http://www.bumblebeeblooms.com
Katie Knapp
From the minute you walk into Bumblebee Blooms, you realize that a highly talented and creative person is running the show. The owner, Katie Knapp, opened the flower shop this summer in downtown Reno on South Sierra Street.
“We send out bouquets to let local business offices know we are open and encourage them to call us,“ said Katie.
If you are one of the lucky businesses so far to receive one of Katie’s bumblebee bouquets, an attractive arrangement of flowers inside a small bee vase, then you can appreciate the quality of Bumblebee Blooms.
“I love building relationships with the local business offices.” Katie said, “I have pride in my work and over deliver on expectations.”
Attention to detail and creativity comes easily to Katie. She started her career as a Marketing/Creative Director after which she worked in a local flower shop for many years. During this time she became a champion pastry chef. After deciding she wanted to operate a flower shop, she contacted the Nevada Small Business Development Center (Nevada SBDC) for assistance. Rod Jorgensen, the Nevada SBDC’s Director of Counseling, helped her build a business plan which, in turn, helped her receive financing for Bumblebee Blooms.
“The business plan really made me think about my business – who my customers would be and where it should be located. When the lenders grilled me on different aspects of my business, I could easily answer their questions because I had already written it all down. “
At the beginning of the year, Katie Knapp entered her business plan for Bumblebee Blooms into the Governor’s Cup, a business plan writing competition held each year in Nevada. The process of entering her business plan into the competition and, subsequently, winning the third place prize helped prepare her for the details needed in opening her own business.
Katie’s advice to future business owners is “really think about where you want to go and what you want to do differently than your competitors.” She also advises to “not just fill in the template,” when creating a business plan – referring to the business plan examples that the Nevada SBDC provides online.
With the shop complete and customers learning about the beautiful flower arrangements that Katie Knapp provides, Bumblebee Blooms is blossoming!
Bumblebee Blooms specializes in original designs of fresh flower arrangements for many occasions. They also offer corporate accounts, events, and gourmet gift baskets. Contact Katie Knapp at 775-348-2799 or bumblebeeblooms@yahoo.com.