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.

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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.

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 Flowers and Supplies

Order Flowers: Here again, it’s best to get started on your quantities in mid-January. Ask for price breaks from your suppliers and be sure to order all you need, but be careful not to overdo it. Be smart, buy smart!

Try a Flower Auction: Due to the large quantities you must buy in order to get a great deal, flower auctions are perfect for holidays like Valentine’s Day roses. Once again, ordering early is key.

Order Supplies: Make sure you have good tools, and all the prep supplies you need: wire, tape, oasis, flower food, etc. Besides your tools and prep supplies, you will need vases and containers. Order your standard vases and shop at home decor stores for unique finds.

Order Add-Ons: Do not forget to order new plush, candies, chocolate, balloons and candles. Anything can be an add-on! Cross-selling creates huge profits and these items will generally last from one year to the next. If you can, invest in quality products and watch them sell.

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Floral Website

Ideally, it is best to have your floral eCommerce all set and ready for Valentine’s Day before February 1st. However, it is never too late to make a few tweaks to your website to attract customers. Remember to implement some Valentine’s Day keywords for your SEO.

Website Products: Start with your Valentine’s Day product images. These should be displayed prominently throughout the website. You might consider adding Valentine’s Day products to your Bestsellers and Birthday pages, and any other pages you like. We recommend peppering your pages with Valentine’s products, while also using a dedicated Valentine’s Day page.

Call to Action: One great practice is to have a call to action on your floral eCommerce. Add an invitation to “Shop Now for Valentine’s Day Flowers” which will direct customers where they need to go. Make sure Valentine’s Day is clearly shown on your site’s navigation bar so customers have easy access to the page.

Clear Valentine’s Day Policy: If your policy for deliveries isn’t front and center on your website, now is the time to correct this. Remind your customers that you can’t guarantee delivery at a specific time. Encourage them to pick a range of time (ie. “Valentine’s Day Delivery Guaranteed between 9:00am and 5:00pm).

Promotions: We encourage you to add an early bird special. Unlike other holidays, Valentine’s Day is one day which can get very busy. Having customers select a different delivery date spreads the holiday throughout the week. Offer a free delivery or percentage off for anyone who opts for delivery before February 14.

Pricing: If you are charging more for Valentine’s Day flowers, make sure your floral eCommerce has holiday pricing enabled.

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Employee Management

Employee Scheduling: By February 1st, discuss what will be required of your employees. Most flower shop employees understand the importance of this holiday, but it pays to have instill a clear understanding of days and times they must work.

Cross-Selling and Upgrades: Valentine’s Day is a such a busy holiday in a flower shop that sometimes cross-selling or upgrading can slip your mind. We encourage you to make upgrading and cross-selling a priority in your flower shop. Every employee should offer a customer more with every sale.

Extra Help: Hire any extra help you need for Valentine’s week: front counter help, designers, and delivery drivers included. Make sure to go over all that is required, including scheduling.

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Valentine’s Day Prep Checklist

Prep Your Flowers: When your flower supply arrives (around the start of February), be sure to quickly prep all your flowers and do not cut corners. Prepping is the key in selling beautiful long lasting flowers. How to flower prep.

Supplies: Cut your ribbon ahead of time for easy access. Stage your containers and make sure you have enough—the same goes for pins, plush, candies, and so on.

Get to Greening: Practiced by many florists, green vases before the holiday. Greens are very long lasting, and doing this ahead of time will save you some valuable time (be sure to keep all pre-greened containers and vases in your cooler).

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Valentine’s Day Week Checklist

Get Your Display On: The week of Valentine’s Day, create bundle deals and display them throughout the shop. Add special offers for roses purchased with plush, candies, or any combination. Make sure these are visible for easy purchase for walk-in customers.

Single Roses: A big seller from many florists has been the single wrapped rose. Pre-make tons of these and place them at your front counter. These sell quickly and most customers will almost always purchase an add -on to go along with the single wrapped rose. Be sure to display them close together.

Tip: Wrap single colored roses as well. Customers love these, with the color pink trailing right behind red. 

Delivery Route: Look over the orders you currently have and make a set plan with your drivers on what areas they are delivering to. Remember more orders trickle in the day before Valentine’s Day and day of, so be as organized as possible, with the delivery routing for each driver.

Tip: If you can, we advise having a standby driver at the shop, this driver will handle all new orders that come in on Valentine’s Day.

Attire: Why a section on attire? We want you to be comfortable! Please wear proper shoes. Do Not allow employees to wear open toe shoes, this can be an insurance liability. Be comfortable and wear closed toe shoes.

Don’t Be Wasteful: With the orders piling up it is so easy to be wasteful, make sure to use what you need. Amazing how many flowers and supplies are simply thrown on the floor and then thrown out. Discuss the importance with your employees on not wasting products, this all cuts into your bottom line profits.

Watch Your Finances: We know you’re exhausted, but don’t forget to check your daily sales for each day leading up to Valentine’s Day. Keep clear reports on all accounts payable and accounts receivable.

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Valentine’s Day Checklist

All the preparations have paid off! Valentine’s Day is here!

