Money bouquet is the growing gift choice of many people in Nakuru, slowly facing out the traditional modes of gifting.

Seeing this shifting tide, Bronze Owino has placed himself at the centre of this wave, reaping big in return.

The founder of Nakuru gift shop and flowers, says he first opened his shop at the beginning of 2023, initially selling flower bouquets only.

Bronze Owino founder of Nakuru Giftshop and Flowers where he has been making flower and money bouquets.

Photo credit: PURITY KINUTHIA/MTAA WANGU

Not long after, a walk-in client asked for a money bouquet, a request that would change the trajectory of his business.

“Our first money bouquet was created a few days before Valentine's Day,” Owino recalls.

“This was a dollar-note bouquet worth Sh100,000. We posted it on social media and I boosted the post visibility with some paid sponsorship. The response was overwhelming. We started receiving orders, especially for Valentine’s Day. That’s when we knew it would be a business we could pick up.”

Having no prior experience with making money bouquets, Owino and his employee turned to YouTube.

Through watching various videos, the duo learnt how to handle the money notes in haste, secure them on skewers and wires, and create aesthetically pleasing arrangements that would captivate clients.

These new skills proved life changing as he was now able to offer a combination of flowers and money in one bouquet.

Asked how much time it would take to make one money bouquet and its service fee, Owino says it depends on the number of notes involved, noting that a bouquet with 30-40 notes takes at least two hours.

“A bouquet with 30-40 notes costs Sh 1,500, 40-60 notes at Sh 2,500 and 60-80 notes cost Sh 3,500.”

Additionally, Owino says for larger bouquets of over 80 notes, the charge is 5percent of the total value of the notes used to create the bouquet.

While the business has been profitable, Owino mentions that transportation is the major challenge he faces.

“Since the bouquets include fresh flowers, delivering them to far-flung regions can be difficult, especially when there are multiple orders to fulfil Additionally, the business can become overwhelming during peak seasons, such as Valentine’s Day or the December holidays, when demand skyrockets,” he laments.

But the business has taught Owino to prefer excellence to money.

Nakuru Giftshop and Flowers where Bronze Owino makes his money bouquet.

Photo credit: PURITY KINUTHIA/MTAA WANGU

"In 2023, during Valentine's day, I had to turn down some clients and refunded their money because I took on more orders than I could deliver as I was short staffed. Now, I currently take up a maximum of 100 bookings during the festive seasons to ensure I deliver quality service to each client,” he says.

The second challenge, Owino reveals, is sourcing for new money notes, which he says customers prefer.

He recalls an instance where he had to visit multiple banks to source new Sh500 and Sh1,000 notes but was told that the Central Bank of Kenya was yet to release the new currency. As a result, he had to offer customers bouquets made from serviceable notes (notes that are in a good state but slightly used).

"In the event a client is not comfortable with this arrangement, especially in scenarios where the money was sent to the bank directly, we offer to refund the money or ask the client to source the notes to be used for the bouquet," he explains.

Despite the challenges, Owino is optimistic about the future of the money bouquet business with the hope of employing more staff and moving to a bigger space.

"In Nakuru, we have been having a lot of graduations this holiday season and people have been big on the money bouquet. Similarly, the festive season sees a surge in gifting. These are key times for the business,” he says.

Owino encourages others to consider entering this growing market, which requires creativity, patience, and a keen understanding of what customers are looking for.

For those willing to put in the work, he believes there are lucrative opportunities to be found.

“To thrive in the business you need to create a good rapport and trust with clients because they need to trust you with their money,” he concludes.

Biz Lounge: What it takes to create, market and sell money bouquets

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Purity Kinuthia