These essential tips and tricks will make your daily floral design operations run smoothly and produce long lasting results.

Many floral design experts may already be using some if not all of these tips and tricks, For those new to the floristry industry take a look at these Top 10 fundamental tips to guide you in your flower shop business success.

10. Flowers Take A Deep Dive

 Submerge the whole flower/flowers into water, water enters through all parts of the flower which results in longer lasting floral arrangements.

9. Crowning Glory

This is a flower shop must have and easily one of the best-kept secrets in floral arranging. Crowning Glory is a spray wax that keeps your floral arrangements hydrated results are long lasting blooms for weeks. 

8. Alum

Keep hydrangeas from wilting with alum powder, this is not an old wives tale. Alum powder works in keeping hydrangeas gorgeous and wilt free. You can find Alum in your grocery spice aisle.  After the hydrangea stem is cut, place them directly into the Alum powder and continue with your floral arrangement.

7. Open Closed Flower Buds

To open up closed flower buds, dip them in warm water and then cold. This is a great tip for instantly showing casing an open bud arrangement.

6. Put Your Orchid Plants On Ice

 Instead of watering your orchid plants, try using an ice cube. The slow melting of the ice cube gives your orchid plant slow steady hydration and will keep it from drowning. This is also a good way to measure the amount of water to give your orchid plant, one ice cube a week is all that is needed. If it’s a larger orchid plant, it is OK to use 2 or 3 ice cubes a week.

5. Cut Flower Stems Underwater

For flowers of a more delicate nature (Peonies, and Dahlias) cut stem under water and always on an angle. This helps in their ability to absorb water thus increasing their longevity. A good tip is most all your flower stems can be cut underwater if you do not have access to a sink, just fill a large container next to work area. Remember to make sure container is cleaned.

4. Make A Grid

Many florists have whats called a mental grid by placing flowers in a vase or container and making a grid by overlapping stems and turning the container with flowers placed on angles on the outward portion of the vessel.  Essentially what this does is a create a holder for your flowers, making them look unified and balanced.  A mental grid for flower arrangements may not work for all floral designers, so in that case, you can make a tape grid. Just lay the tape horizontal and vertical and Voila you now have a flower holder to keep your blooms looking amazing.  This works especially well for short vases and low containers.

3. Keep Your Foliage Clear Of Water

When vase arranging, be sure to remove all foliage on your blooms and never any foliage below the water line. We know most florists know this, however, this is still a great tip. Just one little piece of foliage below the waterline can be detrimental to your floral arrangement causing to wilt and tuned.

2. Remove Lily Stamens

What are Stamens? Stamens are heavily pollinated and in the center of the lily. As soon as you’re lily opens, be sure to remove the pollen Remove stamens gently and try not to allow it to touch the lily. Removing the Stamens allows for long lasting lilies.

1.Floral Design Experiment

Paying homage to the ever so popular organic style of floral arranging today, we encourage you to forget the color wheel and experiment with different textures, herbs, beautiful foliage and blooms to create your own design style niche.

Good To Know

Do not dilute Crowning Glory with water. Diluting Crowning Glory with water has no benefit on your floral arrangements

We know, it’s very rare that a flower shop is keeping their flowers next to fruit, however, it is still important to mention that the gases omitted by fruit are not friendly to flowers. Remember to inform your patrons to avoid keeping their blooms next to fruit.

Florists do you have an essential Florist Tip & Trick that is helpful to you?  Please share your feedback in the comment section below. If you have any questions please post below as well!

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Floranext makes great florist software. Florist websites, floral POS, florist wedding/event proposal software, and florist technology. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here.

Flower crowns are the biggest trend right now and at this point, it’s safe to say they are not going away!

Although flower crowns are hugely sought after for weddings and special events now, they are actually a floral trend of the past starting in Ancient Greece where they were worn to pay tribute to gods and then much later to represent peace, love and harmony.

We welcome the flower crown today which represents celebration, some say fertility, besides that there is no doubt about it, everyone just looks so attractive in a flower crown.

Most florists know how to make a flower crown, but for those who are new to the floral industry, this blog will show you the easiest way to make a basic flower crown.

Supplies:

You will need Wire, Wire Cutters or Floral Scissors, Stem Wrap Tape and Crowning Glory.

Floral Wire – You will need 22-inch gauge and 26-inch gauge wire. If you only have 26-inch gauge wire just be sure to double up to make the wire stronger when making the crown form.

Floral Stem Wrap – This is the same tape used for corsages and boutonnieres self-sealing wrap which sticks to itself and flower stems.

Wire Cutters/Floral Scissors –  What ever your preference is, you may feel it is easier and faster to work with both of these.

Crowning Glory – Slows the deterioration and browning of flowers, greens and plants.

Floral Greens:

There are so many variations of greens you may use in a floral crown. If making a dainty floral crown you may opt for smaller leaf greens. We encourage you to try many variations of greens in your flower crowns.

Eucalyptus  – is a great leaf choice,  There are multiple variations of Eucalyptus that can be used to achieve that so sot after bohemian flower crown look.

