(Courtesy of Allison Kataoka)
This past year left many people with an unexpected amount of leisure time, but some used the situation as an opportunity to discover passions and use their newfound interests to set themselves up for success.
Blooming flowers and stunning floral arrangements are what inspired Allison Kataoka, a second-year double majoring in psychology and communication disorders at Cal State Fullerton, to take her passion for flowers and turn it into a business.
Before the pandemic, Kataoka said that she first worked with flowers at a local florist shop, where she used her creativity to create floral arrangements for customers. Kataoka said she was professionally trained at the shop to make arrangements for events such as weddings, funerals and baby showers. After leaving that job, Kataoka said she decided to start her own flower business.
She started buying flowers on her own and made arrangements for friends — a hobby that soon took off into a business. She launched an Instagram account titled Ally’s Arrangements in November.
(Courtesy of Allison Kataoka)
“She initially pitched the idea as a hobby to keep herself busy during the quarantine. However, her hobby soon became a profitable business,” said Kristine Kataoka, Allison’s mother, in an email.
Allison does everything from buying, creating and naming arrangements to taking pictures and promoting them on social media. She balances all this while going to school and working a full-time job. Allison spends hours at the flower market looking for inspiration, Kristine said.
When she receives an order, Allison said she goes to the flower market in the morning and makes the arrangement before she clocks into work at 8 a.m. If customers request a delivery, she makes it after work. For orders that will be picked up, she places the flowers on the porch for a contactless and safe pick up experience.
(Courtesy of Allison Kataoka)
While the young florist controls most of the business, Kristine said that her family supports her completely. They help out wherever they can to make sure she is not overwhelmed and that she can continue doing what makes her happy.
Allison said that her dad is the handyman who builds the boxes she sells the arrangements in. Her sisters also help with the creative process by suggesting name ideas and color schemes. Her mother helps with deliveries and moral support.
“My mom specifically, she pushed me to do my own business,” Allison said. “She was definitely the motivating factor. She kept pushing me to do it and she knew that I would succeed if I put my mind to it.”
Her friends are also very supportive and were excited to hear that she was branching out to start her own business.
Tori Vigario, CSUF student, said she supports Allison’s work and described her as being very personable. By listening to her clients and making them feel welcomed and heard, her customers feel more engaged and happy with the outcome, Vigario said.
Another friend and loyal customer, Robert Salcido said he switched from buying grocery store flowers to Ally’s Arrangements and never looked back. When he bought his first bouquet, he said it completely exceeded his expectations, they were wrapped so nicely that he didn’t want to take them out. Salcido also said that he was so impressed by her talent that he invested in a flower subscription for his mom.
(Courtesy of Allison Kataoka)
Francisco Flores, customer, said in an email that he found Ally’s Arrangements through Instagram. Since then, he has become another loyal customer to Kataoka and said he has ordered flowers from her countless times on multiple occasions, and he also sends his grandmother surprise bouquets from Allison.
“I am always so impressed with Ally’s work. The boxed arrangements are like no other and make perfect wedding or baby shower gifts. They are made with care and quality is like no other. I am always proud to give these as gifts. The personalized bouquets are perfect for any occasion, especially during COVID,” Flores said.
Allison said she is constantly planning for the next major holiday and is currently working on floral arrangements for Easter. One of her future goals is to conduct business at pop-up shops and farmers’ markets.
“I went in expecting it just to be my friends and family who order from me,” Allison said. “It’s just become bigger than what I ever imagined. I never thought it would take off as much as it has.”
The Link Lonk
March 15, 2021 at 06:12AM
https://dailytitan.com/lifestyle/florist-creates-blooming-business-with-flower-arrangements/article_c9c2c800-851a-11eb-aaf4-6776f3fbaaba.html
Florist creates blooming business with flower arrangements | Lifestyle | dailytitan.com - The Daily Titan
https://news.google.com/search?q=Flower&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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