IQ-Magazine-Issue-17

Sowing the Seeds
of Digital Success
IQ profile
From independent retailer to national online boutique,
florist to the stars Paula Pryke, OBE, recently altered her
business model to change with the times. Here she gives
her advice for business owners looking to follow suit
Paula Pryke has been hailed as a floral icon. With almost
30 years’ experience in the industry, she has produced 17
books, boasts celebrity clients and fans across the world,
and even has her own flower school. Starting out with
a passion for flowers, Paula has transformed her hobby
into a fully-fledged entrepreneurial business. As times
have changed and retail has evolved, Paula decided
to implement an exercise that she hopes will alter her
business dramatically, her own online flower store.
The process behind moving a localised offering to a
national outlook took Paula 18 months to implement.
With a bricks and motor retail store in London, Paula
had to transfer her highly personal outlook to suit a wideranging
audience. Whilst Paula is known throughout the
world for writing and media work, this experience was
completely new to her and whilst it was a task that she
wanted to undergo, it would mean diverting from her
usual approach.
Paula says, “I took some good advice from someone
experienced in e-commerce and national marketing.
One thing I would relay to anyone looking to take their
independent brand national is to make sure that you have
sufficient funds, or a strong investor. Web development,
SEO and marketing services are ongoing aspects of any
retail business; costs mount up, and don’t end once a site
is complete. You need to be realistic.”
When it comes to advising others looking to pursue
their dream of going national with a business that has
stemmed from a hobby, Paula offers sound advice:
“Drive and ambition is key, but also you need to ensure
you have a key USP. There will always be someone out
there looking to compete, but you need to be sure that
you’re offering the best service you can, with something
desirable or required by a consumer. If your service and
product is strong, and you’re promoting this efficiently
through effective branding, PR, advertising and
marketing, the more likely you are to be successful. I’ve
always been proud to provide the best possible service,
with the best possible products to my clients – and have
been lucky enough to have been recognised for it across
the world.”
High street shops are altering, customer journeys are
changing and Paula had to adapt. If you’re looking to
adjust too, perhaps you can be inspired by words that
Paula holds close, words of Charles Darwin, which
apply to both life and business: “It is not the
strongest of the species that survives, nor the most
intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most
adaptable to change. In the struggle for survival,
the fittest win out at the expense of their
rivals because they succeed in
adapting themselves best to
their environment.”
More Information
www.paulapryke.com
issue 17 | page 45