The Bud Connection Flowers & Fine Chocolates

Barbara Courchesne, owner of The Bud Connection Flowers & Fine Chocolates

Barbara Courchesne, The Bud Connection Flowers & Fine Chocolates' owner, is nothing if not a go-getter. Having owned and run the iconic downtown flower store for nearly twenty years, her business model is, as she says, a "model of figuring it out." Her creative and adaptive energy has made her business succeed and thrive -- through two recessions and a pandemic. In fact, the Bud Connection has only grown every year, with each year busier than the last.

However, Barbara was still new to the floral industry when she started the Bud Connection. She had owned and managed a whale watch company, which gave her a lot of experience managing people. She had always loved flowers and often bought them at local greenhouses to arrange, craft, and sell out of her house.

At that time, a local florist was in town – the Ellsworth Florist. Barbara called and said she'd love to learn and come work for them. They never called her back, and soon after, the Ellsworth Florist shop went on the market. The next day? Barbara said, "I think I'm going to buy this business." And she did.

When asked if transitioning from a whale watch to a floral shop was hard, Barbara said, "It's knowing your customer base and what they want and putting it out there. With the whale watch, we had a retail store. What did they want? They were cold, so we sold coats. Here? People want to show people love, so we give them flowers, and they can show love."

Her favorite part of running the Bud Connection is connecting with people. She said that "there's just generally a feeling of community. We're a happy place, even during sad times. People leave here fulfilled, even at a funeral time. There isn't a florist who wouldn't tell you that."

Building good relationships and community is all part of the Bud Connection's business. They're a community-minded, local florist who always gives back. Just recently, they donated a year of flowers to the Families First Fundraiser at Big Cat’s. Their donation raised $1000 – 100% of which is going back to that program. "We're always doing something. You have to be community-minded."

The Bud Connection sells flowers, chocolates, and plants. This diversification of offerings allows her to have a steady business throughout the year. When people aren't buying as many loose flowers during the summer, she sells more chocolates and does weddings. There are busy months due to holidays, like Valentine's Day in February and Mother's Day in May, but generally, the business is consistent.

Barbara sees consistency as key. "We're always open. It's pretty rare that we're closed. That's another thing: for businesspeople, you need to have consistent hours. People have to know you're going to be there."

The Bud Connection is there no matter what—even if it's a pandemic or recession. During the pandemic, they adapted and stayed open. They let people pick up flowers out front and continued to deliver to people's doorsteps. They also used the time to renovate the front of the store.

"This is a very fluid business; it's always evolving and changing. When you deal with flowers, you deal with things happening in other countries, like strikes in Columbia and bad weather in California – you're always learning how to adapt and change. My advice for the next generation is to know that you have to always be ready to adapt."

When asked if Barbara saw any significant changes coming down the pipeline, she laughed and said there were always ideas. "What's the phrase? When you're green, you grow; when you're ripe, you rot!" Barbara and the Bud Connection is far from "rotting," so next time you're in Ellsworth, swing by and buy a plant for your office, a flower for a loved one, or a chocolate for yourself.

M – F, 9:00 – 5:00 PM
S, 9 – 2:00 PM
The Bud Connection
89 Main St 
Ellsworth, ME  04605
(207) 667-9595