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Erica and Richard Skalleberg are the florist couple who run the flower and interior design chain Blomsterringen , with two stores in Stockholm and an online shop. Theyboth come from flower families - Erica's father was the founder of Blomsterringen and Richard's family has a wholesale business - but had different paths into business. Erica started working in the shop after graduating and bought it from her father five years later in 2008. Richard joined in 2015 and they've been at it together ever since.
"I had no idea that the flower business would be for me, so I applied for marketing after university. But after we met, I started going to the shop after work and helping Erica with everything. Eventually I started working on branding and cultural stuff and we've been working together ever since," says Richard.
Founded
2008
Headquarters
Lerum
Employees
17
More than just flowers
In addition to flowers and plants, Blomsterringen is also big in pots and interior design. They see themselves as a lifestyle chain for people who like plants and where the limit is for what they bring in is not set in stone.
"We want to have a large quantity of the goods and not dabble so much in order to have lower prices and fresh goods. It's a legacy from Erica's father. Then we are not locked to any supplier and can hand-pick the range. If we find something we think has a connection or fits into the environment, we bring it in."
2008
Blomsterringen was launched
What drives you in business?
"We were born into this business and do what we love. We are driven by pushing the boundaries of what you can do with a flower shop but also by being a great employer. Our focus has shifted in recent years and we have become more efficient in how we think about running the stores and what role we should have. We have great florists, so we don't do the most good out in the stores. Instead, we will focus on things that may not be visible, but which develop the company and make us more profitable."
How did you come to use Froda?
"We needed to strengthen liquidity and started by turning to the bank with which we had a good relationship, but got the cold shoulder. As an entrepreneur, you have an old idea that outside the bank you can get money even though everything is worse. When we found Froda, we learned that it could even be better. We got a better interest rate than we would have gotten at the bank in that situation. Looking ahead to when we want to make an investment to start making our own pots, for example, it's great to be able to start with Froda."
About Froda AB
Froda was founded in 2015 with a clear purpose – to democratize access to financing and give small and medium-sized enterprises the same opportunities to grow as large companies. With the help of digital processes and technological innovation, the company has shortened the loan process from months to minutes, making it easy for entrepreneurs to invest in their ideas.
Today, Froda is one of Sweden's fastest-growing tech companies, with a valuation of SEK 1.7 billion and well-known investors such as Karl-Johan Persson, Nicklas Storåkers and Victor Jacobsson among the owners.
In 2021, Froda launched a strategic investment in embedded financing, and through it, the company has expanded to the Nordic region, the United Kingdom and Germany, and has entered into partnerships with, among others, Visa, Lunar and Checkout.com.
Froda is a credit market company that is under the supervision of the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority.
