Cultivate’20 will be held July 111-14, 2020 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
For more information about this event, please visit OAF’s Website.
2019 CONVENTION
July 26 – 28, 2019
Holiday Inn Louisville East Hurstbourne
More details TBA
For more information, please visit the Kentucky Florist Association website.
The Texas Floral Expo will offer two courses of study rather than an exclusive focus on design.
The Design Course of Study and the Business Course of Study relate to the needs of the individual offering the best possible education whether your passion is design or whether you feel the need to expand your business skills.
If design is your focus then you will be able to register for presentations that cover a multitude of design topics presented by the best in the industry.
If you are all about business there will be two and half days of specific programming covering a range of topics! Additional information can be found at the Texas State Floral Association website.
OAF Cultivate’19 will be held July 13-16, 2019 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
For more information about this year’s event, please visit OFA Website.
2019 – AIFD Conference – Awaken – Las Vegas
More information TBA
For more information on this event, please visit the AFID website.
Celebrating the Past. Fired up for the Future.
100 Years – WUMFA 2019
Wisconsin & Upper Michigan Florists Association
More information TBA – For more information, please visit the WUMFA website.
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!
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 aroma, flavor, and other beneficial properties, are soluble in alcoholic spirits, which makes them the perfect mix-ins for a cocktail that is functional and gives you that artistic feeling!
So what edible flowers give the best flavor, and which edible flowers pair with what? Think of it as an experiment! There are some tried-and-true floral infusers that work well, and a some that don’t pair well. You just have to try and taste. You may prefer some floral infusers over others.
(Make sure when selecting flowers that you choose flowers that have not had any chemicals or pesticides used, or were growing in a pet “potty” area!)
For a list of edible flowers and what parts won’t make you sick, please click here!
Simple syrups are the best way to sweeten a drink. Use the basic 2-to-1 ratio of sugar to water, heated to a brief boil in order to dissolve the sugar. You can add any edible dried flower, herb or spice into the simmering syrup to extract flavor and aroma your cocktail.
An example of a floral simple syrup:
Violet Simple Syrup
Dissolve sugar in water over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a simmer.
Place flowers in a nonreactive bowl (glass, enamel, or stainless steel).
Pour hot syrup over top and let stand for at least 30 minutes.
Strain mixture and discard flowers.
Simple syrups can be stored in the fridge for 1 or 2 months. If it begins to crystallize, simply heat it again until smooth.
Some drink recipes call for a water mixer. For water, mixer tries substituting the recipe with a tea-infused flower, herb or spice of your choosing and that best fits the drink you are making.
Want to stock up for a warm day—amaze your friends, family, co-workers and more by freezing some of your floral-infused drink in an ice cube tray.
Many of you have seen the sugar or salt-based garnish on the rim of a cocktail glass at restaurants and parties. This garnish is called a “rimmer” and it provides a sweet or savory garnish to enhance the taste of the cocktail.
Add a bit of crumbled or powdered edible flowers, herbs and spices that work well with your cocktail to your glass to give your drink even more artistic appeal and additional flavor
An example of a floral rimmer:
Frozen Hibiscus Margaritas
Place hibiscus flowers and vanilla bean in a saucepan with the cup of water and bring to a boil. After water is boiling, remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 20 minutes.
Strain mixture to remove hibiscus flowers and vanilla bean. Add mixture back to pan and add sugar.
Simmer for about 5 minutes until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add lime zest, lime juice, orange juice, and tequila. Chill the mixture until it has cooled completely.
Once the mixture is cool, pour over ice in a rimmed margarita glass (or freeze and eat as a sorbet)!
Use zest of lime, hibiscus flowers, and salt to rim the glass.
So can florists really tap into this trend? It all depends on your source of flowers. Reach out to your wholesaler or flower market to see what flowers have not had chemicals or pesticides sprayed on them. These flowers can be used or sold for infusing with beverages, food, and decorating.
Also, remember the 2019 unexpected trend of dried flowers we discussed last month? Well, this is another way to incorporate edible dried flowers in your business.
So why not tap into this additional revenue source? If the resources are there, this could be a great tactic is working with local restaurants, bakeries, bars, and more to offer edible flowers whether it be drinks or food. This is a great marketing tactic and gives those businesses a source to come to your business to purchase flowers and increasing your business sales.
Florists, are you working with local companies in regards to edible flowers or seeing a trend in edible flowers? If so, share your comments 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.
San Francisco Flower and Garden Show March 20, 21, 22, 23, & 24, 2019
At the Cow Place in Daly City, CA.
For more information about this event please visit the San Diego County Flower & Plant website.
Is it time to continue your education to upgrade your skills and expand your knowledge?
Have you registered for the classes that will enhance your design ability and profitability?
If not then you should do it today!
We have amazing talent again this year excited to share their knowledge with all of you!
Please act now and register as prices will soon go up. Don’t forget to register for the grant, competitions.
We look forward to seeing you very soon!
For more information on this event, please visit the Illinois Florist Association website.
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.
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 bouquet rather than one in the cooler or offering a box of chocolates to go with their dozen red roses. Trying to properly gauge the right service for your customer can open up opportunities to upsell.
Existing customers are easier to upsell to because you may already know their purchasing habits, have a somewhat personable relationship and have a good idea of what they might need. However, new customers can be skeptical, which could mean you’re not upselling right.
The key is to accurately identify the customer’s needs. Find a product that satisfies that need, and give them a sense of urgency of the offer. Whether it may be a promo price on certain flowers or a limited-time offer, you should try to open such a possibility to the customer as soon as possible.
Avoid pushing too hard, or they might shy away from the offer. Offering too much can also confuse the customer. Try not to make the customer panic, but rather make them feel that the offer is compelling.
Well, it could be at any time! When you feel confident, you can try upselling to regular customers and see how it goes.
During a shop-wide sale, all your products have a higher perceived value because of the price slash. Customers new and old will flock to your flower shop to take advantage of that. This time is a very critical time to upsell! Sales don’t last long, giving that sense of urgency to the customers. All your products will look like perfect grabs, making them more likely to be picked up.
The key here is to offer better-value products to your customers. Upsell products in line with the customer’s purchase that is still part of the sales promotion, presenting just enough choices that they can consider. If done well, the chances for a successful upsell are higher than normal!
You should also incentivize upsells by offering more discounts and freebies, adding more value to the customer’s purchase, at the same time maximizes your profit.
The advantages of upselling during a sale can be numerous, but it all boils to two things: you maximize your profit, and your customer gets home with a satisfactory purchase. With that purchase, they see you as a brand to be trusted, making more likely to come back to you. Other than increasing customer stickiness, upselling is much easier and costs less. A win-win situation!
Sales experiences are not just about how much you earn, but how valuable of experience you can give your customer. When you put your customer first, your profit margin consequently improves, given the advantages of doing such things. However, don’t just stop on upselling, there are so many ways to improve each sales experience. Don’t be afraid to take all the opportunities presented to you!
Florists, what are some upselling tactics you use in your 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.
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