Tip: Do not limit yourself,  experiment with different floral green variations when making your floral crown and try mixing greens together it looks amazing.

Flower/Filler Stems:

Pick your desired flower stems, think of what you want to accomplish with the flower crown. For a cluster on one side use, the main flower stem called the “statement flower” these can be big dahlias or garden roses, these look best with smaller surrounding flowers.

For the bohemian flower crown, that is ever so popular with smaller flowers, loads of greens, berries and filler flowers work to accomplish the look and feel.

Filler flowers should be selected as a compliment to the floral greens and flowers, use little touches here and there which provides lots of whimsy to the flower crown.

Be sure to select different variations of flowers if using spray roses, select buds and open roses, to create movement within the flower crown.

• Ranunculus
• Lisianthus
• Juliet Garden Rose
• Spray Roses
• Wax Flower
• Hypericum Berries
• Baby’s Breath, and so many more – click here to see the full list of flowers

Tip: When you have the basics down on making a flower crown, there really are no rules when selecting flowers, greens and filler. Use a little of this, or no greens, or more filler, it’s up to your imagination and creation.  Just be sure the flower crown still consists of the basic principles of flower design,  Balance, Harmony, Proportion, Movement & Unity.

How To Make An Easy Flower Crown:

We promise its way easier then it looks.

1. Cut your foliage to about 4- 6 inches and set aside, no need to pre-wire your foliage ahead of time.
2. Cut your berries now if you like or you may cut as you go later.
3. Cut your statement flower and flowers picking the heads that you need, remember to mix it up and use various sizes of the same flower.
4. Trim flowers to about 1/2 inch to an 1″ underneath the head of the flower.
5. Cut your 26-inch gauge wire into a piece that is about 5 inches long.
6. In the largest part of the flower calyx (calyx is also known as sepals and it the part of the flower that holds the reproductive organs) go ahead and run the wire horizontally in the largest part of the calyx right below the flower head. Bring the wire ends together and use your stem wrap to cover the wire completely.
7. Go ahead and do this to all your floral stems.
8. If using filler flowers such as wax or other filler flowers there is no need to wire.
9. Making the flower crown form.  Take two pieces of 22-inch gauge wire make sure to use the floral stem wrap to secure the wire one end to another end to complete one horizontal line.
10. Feel free to wrap the wire around your head at this time and figure out a starting point slightly in front of the ear, behind or even right in the front.
11. We find it easier to work with the crown open, so you can maneuver as needed later
12. Take your small pieces of greens starting one by one and lay on the wire using stem wrap to secure the greens on the wire at the end of the stem.  As you go, be sure to overlap the greens to hide the floral stem wrap and pull on the floral stem wrap stretching around the wire.
13. Add about 2-3 green cut stems and then a little bit of your filler flower of choice, use your floral stem wrap to secure the filler flower.
14. Make sure that your stems are facing in the right direction outward of the crown.
15. Add your flowers and berries the same way you added your greens and filler, be sure to look at the crown to make sure that it looks balanced.
16.  Keep in mind most crowns have flower clusters which do not go fully around the crown, decide the look you are going for.
17. Be sure to treat the flower crown with Crowning Glory, spray directly on flower crown which will slow down the wilting.
18. Flower crowns can be made two days ahead of time and stored in a cooler in a sealed container much like a courage or boutonniere.

Tip: Be sure to always use 100% Crowning Glory do not dilute with water, adding water does not allow Crowning Glory to work to its full benefit and has little affect in prolonging the life of your flowers. 

Florist We Would Love To Share Your Flower Crown Masterpiece!

Submit your Flower Crown images and be featured in August blog with credit to you and your flower shop!  For all Flower Crown image submissions email here info@Floranext.com be sure to add your name, shop name and designer of flower crown.

Florists do you have a Flower Crown tip? Please share your feedback in the comment section below. If you have any questions please post below as well!

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Floranext makes great florist software. Florist websites, floral POS, florist wedding/event proposal software, and florist technology. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here.

Once thought of as a fad, social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter has certainly proven naysayers wrong.

Floral business owners have taken advantage of the growth possibilities that social media has to offer.  Beyond that social media, communities have led to an influx of new floral enthusiasts. In other words, social media is helping floral designers get the respect and credibility that has been long overdue.

If you are using Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for your floral business, this blog will help in maximizing your knowledge by revealing the best Facebook, Instagram and Twitter secrets.

Twitter Secrets Revealed:

Twitter & Google Are Lovers – Or perhaps only friends with awesome marketing benefits. Twitter and Google work hand in hand. Meaning all your Twitter content does get indexed by Google, be it your tweets and even your bio. This will ultimately help people find you on Google which is a win, win for sales on your floral eCommerce.  Make sure to use relevant keywords in your bio and same for tweets, use hashtags that have to do with your floral business.

Embed Tweets On Your Website or Blog – Embedding tweets on your website is a great way to show your tweets to your visitors who are not on Twitter. The best part is if they click the link and it will take them to your Twitter page.

Tip: To Embed your Tweet: Once you have tweeted something click on the drop-down arrow in the upright-handed corner located within the Tweet. Select Embed Tweet, copy and paste the code to your blog or website. 

