11°
Lyndsay Chaney, of Wilton, has just the antidote: Flowers. Her online business, branch + bloom, which she launched in August, 2016, is all about spreading flower joy in a way that is both convenient and affordable.
"Most Americans tend to just buy and receive flowers only on very special occasions and when they are gifted to them by someone else," explained Chaney. "But the reality is that most people really enjoy how flowers liven up their space and brighten their mood.
"It's that added boost of happiness we need to surround ourselves with more frequently," she said.
“It's also about saving customers the hassle of driving to the store, becoming overwhelmed by too many or too few options, and feeling the uncertainty of quality and price.”
So far, so good. Her subscription service -- which caters to both residential and commercial customers -- allows folks to decide the size of bouquet they want --either a piccolo (8 to 12 stems, perfect for a desk, side table, coffee table) or the grande which has more stems (15 to 22) so fits in slightly larger spaces like a kitchen island, entry foyer table, dining room table, etc. Customers then select their frequency for delivery—either weekly, biweekly or monthly.
Subscriptions are flexible, i.e. anyone can freeze the service at any time and re-start it or give one week as a gift to a friend or neighbor, (the person must live in the Fairfield County delivery zone).
Most of Chaney's clients are local residents though she's looking to build more partnerships with area restaurants, shops and office buildings.
Right now she's busy with the holidays -- and the impending birth of her second child. She's also partnering with other small businesses to create unique offerings such as "pies+blooms bundles" (with Pie Baby of Fairfield) and pampering gift sets with Wilton-based Nod Hill Soap (soy candles+bath salts+bud vases full of fresh blooms).
"I love meeting other like-minded business owners that have wonderful, high-quality product and a similar vision of supporting local," she said.
Chaney, who admits to a love of flowers for as long as she can remember, said she had had the idea for a home-based business for awhile after working with reputable florists and noticing customer's demands were changing.
"The subscription idea definitely lends itself nicely to balancing motherhood with career as I can manage a part-time schedule where I purchase from my wholesaler and design Tuesdays and Wednesdays then deliver on Thursdays every week," she said. “This allows me to accurately manage my inventory and deliver the freshest flowers each week. And, offer flower types you can’t find at your big chain grocery store.”
The mom of one -- with another due next month -- has recently hired a floral designer to join her team as the business continues to expand. Presently, she does all of the planning and designing, selecting the flower types and colors each week and "switching it up" weekly "to keep it fresh, fun, and seasonal."
"So far, my clients have really enjoyed the surprise of receiving a different bunch of flowers each week and and they are learning the names of new flowers and how to care for flowers in the process as well."
Go to www.branchbloomct.com for more information.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Wilton and receive free news updates.
