Mike The Florist : Helping you thrive during uncertain timed
Mike The Florist is a new online resource that aims to be a point of call for florists to learn about marketing and business for florists made by Mike Bourguignon*, an 8th generation florist based in Madrid Spain.
Explaining the concept Mike writes: Today florist businesses are at a crossroads, but we need guidance not just in craftsmanship, but in to take care of our business in a very uncertain future. To do this, Mike The Florist want to help you with articles, community interaction and courses that will help guide you to the light at the end of this troubled and dark tunnel.
The COVID crisis has put flower businesses against the ropes more than before; businesses in floristry have been declining since the 2008 crisis. At this time, new players came into the traditional retail market and new sales channels took off which florists didn’t take advantage of or just couldn’t keep up. On the former, supermarkets and other retail outlets started selling flowers.
On the latter, eCommerce took a huge leap forward. Already established eCommerce websites took off and new players, namely start-ups with large investors behind, were able to penetrate the market better and quicker than florists. Instead of facing these threats, florists drifted towards events, a small, limited market which thereafter became saturated. Florists just kept on making the wrong decisions and digging their own hole.
Yet, today COVID has given florists the opportunity to blossom, but only if they understand today’s world and the huge changes that have occurred the past few months and which are still unfolding before us. If done correctly, the florist sector can boom again.
And this is the reason why Mike The Florist was born. This venture started because we florists are great craftsmen (and women), and we have plenty of resources available for this purpose. What we lack, however, is updated knowledge of today’s consumers, marketing theory for florists, and the business tools to leap forward as a business to where we need be and never should have left.
In order to do this, Mike The Florist wants to help florists understand these concepts three pillars. The first pillar is to act a point of analysis and offer solutions to today’s complex business and marketing issues and problems through blog posts.
The second pillar is to build a community of like-minded florists through social media where Mike will share important analysis from the business world and relate them to floristry.
Finally, and most importantly, Mike The Florist will serve as an education centre for florists all over the world. Here, Mike will offer online courses in 4 areas: Business Management and Marketing or Florists during the COVID Crisis (already available), The Theory of Florist Marketing, eCommerce for Florists, and Pricing Strategy for Florists. To find out more visit the Mike The Florist website or email
* Mike Bourguignon started out in floristry by studying in the Barcelona Flower School during his summers at the age of 16-18, before going off to University. He came back to the family business at the age of 27 and became the director of Florint, the International Florist Organisation for three years at the age of 30. As a result, he has been able to understand the needs of florists at a global and local scale with his international role and floral business in Madrid.