Add More Images To Tweets – Did you know you can add more than one image to your tweets? A total of 4 to be exact, it is so simple to do after you add your image click on the photo icon and add another image.

Instagram Secrets Revealed:

See The Return Key – When adding a caption on Instagram you may find that you cannot use the return key. Using the return key allows having better-organized captions on Instagram. So how do you return on Instagram?

Tip:When typing in your caption look below to the left-hand side if you click on 123 the return key appears. 

The Art Of #Hashtagging – We get it, hashtags are not a secret, however, hashtags need to be mention as this is a priceless business marketing tool. When adding an image think about the hashtag you are using. The key here is to get them seen, picking ones that are too common may get your post lost. Be sure to be specific, relevant and look at other tags in the same genre.

Search Posts By Location – Why is this so great for marketing? You can view and follow posts in your specific area.

Tip: On the bottom of your home screen click the magnifying glass, click the search bar and “Places” appears.  Type in the search the place and you will see all top recent posts. 

Pin Your Instagram Post On Pinterest – Unfortunately, when adding posts to on Instagram there is not direct share to Pinterest. However, this can be done fairly easily and when posting on Instagram it is always best to share the images on Instagram as well.

Tip: Find the post you want to pin on Pinterest, tap on the 3 dot icon.  Select “Copy Link“, open your Pinterest and tap on person icon > then plus sign > click below “Copied Link” pick your Pinterest board and Valhalla,  you have now shared a post on Pinterest.

Facebook Secrets Revealed:

View Messages You May Not Know About –  You may have some messages in your inbox from people you are currently not friends with. These messages could get quite interesting.  

Tip: To view these click on the icon for messages, (circle with lighting bolt) click on “Message Requests” and if you see “See Filtered Requests” click that you have now discovered you hidden Facebook inbox. 

Facebook Mobile Phone Look Up –  There are many reasons why you may need to look someone up on Facebook by just using their mobile phone number. All you have to do is  type the mobile number in the search field  on Facebook be sure to add  country code or area code.

Upload Your Email List  – What a great way to reach your potential and existing  customers by uploading your email list to Facebook. This will allow you to market to all emails that are associated with Facebook.

Tip: Go to Audiences tab in Ads Manager. Click the “Create Audience button”, select Customer Audience and  then “Customer List”. Upload your CSV or TXT file or drag and drop the file

Florists do you have Facebook, Instagram & Twitter secret or tip you would like to share? Please share your feedback in the comment section below. If you have any questions please post below as well!____________

Floranext makes great florist software. Florist websites, floral POS, florist wedding/event proposal software, and florist technology. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here.

Floral stem trends have hit all time high with the use of social media platforms such as Pinterest and Instagram.

Surprisingly people have taken an interest in the actual floral and greenery stems of the arrangement rather than the overall look and feel. Of course, the look and feel is just as important but picking the blooms and greens is equally as important.

Florists, we understand how this can be a catch 22, as some florals and greens may not be readily available or could even be impractical. However, we must pay homage to the overwhelming interest in florals and their greenery counter-partners, as this has given florists the recognition they so deserve for their exceptional creativity and artistry status.

In this blog, we will list the hottest most sought after trending floral, greenery and succulent stems. Most florists will be familiar with these blooms however for those that are new to the floral industry, this will be your go to blooms cheat sheet.

2017  Greens Floral Trends:

These are the hottest trending greens right now and are here to stay for a long time.  Using these greens will beautifully accentuate any floral arrangement. Try incorporating a new go to green at your flower shop to any floral vase, or design piece you make to add that updated look and feel.

1. Trick Dianthus
2. Amaranthus
3. Poppy Pods
4. Seeded Eucalyptus
5. Silver Dollar Eucalyptus
6. Baby Blue Eucalyptus
7. Gunni Eucalyptus 
8. Parvifolia Eucalyptus
9. Jasmin
10. Tree Fern
11. Ming Fern 
12. Maidenhair Fern
13. Sword Fern
14. Myrtle
15. Italian Ruscus 

Tip: Mixing eucalyptus varieties in floral garlands looks absolutely breathtaking and offers that vintage look that is so in right now.

2017 Succulent Floral Trends:

Let’s face it, succulents in floral arrangements are here to stay. Strategically placed succulents in any floral design offer high impact. We also love the fact that succulents are so resilient and long lasting.

1. Burros Tail 
2. Echeveria Desert Rose
3. Echeveria Perle Von Nurnberg
4. Echeveria Green Prince 
5. Hens & Chicks
6. String of Pearls
7. Trachyandra

2017 Herb Floral Trends:

If you are not using herbs in your floral arrangements yet then just wait, these are so current and will get even more popular in time.

Using herbs in floral designs are very popular because of the special  meaning behind each herb, which provides a specific good fortune. Try incorporating some of these trending herbs in your floral arrangements and wedding designs.

