Flowers brighten a person’s day. A bouquet of fresh flowers is a great way to say you care! And Cape Town Florist will help you in doing so. Cape Town Florist is a renowned online florist and gift delivery service that excels in delivering flowers; their motto being Innovation, passion and creativity.
With a wide range of flowers perfectly suited for your occasion to choose from, Cape Town Florist also delivers fruit baskets, wine and champagne as well as chocolates to complete your affair.
Nikki Sandeman is the owner of Cape Town Florist and is a passionate flower-lover herself. In an exclusive rendezvous Nikki Sandeman tells the Ebrandz team about her love for flowers and her exclusive floral gifts service that’s purely an extension of her love and passion for flowers.
Our readers are keen on knowing a lot about your business. Please expand on the idea about your online services.
I established the Cape Town Florist in 2009. Here our constant endeavor lies in offering only the most gorgeous flower arrangements, bouquets and gifts for delivery in Cape Town, South Africa. Our wide range of gifts includes gourmet hampers and baskets, fine wine and champagne, helium balloons and Yankee Candles. We offer a “Same Day” delivery service on orders placed before 11AM.
How did your journey as an entrepreneur begin?
Since I have always been passionate about flowers and all beautiful things, I thought of using my creative flair for the same. I have always been a leader and by the age of 20 was already running a successful modeling agency in Cape Town. My entrepreneurial background was greatly enhanced by my father who managed all his businesses on his own which were very successful. I am extremely fussy about what we send out and always make sure that the flowers used are handpicked and of superior quality which are guaranteed to last.
So how did the idea for a floral business come about?
I have been fortunate enough to have been sent with many flower arrangements in my life. But most of them where outdated in design and contained flowers that appeared to have been bought back from the dead! So with this in mind, I saw that there was definitely a market for modern and contemporary flower designs, containing only fresh flowers. This ignited the idea of an online floral service through which I thought I could help people in brightening their days!
How important have good employees been to your success?
Being a full time mother has lead to various challenges and the definite need for a competent and passionate manager and floral team. So I would say, having good employees is an imperative.
What three pieces of advice would you give to college students who want to become entrepreneurs?
Firstly, research your market thoroughly! Secondly, if you don’t have certain technical skills, outsource a reliable company or professional that is a phone call away. They should be friendly and helpful. And finally, choose a competitor in your industry and make them your role model, so that you have a goal to work towards.
What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
You have to be a natural leader; you have to be willing to persevere even when it seems you are not making any headway. Good communication skills helps in ensuring that the people you deal with will be happy to work with you and they will also have a concise idea what your intentions are.
How many hours do you work a day on average?
Honestly, I do not count the hours. The joy of being a business owner and having passion for what you do, is that time just flies! When you just start up with a business, in the beginning you can definitely expect to work for long hours.
Has being a busy entrepreneur affected your family life?
It has given me the freedom to come and go when I want! I do not have to request a leave from my boss; I have given myself the ability to be in charge of my time! However, the buck stops with you!
What motivates you?
The excitement of hearing great reviews from happy customers after receiving my flower arrangements and gifts!
How do you generate new ideas?
I research on the internet, attend garden & flower shows. I also chat with my friends and subscribe to all the garden and flower magazines. This helps in keeping me updated with innovative ideas that I can work on so that I can come up with different each time.
What is your greatest fear, and how do you manage fear?
Cockroaches!
How do you define success?
Success is all about being happy in what you do, having happy customers and also happy employees. When you are happy in what you do, you do not feel that you are “working”. When you have happy customers, it means the product and services that you deliver are enhancing their life. And lastly, when you have happy employees it means that they want to come to work, enjoy their work and most importantly have fun at their work. In a nutshell, create win-win situations and relationships.
Where did your organizations funding/capital come from How did you obtain investors for your venture?
I was fortunate enough to have a father who helped me with the initial start up costs of my business.
How did you decide on the location for your business?
We chose a location that was central to Cape Town and very close to our Courier Company’s dispatch depot.
What is your favorite aspect of being an entrepreneur?
Having your own free time and to take it when you want to!
What do you feel is the major difference between entrepreneurs and those who work for someone else?
Successful entrepreneurs have a lot more free time that they can choose to take.
How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
Our main source of marketing has been Search Engine Optimization. Ebrandz has offered us the best solution. But nothing beats word –of- mouth marketing!