Beginning as homemade treats during the initial outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Blooms By Isa is now a custom floral business that is based upon social media, seasonal orders and customer-arranged flowers to fit their specific occasion.

Gramajo said she initially started experimenting in the kitchen in 2020 when schools went online and she found herself with extra time. That eventually led to chocolate-covered strawberries, then custom gift orders, and later floral arrangements that became the creation of Blooms By Isa.

“I opened up my business page once I felt confident in what I was making and I went from there,” Isabella Gramajo said.

Like many small business owners, Gramajo said early challenges were financial. One of the biggest hurdles was finding reliable flower vendors while managing startup costs.

She said she spent hundreds of dollars trying to find a rose supplier that met her standards and pricing needs. 

Small businesses in the floral industry often face small margins, where the cost of materials, packaging and seasonal price increases can heavily affect the profit. For Gramajo, success has depended on balancing customization and efficiency.

“I think this specific industry allows you to be extremely unique and creative with what you’re making,” Isabella Gramajo said. “Everything I make is custom, depending on what my clients are asking for.”

Bouquets have become her best-selling product, especially after she expanded from sweets into floral arrangements two years into her business. She now owns a separate page dedicated entirely to floral services.

Social media has also played a major role in growth, allowing her to reach customers outside Buckeye and expand her orders to nearby cities.

Gramajo said holidays are the most profitable times of the year, with demand surging during Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.

“Flowers are extremely popular for both holidays, so one can only imagine how much blooms I go through for each holiday,” Isabella Gramajo said.

Customers say the appeal of her business comes from its personalized designs.

Jessika Espinoza, a customer of Blooms By Isa, said she received one of Gramajo’s arrangements for her birthday.

“For my birthday, my friend got me a floral arrangement from Blooms By Isa, and it was very beautiful,” Jessika Espinoza said. “It was a mixture of pink flowers, and you could definitely tell love was put into it.”

While Gramajo’s business continues to grow, she is in an increasingly competitive market as more small floral businesses enter the space.

Jocelyn’s Everlasting Flowers owner Jocelyn Espinoza said competition has recently increased significantly.

“There’s definitely a lot of competition in the flower business nowadays, and the challenge is standing out,” Jocelyn Espinoza said.

She added that many customers focus more on price, even though handmade products require more than what meets the eye.

“A lot of customers compare prices, but my handmade work takes time and materials,” Jocelyn Espinoza said. “People don’t always see what actually goes into it.” 

Gramajo believes that standing out is based on your own creative ideas and being able to personalize them. In the future, she would like to be able to have a physical store in Buckeye, as there are hardly any flower shops located in the area.

“Especially in the city that I live in, we don’t have a local flower shop,” Isabella Gramajo said. “I think it would be fun to own one down the line.”