The Florist Lounge

Welcome to The Florist Lounge

Right, so here's the thing. After 18 years in this industry, watching florists struggle with the same problems we faced back when we had our shop on Marine Parade, we figured it was time to stop keeping all this hard-won knowledge to ourselves.

> Learn more about our personal flower shop story

The Florist Lounge isn't some marketing blog full of buzzwords and theoretical rubbish. It's everything we've (Siobhan and Andrew) learned from actually doing this - from that first terrifying Valentine's Day when we thought the phones would never stop ringing, to figuring out how to turn a one-star review disaster into a learning moment, to discovering that Ai can actually write product descriptions that don't sound like a robot having a stroke, and so much more.

What You'll Actually Find Here

Real stuff that matters when you're trying to run a flower shop without losing your mind. We're talking about the conversations we've had at 11PM while doing the books, the mistakes that cost us thousands (so you don't have to make them), and the little wins that actually moved the needle.

You know that feeling when a customer calls and you can just tell they're price shopping? We've written about converting those calls. That moment when you realise your gorgeous Instagram photos are getting likes but not sales? We've been there, figured it out, and documented it. Thinking about ditching your expensive shopfront for a home studio? We cover that too.

Why We're Doing This

Look, we built Lily's Florist by partnering with over 800 florists across Australia, you may have even delivered flowers already for us, some partners we have been with us since our shop days, back in 2008. These aren't just numbers in our system - they're the florists who trusted us when we were nobody, who took our calls when we were fumbling through our first Mother's Day, who shared their wisdom when we were completely out of our depth.

This is us returning the favour. No membership fees, no exclusive insider clubs, no email gates. Just straight-up useful information from people who've actually sat where you're sitting, worried about the same things you're worrying about.

The Truth About Running a Flower Business

We're not going to pretend it's easy. Some weeks you'll make bank, others you'll be staring at dusty teddy bears, or at wilting stock wondering why you didn't just get a normal job. But after nearly two decades, working with florists from Cairns to Hobart, from massive CBD shops to talented home studios, we've seen what works and what doesn't.

Every post here comes from real experience - ours, our partners', or the collective wisdom of florists who've been generous enough to share their stories. No AI-generated fluff pieces about "5 Ways to Revolutionise Your Floral Business" (though ironically, we do have a post about using Ai that's actually useful).

Who This Is Really For

If you're a florist who's ever:

• Wondered how other shops handle the dead months between Mother's Day and Christmas
• Felt overwhelmed by social media marketing but know you need to do it
• Considered going online but didn't know where to start
• Dealt with an unfair review that made you want to throw in the towel
• Just wanted someone to tell you the actual numbers instead of vague industry speak
• Wanting to know and learn SEO hacks to rank better in Google Search
• Wondering how Ai can fit into your business
• How I can engage better with my potential and current customers

Then pull up a chair. This is your space.

We're still learning too, by the way, even after almost 20 years. The industry keeps changing and especially with the advent of Google's new Ai search, customers keep evolving and maturing, and just when you think you've got it figured out, Instagram changes its algorithm or Google decides to shake things up. But that's what makes it interesting, right?

So browse through, take what's useful, ignore what isn't, and remember. we all started somewhere. Even that intimidating florist down the road with the perfect window displays probably spent their first Valentine's Day in absolute chaos, just like the rest of us.