The unique and beautiful traditions of May Day have sadly become lost and wilted over time—is it time to bring them back? Spring is finally here! This time of year is often associated with floral holidays like Easter and Mother's Day, but years ago, the season used to start in earnest with May Day. When Did May Day Start? The earliest known history of May celebrations began with the Floralia, the festival of Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers. This festival was typically held on April 27th. The Floralia opened with theatrical performances, including a ritual called the Florifertum that was performed on either the 27th or May 3rd, where a bundle of wheat was carried into a shrine for the devotion of Flora. In the 18th century many Catholics observed May Day with various devotions…

In today's society, all products are judged by their convenience, and the smallest inconvenience can make or break any business. One simple convenience is the delivery of products this includes the delivery of flowers. Of course, flower delivery has been around for ages and most florists provide this service, but when was the last time you sat down and gave your delivery policies and pricing some critical thinking? To truly know if you are charging enough for delivery, there should be a few things that we should keep in mind. In the flower industry, which is highly local in nature, there is no one true “industry standard” for costs; your area is different from the others, and there may be considerations you have to make that other competitor and or businesses do not.  H…

Mother's Day is just around the corner! Is your business ready for this busy floral holiday? Having a plan in place to make the most revenue during Mother's Day is critical to earning the rewards of this bustling, blossoming occasion. Read on for an agenda to help you plan and organize your shop for the upcoming Mother's Day holiday. 1. Promote Your Floral Business! Begin by using your floral website and social media profiles to start marketing your floral arrangements and your business. It's not too late! 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! You want to make it as easy as possible for cu…

  Delivering Flowers Faster. Easier. Floranext's New Florist Delivery Manager is the new solution to let your floral delivery blossom!  Try Floranext's New Delivery Manager Today!     Route With Map - Speed up Florist Route Creation  Easily re-route delivery stops by choosing which stops should come first before any others. Click here to learn more >>   Delivery Driver App - For Faster Floral Deliveries Your flower shop's delivery drivers can use a smartphone to use the benefits of the delivery routing features like live status updates, turn by turn directions, and more.  Click here to learn more >>     Instant-Address Search - Faster Floral Order Taking Enter in the business/home address and the f…

FTD lawyers contacted Floranext on March 26th 2019 asking us to remove our blog post about FTD's most recent news.  We offered to FTD as a compromise to instead post a direct quote from their own recent communications. They suggested this would still result in legal action. We have removed all commentary about FTD's recent news from our blog. It saddens us that in America in 2019, the power of lawsuits are such that it can stop truthful dialogue about issues that matter to people.  We at Floranext are fans of this quote by Senator and Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black - "The Framers of the Constitution knew that free speech is the friend of change and revolution." We hope that all florists are getting truthful information about their business.  - William O'S…

Using Google My Business is one of the best ways to improve your floral business website’s visibility.   Google My Business (formerly called Google Places) is the number one platform for listing your flower shop on Google searches, and Google Maps! Google My Business allows you to improve your business’s credibility and visibility, by showing you are verified on one of the most trusted platforms on the Internet.     Signing Up for Google for Business If you are just starting your floral business, whether or not you have a floral website set up or not, start your application here. Click Manage Now and enter your Business Name.   Next, you will be asked if you want to add a location that customers can visit, such as a store or an office. …

Flower-infused drinks have been around for centuries, but they're enjoying new popularity today! Over the last couple years you may have seen flower-infused drinks popping up more frequently at bars and restaurants, and on television, social media and more. Flowers like rose, lavender, hibiscus, and daisy are leaving their mark on the shelves, but is this beneficial for florists? With Spring just now arriving, why not learn how to floral infuse not only food but beverages as well!   Floral Drinks—Is it Possible? Infusing floral notes into any beverage can be a simple process depending on the method you choose. Not only can you infuse flowers into drinks, but florals can use them as garnishes or rim dressing on glasses. Oils that give flowers, herbs, and spices their ar…

Upselling isn't just a sales tactic—it's a way to improve your customer's experience. The objective of customer service is to satisfy the needs and wants of your customers. With that principle as your guide, no sale will feel forced but will make you feel accomplished that you have pleased your customers by providing what they actually need. The key is to successfully identify the needs and wants for each person that purchases through your flower shop. One of the ways you can deliver a quality sales experience is with upselling.    What is Upselling? Upselling is a sales technique aimed at getting a customer to spend more by upgrading their arrangement, or by adding another item to their order. A good example is when you offer the customer a custom-arranged b…

Flowers can be tasteful to the palate, not just the eyes! Anyone in the food industry recognizes that the human palate is an ever-changing thing, and we are always more than ready to take a bite out of anything remotely edible. Delicious food is more than just delicious on the tongue, it can be tasty to the eye. Restaurant-quality food is more than the taste, the way it's presented is part of the experience. Now, the flower industry has something food fanatics might consider to enhance that experience: edible flowers.   Edible Flower Trend Ripped from the pages of the Great British Bake Off recipe books—which once featured a botanicals week—and Michelin five-star chefs, edible flowers have gained a lot of traction because they still do what they do best even when pai…

The 2019 Florist Valentine's Day Survey Results Are In! A big thank you to everyone who participated in our annual Valentine’s Day survey. Once again we received a strong response from our readers and members. Results were based on the 347 retail surveyed by Floranext between February 15th through February 17th.   Were 2019 Valentine's Day Sales Better Than Last Year? Lower - 20.8% Same - 17.9% Higher - 61.3%   Were Valentine's Day In-Store Retail sales greater than last year? Yes - $65% No - 35%   Aside From Red Roses, What Were Your Top-Selling Products This Valentine's Day? Arranged Flowers - 71.4% Hand-Tied Bouquets - 11.4% Other Roses - 16.6% Other - 0.6%   What Did you Charge For  …