In order to grow your business and flourish as a wedding florist, you need leads that can be converted into sales

While floral design is certainly an art, it’s also a business. This is particularly true for those in the wedding floristry industry. One of the most low-cost and effective ways to do that is to bring your wedding bouquets online.

According to The Wedding Report, 50% of brides use the internet to research bridal bouquets. Considering the fact that nearly everyone is connected these days, that should be no surprise. The problem is, your competitors are connected too. So how do you get your wedding bouquets noticed when the web is bloated with competing businesses? Here are a few tips…

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Have a Website With Fully-Optimized SEO

Business cards and flyers can only get you so far. If you want your wedding business to take off, you’ll need an online storefront. A majority of potential clients will be looking for you, so you need to make sure your business is visible online where they can see it.

Once you’ve secured a domain name, make sure your website design is smooth and visually pleasing. Have all your information listed there, and provide your audience with high-quality photos of products or real weddings you’ve designed for. If possible, provide an e-commerce platform so clients can submit their orders online as well as a content plan, like an active blog, that promotes your business.

Your website should also have some sort of menu or guide specifically for weddings, so you can let potential clients know what kind of services they can expect from your business, as well as wedding consultation forms so you can coordinate discuss your terms one-on-one.

A whopping 78 percent of local mobile searches result in offline purchases—that’s right, offline purchases.

That means people who search for your store online will physically go to your store to make a purchase. While that’s not exactly a wedding lead, it’s certainly a testament to the amount of exposure and influence an effective website can have for your business.

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Invest in online marketing

Are people finding your business through Google? Or are they finding you through online ads, like those on social media? Determine which of these gives you the most high-quality leads, or leads that end in conversion, and pad your efforts there. It’s a good idea to make use of google analytics too, which is a free service, to learn more about your customers and potential customers.

A cost-effective way to expand your business’ reach is to make yourself visible on social media, particularly Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

The floral business is a very visual, and you can really capture the attention of grooms and brides-to-be with stunning photographs of your handiwork. It’s good to post content on your accounts regularly, like photos, albums, and videos of wedding’s you’ve covered to gain a following and advertise your work. With free tools like Facebook ads, which lets you target specific demographics, you can get quality leads.

You’d be surprised how many leads you can stack up with great content and a bit of social media savvy.

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Put yourself in your potential client’s radar

The first 2 tips have been about establishing your online presence. This last tip is a more targeted approach that puts you in the way of the right audience. If you want to get acquainted with those to-be-wed, consider listing your business in websites like The Knot or Wedding Wire.

Websites like these were made for those planning their weddings. They collate different businesses or vendors who provide wedding services, like florists. If you sign up as a vendor, you can list your business online and make yourself known to these potential brides and grooms. You can create a profile, upload photos of your products, post your social media links, and create your own bio and personal message.

These websites usually have a free version and a paid version. Whether or not you want the paid version depends on you. Review your competition in your region as well as the potential Return on Investment (ROI), and consider if it’s worth it.

At the end of the day, bringing your business online is an affordable and effective way to get your florals on the map and on the radar of potential clients. All you need to do is establish your online presence through your website and social media accounts, fill them with concise info and great content and put them in places where your target audience can find them.

Do this and your business should be blooming online in no time.

Florists, do you have any tips on growing wedding leads? Please share your feedback any related questions in the comment section below!

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Floranext offers great florist software, florist POS, florist websites and florist wedding proposal software. Our florist technology products are built by florists, for florists. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here.

Promoting on Instagram is a great way to gain new customers and grow your floral brand!

So why aren’t more floral professionals taking advantage of the Instagram community to market their flower business? Perhaps because some floral professionals don’t know how to utilize Instagram to its fullest advantage.

With Instagram reaching 1 billion active monthly users this past month, it’s important to understand this audience. Instagram is a trendy social media platform with a lot of influence. Read on for some easy ways to get started promoting your floral business on Instagram.

