Florist business blooming

• Published date: 24 April 2024
• Author: Maddisyn Jeffares
• Publication title: Napier Courier, The

Kaye said she had always loved all things nature and was the kid who would pick the daisies and play with the little creatures in the garden

At 13 years old, Kaye started working at a garden centre, which is where she believed her love of plants and nature came from.

During school, she was placed on a work experience placement at a florist shop and, from there, she knew that was the career she wanted.

Twenty-eight years ago, Kaye said, she walked into several Palmerston North florist shops. By the tenth shop, she had convinced them to take her on. The rest, as they say, is history.

A decade ago, Kaye’s career reached a significant turning point. Her former employer’s decision to sell their business and relocate gave her a unique opportunity to establish her florist shop.

Over the past 10 years, beauKayes Florist has blossomed and grown so much that the store relocated to a bigger premises in May last year.

However, running her own business has not all been sunshine and roses for Kaye. Like many Hawke’s Bay businesses, the florist shop was not immune to the tough times brought by the Covid-19 pandemic, Cyclone Gabrielle and the ups and downs of the cost-of-living crisis.

Kaye said that during Covid “it was challenging like it was for everyone in some way or another, because of all the unknowns”.

Once the shop was able to open for contactless pick-up and deliveries, Kaye and her team found that they got “hammered” with orders from people who wanted to do something for Mother’s Day but still couldn’t freely go out and celebrate.

From a business...