Posies By Ness is one of those little start up businesses that makes you realise that anything is possible. Owner Vanessa Conlin shared a cup of coffee with us at Barrio on Lonsdale Street in Braddon to discuss her passions, her customers and the adventure of starting a small business.

Where did the idea for Posies By Ness come from?

It was more a recognition of an opportunity. My brother, who is very entrepreneurial and always on the lookout for new business approached me with the idea for a boutique flower service. I did some research and through that it was something I could easily do, and so I started working on the business structure to see if we could put it into practice.

Have you always loved flowers?

(Laughs). Actually, no! I was born on 14 February (Valentines Day), so through high school and afterwards I kind of resented flowers because it put the attention on my friends and not on me for my birthday!

I also dated a person who was really practical. He never gave me flowers, because he couldn’t see the point in buying something so transitory…. But that’s kind of the point of flowers, isn’t it? They’re transitory…. You just buy them for someone ‘just because’. In the last few years I’ve really grown to love them. They’re really fun!

How long have you been in business?

I officially opened the business in November 2014, so not for very long! We didn’t really launch – we simply put up the website and then spent a bit of money on Facebook campaigns and Google Adwords. It’s simply grown from there over the last six months or so.

Who inspired you in a business sense?

Most certainly, my brother. I’ve really leaned on him to get me up and running. He knew all the steps that I needed to take to guide me through the process of creating and opening the business, so he’s been the major influence to date.

Where do you source your flowers?

I source from a local wholesaler, and get to pick my preferred flowers in person every day. I’ll look over the stock and play with combinations until the right arrangement emerges.

Over time I would love to work purely with Australian flowers, or even better – with regional flowers – however with the scale of my business and the small size of the industry in Canberra it’s not yet possible to be that specific. I’m definitely looking towards this, though.

What are you favourite flowers/materials to work with?

Wow. That’s a list that just keeps on growing. I really love tulips, though – they are simple and elegant, and it’s amazing to see the response of people when they receive tulips. There’s just something about them.

I don’t tend to work with favourites, though. I really want to make sure that every posy is the highest quality. The buyer and receiver has to be satisfied with the product because, with the personal nature of the business there’s a strong bond between all three parties.

How long does it take from the concept stage before a posie is released?

It’s pretty quick, because I need to ensure I’m working with the best seasonal flowers available. Once I’ve picked the stock, the next day starts early – I’ll rise at 4.00am and perfect the arrangement. Once I’m happy, I’ll put together the orders for the day and then it’s time to hit the road and start delivering.

I like to get them out nice and early so that people have the entire day to enjoy them. I think this is really important – especially for people receiving flowers at work. You want everyone to see them and for to be able to enjoy them at their desk all day.

How far will you deliver?

All through Canberra and Queanbeyan. From Dunlop to Banks, we’ve got you covered. No problem!

Have any particular customers warmed your heart?

Everyone is pleased to receive flowers, however there was one order that I received that asked for the message to simply say ’Halfway’. I had no idea what it meant, and it wasn’t something I could have misread, so I went along and wrote it on the tag.

When I delivered it, the girl was thrilled. The buyer worked in Defence and was in the middle of a long overseas posting. That day marked the halfway point until he came home. It was really gorgeous.

Thanks Ness for your time, and our gorgeous Posy!

Facebook: /posiesbyness
Instagram: @posiesbyness