“Our company was truly built on trial and error and tons of research and perseverance. With each issue came a solution. I think that is a major aspect of starting a business, not focusing on the problem, but figuring out a solution.”
New York-based Venus ET Fleur, a bespoke rose atelier, is an internationally recognized brand that has revolutionized the online floral buying experience. Offering roses that last up to a year, the floral company boasts of celebrity clients like the Kardashians and has delivered to DJ Khalid and Gigi Hadid, among other VIPs – that too within a short period of its existence.
Founded in 2015 by Sunny Chadha and Seema Bansal, Venus ET Fleur was born out of a budding romance. On Valentine’s Day, Sunny sent roses to his then long-distance girlfriend, now fiancée, Seema, only to find that the flowers were of poor quality and almost damaged when they arrived. This incident sparked the couple’s interest in creating flower arrangements that not only represented freshness but also style. Long story short, Venus ET Fleur was born. Sunny and Seema’s search for the most beautiful and pristine flowers brought them to Ecuador, where they developed the proprietary treatment that become key to Venus ET Fleur’s renowned Eternity Rose Collection – floral arrangements that can maintain their freshness and elegance for up to a year.
“Our company was truly built on trial and error and tons of research and perseverance. With each issue came a solution. I think that is a major aspect of starting a business, not focusing on the problem, but figuring out a solution,” says Seema whose vision for Venus ET Fleur was “to create a brand that stood for a product and a service that was of high quality and made anyone who received it feel like they were of high standards.”
Seema says one of her earliest challenges was getting people to take them seriously. “They couldn’t understand how we were running such a large company at what people think was such a young age,” she explains. Today, with record-breaking growth and sales in 2017 estimated over millions, Venus ET Fleur has taken the floral market by storm and created a prominent spot among industry leaders. “I truly didn’t think that it would happen as fast as it did,” adds the entrepreneur.
Venus ET Fleur offers a wide range of products, all carefully crafted and customized to enhance the receiver’s celebratory moment or experience. The company delivers over 80,000 arrangements each year. Seema reveals that her favourite collection is the Lé Clair. “This arrangement features a bed of roses on top and a drawer in the bottom to store all your precious pieces.”
A milestone for the couple was being featured in Forbes’ 2018 30 Under 30 list in the retail and e-commerce category. A dream come true, Seema was honoured to be listed among many other amazing entrepreneurs and game changers. “It’s made us work even harder knowing that hard work truly does go recognized.”
Taking the company ahead, the co-founders are planning further expansion and creating more product categories. They already have a few new products in the works. In her spare time, Seema enjoys spending time with family and friends, travel, learn about new things, and practice meditation. “Anything to bring good vibes, clarity and positivity into my life,” she states in conclusion.
Q & A with Seema Bansal
How has the global floral industry changed since the launch of Venus Et Fleur?
The industry has changed quite a lot. We believe we revolutionized it. We introduced a product that was a game changer. We continue to
create and evolve the products we offer! Our service is extremely important to us and we make sure each client is treated to a luxury experience.
Indians around the world have made significant contributions to their immigrated countries, what do you think of this accomplishment?
I think that it is absolutely amazing. India is a beautiful country and we are such hard workers. We tend to always strive to be successful for ourselves and our families. I’m extremely proud to be Indian and Punjabi! My father does amazing charity work every year in India and I plan to follow in his footsteps. We only hope to make our community and country proud.
PHOTOS: Venus ET Fleur, Seema Bansal