Everything Will Be Great: Florists by nature tend to be perfectionists. Our advice is everything will come together. The day will fly by so enjoy it, focus on your task at hand rather than feel like you have to be doing everything.

Keep Up the Sense of Humor: Do not sweat the small stuff. Things can happen and they are all part of the Valentine’s Day flower shop process.

Treat Employees to Lunch: This is great for the fellowship in the flower shop and also keeps employees from venturing out for lunch.

Delivery Confirmations: If you participate with a floral wire service, be sure to confirm all your delivered orders. Doing so will keep you from being charged high non-delivery confirmation fees. Most floral wire services have a time that they need to be confirmed by, so please do this accordingly.

Florists, have any great Valentine’s Day tip to share with our readers? Please post your feedback below, as it is so important to us! We would like to wish all florists a very lucrative and successful Valentine’s Day!

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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.

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.

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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, etc. are all high-margin items that sell reliably well.
  • Tip: If this is your first Valentine’s day, don’t order too much. Calibrating the size of your order can be tricky, but when in doubt, start small. You can always re-up in a pinch.

• Decorate store and website for Valentine’s: Starting the second week of January (after the official end of Christmas season), make a spectacular Valentine’s display in your store and also make sure your ecommerce site is ready for early bird sales.

• Sign up for wedding sites: If you’re a wedding florist, make sure you have profiles on The Knot, Wedding Wire, and My Wedding.

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February is a short month and can be slow early on, but Valentine’s Day demand will create an explosion of activity the middle two weeks of the month. It’s important to have everything ready before this rush.

• Employee management: Hire and train your holiday help, then go over all employee scheduling and responsibilities by the end of the first week of February.
  • Tip: This is also a good time to also rent extra delivery vans if needed.

• Promotions: Come up with some sales promotions you can offer to attract earlier Valentine’s Day orders. Maybe you can encourage customers to choose delivery dates before the 14th. Share these promotions to your social media and on your flower shop website. Make sure they expire a few days before Valentines.

• Take care of yourself: During this busy month, it is important to rest and take time for yourself. Encourage your employees to do the same and wear comfortable clothes, comfy shoes, and make time to eat! Being organized will alleviate most of the Valentine’s day pressure, but it’s important to be well-nourished and comfortable.
• Start a holiday journal: It may sound corny or frivolous, but there’s so much even an established shop can learn by keeping some written records. You have your gross receipts, but what about mishaps or funny incidents not included in the data? It helps to reread notes from past holidays to refresh yourself.

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March can be one of the most rewarding months in the floral industry. Nestled between the Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day holidays, March allows florists time to relax and get ready for new beginnings with the coming of spring.

• Finance review: With the first quarter almost over, now is a good time to get a grasp on your profit and loss for January and February. Add notes about what you may do differently next year, maybe using your shop journal.

• Spring cleaning: Customers eagerly anticipate spring, especially if you’re located in an area with cold, snowy winters. Refresh your flower shop decor and get ready for spring!

• March Sales Madness: As florists, we know March can be hit or miss with sales, so start a new marketing campaign to drive more sales.

• Order your Easter flowers and plants: Easter can fall anywhere between late March and late April, and it may vary widely from one year to the next. Start an order for your Easter flowers and plants, remember that ordering early means savings for you from your suppliers, and you’ll have the best selection.

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It’s April, and Mother’s Day will be here before you know it! Use April to prepare.

• Order Mother’s Day flowers and supplies: Make sure to place your order for Mother’s Day plants, and flowers, and containers with your supplier. The best time to order is early April.

• Showcase your plants: If you’re selling flowering plants, now is a good time to showcase them! This creates a welcoming atmosphere for customers. If you’re able to move some outdoors, this could help with curb appeal.

• Promotions and marketing: Start promoting early bird Mother’s Day sales after Easter. Post on your social media and website (this will improve your SEO to boot). One great marketing tip is to offer a giveaway, maybe a gift basket, or free flowers for a few months, and have customers provide their contact information when they make a purchase.

• Employee management: It’s time again to make sure you have all your seasonal help lined up. Make sure all current employees understand their schedule and duties.
  • Tip: If you or any of your employees are new to the floral industry, remember that Mother’s Day is the #1 floral business holiday. Customers order for deliveries throughout the week rather than one day. Be prepared with help, lots of flowers, and beautiful containers. 

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May is a great month for the floral industry! Between Mother’s Day and proms, it’s best to be well-prepared so you aren’t caught off guard.

• Take a look around: Take an honest look—does your flower shop look appealing to you? Make sure you use a critical eye and take it all in, the appearance, the sounds, and even the smells. Customers are drawn to a beautiful environment that makes them feel relaxed and comfortable.

• Employee training: The first week of May is a good time to discuss employee customer service, cross-selling, and up-selling products. Make sure your employees are polite and offer customers upgrades and add-ons with their purchase. This is an easy way to almost triple your profits.

• Offer prom promotions: Proms are a way sure to make sales. Build relationships with future long time patrons. Offer a referral discount.

