We reached out to Zinnia, an online floral business, and one of last year's winner of TS Bank Tank (now REV) to see how things have changed in the past year. Read all about the great things they have done and advice they have for another local businesses or start-ups below!
1. Tell us about your business.
We are changing the way flowers are bought online by focusing on simplicity, affordability, and local partnerships.
2. Tell us about your experience at TS Bank Tank.
Our experience was a ton of fun, mostly because of the people we got to meet and the other local businesses we got to interact with. The variety of local businesses and the unique pursuits of each presenter were pretty inspiring. Whether it was a small town grocery store, gourmet popsicles, or engineers helping people pursue their dreams-all the teams were generally excited to have the opportunity to build businesses that support the local area. Our TS Bank experience was validating in the fact that many people had poor experiences buying flowers online, and it seemed that they caught on to our idea, and they wanted to help us continue to build out our technology.
3. How did you use your prize money? Has it changed things?
We are still using it for two main purposes, building out our technology and marketing. It has definitely helped us gain exposure locally in and around Omaha, and we’re confident our new website will advance our business to other local communities in the region.
4. Has anything else changed within your business?
Things change daily, but our big picture direction has not changed. We are still focused on helping flower buyers have an enjoyable, simple experience online, and we still believe in partnering with the best local florists in the region.
5. What advice would you give anyone who plans to apply this year?
We think anyone looking to start a business should start small, and simple. If you can prove your business in a small way, through a simple process, you can always expand and build complexities. We are still proving this ourselves. We built a simple website and started small in Omaha. Our vision is much bigger, but we knew if we could prove it here, we should be able to expand, and that’s continued to be our pursuit.
6. How can someone get in contact with you or buy your product?
Go to our website or email us at info@zinniamarketplace.com
To learn more about this year's REV event and how you can apply, visit our web page. Be sure to watch our recap video from last year!