Live/Work - Floral Design from a Bungalow

In my continuing exploration of interesting live/work arrangements I recently had the opportunity to talk with Sarah Tedford Owner/Operator of Ladybird Poppy Floral Design and part-time floral designer for the Brown Palace.  After working as an employee of 6 different floral shops, 3 years ago Sarah made the bold choice to go into business for herself.  "It was the bottom of the economic collapse and my family thought I was nuts.  Now I do 30-40 events a year designing primarily for weddings and special events for clients with sophisticated tastes.    


The toughest part was getting set up as a business - setting up my accounting & bookkeeping."  When I talk with small business owners, the business set-up always seems to be a big issue.  Sarah uses FreshBooks.  This allows her to track project costs, bill clients, and determine if her project margins are on track.  

Sarah has a unique live/work situation - her entire operation is run out of the 2 bed/1 bath bungalow in the North Country Club neighborhood she shares with a roommate.  A small storage room in the  basement holds the little bit of inventory she needs to keep on hand; vases, ribbon, florist tape & foam, dried flowers.  An enclosed back porch acts as her staging area for creating floral 

arrangements.  All her pieces are built fresh either the day-of or day-before an event.  Working from home keeps her costs down, and those savings she's able to pass along to her clients.  

How do you like to work with clients? "I'm very intuitive and like to get to know my clients' design style, color preferences, themes they are considering, and budget of course.  Knowing these preferences then guides my choices when I go to the floral market."

Like all entrepreneurs who operate their businesses from home, "When I have a job it can take over the house for a short period, 2-3 days."  Sarah faces the challenge of keeping life & work in balance.  "I currently hire help seasonally and have an event planner I work with periodically whenever the job calls for it."  

What does the future hold for Ladybird Poppy? "I'd like to build a small team that would offer 1-Stop shopping for weddings & events.   Eventually a studio space where we could meet with clietns would be nice.  I love going to the flower market early in the morning to buy what I need to complete a job but it would be nice to have some refrigeration to keep some basics on hand."

What I found most impressive about the way Sarah approaches her live/work situation is the individual, client-centered approach she takes with each project, and her calm awareness that when a job takes over her home & her physical space could be viewed as chaotic, she knows its only for a short while.  She keeps her eye on fulfilling her promises & exceeding client expectations.

Check out http://www.ladybirdpoppy.com/ to see samples of Sarah's creations or to get in touch regarding your next event.