Direct Article Link: https://www.key.com/small-business/services/key4women/k4wresources/articles/power-of-the-flower.html
Denisha Anderson of Cleveland Flower Walls participated in a local pitch contest to help her compete for access to capital she needed to grow her business. Read more about Denisha’s business story and how she took a leap of faith into the wedding industry and brought her passion for florals along.
Key Takeaways:
An entrepreneurial woman launches business with one simple, yet powerful, idea.
Persistence is key in developing sales channels for your business.
Understanding your audience deeply is key to selling your product.
Planting the Seed
Nearly four years ago, Denisha Anderson of Cleveland Flower Walls was caught in a dilemma. A self-described “simple bride,” all she wanted was a flower wall for her bridal shower – but unfortunately, everything wasn’t coming up roses.
“I struggled to find someone who could take the vision in my head, create it, deliver it, and set it up,” said Anderson. “I didn’t need anything extravagant, just a simple flower wall for pictures, but vendors wanted me to purchase extensive design packages. It just wasn’t working for me.”
After striking out with wedding planners, Denisha took matters into her own hands. She purchased a glue gun from Hobby Lobby and began executing her vision for the perfect 8' x 8' flower wall for her bridal shower. Little did she know that one flower-filled Sunday and some slightly burned fingers would eventually lead her to create her business, Cleveland Flower Walls.
Word of Mouth Leads to Business Growth
Following the success of her personal flower wall, Denisha started receiving messages from other brides throughout the Cleveland area, asking for their own flower walls. Over the course of several years, Denisha and her team (including her husband – a former wedding photographer) have taken their flower wall business as far as Boardman, Ohio. However, as the demand for flower walls increased, she began running into capacity issues.
“We typically extend ourselves about 60 miles outside of Cleveland; however, I’ve had to decline some couples requesting flower walls because we don’t have the capacity to travel that far,” stated Anderson. “I’m looking for ways to expand the business to handle our client volume. That’s a good, but complicated, problem to have.”
After hearing about the Key4Women® pitch contest, Denisha thought this contest was the perfect opportunity to gain the additional resources needed to fulfill her goal. Cleveland Flower Walls was one of 10 finalists selected to compete for cash awards from a pool of 193 applicants.
A Business in Bloom
Key4Women pitch contest check being presented to A. Kouture and her mother founders of Fully Charged Snacks Allergy Friendly Baked Goods.
After winning $10,000 from the Key4Women pitch contest, Denisha is hiring the help she needs, purchasing inventory to meet the growing demand for flower walls, and updating her business website to tackle client volume. She and her husband (who is now the full-time marketing photographer for Cleveland Flower Walls) have shifted the business from strictly weddings to include corporate events.
If there’s one thing Denisha wants people – especially women entrepreneurs – to understand, then it’s the importance of consistency in the business world.
“It took several years of hard work and persistence to get to where I am today,” said Anderson. “There are so many things I’ve learned throughout my journey, such as learning how to speak my customers’ language to sell my flower walls more effectively. If you want your business to succeed, then you have to nurture it. You have to be consistent.”
With a bit of nature and a lot of nurture, Denisha and her team are filling a void in Cleveland’s wedding industry and beyond.
Direct Article Link: https://www.key.com/small-business/services/key4women/k4wresources/articles/power-of-the-flower.html