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Create an Instagram Floral Business Account

If you haven’t already done so, create a business Instagram account. Having a business account allows you to link to your floral website, connect your business Facebook page, and display shop contact phone numbers and email addresses.

Make sure to include your website link to direct users to your floral website. There is only one option for a link, but this “backlink” does help build your SEO visibility as well.

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Be Clear On Image Quality

Creating a post on Instagram does require a little bit of time and effort. Make sure your images are clear, composed properly, and look professional. On Instagram your marketing is primarily visual. Appealing images will gather you more followers, so invest some time in taking quality images of your floral products.

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Engage Other Users

In order to build your brand and credibility, you must be an active participant on Instagram. Be sure to follow your followers back as well as other businesses, mentors, and other floral professionals to engage in conversation and gain more visibility to those users’ followers.

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Get #Hashtaging

Hashtagging has never been more important to the Instagram platform than it is today. makes sure to use relevant hashtags on each post, don’t just copy and paste the same hashtags to all of them—Instagram’s algorithms demote successive posts with repeated hashtags as a measure to cut down on spam.

Instagram users can now also mark hashtag they don’t want to see, which helps Instagram’s algorithms show them other new content. This is yet another reason to use a variety of hashtags, in case a user is filtering out one that you use.

Remember, hashtags are a way of organizing content, and many users do search through a given hashtag, they’re not just for decoration.

Facebook and Instagram: Two Peas in a Pod

Facebook owns Instagram, so it helps to think of them as closely related. Connect your Facebook business page (not your personal Facebook account!) with your business Instagram to enable double-posting. This will boost your visibility to reach a wider amount of users between the two platforms.

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Start a Contest Trend

Contests are direct marketing with a twist, and have broad appeal to many Instagram users. Invite users to interact with your page with posts like “Share your favorite flower” or “Your pet with flowers” and so on. The possibilities are endless, and sharing on both Instagram and Facebook is a sure way to gain as many participating users as possible.

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Showcase Your Floral Operations

Posting your floral arrangements is great, however it is helpful to mix it up with other image posts that are personal to your floral business. This gives your followers a sense of knowing who you are, and a more personal connection to you and your floral business. Create postings for your employees, shop pets, floral designs in progress, and silly fun images to allow followers a glimpse of daily life around the shop.

Florists, do you have any important advice for florists on Instagram? Please share your feedback any related questions in the comment section below!

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Floranext offers great florist software, florist POS, florist websites and florist wedding proposal software. Our florist technology products are built by florists, for florists. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here.

 Have you dreamed of starting your own floral business, but can’t quit your day job?

To casual flower enthusiast, the notion to go into business with flowers can be quite compelling. But how do you manage a floral start-up when you have bills to pay? How do you turn your dream of running a floral business into a successful part-time gig?

The objective is to be a successful part-time floral designer so that one you day you can quit your day job and focus on florals full-time. With work and dedication anything can be accomplished, but what can you do to make sure that your passion for flowers stabilizes you and allows for a creative outlet regardless if you still need to work your part-time job to make ends meet?

Image via Instagram by @lucytheflower

 How Is Your Flower Designing?

The most important job criteria for establishing a successful flower business is floral designing. Do you know how to design flowers? Of course, every florist has their own technique or signature style, but there is an art to designing flowers. It always looks easier than it actually is. If you are not knowledgeable in the 5 main principles below, see our Flower Design 101 article.

1. Balance
2. Harmony
3. Proportion
4. Movement
5. Unity

Remember that designing flowers is more than just arranging them, you must also understand proper prepping for longevity.

If you feel you may not be a professional-level floral designer, please take classes or find a mentor at a local flower shop. This is the first, most basic key to your success as a floral designer.

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 What Are Your Floral Business Goals?

Since we’ve established you would like to have a floral business part-time, what type of floral services do you plan to offer? There is a difference between running a successful flower event business than one for everyday flowers.

Establishing a part-time floral event company is a lot easier than doing a full-service everyday flower business on a part-time schedule.

Sketch out your goals on paper for your floral business and decide which model you’d like to pursue.

