Karin’s Florist was founded in October 1956 and made its official transition to Vienna in 1995, when Maris Angolia joined the family business.
The company was started by her father and grandfather in Falls Church. Before relocating Karin’s Florist to Vienna, the family was in need of a sales representative. They wanted to hire someone knowledgeable in computers and technology to manage online orders. Maris, who studied Marketing and Computer Science at American University in Washington, DC, had the skills the business needed to move it to the next level.
Working at Karin’s Florist after a 10-year career in the IT industry was definitely an unplanned pursuit. However, her professional background was befitting to the role the company needed, not to mention Maris had a profound interest in flowers.
In 2009, Maris became the President of both Karin’s Florist and Dukas Properties, the building where Karin’s Florist is located. One of her main priorities for the company has been customer satisfaction. She was inspired by the words of a passenger while traveling on a train, who told her: “The least we could do (as service people) is make the lives of people around us, who work for us, and the people we work for, easier or better.” Her goal to grow her family’s business and continue its legacy remains to this day.
The formula to a successful family business.
Maris provides four element that helps grow a business, here’s how:
1. Know the culture. Culture plays a big part in branding your business. Trends tend to make people have similar interests. It's essential to adapt your marketing style, so customers can resonate with your brand. Maris elevates Karin’s Florist by operating on a fully computerized platform that sends photos of arrangements and gifts that customers have purchased, so that they can “see what they send.” This ensures customer satisfaction and appeals to a tech savvy generation.
2. Work with honesty and integrity Both principles go hand-in-hand to grow a business. Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles, if you start with honesty within yourself, you can achieve anything.
3. Teamwork makes the dream work. Building a business is like building a family. Maris believes that at Karin’s Florist, success is not a one-person job. Success relies on collaboration and teamwork across every department. Maris values teamwork in her company, because everything is interrelated and everyone from designers to sales representatives must come together to make things work.
4. Embrace innovation. There are always “better ways to do things,” says Maris. Whether it be improving design or creating new products, innovation is essential for the growth of a business. With Maris’ commitment to innovating, Karin’s Florist has truly improved the customer experience. Most recently, the store now provides customers with flowers and a new gift line that is great for holidays, birthdays, and other events.
The shop’s success has led to a number of recognitions over the years. With Karin’s Florist ability to deliver nationwide, they received “The Best Florist in America” award from Steve Harvey. Under Maris’ leadership, Karin’s Florist has grown and adapted. It's success story– especially as a family business with lasting power– is one that many businesses in Vienna can resonate with and can be inspired by for many years to come.
