Can you open a flower school in a rural area with few flower shops? A story from a graduate
When people think about wanting to open a flower school, there is something many of them worry about first.
"Is there even any demand in a place like this?"
It might be different in a city, but there are few flower shops nearby, and almost no shops that even handle cut flowers.
We have a graduate who opened a business in just such a place.
That is Satomi Tekuri, who runs "fleuriste à la française Sui" in Iwade City, Wakayama Prefecture.
Starting a cut flower school in a town with few flower shops
The area around Iwade City, where Ms. Tekuri lives, has always had few flower shops.
Moreover, the few flower shops that do exist focus on potted seedlings, and almost no cut flowers are sold.
She says she felt that way ever since she moved there.
"Will people in this nature-rich region accept a school for arranging cut flowers?"
Carrying that anxiety, she put up the sign for an authorized school in April 2024 as a third-term student of the I'llony Flower School Business Course.
A confession about having stage fright
She had one other major source of anxiety.
She has always had stage fright and is not good at speaking in front of people.
"Because I have always had stage fright and am not very good at speaking in front of people, I was very worried about whether I could run a school that everyone would enjoy. I was also very anxious about my lack of knowledge about flowers and my own lack of technical skill."
She says that even while taking the business course, every time she had her work evaluated, she was filled with nothing but anxiety and nervousness.
There are many students who stop not because of their skills, but because they are unsure if they can stand in front of others.
The story of the night she couldn't sleep before the mock lesson
The turning point was the mock lesson held within the business course.
She handled the entire process, from sourcing the flowers to preparing them, and asked an acquaintance to act as a student for a lesson that felt just like the real thing.
"I was so nervous for days beforehand that I couldn't sleep at night, but the smiles on everyone's faces after the lesson were truly a joy, and I still can't forget them."
Two people came to the mock lesson: one with experience and one beginner. She says there was a moment when she casually spoke to the beginner to ensure they could enjoy the lesson without feeling rushed, even though the two had different levels of progress.
"When I was able to naturally answer the questions asked at that time, the anxious feeling that I might not be able to do this eased a little."
Anxiety doesn't just disappear. I think it's just that you become able to handle it a little better.
The story of a mistake made in sourcing right after opening
Even a seemingly smooth opening has its failures.
She sourced flower materials from Tokyo, to arrive the following evening. When the box first arrived, she only checked the top lid and accepted it without properly looking at the contents.
When she opened the box to prepare the flowers, she found some greenery that had changed color due to humidity.
She immediately called I'llony.
Staff member Fukuda advised her, "Let's contact the wholesaler and rush to arrange replacement materials." She managed to make it in time for the lesson using express delivery.
What Fukuda conveyed at that time was a professional perspective: "Let's check carefully so we don't disappoint the students who are looking forward to coming to the lesson."
Don't carry anxiety alone. Don't let them carry failures alone.
Ultimately, that is the reason why we created the authorized school system.
Why she chose an authorized school instead of opening independently
Ms. Tekuri explains the reason like this.
"It's that I'llony proposes wonderful designs every month. These are designs I could never think of on my own, so I have no hesitation."
Whenever she hits a wall, she asks for advice; if flower materials are out of stock, she is taught alternatives; and if there is trouble running the school, she gets help.
"No matter how busy they are, they always respond politely."
It makes me happy to hear that.
From 2 students to 7. Even after raising prices, everyone keeps coming
At the beginning of the course, there were 2 students.
Now there are 7.
The lesson fee started at 5,500 yen, and this September it will be 7,700 yen. Even so, every student who came for the first time continues to attend every month.
"I try to keep the same feelings I had when I first opened every month."
Requests from the local area are also gradually increasing. She says she hears from those who request her services that the nearby flower shops only have "common flowers, just grave flowers or Buddhist flowers."
Perhaps the fact that there are few flower shops was not actually a handicap for her.
From Ms. Tekuri to those starting out
She wants to convey this.
"Preparing the flowers for the lesson, making announcements for the lesson, shopping for tea and snacks, preparing on the day of the lesson—each of these is a very fun task. Sometimes I make mistakes or have worries, but I think of those as things that help me grow."
"I would like to send the words that pushed me forward to everyone else: If you want to do it, start right away!"
Please check the SNS and reservation page for the state of the lessons Ms. Tekuri is holding and the reservation status.
"fleuriste à la française Sui"
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/sui_flower2024
Reservation page:https://tol-app.jp/s/ri37iubaqr28abzzp726
Finally
Even in a town with few flower shops, or a place without a cut flower culture, a flower school can take root.
Ms. Tekuri is the one who proved that.
A person who had stage fright and gave up, thinking they had no talent, is now teaching flowers to 7 students every month.
If there is anyone out there right now who is hesitating, thinking, "A flower school in my area?", you don't have to carry it alone.
That is the core philosophy of this school.
If you have always wanted to open a flower school or salon, why not take the first step with the "I'llony Flower School Business Course"?
Click here for details→https://sbc.illony.com/