Business is blooming at new Walsall flower shop
Business is blooming for a mother-of-two who set up a new florist business at ahead of the coronavirus lockdown.
Former social worker Michelle Johnson gave up her 21-year career to switch to making fabulous creations for family occasions 18 months ago.
She is hoping to see trade flourish at her Floral Glory enterprise after opening the shop front, in Stafford Street, Walsall, to customers for the first time on November 1.
Miss Johnson, 48, explains: "I went self employed just before lockdown then a month later we were in the thick of it, but I still ploughed on trying to forge a business in very difficult times.
"I originally worked from home after setting up by website myself and using social media. Word got round that I was doing flowers.
"I found that some people wanted to send bouquets to friends and family during lockdown to cheer them up and mark special dates, while others sadly were bereaved.
"But working with flowers in my home impacted on my daughter's health as she's got asthma.
"So I found a shop and fixed it up in order to have a work station away from home and to also give customers the option to collect their orders as I'd been delivering to their front doors. I've got to the stage now where I can open the doors to the public.
"It's been going really well so far. I was pleasantly surprised when I had a call from Walsall Council inviting me to supply a quote for the AJ Bell Women’s Tour Cycling event held in the town last month. I ended up supplying the bouquets for the stage winners and the dressing for the podium.
"It was an honour to be chosen as there other florists in the town."
Walsall-born Miss Johnson moved to Wolverhampton as a youngster and attended the former Deansfield High School, now St Matthias School, in Deansfield.
"I was always good at art and music growing up. I was creative and while my sister was helping my mom with cooking, I was up a ladder with my dad fixing something."
Now she is planning to set up a campaign to spruce up Stafford Street, a main thoroughfare between Walsall town centre and Bloxwich, to make it more attractive to shoppers. See her website at floralglory.uk.
