Paul's Flowers: Immigration at Work

Larkin Lin, his wife Yan and their son moved to PEI in 2013.Larkin knew he wanted to purchase an existing business and so he focused on finding an existing business to invest in.  The opportunity to purchase Paul’s Flowers presented itself and Larkin was excited by the potential he saw.
 
Both Larkin and his wife work at the flower shop and knew they needed a better understand of the industry and their customers. They also realized they needed a better understanding of the various holidays celebrated in Canada and what various flowers are used to commemorate these celebrations so they could better respond and prepare to their clients’ needs. To assist them in gaining a deeper understanding of their industry and Canadian customs, Yan became a certified floral designer.

Paul’s Flowers is focused on providing reliable service to their customers in order to maintain the existing business and expand into other areas such as providing floral arrangements for weddings and selling perennial plants.  Larkin has brought great enthusiasm and understanding to his new business.

Operating a business in a new country hasn’t been without its challenges.  The biggest challenge has been the language barrier. Larkin and his family have worked to learn English so they can communicate easier with suppliers and customers.  Another challenge has been coping with harsh winters.  The winter of 2015 proved most challenging given the number of days the business was closed due to adverse weather.

Paul’s Flowers has been in operation for over 25 years and Larkin is hoping to operate and grow the business for many years.  Larkin enjoys working and living on PEI and he feels this is a good fit for his family.