1. Sage, Wisdom & Long Life
2. Rosemary, Loyalty & Fidelity
3. Thyme, Courage & Bravery
4. Basil, Love & Goodwill
5. Mint, Virtue & Honesty 
6. Parsley, Merriment & Joy 

2017 Flower Floral Trends:

These flower stems offer that bohemian modish style that is so alluring and captivating for all. Paired with greens, succulents, and herbs these blooms make for a show-stopping presentation.

1. Dahlia
2. Ranunculus
3. Peonies
4. Juliet Rose 
5. Astilbe
6. Electra Spray Rose
7. Lisianthus
8. Agapanthus
9. Anemone
10. Protea King
11. China Mum 
12. Craspedia 
13. Allium 
14. Scabiosa 
15. Forget-me-knot
16. Thistle 
17. Limonium
18. Queens Anne’s Lace 
19. Veronica
20. Sweet Pea 
21. Wax Flower 
22. Baby’s Breath
23. Hydrangea
24. Delphinium

We hope that this list will be helpful in providing knowledge of the top trending blooms, greens, and succulents. Florists are there any floral blooms, greens, or succulents not listed? Please share an essential flower, green, succulent or herb that you feel every florist should utilize in their flower shop.

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Floranext makes great florist software. Florist websites, floral POS, florist wedding/event proposal software, and florist technology. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here.

Tackling fresh, new and innovated techniques for your flower shop could actually keep flowers sales stable and increase revenue during the summer months.

For some florists, the summer months can be dreadfully slow with decreased flower sales. Accepting the fact that customers just won’t buy flowers during these months is a big mistake!

The floral industry does have many peaks and perks, all seasons offer many advantages to build your flower business and gather new potentially long term buying customers. In this blog, let’s  discuss 5 easy ways to keep your flower sales sizzling hot all summer long.

#5 The Power Of  Deals, Coupons & Promo’s

Everyone loves a deal, besides that did you know that there is an actual psychology that comes into play when offering coupons and promos. Big brand companies understand this too well. They have made it a practice of mixing up coupons and promos to boost their retail sales.

Flower shop owners – deals, coupons, and promos apply to you too! Customers love flowers do not underestimate the power of a Deal. Make sure that during your slower months you offer the following:

Markdowns: Applies to both in-store and online. Try reducing prices on a specific category in your floral store like roses, hand-tied or even gifts, if you carry them.

Save A Bundle: This offer may seem as if it doesn’t apply to the floral business, however it indeed does. Offer savings on buy one get half off, this could apply to flowers with additional purchase at a discounted price.

Free Offers: Wow, this one is counterproductive, we are trying to increase sales here. Well, “Free Offers” actually resinate with customers more than any other deal (of course no surprise there). So how about offering an item free with purchase.

Flowerage Sale: Flowerage sale is held only in store,  generally items are placed outside if possible at a steep discount. These flower sales are done mostly during high traffic days such as weekends.

Did You Know: Most appealing to customers is items that are marked 50% off. The reason for this is it requires very little math and customers feel like that are getting a much better deal. 

#4 Offer Outdoor Florals/Decor

The important thing to remember here is that selling something in which you may not normally sell is perfectly OK and also a very smart business tactic.

Big brand stores do it all the time, they sell what is in demand. You may not have many loose flower sales but you can increase profits by displaying some creative outdoor planters during the summer months.

High-End Porch/Patio Floral Planters: These are so appealing, especially if displayed outside where each passersby can see them. Try incorporating succulents and plants in your floral design, this is an attractive way to allure customers to your flower shop and make purchases.

Sell Hanging Outdoor Planters: If you have not seen these yet, then you are in for a treat. Customers love these and these can be marked up at a great price. Go ahead add some plants and display them outside if possible.

Outdoor Decor: Outdoor decor can be citronella candles, lanterns, outdoor pillows and much more. This is a great way to maximize your sales.

#3 Try A Workshop/Floral Party

Florists, I’m sure you have heard of floral workshops and floral parties. Although a little marketing is required, they truly do increase floral profits substantially and is a great way to increase brand visibility.

Host A Floral Party: For adults and kids alike these parties can bring in anywhere from $45.00 to $120.00 per person.  Great way for kids to enjoy their birthday or a way for bridesmaids to get together, the possibilities are endless with floral parties.

Floral Workshop: Unlike floral parties where your attendees are more casual, a floral workshop is more structured as you are teaching floral arranging. Classes can range from beginner to master and can be purchased for the whole season.

#2 Cut Costs

We get it  #2 is not bringing in sales to your flower business, however, just as important as bringing in sales is practicing good seasonal habits on ways to cut costs.

Consider Summer Hours: We are certainly big advocates of having a business schedule and sticking to it, however, there are exceptions. Opening your shop does cost money so consider opening an hour later or closing an hour earlier with shorter weekend hours if you are slow in the summer months. This will also save you on payroll. 

Order What You Need: During slower months you may be able to get way with just ordering what is necessary and purchasing specialty items as needed. Try also cutting your flower order in half. If your floral supplier is close there are things that can be purchased quickly when needed.

Don’t Be Wasteful: We have mentioned this so many times, and we understand no-one is intently wasteful. Please consider that all items in your flower shop cost money, wasting paper, picks, and pins add up, please be mindful of this and make sure your employees are too.