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 Have You Marketed For Flowers?

Ah, marketing! It may seem like a subject you need a degree in. Marketing means promoting and selling your products and services which includes market research, public relations, and customer support. So essentially think of it as beefed-up advertising.

Prior to launching your business, make sure that you have the basis for full-fledged marketing of your floral brand by signing up with social media sites.

Another thing to consider is running a Google Ad.

• Domain name
• Website 
• Facebook 
• Twitter 
• Google Bussines
• Yelp 
• Instagram 
• Pinterest 
• Snapchat 

This is the beginning of your marketing journey—remember, marketing your business does not end and needs to be done consistently.

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 Florals as a Past-time?

In order for your floral business to work, you should not think of it as a hobby. We all enjoy our own special hobbies like crafting, gardening, hiking and so on, but in order to turn your floral business into a profitable successful business, it needs to be more than just a hobby.

You need to invest your time and energy in promoting during your time, not at your day job.

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 Are You Ready to Be a Floral Professional? 

Running a part-time floral business is doable and if you have a talented creative floral designing skill, proper planning, marketing, tools, and space is needed. There have been many famous successful florists who started in their kitchen part-time and now have successful flower storefronts.

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Floranext understands that this can be a sensitive topic for florists who pour a lot of their personal time, energy, and money into their flower business brick and mortar. Our goal was simply to give amateur designers who may be interested in the florist industry a sense of the work and dedication it takes to become a successful full-time florist.

We know as well as you that floristry is not a trade one should enter into lightly, and we also understand that florists can be competitive. However, we do not like to discourage people with a dream who may not be in a financial position to achieve it yet, and we welcome all with a passion for floristry to help grow our industry.

Florists, do you have any important advice or feedback for florists who love flowers but can’t quit their day job just yet? Please share your feedback any related questions in the comment section below.

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Floranext offers great florist software, florist POS, florist websites and florist wedding proposal software. Our florist technology products are built by florists, for florists. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here.

You’ve adjusted your branding to attract Millennials, but is your flower shop ready for the rising Generation Z?

According to Forbes, by 2020 Generation Z—people aged 22 or younger—will account for 40% of all consumers. If you start planning your Gen Z marketing strategy now, you’ll be ready when this generation starts entering the workforce and expanding their consuming habits.

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Engaging Gen Z

Gen Zers are known for their ability to multitask with their devices. It is important to take this into account when doing your floral marketing—a simple social media ad or promotional Youtube video may not be impactful enough to grab their attention. Ironically, this means Gen Zers have a higher tolerance for social media ads than previous generations.

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Getting To Know Gen Z

Knowing your consumers is the most important part of marketing to them.

As a generation, Gen Zers are diverse and culturally open-minded. They downplay traditional gender roles and want to make a difference. They also have goals—some call them “dreamers,” but often in a positive way—they will not let anyone stop them from following their passions.

So what can the floral industry do to grab their attention? You can start by brushing up on their preferred social media. Gen Z uses different social media platforms for different kinds of activity.

• Facebook: Used mostly for information
• Instagram: Displaying their ambitions—Instagram is the most popular platform for building a personal brand and for brand discovery
• Snapchat:  Sharing snapshots of daily life
• Twitter: News source
• Youtube: Entertainment and instructional/tutorial videos
• Pinterest: Inspiration

Instagram and Snapchat are sometimes called “intimacy builders,” making these platforms the best way to showcase your floral ads, with Facebook close behind.

Knowing the ways in which these social media platforms work for the Gen Zers is a way of tailoring your marketing to work for them. Remember to always be authentic as well!

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An Open-Minded Generation

Gen Z is one of the most open-minded and diverse generations, with a famously nonjudgmental mindset and a spirit of tolerance. Floral professionals should take note and create captivating social media ads that are socially diverse.

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Mobile-Friendly Floral Websites  

If your floral website is not responsive or otherwise mobile friendly, get it optimized as soon as possible. Gen Zers spend lots of time on their mobile devices, and other devices (including computers!) are secondary. Make sure your floral website is mobile responsive.

