Blossoming in Freelance Floristry: An Interview with Squid Ink Floristry

If you've ever considered a career in freelance floristry or want to take your floral business to the next level, this one’s for you!

The creative force behind Squid Ink Floristry, Lilly Chen, took a leap of faith into the freelance world in 2022. And since then, there's been no turning back.

In her first year as a freelance florist, she has lent her artistic touch to over 20 different floral businesses across Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales. Her portfolio boasts an impressive range of events, from Melbourne Fashion Week to corporate exhibitions, editorial shoots and countless weddings. It's safe to say that Lilly has quickly become a sought-after and trusted freelancer.

Read on to hear insights into Lilly’s freelancing lifestyle, the valuable lessons she's learned along the way and the tools and knowledge she's gathered that can help build your dream career as a freelance florist.

Hey Lilly!

Tell me about why you choose to go into the freelancing world?

 
I was really interested in the freelance lifestyle: the flexibility it offered me, the possibilities it presented to travel for work and the opportunity to work with other florists and learn on the job so many different approaches and styles. Nothing beats hands on experience!

  
How did you find ideal florists that you want to work with?

It’s also a good idea to have a look at who florists you love are following! I reached out to florists who’s work I found really exciting and inspiring, and people who I wanted to be able to learn a little from! I also will consider whether their business ethics align with mine.

That’s a beautiful thing about freelancing, I get to drop into different places and share knowledge like that, picking up different, maybe faster or more efficient ways to do things.

How do you get ready for a freelancing shift?

 
If it’s your first shift with a new business, I think it wouldn’t hurt to ask your employer if they have any preferences on what they would like you to wear. Some people I work for would like me in their company branded shirt, some people prefer you to be in all black, and I even have one person I work for that loves when we put in the effort to wear something similar to the wedding’s colour palette so it looks cohesive when their taking photos/vids for their BTS. These things of course aren’t make or break, but I found it’s always just nice to ask.

How did you figure out your rates? Do you find your floristry rate matches up with others? How do you ensure you’re earning a liveable wage?

It really does have to be a balancing act between being comparable to others in your area, setting a rate that reflects your ability level and being firm in what you need to make for that liveable wage. When determining your rate, also remember that as a freelancer you will need to put aside your own tax, super contributions, budget for sick days and leave, so keep that in mind too!

This certainly isn’t a straight forward one that’s a one-size fits all. There are definitely different factors that need to be taken into consideration when determining your rate. However, the beauty of being a freelancer is that it is completely up to you!

Terms and Conditions you’ve set/How did you come up with these? How do you send them to employers?

My terms cover things like my rate at different times of day, over time, travel fees, cancellation policies, public holidays etc.
I send this in an email to each new employer of mine before my first shift with them. They must acknowledge it before I go ahead and book the shift!

How have you communicated your boundaries and stuck by them? What happens if they are asking you to do jobs that are outside of your role?

If someone was asking me to do jobs outside of my role, for example they hired me at $40/h, then they asked me to do things like liaison with the client and venue, order flowers and direct the team (this is a head florists job), I would have a conversation with them about that being out of the scope of our agreement and I will need to raise my rate in order to take on those extra responsibilities.

It’s really important to catch this early, and speak to them about it as soon as possible if you feel you need to make a rate change, because I don’t think it’s fair to agree to do the task and then ask for a raised rate later.

Do you have any tips as a freelancer to remain professional and sought after? How do you ensure you’re getting repeat work?

1. Being honest about skill level, capabilities and experience. It’s always better to be up-front about it and not just try be impressive. If you have less experience, this doesn’t at all mean you won’t be hired, in both event and retail floristry there is a place for all ability levels. They need people to strip and reflex flowers, they need people to run buckets and condense, to place out arrangements, and they’ll also need people up on the ladder directing the install work and calling shots. There’s nothing worse than being given a responsibility that is completely out of your depth and you don’t know what you’re doing.

2. Being polite and friendly to venue staff, other vendors and friends/family of client. Remember when you’re interacting with these people, you’re there on behalf of someone else’s business, you’re representing their name

3. Be reliable! Show up on time, don’t cancel shifts unless it’s absolutely necessary, and if you do, try to help them find an available freelancer as replacement. This isn’t contractual but it is courteous. Be consistent in your work and attitude.

 
What tips do you have for florists wanting to start out as freelancers?

Reach out and don’t be afraid to really put yourself out there! Introduce yourself to as many people in the industry as you can (whether florists or others), connections and networking are really valuable in the freelance world. Keep in touch with these people!

Also, put time and effort into your own work too! I think I touched on this before, but if you’re just starting out as a freelancer, have some pics that really showcase your work and style and really show people what you can do. It really helps to get the ball rolling and gain that momentum, especially in the beginning.

Click here to listen to Lilly’s full interview inside our Wildflower Academy!