According to the U.S. Census Bureau, during the last twenty years, the number of self-employed women has gone up dramatically.
A shinning example of this can be found at Walkers Flower Shop in downtown Huron. Since 1994, owner Ann Edelman has meticulously nurtured her love of flowers and plants into the successful business it is today.
Edelman admits to having an early passion for plants and attended college with landscaping and greenhouse management in mind.
But because of her natural creativity and love for floral art, she found herself gravitating toward retail floriculture. When her husband, Jason landed a job opportunity in 1992, the couple moved back to Huron. He now serves as the regional manager for Farm Credit Services of America.
Oddly enough, she accepted a job at Walkers and after a year and a half, the opportunity to actually purchase the business became a reality.
“My family thought I was crazy to take on a business at the age of twenty-three,” Edelman said. “But, when you’re young, you have the drive and enthusiasm to make it happen. In the beginning, it was all about having fun.”  
Married and with a 3-year-old daughter, that “fun” quickly turned to taking on a heavy workload. “From the outside, it all looks very glamorous, but realistically, this is a six to seven day a week job that can obviously include holidays.”

She reminisces about those early years and the many nights her daughter, with sleeping bag in tow, would get comfortable in a big flower box while mom ordered pizza and finished up the book work.
“Basically, both of our children grew up in the shop. It wasn’t until they became involved in school activities that they were finally able to escape,” Edelman said with a smile. “But through the difficulties, our priorities have always been faith, family and work.”
For the last seven years, Edelman has served on the S.D. Florist Association Board of Directors and is currently the vice-president. In September, she will be accepting the position of president. Her role on the board has given her the opportunity to connect with other floral retailers, broadening her perspective on the economic challenges they face. The retail climate in Huron has been on the decline for many years and with the convenience of online shopping, competition from the internet has presented its own set of problems for the traditional retailer.
“Fifty percent of our business is local,” she said, “but by maintaining an online website, a strong Facebook page, and  Instagram, we’ve been able to hold our own so far.”
A firm believer in continued education, she can’t express enough the importance of staying on top of current trends. “One of the biggest mistakes people make in any business is becoming stagnant or lax in what’s going on in the world. Things change and it’s essential to keep up with what’s relevant.” stated Edelman. “The upcoming millennials are the new trend setters. Having grown up on the internet, they yearn for that unique shopping experience that you just can’t get online, and they want distinctively different items you won’t find at a big box store.”
Nationwide, these trend-setters are also gravitating toward urban areas where they can live within walking distance to shops, restaurants and bars. In essence, their desire for a sense of community has rejuvenated many downtown areas.
“Rapid City is a good example of making that investment toward the future,” Edeleman said. “Salvageable buildings were restored into apartments and store fronts, while others were brought down making room for more green space. Their blueprint is something Huron should really look into.”
At their downtown location, the couple has completely renovated the historic building they own,  keeping many of it’s original features such as the tin ceilings that lend to the character of the 2400 square foot space. That “space” doesn’t just house her thriving floral business, but encompasses an array of home decor that have just a hint of Jo Ann Gaines approach, but with a style and vibrancy of it’s own. “It’s amazing how many people are not aware of the products what we offer; we also carry one- of-a-kind jewelry, handbags, lamps, and a phenomenal myriad of gift ideas.”
With hard work comes great reward, and she feels so very fortunate to have been able to earn an income by expressing her creative side while serving others in the community.
“But my main passion is and always has been flowers. In my mind, nothing can replace the beauty of a flower.”

Diane Carter/Plainsman
Creativity abounds and the possibilities are endless with the selection of home decor items offered by Ann Edelman, owner of Walkers Flowers Shop in downtown Huron.

More Women in Leadership articles can be found at Plainsman.com/business