Be it days of grief or moment of happiness and celebrations, flowers are the easiest and the most beautiful way to tell somebody you care. Fresh flowers have the power to double the happiness and alleviate the grief. Vikaas Gutgutia from Bihar saw the business prospect in small bouquets of flowers. Starting from just Rs 5,000, Vikaas developed an internationally-renowned brand, bringing a revolution in the country’s floriculture industry.
The floriculture industry in India is witnessing an annual growth of 30% and it is increasing rapidly. According to the oldest industry body of India Assocham, the market cap of this industry will reach Rs 10,000 crore in the coming years. In such a situation, it is necessary we appreciate the huge prospect of this sector.
Today, we are highlighting about Gutguttia’s success, who is the founder of the well-known brand, Ferns N Petals, which once stepped into the international market as a small florist.
Born into a middle-class family in a small village called Vidyasagar in eastern Bihar, he finished his schooling from the local school and graduation from West Bengal. While studying, Vikas used to help his uncle in his flower shop. He learned the nuances of doing the flower business from his uncle.
After completing his graduation he searched for jobs for two years. He was also looking out for business opportunities in Mumbai and Delhi and finally in the year 1994, he opened the first air-conditioned flower shop in Delhi with a capital of Rs 5,000. Although there was not much progress in the flower business in India at that time but Vikaas continued to develop the trade. Incidentally, he got a partner who invested Rs 2.5 lakhs in this business. However, the partnership did not last long as he person couldn’t wait long for a profit. During this period he somehow kept the business going by retailing flowers.
With not many professional florists present in this unorganized sector, Vikaas emphasized on development by providing better service, variations, and decoration with attractive flowers. His efforts to give more attention to the quality and development were the main reason behind his success. He got a big break when he received an order for flower supply in a grand wedding at the Taj Palace Hotel in Delhi. This opened a new business avenue for him. At the same time, he developed his business more by increasing the range of products. He introduced chocolates, soft toys, cakes, and gift hampers, besides the flower bouquets to bring freshness in the business.
After running the business for nearly 7 years, he planned to spread his retail business nationwide and started franchising his brand Ferns N Petals Boutique. For franchisees, he kept minimum criteria for 200-300 square feet of area for the showroom and investment of Rs 10 to 12 lakh. With this investment, the company provides inventories flowers, accessories, and gift items to run the store under the brand name, infrastructure support, design and technical information as well as training on flower decoration.
Today, Ferns N Petals has a total of 240 franchise stores in 93 cities of the country, including Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Coimbatore, Agra, and Allahabad. Not only this, Ferns N Petals is the largest flower and gift shop in India, with an annual turnover of over Rs 200 crore. Currently, it is not just doing business in India but it has become a global brand.
The younger generation can learn a lot from the success of Vikaas, who is known as the biggest entrepreneur in the organized retail business of flowers. When he started the business of flowers, he never thought that one day he would be considered as one of the most successful businessmen in the country. His idea of doing something new and chasing the dream ultimately made his work a success.
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