Community & Business
10 August, 2021
Florist makes return
A FEW weeks ago, Renee and Taylor Hughes were woken in the middle of the night with some of the worst news you can receive as a business owner.
BY SALLY TURLEY
A FEW weeks ago, Renee and Taylor Hughes were woken in the middle of the night with some of the worst news you can receive as a business owner.
They were told the shop (Floral Magic) they had operated and developed over the last five years was burning down, a situation they struggled to even comprehend.
The still unexplained catastrophe left them both with houses to pay off and no job or wage to supply the required funds for payments.
Fast forward just two weeks, and after a lot of soul-searching, Taylor Hughes at just 20 years of age, has launched herself into her own business after creating “Lilah and Rose Floral Design”.
The new online enterprise, which began trading last Wednesday, offers customers the same range of services they enjoyed at Floral Magic.
“I will still be preparing and delivering bunches of flowers all over Mareeba, Dimbulah, Kuranda and the Atherton Tablelands and getting them out to our more remote clients by bus, because everyone's life should include flowers,” Ms Hughes said.
“I have always loved working with flowers and after losing our family business, I realised I still had a passion for working in the industry. Initially, I will be going back to basics, offering a simpler, more eco-friendly approach, by focusing on fresh bouquets.
“Flowers are one of the oldest, most beautiful and most successful ways of showing the people in our lives how we feel. I will still be catering for all life's floral requirements, from anniversaries to corporate events, expressions of romance, sympathy or apology, to congratulations or just saying thank you, or get well.
“I trained so hard to learn my trade and the support from so many wonderful, local people has inspired me to keep going. People like our book keeper, Kathy Rocella, who took care of everything in the days after the fire and then helped me through every step involved in setting up my new business.
“People like Fran Stabile of You Beauty, who, wanting to help me get a start on my own, donated her entire trading proceeds from last Friday to my new venture and Michelle France of Cage and Co Eatz, who has offered me space to run ‘pop up shops’ at her business so I can stay in touch with my clients. Then there was our wonderful mobile butcher, Bill Black who has given me the use of a cold room for as long as I need it for my flowers and the generosity of Jack Pedersen from Jacko's Welding who supplied the steel I needed to set up my new work benches,” she said.
Taylor and her mother Renee both agreed the support they have felt since the fire has been overwhelming, reminding them of just how good it was living in a small town.
They want to thank everyone for all their kindnesses and for their loyal support over the last five years.
