From a Small Shop to Large Brands: A Story of Alina Takmelova's Business

Alina Takmelova is a Canadian businesswoman engaged in the floral-design, wedding, and event industries. At the moment, Alina owns a large corporation that includes such brands as Flowers Time, Lux Flowerbox, Engineered Arts, and AT Design Agency.

The entrepreneur has been in business for 12 years and, during this time, has had a significant impact on the development of the flower, wedding, and event industries in Canada. Moreover, Alina managed to bring the famous wedding decorator Karen Tran to Canada to hold a wedding show and a master class. She became the first person who managed to do this!

Despite her success today, Alina Takmelova started her business path with a flower shop back in 2011. It was a small room of 1,000 square feet, which the woman owned with her husband.

In the early running of her business, Alina was involved in all processes on her own: she communicated with customers, designed and created flower arrangements for further sale.

Alina’s brand was actively developing, the number of customers and employees increased, but the entrepreneur did not stop doing her work of love – the arrangement of flower designs.

However, there was a long way to go for the success to come: Alina worked hard, participated in exhibitions, published her works in online exhibitions and the media, created unique customized flower arrangements of huge sizes.

Collaboration with WedLux played a big role in the history of the entrepreneur’s flower business. WedLux is the world’s leading platform for holding weddings in various styles. The brand has been operating since 2006 and, during this time, has managed to gain the respect and love of consumers and professionals around the world.

Despite the rapid growth of Alina Takmelova’s business, she could not avoid difficulties during the coronavirus pandemic. Severe restrictions and business interruptions in Canada have all companies in the wedding and event industries at risk.

Thus, weddings and other major events remained restricted for a long time. Many companies simply could not pay salaries to their employees during this period and ended up closing.

Small flower shops also had a hard time. People tried to contact sellers and spend money as little as possible.

In order not to lose its valuable employees, Alina’s company paid salaries to each of them. To save the budget, the entrepreneur tried to cut all possible expenses, including her own payments.

Despite great difficulties, Alina was not going to give up. A few months later, the woman decided to analyze the market, and she came up with an innovative idea – the production of gift flower boxes of various sizes. Alina named her products FlowerBox and began to actively develop her new business.

Canadians liked this idea, and thus, the new brand gained great popularity. Alina’s idea also helped florists and flower shops to get back to active business – since it was they whom the businesswoman started cooperating with.

Today, the FlowerBox brand, as well as other Alina Takmelova’s brands, are at their peak. The entrepreneur continues to actively speak at various online conferences and is even going to visit England to share her fascinating experience.

The woman also keeps in contact with her old partner, WedLuxe. The companies are actively collaborating and continue to contribute to the wedding industry.

Alina’s corporation has come a long way from a small flower shop to several large brands. But, despite overcoming many difficulties and reducing severe restrictions in Canada, the event industry in this country remains underdeveloped. At the moment, the woman considers moving to the United States, because she receives many offers and orders from this country as well.