How to make a business bloom
When it comes to networking, living in a small, close-knit community has its advantages.
Jackie got to know Doug and Sharron Hales when Doug was principal of her children's school in Porangahau. When the couple bought Café Nola and Restaurant in Waipawa, Jackie helped them paint and decorate the café, and offered to bring in flower bouquets to brighten it up on opening day. The flowers sold, there were requests for more, so Jackie began supplying them regularly.
She's also found Facebook and Instagram to be useful business tools.
"The easy bit is growing the flowers, but marketing is way out of my comfort zone. I'm amazed at how much support I've had and how it spreads by word of mouth. I have a customer at Porangahau Beach who looks forward to her weekly bunch of flowers. Sharron tells me people often ask when there'll be more flowers arriving at the café."
Jackie also delivers flowers to her town customers twice a week and sells them at a coffee cart in Porangahau.
"I'll keep doing what I do, and the business will grow organically. The children are busy with netball, rugby and their horses; it has to be fitted in and around our family life too."