a finalist in the ‘Bricks and Clicks’ category of the 2021 Small Awards in recognition of its use of multiple channels “with innovation, flair and skill” to develop their business.
With its traditional markets of weddings and events hit by Covid-related restrictions, the firm, based at Winsley, near Bradford on Avon, successfully diversified its offering from a traditional floristry service to a multi-channel floristry skills provider.
During lockdown, raw floral materials were hand-delivered by Young Blooms to local customers’ doors, with virtual guidance and expert tips provided to create arrangements from the safety of their own homes.
Young Blooms founder and principal florist Grace Farrimond, pictured, also runs floristry school workshops in small groups – held in outdoor, socially-distanced settings when possible – and via Zoom.
She has also developed a strong presence and following on YouTube, regularly sharing floristry hints and tips to make the profession more accessible to others.
Towards the end of last year, the business launched Bloom Box, an online subscription service of British-grown flowers delivered directly to subscribers while supporting the British flower industry.
Grace said: “The events of the last year led to a big change in direction for us. Like so many small businesses looking to survive during these very tough times, we turned a huge negative into a positive by evolving our floristry business into a number of different areas.
“Alongside our core offering, providing creative floral arrangements for special events, we also now deliver a successful floristry school and an online floral subscription service, reaching our audiences in a variety of ways that feel comfortable to them.
“This has allowed Young Blooms to extend our creative services to appeal to a much wider audience, and the workshops we have run have become a supportive, positive community during unsettling times, with participants encouraging one another on their floristry journeys.
“I’m over the moon that our approach has led to us being shortlisted for The Small Awards.”
The awards, now in their fifth year, aim to recognises small businesses that may otherwise be overlooked and are judged by some of the UK’s best respected small business experts. This year’s event will be held virtually on May 13.
