Nick Smith, owner of In Bloom in Carrollton, Texas, shared the three guiding principles that are helping his business grow.
The Society of American Florists’ membership includes all segments of the industry — and that community is the heart of SAF. This bi-weekly feature spotlights SAF members sharing inspirational stories, professional insights, and the opportunity to form new industry connections.
Before becoming a florist, Nick Smith was a nuclear submarine warfare officer in the Navy serving in San Diego and Lisbon, Portugal. He transitioned out of the Navy after 12 years and moved home to Dallas with his wife so they could be near their families — and to start their own. He also wanted to follow in his mom’s footsteps as an entrepreneur.
Smith looked at hundreds of businesses to buy, and in December of 2021 he purchased In Bloom Flowers in Carrollton, Texas. He never imagined he’d buy a flower shop but when he came across In Bloom, he fell in love with the business and its mission.
“As I evaluated companies, the mission mattered to me,” Smith says. “The flower industry has this amazing combination of sales, operations, execution, creativity, and a chance to make an impact on our customers’ lives. It is personally meaningful and rewarding to own a company with a mission to make people happy or to help them celebrate a loved one.”
Growing Profits
There are three pillars to In Bloom’s growth plan. The first pillar is about the people, Smith says. He makes sure to create a great environment and culture for their team and feels fortunate to have retained employees under the former owners, as well as bringing aboard talented workers who have helped him rethink processes and improve service and quality.
The second pillar is that In Bloom adopted technology which allows the company to do more without hiring for new positions. Those tools have improved employee scheduling, delivery routing, inventory management, forecasting, and content creation and publishing, which frees up time and cash for the investments Smith has made to support growth.
“Lastly, it’s about focus,” he says. “…To use a baseball analogy, we swing hard in our strike zone. We’re doubling down on doing more of what we’re already great at, like every day and sympathy , rather than stretching ourselves thin.”
Growth Opportunities
“We have a mantra to ‘treat every arrangement like it’s the only arrangement,’” Smith says. “While we may produce 50,000 arrangements this year, the only one that matters to each customer is the one they receive. Each arrangement has to be perfect.”
In the very few times In Bloom falls short on that standard, Smith sends a personal card to the recipient taking fault for the mistake. “People order flowers when they want to show they care,” he says. “If they can trust us, our customers will reward us with repeat business.”
Why SAF?
Smith joined SAF in 2022 because he wants to provide the best experience for his customers and employees.
“To do that, I want to learn everything I can about the industry, meet as many people as possible, and be exposed to be best products and practices,” he says. “SAF is a tremendous place to do all three. SAF, through the events and the people, has been instrumental in my growth and the growth of In Bloom Flowers.”
Smith was recently featured on SAF’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Do you know a member who should have a chance in the spotlight? Email Stephanie Brady, project manager for SAF.
Stephanie Brady is the project manager for the Society of American Florists.
