When John Ventura opened his flower shop, Great Roses!, in December 1989 in University Heights, he may have been looking at life through rose-colored glasses.
“I thought that the flower business wouldn’t be that difficult,” Ventura remembered. “I didn’t have any experience in the field, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.”
It certainly seemed to be an advantageous venture. Ventura had returned to San Diego from Sacramento, where he worked for then-Gov. George Deukmejian, to establish his own business and ultimately work for himself.
Upon his return, he discovered that a friend from Sacramento had exclusively devoted his greenhouse to growing roses. The connection to the industry led Ventura to open his business, which initially sold only roses, in a Hillcrest garage 11 years ago.
But like a lily among thorns, Great Roses! has not only survived but thrived in the competitive world of high-end, large and online florists. From traditional to exotic and tropical flowers, the company has expanded to provide high quality for their customers.
“We’re not a walk-in florist, so we’re not competing with Conroy’s or grocery stores,” Ventura said. “We do projects by contract either over the phone or fax. We see ourselves as a florist for businesses and business people.”
Also, while such “walk-in” florists experience some definite on- and off-seasons, Great Roses has a steady flow of business, Ventura said. They are contracted or subcontracted to do decorations and arrangements for banquets, trade shows, conventions or other business events.
“Holidays are busy, especially Valentine’s Day, but we’re fairly well-balanced year-round,” Ventura said, noting that July and August usually peaks the year with the biggest number of in-town events.
Great Roses! currently occupies a 2,500-square-foot building in the heart of University Heights. There are six employees, and sometimes part-time work is contracted out to help with big projects, Ventura said.
Ventura actively reaches out to entrepreneurial hopefuls to provide them with helpful information he has collected on his journey. He dedicates about one week a month to teach business seminars in conjunction with the National Seminars Group.
“I always tell people it’s very satisfying to create, begin and preside over your own business,” he said. “And I advise them to get experience in the field that they want to enter. That’s a mistake I made. I wish I had taken the time to work in the floral industry to get a taste of what it is really like.”
An interesting fact about Great Roses! is that, unlike its competitors, it does not maintain a Web site.
“Up to this point, we have not been heavy on the Internet,” Ventura said. “We want to deal with people individually and personally.”
Plans are in the works to develop a Web page for Great Roses!, mostly to let potential out-of-town customers see arrangements and decorating ideas.
In this world of endless business technology renovation, Great Roses! plans to keep the customer and quality first.
“I’m currently writing a book on effective business and the Golden Rule,” Ventura said. “We strive to follow that here and treat others as they would want to be treated.”
