Candice Cuff opened her business out of a love for flowers.
“We have grown with the community and we stayed open during COVID,” she said about the five-year-old business. “The community still supports us. I love bringing smiles to people’s faces.”
Cuff just received a text that morning that a customer’s friend was so happy with the flowers that she was in tears.
“That’s the impact we have on people’s lives that we get a lot,” she said.
Cuff says flowers can bring beauty and peace to people’s lives.
“Who doesn’t like flowers?” she asked. “You literally have to stop and smell the roses. I love the smell of roses! I love working with all flowers because they bring me joy. I have a creative side and I use that in my design of floral arrangements.”
While some new businesses have their challenges, Cuff said that has not been the case at The Watering Can Flower Shoppe. “There has just been a nice, natural flow to it. We get our flowers delivered weekly from Phoenix and there is nothing stressful about the business.”
The Watering Can is a full florist shop offering everyday arrangements and flowers for special occasions such as weddings and funerals, along with floral arrangement classes.
The shop also has gifts, home décor and plants. One of Cuff’s favorite succulents is aloe vera, which she says “can look like a cactus, but without the pokies.”
She enjoys brightening the day for others with flowers. “I like to give arrangements away for free. Sometimes we do drawings and sometimes we just drop them off at businesses and offices like the dog groomer next door or to the Peavine.”
Cuff is a member of the Women’s Community Network and the Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce. In fact, she donates the bows for the chamber’s ribbon cutting ceremonies, which honor new businesses.
“The community has been great. We get a lot of support from Chino Valley and surrounding community,” she said. “We have a lot of repeat customers, and some people just drop vases off as their way of giving back, and then we don’t have to raise our prices for vases. That’s sweet that they do that.”
Cuff, who lives in Paulden with her husband, Justin, and sons, urges everyone to shop local. “I love the openness and support from Chino Valley,” she said.
MY SOUNDING BOARD
I have a friend who owns a small business and I often seek her opinions because of her business experience.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE
I have two. The first is, “She believed she could, so she did,” by R.S. Grey. That is what I did with The Watering Can. I thought I could, so I did. The second comes from Eleanor Roosevelt, who said, “You must do the things you think you cannot do.”
MY SUPERHEROES
My friends and family are my superheroes because they encourage me and I look up to them.
WHERE I WOULD LIKE TO VISIT
Hawaii is at the top of the list.
ADVICE FOR WOMEN GOING INTO BUSINESS
Just pursue your dreams. Give it your all. Even if you don’t succeed, at least you tried. QCBN
Photo by Stan Bindell: The Watering Can Flower Shoppe owner Candice Cuff says flowers can bring beauty and peace to people’s lives.
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