The Wild Rose
Sumner, Iowa (pop. 2,021) is our featured rural community this week! We'll be sharing stories throughout the week from local leaders and business owners who are making an impact here.
Today's guest blog post is from Susan Heying. Sue is the owner of The Wild Rose, a full service florist that includes three designers on staff with over 50 years of combined experience. They also have multiple greenhouses, a garden center, and a boutique with unique apparel and accessories, plus a wide variety of home decor items and gifts for everyone.
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In the summer of 1994 my husband and I were relaxing on our annual houseboat trip when we began talking about becoming a part of our local business district.
Flashback to 1972… I had just graduated from high school, the Vietnam War was winding down, and my then fiancé (now husband), got drafted. I had planned to go to college to become a clinical psychologist, but when it became clear that he was probably going to end up overseas, I decided to follow a different path and went to floral design school in Chicago for the summer he was inducted. My father and the home town florist down the street from where I grew up inspired me. Besides, 4-6 weeks of design school seemed a lot more feasible than 4 years of college at the time! I graduated in August, got married in December, and ended up living in Germany for the first two years we were married.
Fast forward to 1994… I had been working in the floral industry for over 20 years and just turned 40 years old. I felt ready to make the next step, I contacted one of my former employers who owned the local floral shop and greenhouse. He had expanded his business into landscaping, which had become very successful. It seemed like the right time for both of us to make a change. When we returned home from our trip, with my husband’s encouragement, I called the local florist and told him I was interested in purchasing his business. Three days later, he called with an offer, which we accepted and two new businesses were born in Sumner — The Wild Rose (formerly the The Flower Garden), and Maifield Landscaping.
I opened my doors as The Wild Rose on January 5, 1995 and I haven’t looked back since. I started my 28th year in business this year and what a wild ride it has been! When I bought the business, my goal was to diversify beyond being just a “florist;” although, the floral part of my business continues to grow and be strong. My first step was to add a large showroom and grow into the gift and home décor area. I still utilize my greenhouses and garden center, but had decided not to grow my own product. Instead, I purchase product wholesale from others. Over the years, I noticed there was an area in my shop that was not producing a profit for its square footage. When the boutique business became popular, we added women’s clothing and accessories to the non-profitable space. This has become the best-selling square footage in my business.
I love having my business in a small town, especially one as progressive as Sumner! I have been well supported by the community, banks, insurance agencies, and fellow business owners.
The three things that I think have contributed to my longevity are:
The ability to change with the business climate and to diversify when needed to maintain profitability. If you aren’t happy with the direction your business is going, don’t be afraid to make changes.
Developing a presence on social media! You can say what you want about social media, but I have reached more people in a few years on Facebook and Instagram, than in all the prior years of radio, TV, and newspaper advertising. I have over 3,000 followers (that’s more than the population of Sumner) that get to see my shop and what I have to offer via social media.
When I was shut down during the pandemic, selling on Facebook kept my inventory moving and money coming in. What could have been a disastrous situation turned into me working throughout the entire pandemic, and being profitable!
Most importantly is working hand in hand with other local businesses to promote myself and each other. Teamwork makes the dream work! I have always made it a priority to be involved in my community and its progress. I have had business leaders from other communities ask me what Sumer’s secret is. If one of is successful, we all are successful! We strive to bring new customers and businesses into our community. As many small towns around us are seeing their business districts dry up, Sumner is thriving! People want to be a part of a community that is excited and optimistic about its future. I’m so excited to see the next generation of young entrepreneurs continue to promote and grow Sumner! We really and truly are “The City with a Future!” I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of this great town!
Find out more about the rural revival happening in Sumner, Iowa here:
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