Today we’d like to introduce you to Hayley Forgatch.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I graduated from King’s College in 2019. I was presented with the opportunity to open a flower shop in Mountain Top, PA and continue the legacy of what was previously known as Barry’s Floral. I decided to proceed with this opportunity and learned Floral Design for about 3 years before opening a new flower shop in the “old-school” location. This is now our 3rd year in operation. I am where I am today with the business primarily from the love and support of the community, combined with the dedication of our employees and floral design skills.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Opening the business was a tedious process if done correctly. It was very challenging, but mostly manageable. Writing a business plan and determining if the business would work financially and sustain over a period of time required a lot of calculations. Going through the zoning process to make sure the business was zoned correctly required a lot of patience, but yielded a positive result. Inventory and pricing has been somewhat of a struggle. Prices of flowers vary heavily. It is also challenging to determine what kind of prices to charge for your arrangements, given the general market value and area you live in, combined with your design expertise. Having enough, but not too much inventory has also been somewhat of a struggle. Upon first opening, you don’t really have any numbers or a set of customers to base anything off of yet.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We are known for our customizable designs and fitting the requests of each individual’s unique vision. I personally have more of a European style in my flowers, featuring more mass flower designs over have most of the greenery be the focus.
How do you define success?
Achieving what you set out to do and fulfilling your mission.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.floralfocus.org
- Instagram: floral_focus_official
- Facebook: Floral_Focus
