Read more at http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/money/540005/why-this-woman-is-selling-1-000-valentine-s-day-roses-and-giving-all-the-profits-to-charity#CMy3CkcOsG2TG5rP.99

I like to think of myself as a "budding" entrepreneur and set up this site to help romantics all over the country woo their loved ones with stunning Dutch roses, but at a fraction of the price of the big retailers.

I had decided to send a couple of roses to potential suitors and was browsing through an email I had received from one of the biggest florist delivery networks.  When I saw the rip-off prices I nearly fell off my chair. I would have spent nearly £80 for just two red roses to be delivered on Valentine’s morning.

Having recently gained a number of Floristry qualifications and work experience in florist shops, I  decided to set up my own venture, importing flowers from Holland, wrapping them beautifully and sending them out to arrive on Valentine’s Day itself.

As the idea has grown, I have roped in an amazing array of friends to help me get this off the ground. My dream team now includes a graphic designer, opera singer, logistics manager, former rock star, chef, headteacher, hairdresser, photographer, communications coordinator, PR officer, jewellery buyer, and a TV producer. Not to mention friends that kindly agreed to be models for photos, teach me Twitter, let me use their homes as photographic locations and a niece on the other side of the world who has introduced me to Instagram!

In just under a week, the website was born. We're quite a little community now and when I think about how amazing everybody is, it makes me want to cry. On Friday 7th February, one week before Valentine's Day I decided to mix things up with this little idea of mine.  I decided to donate all of the profits from this venture to charity, in honour of my lovely Mum, Eve who died of Breast Cancer when I was eleven and she was the age I am now.

Thanks to some well connected Facebook friends, news spread very fast and a lovely lady, Tara from a huge lifestyle website called Good To Know was the first to get in touch and wrote this lovely article about me:-

 

http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/money/540005/why-this-woman-is-selling-1-000-valentine-s-day-roses-and-giving-all-the-profits-to-charity

After much thought, the charity I have chosen is Maggie's. There is a wealth of support and information out there but often it is difficult to access at a time when people are reeling from the shock of diagnosis and drained of energy from treatment. Maggie's centres are havens for people and their families to go to to find a shoulder to cry on, information on the effects of their chemo and discover what help they are entitled to. Even if all that is necessary is a cup of tea and a much needed laugh, Maggies provides this.  We will be working through the days and nights of the 12th and 13th February to ensure that lucky Valentines all over the UK will be receiving their roses on Valentine’s Day.

Oh and did I mention that if we sell the 1000 roses we are hoping, then each lucky Valentine that receives one will also be entered into a draw to win £1,000? Yes that's right, £1,000. Surely that's better than a bunch of roses from the supermarket?
 

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Sophie x

P.S I love social media and spend far too much time on Facebook! I'm learning fast about the others but I really want everyone to be a part of this in their own way.  Links to our pages are at the top, so please talk to us.  Send us photos of your Valentine, tell us what you might spend the prize money on if you won, send us photos of yourselves with the roses once they arrive, that sort of thing.  The more we get people chatting about this, the higher the chances of being able to do the competition...in more ways than one ;)