Have you considered using flowers not just in design, but as an art medium? As florists, we use flowers for designing arrangements for customers' everyday events and milestones, but have you thought about designing as a floral artist and creating beautiful artwork? One artist who uses flowers as an art medium is Mr. Flower Fantastic. His floral art can be seen in magazines, art galleries, on Instagram, and more. Meet the Floral Artist Mr. Flower Fantastic wears a mask and gloves, but not to hide his identity—it's essential for his health. He is highly allergic to flower pollen, which goes to show that if you have a passion for something, nothing should stand in your way. Mr. Flower Fantastic’s hidden identity allows us, viewers, to foc…

Florists, now is the time to start preparing for Valentine's Day! It is important to be ahead of the Valentine's Day flower rush! Valentine's Day is one of the busiest and possibly the most profitable holiday of the year next to Mother's Day. Read on for a step-by-step checklist to help you maintain organization, increase your flower shop profits, and have a smooth, successful Valentine's Day. Flower Shop Appearance Valentine's Day Decor: Mid-January is the time to start decorating! Customers respond to festive seasonal and holiday decor, so go ahead and add your special touches. If feasible, a beautiful and eye-catching window display will attract more walk-ins. The key is to create an inviting atmosphere and remind customers Valentine's Day is approaching.   …

What is SEO, why is it important, and why should florists care? Search Engine Optimization or SEO refers to the process used to improve a website’s position on search engine results pages (SERPs) on search engines such as Google, Yahoo, or Bing. Having an SEO strategy for your floral business can help draw customers to your website and grow sales and revenue. Working on SEO can sound like a headache, and there are a lot of myths about SEO, but once you understand the basics you will be on your way to starting your own SEO strategy. Let's take a minute to review the basics of SEO and understand how search engines like Google rank your business website. What Are Search Engines? Web search engines are the software systems we and our customers use to surf the Internet. The top…

For most florists, planning ahead is second nature. With 2019 now upon us, now is the perfect time to look ahead to the new year's holidays and slow times.   January can be a slow month in the floral industry, but that doesn't mean there isn't still plenty to get done. Focus this month on your shop's marketing and organization. Start a blog: This is a great way to increase your SEO, write a post every now and then to boost your search engine visibility, and keep the buzz going by sharing photos and updates on your social media. Tip: "How to" blogs are the most-searched! Review 2018 Valentine's sales: Start ordering your flowers for Valentine's Day—the earlier you order, the more you save. Don't forget to order add-ons either: plush, chocolate, candy,…

When will your flower shop be ready for the holidays? What month do you start preparing for the holidays? Which holiday is best for sales (hint, it's Christmas). See the items most florists sell during the holidays and most-sought decorations and decorating services. Does your shop run an end-of-year sale?…

In this age of technology, florists need to step up their design game to stand out from the competition. Below are some design resources for florists to help you brand your business. As a florist, you have a good idea of what makes a beautiful floral arrangement, and how to communicate with types of flowers and their placement. The next step is to achieve awareness of your floral brand. You need to look different, striking, and eye-catching to rake in these customers just like your floral arrangements. The question now is, how? There are many options for graphic design out there, and fortunately he great thing about them is that you can go about it in many different ways, from DIY (Doing It Yourself) to hiring professionals to design your shop’s look. Here is a guide - a set of …

 It's sometimes surprising how many florists sell only flowers in their shops! This is not to say that only selling flowers is passé, however we want to encourage all florists to carry various items that demand little-to-no design time and offer a long shelf-life to boost retail sale profits. Another point is that owning a flower shop gives you a huge advantage in the retail business market. Florists can carry and sell various gift items in their stores while maintaining the flower shop nostalgia. In this blog, we'll discuss the products customers are gravitating to and list six of 2019's must-sell retail items in your floral business.   6. Greeting Cards Most customers write messages when purchasing a floral arrangement and we all know how much content customers …

The world as we know it could never manage without florists. With the holiday season on our doorstep and all the long days it entails, we want to remind you how your work brings warmth to your community and all humankind! It may sound a bit cheesy but it's a sentiment we feel is worth exploring. Florists are behind bringing so much beauty and sweet memories into the world, and your passion for the floral industry is recognized and very deeply needed.   Floristry Is Part of Our History The earliest-known flower arranging dates back to ancient Egypt in 2,500 BCE. Egyptians were the first to cut and place flowers to decorate and add color to their surroundings. Florists were so sought after and so necessary that it was almost a sign of royalty to be a florist. Back then…

Running a flower shop is no small task - what can you do to cut corners and make life a bit easier? Here are a few indispensable iPhone and Android apps that will increase your flower business productivity, save you time, and help you grow your sales. All of these apps are free and available on iOS and Android. Happy downloading!  Here is our list of some of the top apps to help your business get down to business. What other apps do you use - let us know! Faster Flower Deliveries - Waze  Want your florist deliveries to get there faster? Waze shows you traffic in real time, instantly re-routes you, and even tells you were to get the cheapest gas.  And if you're into really fast driving, the app gives you a head's up on police speed traps. Super easy to use even while driv…

In Lieu of Flowers is perhaps the most detrimental 4 words in floral business Conveying compassion and respect for one's passing is traditionally defined by sending flowers. The utmost disappointment is that customers take "In Lieu Of Flowers" literally. We understand it does say "In Lieu Of Flowers," however,  that in no way means the family does not want flowers at the viewing/funeral service. As floral professionals you understand how somber a viewing/ funeral service would be without flowers. The added beauty of sympathy flower arrangements is there to offer comfort to the visitors and also pay tribute to the deceased.  The terminology of "In Lieu Of Flowers" has caused an uproar in the floral community as it should, this is awfully mistaken too many times by customers. The F…