Review Your Bills: Take a look at all your bills including utility. See how you can cut costs, a perfect example is a flower shop owner who was paying for cable tv yet had no tv in his shop. Cutting that off his bill saved him over $80.00 per month. There is also no shame in asking certain service providers for what deals and offers they have to save you money.

#1 Reach Out To Potential Clients

Slower months in the flower shop allow you to have extra time to market your flower business. Reaching out to potential clients for recommendations and clients who will book standings orders is a great way to bring in added revenue to your floral business.

Funeral Homes: If you have not done so already you should reach out to the Funeral Home directors in your area or slightly outside your area, to see if they will be willing to recommend your floral services and post a link to your website on their website.

Local Businesses/Churches:  Doctor’s offices, churches, restaurants, hair salons and many more businesses in your local area have the potential to order flowers from you on a weekly basis. Talk to them about delivering weekly to their businesses at a great price. Standing orders are a great way to keep money always flowing into your flower shop.

Wedding Venues: Go to wedding venues and discuss working with them on their referrals. Make sure to have your professional pamphlet on the wedding services your provide.

Tip: Create a folder which includes a pamphlet of your floral business and the best practice is to meet with them in person. Make sure to have different folders with specific content for each client.

Florists do you have a tip for driving up summer sales? Please share your feedback in the comment section below. If you have any questions please post below as well!

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Floranext makes great florist software. Florist websites, floral POS, florist wedding/event proposal software, and florist technology. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here.

 floral designing is three-dimensional art which expresses creativity and imagination.

Florists you surely already know that you are an artist, though following these basic elements: Balance, Proportion and Rhythm, some flower designers and flower enthusiasts have put their talent to work and are being recognized for their amazing works in the floristry industry.

Flowers, as we know, are nature’s miracle and provide the perfect art medium, with beautiful colors and textures to create the most magnificent color pallet.  It’s no wonder some flower designers and artists are taking a step out of the box and looking at flowers in a whole new way.

In this blog, we want to share how florists and flower enthusiasts are taking flower arranging in floristry by storm with their creativity and superb technique.

Image via Instagram by Lewis Miller Design

Flowers In The Trash

Amazing how flowers in a New York City trash can actually make this trash can look so gorgeous like we always said flowers are simply powerful.

Equally as amazing is how much recognition floral designer Lewis Miller received for his exquisite floral art displays throughout  New York City. We love Lewis Miller for showcasing his floral designing talents and adding awareness on the powerful impact flowers have in any surrounding.

Image via Instagram by Putnam and Putnam

Lavish Floral Arches

It certainly was no easy task finding our showcase image for Putnam &  Putnam (Darroch and Michael Putnam). Their floral works of art are simply amazing and inspirational.

Image via Instagram by Sarah Winward

Floral Design Elements

Sarah Winward has really taken the floral design elements to a whole new level. Her floral arrangements are breathtaking with perfect balance, proportion, and rhythm.  Looking at her floral works will surely evoke feelings of serenity.

Image via Instagram by Stef Adriaenssens

Modern Floral Architecture

Stef Adriaenssens has been captivating Europe with his masterful modern architectural floral displays. His technique for balance and clean line design with lots of touches of the unexpected is beyond perfection. Simply amazing!

Image via Instagram by Justina Blakeney

Floral Portrait Design

If you have not heard of Justina Blakeney you are in for a real treat.  Justina Blakeney has gained recognition for her incredible works of art, the one being #Facethefoliage. We love the use of leaves, stems and flowers in these whimsical works of art. We also equally love the new found use of florals and plants which inspire followers to look at flowers in a whole new way.

There are so many floral designers and floral enthusiasts who are creating a buzz in the floristry industry. We certainly could not feature all in this blog, however, we will continue with this series of blogs a few times a year to offer recognition and thanks for all the inspiration.

Florists we would love to hear your feedback and questions. Do you have a favorite flower art artist? please share in the comments sections below.

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Floranext makes great florist software. Florist websites, floral POS, florist wedding/event proposal software, and florist technology. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here.

Owning and operating a floral retail business requires many different strategies.

There are some basic principles that do apply to all retail businesses, however, in the floral industry, there are some retail factors that will take precedence.

In this blog, we will discuss retail business basics that apply to the floral industry. Whether you are just selling floral arrangements or carry of variety of items in your flower shop these tips will help in establishing floral retail business rituals to maximize your sales.

Employee Training:

When it comes to hiring employees training, this is a Must Do! Employees are representing you, the face of your floral business brand.

Do not assume they know how to do everything, train them how to answer the phones, greet customers, and any other job-related requirements you have, even if it’s as basic as cleaning a workstation.

Often we hear from flower shop owners  “Well my employee won’t or can’t do that, it’s too confusing for him/her.”  Unfortunately in order to represent your floral business and if it is a job requirement, then your employees must learn and be trained in all, regardless if it’s comfortable to then or not.