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Gen Z Do-Gooders

Gen Z is all about making a difference, from helping the environment or buying for a cause. Gen Z likes doing good for the economy, the environment, and their community.

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Let’s face it, branding flowers is not always easy. However, with social media sites like Instagram and Pinterest the floral industry is making huge waves, and in the last few years the growth has been tremendous.

Gen Zers are taking notice of the beautiful floral designs on tablescapes, events, and birthdays.  Gen Zers appreciate flowers and inspiring designs, it’s up to the floral professionals to update their marketing and flower shop for this tech-savvy generation. Lacking social media will certainly affect your floral business in years to come. Online floral branding is key for the survival of your flower business.

Floranext offers great florist software, florist POS, florist websites and florist wedding proposal software. Our florist technology products are built by florists, for florists. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here.

Would you consider floral designing with marijuana?

image via Instagram via budsandthornsla

It’s very rare that the floral industry makes controversial news, but with the legalization of marijuana in some parts of the world, florists have seen this as an opportunity to market to new customers by offering something a bit risqué and novel in their creative floral designs.

Some say this is their ticket to gain notoriety and bring in more traffic and book more events by offering mariflorals. Yes, that is correct, Marijuana in floral arrangements.

Floral design with marijuana is a fairly new concept in the flower industry—only a handful of floral professionals are taking this leap now, but who knows—this may become the norm in years to come.

Image via Instagram via budsandthornsla

For those who have dabbled in designing with cannabis/marijuana, the results have been positive with delicate flower arrangements incorporating a touch of marijuana, some even say the greens from the marijuana leaves actually create a balanced fusion in their designs. With more customers opting for marijuana in their florals mainly at weddings, the rise for birthday mariflorals is now picking up speed as well.

We grant that while some of you may think this is genius, others may find the idea downright inappropriate, but having awareness of the evolving flower industry is key to keeping us all current.

image via instagram via mother_indica

At this time, due to current State laws in regards to Marijuana, the customer/client will actually need to provide the florist with the marijuana plant itself and must be legal in your area. After your customer provides the marijuana plants it cannot be delivered, it must be picked up by the customer.

DISCLAIMER: This article is for informational purposes only, we are in no way telling you to incorporate or sell marijuana with your florals. Please check your local laws before designing with cannabis, and do so at your own risk.

image via Instagram via budsandthornsla

We all know how significant reviews are for our floral businesses—over 85% of customers base their purchases on reviews they see online.

Unfortunately, many satisfied customers will not leave a review, but you’ll always hear from the naysayers. This is why florists pull their hair out over negative reviews. Our goal is to encourage you to proactively seek customer reviews, not wait for them.

Online reviews are here to stay, and good or bad reviews are overwhelmingly important for the success of your flower business, the only way to grow your flower business is with reviews, and the best way to combat negative online reviews is with positive reviews.

With some florists now entering their slower months of the year, now is a great time to start building a strategy for garnering more online customers reviews.

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1. Offer Discounts for Floral Reviews

The power of a discount, don’t believe me, try it for your self. The task can be as simple as adding a notice on your counter or florist website. The sign can say something along the lines of, “Google & Yelp On-the-Spot Reviews get $5 off.” If you really need the reviews, offer a $10 discount. Remember, this is all part of marketing and can be written off.

Good to Know: While at a big box home store, at the end of the sale I was invited to leave my cashier an online review for a chance to win $500 gift card. Although the chances I would win this gift card were slim, it did encourage me to leave a review and the store only foots the bill for a single gift card.

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2. Be Direct—Request a Review!

While we’re thankful for the customers that give us positive online reviews without asking, let’s face it—most of the time customers are not privy to online reviews or aware of the impact they have, therefore we must be direct and simply ask.

