http://intimatedesignsfloral.com
Lori Morris
Although Lori Morris dreamt of opening her own flower shop for 20 years, she never believed it would finally become a reality.
Morris, who owns Intimate Designs Floral in Carson City, Nevada,. worked in flower shops for 28 years before trying to open her own business. During this time, her passion and skill for creating one-of-a-kind flower arrangements continued to grow until she realized that opening her own shop was not just something she owed herself, but the community as a whole.
“I love the people and I love designing., I couldn’t be happier,” said Morris.
Intimate Designs Floral features personalized arrangements that are tailored to each individual customer’s needs. Morris believes this is what puts her shop ahead of the competition.
“It’s not like a generic style flower shop where you have 50 of the same vases,” said Morris.
According to Morris, the customer feedback for Intimate Designs Floral has been nothing but positive. This has inspired her to continue striving to provide the best floral design services to the community.
“We’ve gotten a lot of customer referrals,” said Morris. “All reviews we’ve gotten online have been five star reviews.”
Although Morris knew how to design amazing floral arrangements, she lacked expertise in opening a small business. That’s where the Nevada Small Business Development Center stepped in. Michael Salogga, a business advisor for the Nevada SBDC, provided Morris with the guidance she needed in order to get Intimate Designs Floral up and running.
“It’s really crucial to have someone that can help you,” said Morris.
The assistance Salogga provided to Morris included seeking out financing options as well as helping to create a business plan for Intimate Designs Floral.
“She developed the business plan, I reviewed the finer points,” said Salogga. “I made sure she had all her ducks in a row.”
At the time she was trying to open her shop, Morris was also working 60 hours a week. In any spare time she had, Morris would work on the business plan. With the help of Salogga, she succeeded in opening her business in June of 2014.
“Michael was very instrumental,” said Morris. “He really knows what he’s talking about.”
Salogga is confident that Morris will be able to succeed due to her focus on providing services that are both community and customer-oriented.
“It’s strictly a local flower shop,” said Salogga. “She’s going against the grain, and making a go of it.”
The positive impact made by Intimate Designs Floral is not merely economic. Intimate Designs Floral also gives back to the community with its Angels with Flowers program. This program, started by Morris, is something she knew she always wanted to do if she ever opened her own shop. Each week, Morris visits a local hospital and gives flowers to the patients.
“I have the nurses pick out the patient having the roughest day and give them an arrangement with a get well card,” said Morris. “I knew if I was in the hospital, that’s something I would have appreciated.”
This drive to help others is what fuels Morris’s passion for designing flower arrangements. Her top priority is to bring others joy, something Morris believes is the most important part of owning Intimate Designs Floral.
“No matter what, you’re doing something good for someone,” said Morris.
This prioritization of helping others is what separates Intimate Designs Floral from other shops. Above all, Morris realizes that it’s the little things in life that matter the most, and that everyone should occasionally stop to smell the roses.
You can connect with Intimate Designs Floral at intimatedesignsfloral.com or at www.facebook.com/intimatedesignsfloralllc