Make sure your employees are always:

• Courteous to customers
• Look presentable
• Punctual
• Well educated and knowledgeable of their work duties

Know Your Competition:

Savvy floral business owners take the time to understand their competitors. Regardless if you are in a highly competitive location or small town, competition is still competition.

Know your competitors,

• How are their floral designs?
• What are they offering that your flower shop is not?
• How is their flower shop look and feel?
• What makes your flower shop different?

Knowing your competition is a way of maximizing your brand and standing out from the crowd.  It also helps keep you up to date with industry trends.

Know Your Retail Math:

When you own a brick and mortar flower shop, every inch of your floral business is potential for extra income. Knowing what to carry in a floral shop can seem pretty easy, however, there are floral business owners who are now providing other retail items such as candles, home decor, skin care, toys and much more.

Offering a variety of retail products is a way to entice visitors to your store. Understanding your retail math is the only way to maintain profits in your floral business.

Pay special attention to:

• COGS (Cost of goods sold): which is – Beginning Inventory + Purchases =Ending Inventory.
• Markup: a candle markup is easily done, however, a floral arrangement may be a slightly more difficult. Be sure to include in your mark up for any pins, pics, card message paper, and anything you use in designing the arrangement.
• GMROI (Gross Margin Return On Investment): calculate what is worth having for sale in your flower shop versus what is not. How large is your investment in this product line?  Is this product a “need” or a “want” in your community?

Note: I know how many times we mentioned this, however, florists please STOP GIVING YOUR MERCHANDISE AWAY FOR FREE. No-one is getting anything free in any other retail businesses. florists, we do love and appreciate that you are so kind hearted and giving. Adding extra floral stems here and there and not accounting for ribbon or other miscellaneous items are not good for your overall retail success. Giving a little here and there adds up fast. 

Know Your Merchandising:

Whether you carry a vast array of merchandise in your flower shop or just flowers and plants there is a technique to merchandising to the 5 senses.  Floral business retails shops do have an upper hand when it comes to the 5 senses, with such beautiful flowers and plants. That being said there is still a bit of psychology to play on to have your products resonate with visitors.

When merchandising your floral business make sure you are appealing to these 5 senses:

1.Sight

• Hard to believe however  85% of consumers say the color is what urges them to shop. A good tip is to limit your color scheme so it’s not overwhelming to your shoppers.
• The research concludes that shoppers prefer open floor space that allows for easy movement and good visibility of all products. If you have a smaller shop this can still be easily achieved by decluttering.
• Beautiful displays really do work in gravitating customers. Think about every detail of the display not just the products for sale but also furniture that is displaying the products these are all considered to be visually impactful.

Did you know: That subconsciously both females and males respond very well to the colors blue and green.

2.Smell

Appealing to the sense of smell comes fairly easy for flower shop owners who is merchandising for the sense of smell.

• Flower shops offer an array of appealing scents that are invigorating to shoppers.
• Make sure to keep your flower shop clean, this will appeal to both sight and smell.

Did you know: Of all scents, women prefer the smell of flowers over any other scent when shopping while men enjoy a more spicy scent. 

3.Sound

The sound in retail has been heavily researched and many retail chains have studied the impact of various music brands and how it impacts customers when shopping.

• Different retail stores will offer different kinds of music to maximize their sales.
• Book Stores for instances plays soft music to create a sense of slower time and alter one’s perception of how long they are at their store. While trendy young clothing stores for pre-teens and teens opt for more louder, energetic music which works better for their customers in hyping then to purchase.
• Florists sound is also important in your retail space and helps in creating atmosphere and eliminates sounds that may be negative to shoppers such as employee or other shoppers conversations.

Tip: There are tunes that are specific to your brand, flower shop owners consider offering songs that are specific to flowers, we know this sounds typical but works.

4.Touch

• It is human nature to just want to touch things, create an environment that allows customers to engage with the products you have for sale.
• When a customer touches or holds an item it gives them a more personal connection with the product for sale.
• Keeping your products at eye level encourages touching and sales.
• Touching is not only for products that you are selling, if you offer seating for customers, be sure that it is comfortable, this gives customers a sense of well-being.

5.Taste

Most floral businesses do not sell food, you may be thinking how do you engage the taste sense. Regardless if you sell treats at your floral shop, taste is a sense that can still be engaged by having small offerings to your visitors.

• Consider offering a cup of coffee.
• Allow for taste testing of your gourmet treats for sale.
• Think of displaying free hard candy on your counter.

These are some easy ways to understand and get started with your floral retail merchandising. Florists, let’s hear your feedback! Do you have any important retail advice/tips that have been or are successful? Please share all your feedback, tips or any floral business retail related questions you would like addressed below.

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Floranext makes great florist software. Florist websites, floral POS, florist wedding/event proposal software, and florist technology. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here.

Booking weddings are still one of the best ways to increase your overall flower shop profit.

Surprisingly, some florists do not take booking wedding clients too seriously or rather opt not to deal with the hassle of booking a wedding. Unfortunately, regardless of how much money your flower business makes, this is a big mistake as booking weddings bring in substantial profits and have proven to ensure future flower shop profits.

