A blossoming business model in Monroe

Her Monroe-based floral design studio aptly earns its nickname as "the hidden gem of Monroe.GÇ¥ It's quiet, unassuming and at first glance, easy to dismiss. But for the past decade, Flowers by Karen owner Karen McIntosh has been busy inside creating art.

Tucked away near Speedway Chevrolet just off State Route 522, Flowers by Karen celebrated its 10-year anniversary in Monroe on Monday, May 1. It's taken a little bit of everything to make it work ' McIntosh's artist's eye combined with an entrepreneurial knack have both informed her success, along with her ability to produce high-quality floral artistry. She has been featured in numerous bridal magazines, was honored in Washington-based Gray Magazine and boasts a five-star online rating.

"When you get flowers from me, they are going to be the freshest possible flowers you can ever get,GÇ¥ McIntosh said. "They are going to be very creatively designed, because a piece of me goes in everything that goes out that door.GÇ¥

Formerly known as Kade's Florist, McIntosh purchased the flower business in 2006. While being a business owner was new to her, being a floral designer was not. At 18, McIntosh was hired as a delivery driver by a flower shop, but as soon as the shop owner discovered she had a knack for crafting bows and creating arrangements, they assigned the deliveries to someone else.

She drew on that experience as she worked to establish herself in Monroe, finding that artistry came easy to her. Figuring out how to transform her business was a whole separate challenge, she said.

When she first assumed ownership of the business, it was primarily a wire-service filling station, with a few regular customers on the side. In the floral industry, wire-service businesses, or order-gathering companies, are detrimental to a small business owner. They use a pervasive and sometimes misleading online presence to solicit orders, collect a fee, and then farm the orders out to local flower shops that do the actual work.

McIntosh knew she had to create a business model that did not include wire-service orders. She ventured to a design show in Seattle to hone her skills and see what was out there. The experience was pivotal. The show was held at a floral warehouse, where McIntosh learned she could browse the warehouse and pick out exactly which flowers she wanted to work with.

The previous owner had always had flowers delivered.-á

"It was like opening this whole new door,GÇ¥ McIntosh said. "I went there and I said, "Do you mean to tell me that I can come here and pick out my flowers?' GÇ¥

The warehouse opened at 5 a.m. and new shipments came in Sunday and Wednesday mornings. In order to avoid sitting in traffic, McIntosh had to get up before dawn, but it was absolutely worth it, she said. She began making the trek twice a week, hand-selecting every flower.

In 2007, she hired someone to help her in the design studio. It was another pivotal moment for McIntosh; she was finally able to get out and start marketing her business. She got involved with the local chamber of commerce, started networking and worked hard to become a destination for customers rather than just an order-filling station.

There were some lean years, McIntosh said. There was even a point in 2009 where she wasn't sure if she was going to make it.

"When I started, I had no cash flow and that was really scary,GÇ¥ McIntosh said. "In 2009, my husband asked me when I was closing the doors, because my phones weren't ringing and there was no money coming in. I told him, "as soon as I can't pay my bills anymore.'GÇ¥

But the mother-of-five knew a thing or two about stretching the dollar. She pared down her expenses throughout 2009 and 2010 and developed a cash-only policy with her vendors that she still maintains today.

"If I don't have the money, I don't buy it,GÇ¥ McIntosh said.

She worked hard on marketing, she said, and focused on building a robust online presence. She didn't impose limitations on her business by having just one specialty. Flowers by Karen provides flowers for all occasions, including weddings, holidays, proms, get well, romance and sympathy. She strives to create custom arrangements using unique flowers that are in harmony with her customers' needs.-á

"I love what I do,GÇ¥ McIntosh said. "I always like to have some really fun flowers.GÇ¥

She has also taken risks. Her feature in Gray Magazine was earned after she beat out two Seattle-area florists in a design competition. Her arrangement featured roses and sweeping tulips. "It's springtime in a vase ' the perfect expression of the season's fleeting beauty,GÇ¥ according to Gray Magazine's write-up.

One of the ways McIntosh has been able to achieve longevity is by, for the most part, being a one-woman show. While she occasionally employs the help of guest designers during special events like proms and holidays, typically, McIntosh works alone. She crafts the arrangements, chooses embellishments to enhance her designs, does the deliveries and maintains the business.

She has also established herself as a person who gives back to the community. McIntosh is a member of the Sky Valley Chamber of Commerce, and donates flowers to chamber events like the annual auction and the Sky Valley Community Awards. She provided flowers for last year's Gold Dust Royalty Pageant, and supports local schools, including Monroe High School, where her daughter is a student.

And to this day, she still gets up before dawn and drives to Seattle twice a week, so she can hand-select her flowers. There are several different markets she visits, including the Seattle Growers Market, a farmer-owned cooperative that features product from flower farms in Washington, Oregon and Alaska.

The early pilgrimage is still worth it.-á

"I'm always disappointed when they deliver,GÇ¥ McIntosh said. "It's not worth it to me.GÇ¥

McIntosh doesn't boast a lot of curb appeal, and describes herself as "creative messy.GÇ¥ Last week, she was so swamped with corsages and boutonnieres for prom, she brought in freelance design artist Calyn Kuefner to give her a hand. Kuefner equates Flowers by Karen to one of those hole-in-the-wall restaurants that just happens to serve spectacular food.

"I've worked for some very hoity-toity places, and you just have to look at what the place puts out as far as product and go from there,GÇ¥ Kuefner said. "This is a place that produces.GÇ¥

For more information about Flowers by Karen, visit flowersbykarenonline.com and see the Facebook page-á.-á