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Springfield, MO

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Startup Corner: Eden Garrett, Eden’s Flower Truck

Springfield's startup community is here. Take the pulse.

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Minimally viable product ...
I am 21 years old and will be graduating from Drury University in May 2018. I am starting my own business with the help of my business partner, Charles DeBerry. I was inspired this past summer while living in Nashville, Tennessee, when I came across Amelia’s Flower Truck. I loved the concept of providing convenient and affordable flowers. The truck will be launching in early spring.

Problem solving …
Eden’s Flower Truck will create a unique experience by bringing flowers to the customers. The customer has the option of picking out flowers from the mobile unit and creating his or her own bouquet or expressing how much he or she wants to spend, and the bouquet will be created specifically for the customer.

Seed money …
I pitched the business concept to DeBerry my entrepreneurship professor at Drury University, and he absolutely hated the idea. One of his objections was that it was too seasonal because it was “open air.” I overcame this obstacle by suggesting a truck design that was fully enclosed so that it could be heated in the winter and air conditioned in the summer. The customers could come inside to shop. Throughout the fall semester, I kept explaining the viability of the business, and he came around to loving the idea so much that he was willing to invest in me and my business plan.  Startup costs so far are about $20,000.

Hurdles overcome …
The process of buying the truck and the negotiations with renovating the truck. We were basically asking people to take the truck apart and rebuild it. No one had tried to build a truck like this before in Springfield. Everything doesn’t go according to plan but we have been very lucky with the businesses that we are working with to reconstruct the exterior of the truck.

Pivot …
The design of the truck had to make a few compromises to comply with the Department of Transportation regulations and the overall structure and integrity of the vehicle.

Best advice …
I am so thankful to have such a brilliant business partner helping me understand all the ins and outs with running a business. I know that I wouldn’t be successful without his guidance and expertise.

Greatest need …
Patience. When you want to start a business, you want to start it “right now!” That’s not the way it works. You have to take your time to navigate your way through things. You have to be flexible and accept changes.

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