How a floral business blooms in store and online

Karen Beeler knows a thing or two about growth. A hobby florist for years, she started working as a floral manager at local grocery store in her hometown of Great Falls, Montana, five years ago, but left when COVID-19 hit.

In 2021, thinking she would just dabble in floristry, she got a license from the city to open a home business. She worked out of a spare bedroom, then her garage. As the business grew, she found space in downtown Great Falls. Then a larger space in the same building. A year and a half ago, her Life in Bloom floral and gift shop took root in the century-old Beaux Arts Liberty Theatre, redeveloped as a retail and office space in the heart of the city’s historic business district.

“When you walk into my store, I want you feel like you matter,” Beeler says. “I see you, I hear you, I value you. You’re choosing to spend your money with me. So I want to make sure you have a good experience.”

And while Beeler is devoted her community — the store supports the downtown elementary school through fundraisers and back-to-school supply drives, and she partners with other local businesses for flower-themed events — her business thrives largely because of her digital presence. “It’s open 24/7,” she says. “My business has grown more because of that. Month after month, I see my website orders increasing,” with orders from all over the U.S., the U.K. and Australia.

Like most small businesses, cash flow remains an issue, as is finding loyal help and making sure she’s able to pay them a living wage. “There are challenges with being able to take care of our family and our employees’ families. It’s heavy on your shoulders. You need to have that constant money available to meet payroll, to meet the bills, to order new inventory … Sometimes the money goes back into the business instead of going into our household. That’s the juggling act of a small business owner.”

Learn more about Beeler’s journey and how e-commerce and digital payments are helping Life in Bloom blossom in our video series, “Inside the mind of an entrepreneur.”