15 Pros and Cons of Being a Floral Designer

Are you considering a career in floral design?

If so, you may want to consider unleashing your creativity as a floral designer.

Not only is a career as a floral designer rewarding and exciting, but it is also a stable and profitable profession.

But, before you take the leap into the floral world, this guide will provide you with the pros and cons of becoming a floral designer.

These pros and cons will help you determine whether this is an ideal career for you.

Pros of Being a Floral Designer

Here is a list of pros of being a floral designer:

No Degrees Required

While you can attend a community college or business school to learn the trade of floral design, there are no degrees required to become a floral designer.

Such programs will typically reward you with a certificate upon completion.

Additionally, you may even land an internship following your program.

This is a great way to gain experience in the industry.

So while earning a degree isn’t required, you open yourself up to more opportunities to land a job as a floral designer.

Many Opportunities Available

There are many opportunities for jobs available when you pursue a career as a floral designer.

Floral designers can pretty much work in any type of business that provides these types of services.

Grocery stores and other retail stores hire floral designers to take floral orders, create arrangements, and service customers.

You won’t have to market yourself and will earn an hourly wage.

It’s a great way to gain experience prior to opening your own floral business.

Put Your Creativity to Use

Floral design is a creative career.

As a designer you have the opportunity to make different floral arrangements unique to the needs of the customer.

There are also classes available for you to take to learn new techniques on how to arrange flowers.

The majority of floral designers enjoy other hobbies where they can use their creative skills such as gardening, and making floral arrangements for their family.

It’s a great hobby that can easily transform into a full-blown career.

Education is an Option

If you are looking to take a training course to learn more about being a floral designer, there are many options available.

Students have the chance to train become certified after they take a test.

By furthering your education as a floral designer, you open yourself up to a higher salary.

Training courses are available online and in-person.

Once you have completed the course, you will receive a certificate, which can help you land a job much quicker than expected.

Execute a Variety of Tasks

Floral designers multitask throughout their typical day.

They will have to operate a computer, order inventory, create new arrangements, take phone calls, communicate with customers, and much more.

You must have a certain unique set of skills.

You must also be able to adapt.

A career as a floral designer can be both busy and interesting as you take on a variety of responsibilities.

If you are considering becoming solo in the future, working for a floral company is a great way to gain the necessary training you need.

Can Work Daytime Hours

Most floral shops only operate during typical business hours.

So, if you prefer working during the day, being a floral designer may be beneficial after all.

This is especially helpful for those who have other duties to tend to in the evening such as picking up children from school.

Many people want to work stable hours, knowing they can fulfill other duties on a daily basis.

Even though most floral shops remain open on the weekends, you will rarely have to work past six o’clock.

Working Conditions are Calm

Floral shops do have deadlines that they must meet as customers will need to have their arrangements at a certain time and day.

But, you will still not be under as much stress as other types of working conditions.

Floral designers don’t have to deal with stressful meetings.

They will not have to worry about working in chaotic environments.

What you will gain is a sense of relief as you are calmly able to go about your work day.

Cons of Being a Floral Designer

Anytime there are advantages, there are also disadvantages.

So, to ensure that this is a career that you can really see yourself doing, here is a list of cons of being a floral designer.

Additional Training Required for Self-Employment

If you’re considering owning your own floral business and becoming self-employed, you must obtain further education.

This means that you must at least earn an associate’s degree from a college.

You must take classes in design, business, management, advertising, marketing, and several others.

You must be willing and ready to hire other employees to work for your establishment.

If you want to open your own store or advance in your career, you will need more training.

Must be a People Person

If you aren’t a people person, this may not be an ideal career path for you.

Floral designers must like working with and tending to customers.

You must have patience and be capable of understanding the needs of your customers.

Oftentimes, you may run across customers who are going through an emotional time in their lives.

They may be planning for a funeral or wedding.

This means that they may not know upfront what they want.

This is where your guidance will come in.

Physically Demanding

Being a floral designer means standing on your feet for long periods of time throughout the day.

You should be physically fit as you will be unloading various shipments, putting arrangements together, cleaning, and packing shipments.

For the majority of the day, you’ll be communicating with customers, creating their arrangements, and waiting on customers to pick them up.

Your days will not be spent just sitting at a desk all day long.

Must be Available for Weekends & Holidays

If you are a floral designer working for a large establishment, you should plan on working weekends and holidays to fulfill orders.

There are certain times throughout the year that are busier than others.

This will require you to work longer hours.

You should also be prepared to take last-minute orders.

These orders should be taken care of promptly.

During the warmer seasons, there will be many people planning birthdays, weddings, and other events.

You’ll be expected to ensure your customer’s needs are met.

Must Possess Specific Qualities

If you want to succeed in the world as a floral designer, you must possess certain qualities.

For example, floral designers should enjoy working with people and have organizational skills.

You should also be able to multitask and have a sense of creativity.

If you don’t enjoy working with plants and flowers, this probably isn’t the best career choice for you.

The majority of orders will come through online, so you should be able to navigate a computer.

Can be Stressful

For the most part, working as a floral designer is not as stressful as other jobs.

However, this isn’t to say that the job can’t be stressful at times.

Typically, the busiest seasons for a floral designer occur during the holidays and warmer months.

During these periods, the additional workload can cause stress.

Orders must be delivered on time, even within strict deadlines.

Many times, especially during busy seasons, orders will come in last minute.

Constantly striving to meet customer demands can cause unwanted stress.

High Expectations

Another con of working as a floral designer is that customers will place high expectations on you.

For example, brides to be, will oftentimes be very picky about their floral arrangements.

Flowers are extremely variable.

You may receive a rough bunch every so often.

You will still need to make it work with what you have.

If, at any point, you aren’t able to meet a customer’s standards, you will have to hear about their dissatisfaction.

No Real Room for Growth

There isn’t a long list of promotions in the world of floral design.

You pretty much get what you see when you venture into this industry.

While you may be able to advance to a manager from a cashier, that’s usually where it will end.

Unless you plan on opening up your own business at some point, don’t expect too many promotions as a floral designer.

Being your own boss is probably the highest and most rewarding promotion you can receive.