My name is David Cohen, I’m 58 years old and am the CEO of Flower Station. I have a lovely wife and two amazing children, a 17-year-old daughter and a 13-year-old son. Along with my family, this company and industry have been my absolute passion. 20 years ago, I saw an opportunity to take an old and disused petrol station in Central London, and turn it into a drive-through florist! We wanted to open late but very quickly decided to open 24 hours a day and it never closes (except unfortunately during the Covid pandemic). We have since expanded to cover a full range of services across floristry and planting, with multiple locations in London and servicing the whole of the UK.
Tell us about your childhood and where you grew up
I grew up in a pleasant residential suburb of London called Woodside Park. It comprised mainly semi-detached houses built around the 1960s. My house had a lovely communal green in front where lots of kids came to play football and climb trees. I enjoyed a wide range of sporting activities and was a marksman and captain of our school shooting team. I’m very lucky and privileged to have had such a safe and happy childhood.
How did you get started as an entrepreneur?
It’s an interesting question because it’s hard to know when something like this happens and when to define oneself as an entrepreneur. I believe, looking back, that I always had that spirit in me. This spirit is one of adventure, curiosity, and a certain willingness to take risks and back my ideas. I first set up a property investment company in the mid-1990s and was primarily involved with the property until 2003 when I started to develop my interest in flowers, floral design, and the opportunity that I recognized by this amazing (at the time, un-used) site in Central London. I’m particularly proud of the fact that I have not been given any start-up money. It has been fun building up from absolutely nothing but an idea and creating a business that employs a good number of people and gives inspiration to staff, careers and opportunities as well as being involved with something as wonderful as flowers and making people happy. I have learned that whilst money is important and focusing on the health of the business, it is vital to keep a balance and give back to our staff and the community as much as possible.
What is one business lesson you would tell a startup founder?
Be prepared to deal with difficulties that exceed your expectations. Startups are all about overcoming obstacles. They are what both make them so exciting to work on and sometimes so devastating. You must be prepared for significant hurdles and not be intimidated by them if you want to create a successful startup. Large obstacles provide you the chance to succeed, and overcoming them shows that you still possess the necessary skills. I was faced with many challenges but I kept going despite those challenges. I’m particularly proud of the fact that I have not been given any start-up money. In a startup, the opportunities are often as great as the obstacles. Being adept at handling both is a necessary component of being a successful startup founder. The secret to success is to never give up.
