Floral Designing: A New Age Career

In the medieval times, floral designing was considered as a hobby but those days are gone. Now floral designing is emerging as an exciting and a challenging career. If you are passionate about flowers and ever thought of making your career as a floral designer, then this is the right time and this column of information can give heights to your passion as floral designer.

Due to increase in the standard of living and a surge in per capita income has led to an exceptional growth in the market of floral deigning and florists in the market. The floral market is kept on growing as ‘flowers are for every occasion' and the industry never experience the low growth rate.

Nature of the Work:

Basically, floral designers creatively and artistically arrange real and artificial flowers, leaves, and other decorations. They make corsages, bouquets, wreaths, wedding decorations, and other kinds of floral designs. Floral designers need to be knowledgeable about a wide range of flowers, foliage, and potted plants. They must know their names, seasonal availability, and how long they will stay fresh. Such small things help floral designers to become successful.

Eligibility Requirements:

To be a floral designer, a high school diploma is necessary to enter this field. High school courses in art and business subjects are helpful. Most of the floral designers get on-the-job -training.

Attributes of a floral designer:

If you are expecting to be a successful floral designer, then below mentioned attributes are required:

• creativity
• service-oriented attitude
• flexibility
• ability to adapt to and apply changing trends
• interpersonal and communication skills
• organizational and time management skills
• judgment and problem-solving abilities
• ability to work independently, and at times, under pressure

Floral Industry consists of:

• Flower production
• Distribution
• Design
• Retailing
• Operations
• Marketing
• Publishing
• Importing
• Research and teaching
• Greenhouse design and engineering
• Climate control systems engineering
• Soil analysis
• Sales and pest management

The new age floricultural job market is growing at an exponential rate and requires trained professionals with strong business skills and horticultural knowledge. Paradigm of preferences in India is shifting from traditional designs to contemporary designs. Importing of flowers has increased because people have started appreciating exotic flowers more. Flowers are being used as gifts and also for packaging. Even interior decorators also make use of flowers for home decors.

Status of the Industry:

The floral market kept on expanding at an exponential rate for retail florists. Usually, the florists/floral designers toil as sole proprietors and specialize in custom orders and take large orders for various occasions like engagement, birthday, marriage and many other occasions. Some floral designers work on payroll with wedding planning companies and event management companies.

Usually designers who take big orders meet with customers to discuss the arrangement or work from a written order. Some floral designers also assist interior designers in creating displays for hotels, restaurants, and private residences.

This field does not require any special set of skills; if you are creative enough and have zeal to innovate new things and most importantly you should have to have genuine interest in flowers to be a floral designer.

Remuneration Packages:

The floral industry is vast and offers handsome remuneration but the level of remuneration depends on various factors like:

• Kind of work you do; good, bad or average
• How good are you in your work?
• Your clientele
• Who you are employed to?

Generally, in the beginning remuneration is low depending on the work you do. However, you can reach out to big clients through online floral shops and through personal contacts to serve customers alongside making daily bouquets, and thus make money. If you are an independent designer, and have your own work and you work for the bigger events then you would be able to make up till Rs. 6 lakh a year.

So, planning to become a floral designer; here's your chance to show your creative ideas to the world. You can make a difference in the floral industry by putting in your creative ideas in the floral industry and show your love for flowers.

‘Think upon it'

Source: Richha Bhatnagar (Shiksha Team)