In this blog, we will discuss 8 ways to obtain more wedding clients into your flower shop through marketing and simple in-house tactics.

8: Creating An Ambiance

Creating a beautiful atmosphere will help ensure a sense of security with your wedding clients.  Mostly all of us buy with our eyes and emotions, our goal here is to have your wedding clients feel comfortable and ensure that you are the best florist for the job.

• Create a designated space designed for wedding consultations.
• Have proper comfortable seating.
• Have a computer/tablet available for quick image reference.
• Be prepared, make sure you have your wedding software open and ready for note taking.
• Offer your wedding clients something to drink.

7: Be Courteous 

Florists by nature are very courteous, friendly and giving people. However, there are times that wedding clients do request super outlandish things and even get their florist a little annoyed.  Nowadays your wedding clients will mostly do their homework and look at what appeals to them for their special day.

• Respect their needs and wants.
• Be excited and share in their enthusiasm for their special day.
• Educate your wedding client on what is possible and what is not.

The main thing here is, to be honest, if there is something you simply cannot do for the price or there is just no way of obtaining specific flowers, let them know.  Most wedding clients will take their florists advice and seek alternatives in their choices.

6: Paid/Free Ads On Wedding Sites

Most floral professionals have heard of The Knot, Wedding Wire, and so many others out there. We do recommend signing up for at least one of these sites for more exposure to your flower shop.

• You can increase your wedding bookings by 10 -40 more per year.
• Free Ads may minimize your visibility by covering some key elements that wedding clients like to see such as reviews. However, if the budget does not allow, a free ad is better then no ad.
• Set a budget and pay for some ads on wedding sites. After a year, review what profits were gained and decide if you would continue to advertise or lower or raise your budget.

5: Wedding Website

Nothing speaks more volumes than your own wedding website, it is perfectly OK to have wedding pages in your floral eCommerce website. If you are looking to expand your wedding bookings we recommended having a non-eCommerce website designed to showcase only your wedding services.

• Show your work in category pages. example: bridal bouquets, reception flowers, arches and so on. 
• Wedding websites that are loaded with galleries offer visitors many options to stay and browse which will increase your search engine optimization or SEO.
• Have a specific page designed to recommend vendors with backlinks and have them do the same for you on their website if they return the favor.
• Backlinks are considered SEO gold, so recommending vendors and have vendors recommend you is a win-win situation.

4: Social Media

The benefits of social media sites such as Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Youtube are essential in building your brand. Although you may not be booking many wedding at first, patience and diligence is the key.

• Post images on your social media platforms often, daily if possible.
• Offer wedding booking incentives.
• Be responsive to customers comments.
• Make A YouTube Video

3: Partner Up

There are many flower shop owners that would love more floral wedding viability but do not have the resources or time to fully devote to wedding marketing or consultations. If you are in this situation do not give up on doing weddings, remember this is all about making your brand well rounded.

There are many independent wedding floral contractors that will work solely with you for building up your wedding bookings. Generally, these independent wedding floral contractors receive a commission on all weddings they book for you and are held to only promoting your floral business.

Wedding floral contractors offer many benefits if time is of the essence for you.

• Book weddings and handle all consultations.
• Handle day to day marketing for weddings.
• Wedding floral arranging is done with your assistance and your designers in your flower shop.
• Handle all of the wedding flower ordering.
• Handle setup while the shop owner is responsible for providing delivery services, driver, and vehicle.
• Receive commission paid on the cost of wedding minus all flower shop owners costs.

2. Word Of Mouth

Sometimes, especially when you’re new to the floral profession, when doing weddings you need to give a lot to get a little and by little, this is financial gain or profit.  What you actually do get is a lot of future clients.

We do not by no means recommend doing wedding flowers for free. When starting out, show off what you can do and be reasonably priced, think of this a marketing tactic. Most wedding bookings and visits to your flower shop will come from guests at weddings you serviced and or recommendations from your wedding clients.

• Word of mouth is by far the best way to market your flower wedding business.
• Allows for long-term customer relationships.
• Keeps your business stable and consistently profitable.

1: Know Whats “Hot” In Wedding Flowers

Once you have all you’re wedding leads  schedule a consultation, have diligently set up a great designed area for your clients and are super courteous and respectful, are you current with the latest wedding trends?

It can certainly be a deal breaker for your clients if you are not aware of specific “Hot” trending wedding floral designs.

It is your job, as the floral professional, to stay ahead of trends and offer exciting options for your customers to show that you are “With It,” “Current,” and “Up to speed on floral wedding trends”.

• Take a wedding floral class on what is trending.
• Spend time searching social media sites for what wedding floral trends gets the most saves and likes.
• Practice specific wedding trends. If time and budget allow, set aside a day to practice various wedding trends. After completing the designs, you can post on your floral websites and social media platforms.

Florists, we would love your feedback! What tips can you share about booking more weddings that has brought profitable success to your floral business? Please add your feedback and questions in our comment section below.

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Floranext makes great florist software. Florist websites, floral POS, florist wedding/event proposal software, and florist technology. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here.

YouTube gets over 30 million visitors per day!

