A Pinay who first went to Norway as au pair now owns a flower shop business in the land of the midnight sun. An impressive achievement, right?
Pinay Au Pair Becomes Flower Shop Owner
Grace Reyes went to Norway as an au pair back when she was still 18 years old.
The young lady fell in love with the country and also found love there. She would meet her husband in Norway and start a family. The couple now has two kids.
Even back when she was still an au pair, Grace dreamed of owning a business.
Surely understanding that opening a business isn’t a joke, Grace thought of a business that she would love to do and grow. Since she loves caring for plants, she thought that a flower shop business might be a good idea.
To start her journey, she applied at a flower shop to understand this kind of business and learn more about how to prepare different products that this business can offer to customers.
Seeing how much she loves the job and valuing the dedication she puts into her work, Grace’s Norwegian employer offered her a chance to become her own boss by opening a franchise of the flower shop.
Grace’s first shop has been open for over 8 years – and she even has a second shop that has also been open for over 5 years!
Now 52 years old, Grace admits that they faced hardships during the height of the pandemic, but they quickly turned the business around by getting more online orders even if their shop as physically closed.
“During pandemic,medyo mahirap kaya lang hindi naman talaga kami totally naapektuhan kasi ang daming nag-o-order ng flowers at masuwerte pa rin kami even though the shop is closed, kasi open ang aming online ordering,” she shared.
“Para po doon sa mga tao na gustong mag-try mag-negosyo o magkaroon ng business dito sa Norway i-try lang po kasi kung hindi n’yo naman ita-try hindi n’yo naman malalaman.”
A flower shop business in Norway is a good idea – and you can use that as inspiration to open your own flower shop in the Philippines.
Watch her story here:
What’s an Au Pair?
An au pair helps with child care, but is closer to the family than a nanny because of their special arrangement.
The au pair typically comes from another country and lives with the family for up to two years, on a legal visa. They take care of the children in exchange for room and board, weekly or monthly stipend, and an opportunity to visit the country and become part of the foreign family.