• Ask customers after a sale, either by phone or in person
• Be sure to ask customers on your floral website
• Email customers with a link to review your flower shop with website order confirmation
• Be blunt and post links on social media to your review pages asking for reviews

Image via Shutterstock

3. Make Leaving a Floral Review Easy and Accessible

We all think customers know how to leave reviews online, the fact is that some do and most don’t or rather not take so much effort. Make the process for reviewing your floral business easy and we mean as easy as ultimately possible.

• Have a direct link on your website to your review page; the home page is great, however using this link on multiple pages improves visibility
• Have an iPad or another device at your counter with your review page open and ready for action
• Send monthly or quarterly emails to your customers to review you with a direct link to your review page
• Add your social media address to your business cards—make sure your social media has all the appropriate links to your review pages

Image via Shutterstock

4. Be Responsive When You Get a Floral Review

When getting reviews—good or bad—you must respond either with a grateful “thank you,” or with your version of the story. Nothing entices customers to leave a review more than when they see the business is acknowledging your interactions. Feeling they got the owner’s attention and feedback can be very gratifying to customers.

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Some Ways Reviews Help Your Floral Business Thrive

• High SEO impact, making your brand stand out from competitors on search engines
• Reviews can show on online search engines lists raising your placement
• Influences consumers into making a purchase
• Offers business credibility

Getting a Bad Review

This all said, we don’t want you to dwell on the occasional negative review. Yes, they can be annoying and even flat-out untrue, however having a good balance actually ranks your brand best. The key is a few poor reviews, with appropriate non-defensive response with good reviews, makes your business look legitimate, and also shows you care enough to respond and ultimately that is what customers want to see. Click here to learn more about the ways bad reviews can be helpful.

 

For florists who would never think of asking for reviews, it good to start building reviews into your everyday business tactics, just like asking a customer if they would like an add-on or upgrade. We cannot emphasize enough how important these are in building your online reputation and brand.

Florists, do you have any advice or questions regarding online customer reviews? Please share your feedback, tips, or questions in the comment section below.

Floranext offers great florist software, florist POS, florist websites and florist wedding proposal software. Our florist technology products are built by florists, for florists. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here.

Florists, You Have Spoken!

A big thank you to everyone who participated in our annual Mother’s Day survey. Once again we got a very strong showing from our readers and members, and your feedback is extremely helpful.

Of the florists surveyed, approximately 82% have shops located in the United States, 15% in Canada, and 3% elsewhere.

Q1. When did you start receiving orders for Mother’s Day 2018?

April 30 – May 6
#1 Answer with 40.9%

#2 Answer, Mother’s Day Week, May 7 – 13 (24.2%)
#3 Answer, April 23 – 29 (12.1%)

As expected the week before Mother’s Day Week took the lead spot, but it’s good to know that most orders were received at least a week before the holiday!

Q2. What was your top-selling product this Mother’s Day?

Mixed Arrangements in a Vase
#1 Answer with 81.8%

#2 Answer, Wrapped bouquets (10.6%)
#3 Answer, Mixed arrangements in a basket (4.5%)

All the options given are popular gifts for moms, but it’s interesting to see what a commanding lead mixed vase arrangements took this year.

Q3. Was this year’s Mother’s Day better than last year for sales?

Yes
#1 Answer with 63.6%

#2 Answer, No (24.2%)
#3 Answer, Don’t know (12.1%)

Almost two-thirds of shops surveyed received noticeably more orders this year than last year. Whether your shop received more or fewer, please send us feedback in the comments section below!

Q4. How many more orders did you receive this year?

11-25, 26-50, 51-100
Virtual Three-Way Tie with Roughly 19% Each

The other answers (101-200, More than 200, Don’t know, and Fewer than 10) brought up the rear. It appears that  the majority of shops that answered “Yes” to the previous question saw a very reasonable increase in sales this holiday, with a further 22% making 100 or more sales than last year!

Q5. Did you receive more website Mother’s Day orders this year than last year?

Yes
#1 Answer with 71.2%

#2 Answer, No (19.7%)
#3 Answer, Don’t know (9.1%)

Interestingly, more store owners surveyed said they received more web orders than overall orders this year.

