A Business That Was Never Meant to Be
Daphne Leong never saw herself as an entrepreneur. Business was the furthest thing from her mind. “I never imagined I’d be a florist,” she admitted. Yet today, Floral D’Mora stands as a testament to perseverance and passion, celebrating 12 years of bringing contemporary floral artistry to the quiet seaside town of Port Dickson.
Her journey wasn’t as straightforward. Flowers had always lingered in the background of her life—an after-school stint at a florist after Form 5 revealed her natural talent for floral arrangement. But growing up in a business family, she had seen firsthand the unpredictability of entrepreneurship.
“My father ran a restaurant. I used to hear him lament how much money he lost every day the business was closed. I told myself I’d never want to be in that position,” she recalled.
Determined to pursue a stable career, she studied communications, eventually working in hotel PR. But no matter how far she ventured, flowers always called her back, which led to a stint in Guangzhou to learn to press flowers. Upon returning, she was still uncertain if flowers could be the answer for a career, so Daphne re-joined the corporate world, working in communications at a University.
A Crossroad of Grief and Realisation
The turning point came with the loss of her father. With the weight of being the family’s breadwinner on her shoulders, she also began to see another truth. “I poured my heart and soul into my job, but I realised my efforts weren’t commensurated. That was the push I needed to start a business.”
The obvious choice? Flowers.
The dream was simple yet romantic—a florist by the beach. “Come to work every day and see the sea—it seemed perfect,” she said. “Beach weddings were my vision.” But a beautiful garden with a sea view wasn’t enough. A dream wedding by the beach needed more than just flowers—it required a proper venue, accommodations, seamless logistics, and tie-ups with hotels to make it work. Executing the vision was far more complex than she had anticipated.
A breathtaking view couldn’t compensate for the practical challenges. Daphne’s beachfront shop lot lacked parking and prep space for brides, and on some days, she recalled, “The walk-ins were zero.” After a year, Daphne faced a painful truth: The beachfront shop had to go. “It broke my heart,” she admits, “but I had to move.”
Pivoting, Ploughing Through & Finding a Footing
Soon enough, she chanced upon a rental corner lot in town, but the challenges didn’t stop. “Just sitting in the shop waiting for customers? That had to change,” she realised. Delivery services weren’t the norm in Port Dickson then, but she offered them anyway. It wasn’t easy—being new to the town, she barely knew the routes—but she quickly learned her way around.
Then came the next big shift: securing hotel partnerships. With no portfolio, she was sidelined, but a break finally came through from hotel sales teams keen on helping couples plan their dream beach weddings.
“One gig led to another, and that was the rollercoaster ride that gave us the financial security to put the business on solid ground,” Daphne explained. “It wasn’t glamorous. We worked seven days a week, 24 hours a day. But we knew we were going somewhere.”
The Digital Shift & A Eureka Moment
E-commerce was not commonplace in the florist industry ten years ago, but Daphne’s communications experience gave her an edge. “I knew websites and sitemaps were inevitable for businesses. So I began building our website.” That came with another steep learning curve, but embarking on it created a foundation that made it easier for Flora D’Mora to transition to online and social media, which, according to Daphne, is now a key business lifeline.
“A florist shop is a retail business. Customers walk in, they walk out. Trends change, customer needs evolve.”
Daphne Leong, Flora D’Mora
Daphne’s biggest realisation came from understanding the very nature of her business. “A florist shop is a retail business. Customers walk in, they walk out. Trends change, customer needs evolve,” she noted. And so did she. From boyfriends buying flowers for their girlfriends to girlfriends buying bouquets for their best friends to an influx of flower deliveries during the COVID-19 lockdowns, Daphne saw the shifting patterns and adapted. “This business keeps me on my toes. I joke sometimes that I’m grateful my customers always seem to have an occasion to send flowers,” she enthused.
Intuition, The Secret Ingredient
Beyond hard work and strategy, Daphne credits one key trait for her success. “If one thing has served me well, it’s intuition. I have always understood what the customer wants – intuitively,” she said. That grasp of customer preferences enables her to introduce styles and selections previously unheard of in Port Dickson.
For Daphne, floristry is more than just arranging flowers—it’s storytelling.“A writer uses words to express; for a florist, flowers are our language.”
Part of her dream for Floral D’Mora was to introduce a more refined floral culture to Port Dickson. “Modern floristry isn’t just about flowers—it’s about packaging, textures, styles. Hydrangeas, tulips, peonies, matthiolas, these were uncommon here. I wanted to bring that repertoire to the community,” she says. And to a certain degree, she has.
The Future, A New Chapter, A New Home
The mother of two young girls now stands on the cusp of another transformation. “Online and brick-and-mortar platforms are entirely different, requiring their own teams and strategies. Building the right team—that’s my next port of call,” she shared. And with that, Floral D’Mora will be moving to what could be its forever home. “I’ve finally secured a location I’ve always had my eyes on. PD is my home, and we’re here to stay for the long run.”
Lessons from a Reluctant Entrepreneur
You never lose when you give more.
She acknowledges that flowers are not a necessity. “That’s why I work even harder to create value for my customers. You never lose when you give more,” she emphasised. Daphne Leong may never have envisioned herself as a business owner. Still, through grit, intuition, and sheer perseverance, Floral D’Mora has grown into more than just a florist—it’s a testament to resilience, reinvention, and embracing the unexpected.
“Dimora—that’s Italian for dwelling,” she shared with a smile. “Flowers bring me immense happiness, and that’s the same feeling I want to bring into the homes and lives of my customers.”