For florists who are not familiar with YouTube, YouTube is a mostly free website for hosting videos that allow visitors to sign up and are able to upload their videos on YouTube to store and share with other visitors. YouTube has 1,300,000,000 visitors that use it, Wow, now that is a lot of zeros!

Unlike the more recognizable social media platforms like Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram, florists are still not reaping in the huge advantages of marketing their floral business with  YouTube. Maybe it is because most do not know how important YouTube can be in impacting your floral brand visibility.

In this blog, we will get to the nitty gritty and show you how you can start using YouTube to help your floral business grow and achieve maximize visibility.

Benefits of Marketing With YouTube

Be Found On Google – Marketing on YouTube will help find you on Google. Take a look at your next search on Google you will see many videos populate. (Be sure to have a great title, tags and descriptions.)

Grow Your Traffic – YouTube allows you to grow your followers. As we already know there is so much traffic on YouTube, this is an efficient way to help get tremendous visibility.  Be sure to include a Call To Action in all your videos by linking your URL.

Sell More – Hard to believe, but YouTube videos who direct customers to a selling page are more opt to purchase. We do not want to use YouTube for the sole purpose of selling flowers, our goal here is to make you vital and on top of search engines, that being said, selling more is surely a great perk!

Book More Wedding/Events – Showcase your beautiful wedding/event floral arrangements on YouTube, a short video is all you need. These are highly watched and have shown successful results.

Build Your Reputation – YouTube videos help you communicate better with your audience. It truly is a great way to send out your message, people are generally more captivated by videos. Make floral videos on tips, tricks, and tutorials, this will give your floral brand credibility.

Make A Video

I know you are asking… make a video! On what?!  Well, anything you like really, as long as it has to do with your floral business.

Here are some ideas for video content:

• Instructional Video/How To’s
• Behind The Scenes At Your Flower Shop
• A Flower Shop Commercial
• What’s In My Floral Cooler
• Get To Know us

It is really up to you and what you feel comfortable with, the key here is to make a video. Do not beat yourself up if it does not come out perfect on the first try. It may take a few times of rehearsing to get it right. This is the new age of marketing so consider this a marketing must do and just go for it!

Shooting Your Video

We do not expect Steven Spielberg or George Lucas to director your YouTube video, however, please pay special attention to your surroundings while filming your YouTube video.

Ask yourself these questions:

• How does your background look?
• How is your lighting?
• Are all your tools organized and ready?
• Does the video look professional?

If budget allows, there are so many students in the filming industry that would love to work with you for recognition as well. Reach out to them and see what they charge.

Not to sound repetitive, you need this for your floral brand recognition. This is a priceless investment and an investment that should be made few times a year to stay vital in the floral business market.

YouTube Title, Tags, & Descriptions

You made a video, shot the video and now you are ready to upload to YouTube! Great Job! However, unless you have a proper title, tags, and descriptions, your hard work will not reap in much success so let’s discuss this in detail.

Title

In your title description, which is the title of your video, use a clear title that easily says what your video is about. So google recommends using your keywords first and branding second, and since google owns YouTube we want to listen.

Let’s say our video is a “How To” on roses, here is our Title – How To Arrange  Roses In A Vase – My Flower Shop Name

Tags

So what are tags? Why are they so important? Tags are the keywords on your actual video. You will see the tags option while uploading your video, here you want to put the most relevant tags first as there is some who say that YouTube likes these the best. Pay close attention to add a command tag and then proceed this by generic tags.

Follow these 3 simple rules for adding tags:

1. Specific Tags – these are keywords that are specific to the content in your video. Using our title above, a specific tag would be Roses.
2. Compound Tags – these are tags with more than two words. Arranging Roses, How To Arrange Roses.
3. Generic– these tags can be broader, still keeping with the specific content of the video. For instance DIY, Tips, Tutorial, etc.

Descriptions

Your video description is equally as important as your title and tags. The first 3 sentences of your description will show in the search, so let’s put lots of thought in our first 3 sentences. Now, this part is important, MAKE SURE TO ADD YOUR WEBSITE URL TO YOUR DESCRIPTION.

Example: What if I show you how arranging roses in a vase can be fun and easy? Learn how to arrange roses in a vase by following these simple steps. To see more beautiful rose floral arrangements go to – http://myflowershop.com.

 Tip: Do not confine your video to just YouTube, be sure to post on other social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and your website blog. 

Did You Know?

• YouTube was the idea of former PayPal employees
• YouTube started as a dating site
• Google owns YouTube
• Men visit  YouTube more than women
• 6 out of 10 people prefer YouTube over TV
• More than half of the YouTubers come from mobile devices
• Only 9% of U.S small businesses use YouTube
• The most watched non-musical YouTube Video is – Charlie Bit My Finger
• Follow by most-watched musical YouTube Video Gangnam Style

Florists do you have a YouTube video already?  How has YouTube increased your overall brand recognition and SEO?  Please share your feedback in the comment section below. If you have any questions please post below as well!

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Floranext makes great florist software. Florist websites, floral POS, florist wedding/event proposal software, and florist technology. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here.