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Florist

A florist is a person who sells and deals in ornamental plants and flowers. They not only design floral arrangements but also buy, sell and look after the potted plants and flowers. People order roses for their loved ones on St. Valentine's Day, funeral wreaths, wedding bouquets and for many other occasions. Some just send flowers for no reason other than they are thinking about the person. Flowers and ornamental plants make a perfect gift anytime and for any occasion.

Florists are very artistic and create decorative, beautiful corsages, wedding bouquets, centerpieces, seasonal arrangements and other arrangements using fresh flowers, artificial flowers or dried flowers. Some design and sell their arrangements to retail stores. Often, a florist creates custom arrangement and bouquets for special events, such as graduations and weddings. When a customer orders flowers, the florist often suggest different ideas to them or sometimes a customer already knows exactly what flower type, style, color and cost range they want.

To be a florist, a person should love flowers, their look, texture, smell and have an extensive knowledge of plants and flowers. They should possess a good sense of design, texture and color combination, as this is a job requiring an extraordinary amount of creativity. Some of the typical tasks a florist performs are creating window and in-store floral displays, arranging, and designing flowers, preparing foliage and flowers for storage by conditioning and cutting them, so they remain fresh. Florists that are not self-employed often work in places such as, small florist shops, for a retail chain or outlet or banquet halls.

Common work activities include:

• Ordering flowers and supplies for the store on a daily basis. Fresh flowers will need to be delivered frequently to maintain stock on hand.
• Managing the presentation of the store from window decorations to items for sale in the store.
• Hiring, training and supervising store staff, scheduling workers and ensuring appropriate staff levels to assist customers at all times.
• Meeting with clients to discuss large orders for weddings, graduations, memorials or other special events.
• Arranging flowers for orders placed over the phone, by fax or even by the internet.
• Pricing flower arrangements, bouquets and plants that are sold in the store.
• Answering customers questions regarding flower and plant care, suggestions for arrangements, and flowers for special occasions.

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