A bouquet can be a simple yet meaningful way to express appreciation, celebrate an achievement, or mark a special occasion. For Shafa Azalia, a 2023 Accounting student at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FEB UGM), her habit of making bouquets for friends during high school became the starting point of her journey in building a creative business.
Today, what began as a simple hobby has grown into Azalia Bouquet, a business offering a wide range of gifts for various special occasions. Her entrepreneurial journey even earned Shafa a nomination in the Business Innovator category at the 2025 EB Awards.
From a Hobby to a Business Opportunity
Before Azalia Bouquet was established as a business, Shafa was accustomed to making bouquets for her friends as gifts. She purchased the materials independently and arranged the flowers into more personal and meaningful presents.
Seeing Shafa’s dedication to her hobby, her parents recognized its potential to grow into a business. Their support came in the form of an initial capital of IDR 50,000 to purchase materials.
With this modest amount of capital, Shafa began taking orders and gradually developing her business. What initially started as a way to show appreciation to friends slowly evolved into a productive activity with economic value.
Creating a Unique Edge in a Competitive Market
The bouquet market in Yogyakarta is highly competitive, with many businesses offering similar products. This encouraged Shafa to think creatively about how to make her products stand out and offer something distinctive to customers.
She began expanding the variety of products offered by Azalia Bouquet. In addition to fresh and artificial flower bouquets, the business offers bouquets made from pipe-cleaner flowers, snacks, and even fruit. These diverse options allow customers to customize their gifts according to their preferences, needs, and budgets.
Azalia Bouquet also targets university students as one of its main customer segments. To make its services more accessible, Shafa offers free delivery for orders in and around UGM and UNY.
For Shafa, however, the appeal of a bouquet goes beyond the variety of materials used. She also pays close attention to the neatness of each arrangement and the harmony of its colors to ensure that every product remains visually appealing. This attention to detail is part of her effort to maintain quality and build customer trust.
“The neatness and color harmony of the products are also important considerations. The strength of the business lies not only in its product variety, but also in the convenience of its services and the quality of the final products,” Shafa said during an episode of the FEBerkarya program.
Building Customer Trust
Shafa explained that customers’ preferences fundamentally drive the bouquet business. Each customer has different expectations, ranging from the colors and types of flowers to the bouquet’s contents and the impression they want the gift to convey.
A challenge arises when customers are unable to explain what kind of bouquet they want clearly. In such situations, Shafa takes the initiative to explore their needs through conversation. She asks about the quantity and type of materials they prefer, the theme and colors of the bouquet, the items to be included, and the occasion for which the gift will be given. This information helps her translate customers’ ideas into products that meet their expectations.
For Shafa, listening to customers is an essential part of the creative process. She does not simply arrange flowers or assemble different items into a bouquet; she also strives to create a gift that represents the giver’s intentions and feelings. The ability to listen, communicate, and translate customers’ preferences into suitable products is essential to running a creative business.
Learning to Balance Business and Academic Life
As the number of orders increased, the challenges Shafa faced grew as well. When she first started the business, she handled most of the production process herself with help from her father. However, as her academic responsibilities became more demanding, she needed to reorganize the way Azalia Bouquet operated.
Balancing academic activities with production became a challenge in itself. To manage this, she began working with her friends in the production process, from arranging flowers to wrapping the bouquets.
“Of course, I have to make adjustments around my academic activities because they remain my priority. Therefore, production and delivery schedules are usually arranged around my academic commitments and based on agreements with customers,” she explained.
For Shafa, turning a hobby into a business does not require waiting until everything is perfect. A business can begin by offering existing products or skills to close friends and acquaintances before gradually expanding its reach through social media and marketplaces.
She also recommends adopting a made-to-order system as an alternative way to reduce the risk of losses from unsold products. By producing items based on confirmed orders, business owners can adjust the materials needed and production time according to customer demand.
Shafa also emphasized the importance of maintaining product quality, particularly when serving first-time customers.
“Make sure that every order you receive is completed to the best of your ability. A customer’s first purchase from us creates an important first impression,” she added.
The journey of Azalia Bouquet demonstrates that business opportunities can emerge from simple activities pursued consistently. Through creativity, an understanding of customers, and gradual business development, a hobby can grow into a valuable business venture. One important lesson from Shafa’s entrepreneurial journey is that having the courage to start can be the first step toward recognizing opportunities, overcoming challenges, and continuously developing a business.
Watch the full FEBerkarya episode, Hobi Bisa Jadi Cuan? Bikin Bouquet jadi Bisnis (Can a Hobby Make Money? Turning Bouquets into a Business), at the following link: http://ugm.id/MahasiswaFEBKembangkanBisnisBuket
Reported by: Najwa Anggi Namira
Editor: Kurnia Ekaptiningrum
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