DELEGATE: Tell us more about yourself
(Sharene, Founder of Pastel Hues Florals)
I am a mother of an 18-month-old baby girl, whom I adore and am very grateful for. I am also obsessed with pretty things!
D: How did you get the idea or concept for your business?
I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur so I zoomed into my interest, Flowers. Then I went to work part time at Shop Wonderland and realised I really loved arranging flowers! At that time, there were only a few florists offering the style I liked so I went to pursue a floral arrangement course in New York. While I was there, I was greatly inspired by all the top florists and the floral shops. Through the experience, I also found my style.
D: What is your vision/mission for your company?
We want to inspire people to live beautifully through flowers. We hope that people will incorporate flowers into their everyday living.
D: How did you start it? What were some adversities you faced when starting it?
I started Pastel Hues Florals in the comfort of my home. It is still a home-based business today.
Some adversities I’ve faced: I started the business alone and did everything myself. My husband helped me with logistics but it was tough to cope with orders myself. Especially during peak season. From taking orders, ordering the flowers, conditioning it, arranging it, writing the messages, wrapping the flowers…It was tough, and, on top of it, I was a new mother. I had to balance work and family.
D: What is something we might not know about the industry you’re in?
Beyond all the beautiful work we produce, there is a lot of hard work involved. You’ll need strength and stamina. There is a lot of cleaning to be done too. You should see the mess when we condition the flowers. During wedding seasons or Valentine’s Day, there is practically no sleep. I’ve worked 24 hours without sleep and survived on a few slices of gardenia bread the entire day. No time to eat or even go to the bathroom. Haha!
D: What has been the most memorable experience for you so far in running your business?
I get to be part of planning surprises! I work with husbands/boyfriends in planning surprises for their loves. It’s amazing to see how much effort and love they pour into getting the right bouquet. Men these days do know about flowers. At the end of the day, some of them do send me a picture of how happy their wives/girlfriends are with their flowers. It’s priceless to me.
D: How do you define success? Who do you see as successful?
Success in business is when you have established your brand; people recognise your product/service. You have built a team that is able to run the business while you oversee.
I see Priscilla of Ong Shunmugam as a successful entrepreneur. I also see Melissa Wang of ShopWonderland as a successful entrepreneur. Melissa has taught me and inspired me in floral design.
D: Which habits of yours have gotten you to where you are today?
To be organised and set weekly, monthly, quarterly goals. Once you’ve set your goals, you have something to work towards and achieve it.
D: What is one thing you would like your customers to know about your company?
Every floral arrangement that goes out of our doors have been artfully arranged and carefully thought for the receiver. We don’t like to replicate designs.
D: If you could give advice to fellow and budding entrepreneurs, what would it be?
“Find something in life that you love doing. If you make a lot of money, that’s a bonus, and if you don’t, you still won’t hate going to work.”
Book Pastel Hues Florals on Delegate today!
D: Where else can we find you online?
Website: https://www.pastelhuesflorals.com/
Instagram: @pastelhuesflorals
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