The most popular romantic gifts include a basic stuffed animal, a box of chocolates that all taste the same, and, most notably, a bouquet of flowers that will usually have a lifespan of a day or two at max.
The desire for a memorable present that is affordable as well as sentimental is something that senior Mayte Martinez, junior Ahnika Ficken, freshman Aisha Mirza, and freshman Lily Kelly wanted to fulfill.
The group of four worked together to start a business that represented their hobbies and talents. The product of this was the creation of Blooming.
“The main reason we decided to make flowers was that Valentine’s Day was coming up and [we] saw it as a good opportunity to sell them to the public, along with other special occasions that would be good with flowers such as prom and other more personal occasions, such as birthdays,” Ficken said.
Aside from featuring this group’s craftsmanship when it comes to creating paper and ribbon flowers, their business has also helped them connect with the community, while cultivating an even stronger bond within themselves.
“We were standing after a metro competition for DECA and [we] were talking about how state is around $200. Then we started talking about how we could pay for it and randomly we all said ‘Hey what if we did something together,’ and that’s how it started. Then we just discussed what we were good at doing and decided to sell paper and ribbon flowers,” Mirza said.
The young entrepreneurs have set roles that they stick to in order to make sure that their business runs smoothly. Their flexibility regarding their custom orders has also proven to work well.
“I am in charge of making the flowers out of ribbon, but I also worked on creating our logo and buying some of the different materials that we may need. Ahnika is in charge of making paper flowers. Aisha takes care of the finances and the Instagram page, along with letting us know when we have new orders to complete. Lily helps out where we need help and makes jewelry, too,” Martinez said.
The products available at Blooming range from flowers made out of a variety of materials to add-ons such as jewelry, and an assortment of sweet treats.
“So, to start, what we sell are flowers [which come in] ribbon or paper. These flowers come in many varieties. You can get them as plain, glitter, or even [with] chocolate. We even do custom orders,” Mirza said.
Apart from the products that they sell, the group of four has achieved a lot from a community standpoint, and from working with each other.
“For a business that was run up really quickly, I feel like we have been successful community-wise and really networking ourselves with new people. Although we have made a smaller profit, I still have confidence in how much our business will grow with time and experience. In other words, I can see lots of achievements in the near future,” Ficken said.
The group of four created this business specifically because of how versatile these gifts are. They can be purchased for a variety of events, while also being a sentimental and long-lasting present.
“We all talked to each other about our different talents and things we can make. Paper flowers are incredible because they don’t wither and [they] are so customizable and forever beautiful. [They are] a perfect gift to give someone special to you,” Kelly said.
All four of the girls are in DECA, which has provided them with financial and marketing knowledge that has helped them with their business. The question arises if they hope to keep running their business even after high school ends.
“Even though I am a junior and will be graduating soon I still plan on continuing this business through the next year and a half, especially for two of our members who are freshmen and have the rest of their high school career to look forward to,” Ficken said.
The unstoppable group is more than glad that they have met each other during their time in DECA.
“It has been amazing having such a good group of girls to work with. DECA is an amazing place to make friends, and I feel this business has deepened our friendships,” Kelly said.
The unbreakable bond between this group of four has allowed them to work more collaboratively. Whether it’s shown while packing orders, or by neatly arranging each bouquet, it seems Blooming truly has a blossoming future ahead of them.