Q6. How many more website orders did you receive this year?

11-25
#1 Answer with 34%

#2 Answer, Fewer than 10 (29.8%)
#3 Answer, 26-50 (17%)

We had answers all over the board on this question. While some received only slightly more website orders this year (under 10), about half received between 11 and 50 more web orders.

Q7. How many new employees did you hire this Mother’s Day?

83.2% of shops took on at least one new driver
59% of shops took on at least one new designer
The median number of new front-of-store employees was 2

Some responses for Other:

“2 for phones”
“1 for order processing”
“3 for prep/setup”
“Expanded hours for most employees”
“1 delivery coordinator”
“Had extra designer hired but she got sick the week of Mother’s Day”

An interesting range of answers to this question—many stores took on new help, but a sizable number did not increase their staff by hiring. Some smaller shops noted that they are a two-person operation, the owner/designer and a driver.

Q8. About how much did you spend on wholesale stems this Mother’s Day holiday?

Between $3,500 and $5,000
#1 Answer with 25.8%

#2 Answer, Between $2,500 and $3,500 (24.2%)
#3 Answer, Between $1,500 and $2,500 (16.7%)

While some outliers spent more than $5,000 or less than $1,500, most respondents feel within the $1,500 to $5,000 range.

Q9. Did you rent an additional delivery truck or vehicle this holiday season?

No
#1 Answer with 92.4%

Very few respondents rented an additional delivery vehicle for the holiday.

Q10. Where is your shop located?

United States
#1 Answer with 81.8%

#2 Answer, Canada (15.2%)
#3 Answer, Outside of the US and Canada (3%)

As noted earlier, most respondents are in the US.

Q11. What region of the country is your shop located in? (If US)

Northeast/New England and Midwest
Virtual Tie with Roughly 28% Each

#2 Answer, South (24.1%)

Q12. Where in Canada is your business located?

Ontario
#1 Answer with 80%

Tie for #2 Answers, Alberta and British Columbia (10% each)

That’s another Mother’s Day down! Take note of what you did this season that was successful or resulted in more sales and consider how you can implement that next year! Likewise, if you took a risk on more wholesale stems or staff, this is also important to reflect on.

Florists, do you have any feedback on your 2018 Mother’s Day sales season? Your fellow florists would love to hear about it—please feel free to share in the comment section below.

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Floranext offers great florist software, florist POS, florist websites and florist wedding proposal software. Our florist technology products are built by florists, for florists. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here.

We’re asking all our members and readers to offer their feedback on this year’s Mother’s Day activity compared to last year.

We appreciate your participation in this survey, as gauging the success of the Mother’s Day holiday is invaluable to the success of the floral industry.

Click here to begin.

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, is your business ready for this busy floral holiday?

Having a decent plan in place to make the most revenue during Mother’s Day is fundamental in receiving every one of the rewards of this bustling blossoming occasion. In this blog, we will go over an agenda to help you during this Mother’s Day holiday.

1. Promote Your Floral Business!

Begin by using your Floral Website and Social Media sites to start marketing your floral arrangements and your business.

Images & Products

• • Post high-quality photos of your work or any specials you are offering during Mother’s Day on your website or Social Media platforms.
  • Don’t forget to link your social media posts to your website!
  • Mother’s Day products should be prominently displayed and easily accessible throughout your website.

Hours & Policies

• Clearly post your shop’s business hours on your website and social media.
• Having clear policies and return/substitution policy will alleviate any headaches for you and your customers.

Promotions & Discounts

• Increase traffic to your store by offering deals or discounts on pickups rather than deliveries.
• List special Promotions. This is a great way to encourage customers to shop early before Mother’s Day week.
• Don’t forget to update your product pricing to cover your costs.

Note: Promoting does not always have to mean discounts. Remind customers why they should order flowers through your business.

2. Staffing, Scheduling and Duties, Oh My!

Making sure you have enough coverage can be overwhelming during the holiday rush. Not to worry, take a deep breath and follow these great tips!

Hiring

• If hiring extra help, offer them a day to come in before Mother’s Day week to go over job responsibilities and training.
• If hiring extra drivers, discuss with them if you require them to use their own vehicle.
• If you can, keep a standby driver at the shop to handle new orders for delivery.

Employees

• Have an employee meeting and discuss what is expected of them during Mother’s Day
• Make sure to explain how important everyone shows up and does what is expected of them.
• Encourage and Praise your employees and floral designers. Its always better to be positive than negative.

Scheduling & Duties

• Have your Mother’s Day week schedule out two weeks in advance. That way there are no surprises to your staff and you have time to make adjustments.
• Go over job descriptions with employees as its always nice to have a reminder of what everyone’s responsibilities are.
• Assign sections for the delivery drivers in specific areas. Add finished flower arrangements to this area with the date of delivery that is bold and clear.

3. Don’t Forget your Flowers & Supplies

Making sure you have enough flowers and supplies to get through the holiday is important.

Supplies

• Start looking around for supplies, containers, baskets and vases weeks before Mother’s Day.
• Visit your local supplier. However, don’t forget to visit discount home stores and dollar stores. You can find some great unique items.
• Don’t settle! Shop around for the best deals on supplies and florals.

Flowers

• Start ordering your Mother’s Day flowers early to get the best value.
• Don’t forget to shop around if you buy from multiple wholesalers.
• If you are comfortable, get your flowers through a floral auction. A great opportunity to get some discounts when purchasing in large quantities.
• Make sure to order flowering plants, orchids, and dish gardens. These are big sellers and require very little work.

Note: if you are new to the floral industry, Mother’s Day spans for a week, not a day. So order enough flowers!

4. Start Prepping & Showcasing your Flowers!

Stay ahead of the game with these prepping and showcasing tips during the busy holiday rush.

Prepping

• Prep your flowers when they arrive.
• Teach your front of store staff how to wire flowers to help cut down the time.
• Cut any ribbon and make bows ahead of time
• Green any vases, baskets or containers.
• No wastefulness! With the abundant supplies and flowers in the shop, it is easy to get sidetracked and be super wasteful. Everything thrown on the floor that can be used should be. Wasting or throwing out even a good pin or wire is considered money out of your pocket. Please be sure to express this to your employees.

Showcasing

• Gather up all your add-ons and gift items and display them prominently in the store.
• Make sure you re-stock your impulse buys on your front counter to sell in addition to flower arrangements.
• Make sure your flower shop and displays are clean and have an inviting atmosphere.
• Remember if Employees have time to lean, they have time to clean!

Work Ahead

• Work a day ahead. Fill any orders for next day the day before. Working a day or two ahead will allow you flexibility just in case there are any last minute orders.
• Place pre-made orders in a cooler, well tagged with date of pick-up or delivery.
• Mark any time sensitive orders and bring those to the front of your cooler.

Note: It helps to have a system that works best for you. However, working on orders per day can feel overwhelming, so staying ahead of the game is always best.

5. Take Care of Yourself

It is important to take care of yourself during this busy Mother’s Day week.

• Wear comfortable clothes and shoes.It’s best not to wear open toe shoes as this can be an insurance liability in some areas.
• Make sure you eat! Breakfast, Lunch, and dinner are important—don’t skip meals!
• Get enough sleep. No one is at their best with lack of sleep.
• Take mandatory breaks.
• Do not sweat the small stuff. Regardless of how hard you try, there may be a complaint here or there. Do not let this get you down. It’s the nature of the business. The world can’t survive without florists!
• Try to enjoy Mother’s Day week by keeping a journal of all the funny things that happen or mishaps that take place to reflect on for next year.

Tip: Bring in extra shoes and store them in your cooler to remedy those aching feet. 

We would like to wish all florist a very successful Mother’s Day!

Florists, do you have any great Mother’s Days tips to share with our readers? Please post any of your Mother’s Day tips or feedback below.

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