• Examine your finances: After the Mother’s Day rush, now is a good time to sit down and see whether or not you made a profit, be sure to calculate all costs and include any spoilage or waste. Keep notes on what you would do different next year.

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June is a lovely month. The start of summer offers a chance to organize your floral business needs. June is the most popular month for weddings, with September and October close behind. Florists are pleasantly surprised with how busy June can get with weddings and graduations.

• Refresh your floral website: Update your flower shop for some summer specials, make sure you’re wedding galleries are up to date with pertinent content and keywords.

• Offer promotions: Teacher gifts and graduation discounts are a great way to bring in traffic. Be sure to promote these on your floral website and social media.

• Order retail products: This is a great time to order some fresh new stock to get customers to flock to your flower shop. There is nothing you cannot sell, so think outside the box! What’s popular? Candles, skin care, plush, home decor, makeup, even unique greeting cards. Brand your flower shop!

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We think of July as a month of organization. July can be on the slower side, so it’s very important to have your shop looking its best.

• Write a blog: With the free time that July affords you, we especially recommend writing a blog post or three. Write a how-to or write about anything that inspires you. Think about things you search for, read, and watch, and connect it to flowers.

• Social media: Take some time to focus on revamping your social media communities. Add content and images, and don’t forget hashtags where appropriate.

• Tidy up your flower shop: Time to clean, scrub, wash, organize, label, etc. Freshen up your floral space!

• Browse your floral supply stores: July is a great month to look at products in your floral supply store, for example you can often find great deals on holiday items. It’s a great time to stock up.

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August can be one of the slowest months in the floral industry. If that’s the case for you, try implementing new ways to market in your flower shop.

• Newsletter: Email, snail mail, or both! Send out a newsletter to your customers offering special savings.

• Start a workshop or floral party! Get busy with hosting a floral workshop, kids floral birthday parties, and much more. This can lead to great profits and new patrons at your flower shop.

• Start preparing for fall! Get your flower shop ready for the most popular season. Create beautiful displays, order new inventory and go for it! We recommend starting this the second-to-last week of August. Don’t forget your fall marketing!

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Flowers sales in September pick up rapidly by the middle of the month. Customers are now back to their normal routines with the kids back in school and a new flush of weddings.

• Order fall flowers and plants: Stock up on your seasonal flowers and plants.

• Revamp your floral website: Add the seasonal touch to your floral website with fresh new content and images. Use proper keywords, specific to the floral industry for SEO advantage.

• Launch and Adwords campaign: If your budget allows, try launching an Adwords campaign for more clicks to your ecommerce store. Be sure to set a budget and stick to it as this can get expensive. adwords.google.com

• Keep up with your blog: Now that you are a blogging pro, how about writing a seasonal blog or fall wedding blog? We cannot emphasize this enough, regular blog posts have a powerful influence on your search engine ranking.

Tip: Canadian florists, September is a good time start ordering flowers and supplies for Thanksgiving.

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October offers some great sales. Now is a good time to start orders on any extra stock supplies and get them at a discount for future use.

• Prepare for the holidays: The holidays are just around the corner! Shop around for the best deals on all your flowers, and supplies for the holidays. Also, shop around for holiday products to sell at your shop.

• Employee management: Go over employee scheduling and see if you will need extra help for the holiday season.

• Host an open house: Host a holiday open house to show off your latest products and floral designs.

• Floral expo: Take some time to visit a flower expo in your area and take your employees. This is a good way to stay current with the new trends and get first dibs on new products.

Tip: October is a very popular wedding month, since most wedding proposals are made in December. Consider advertising a wedding package special on your website.

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Tis the season for flower sales! November will be great month for you as customers get into the giving mood.

• Market the holidays! Add promotions to your floral website and social media!

• Start greening: Green those Thanksgiving centerpieces ahead of time, add any taper or candles and put in the cooler for a quick way to add flowers as Thanksgiving sales roll in.

• Decorate the shop for the holidays: Time for Christmas cheer. Create eye-appealing displays and make sure your flower shop is festive. If you can make a beautiful Christmas window display or storefront display to bring in curious shoppers.

• Offer incentives: Offer Black Friday or Small Business Saturday deals. “Buy ones get ones” are great offers, even if it’s just a couple hours that day. Having a great deal with a cut off time is a good way of creating hype and traffic into your flower shop.

Tip: Don’t forget to revamp your ecommerce site in advance of Christmas and update your social media!

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With a number of winter holidays converging on December, many florists enjoy a huge uptick in sales in December, especially for Christmas. This can vary from place to place, but December is overall the third best month for floral retail sales after May and February, which is really saying something.

• Employee management: Set expectations for your employees—remind them to discuss upgrades and add-ons for each customer’s order. Remember to review the days you will be closed and work out a firm schedule, you don’t want to be caught shorthanded. You may also consider bringing in extra seasonal help around the holidays to keep things running smoothly.

• Christmas greens: Many customers will come to you looking to buy Christmas greenery. Be sure to place your order early so you have a sufficient stock of wreaths, garlands, etc.

• Plan your discounts: Sometimes offering a discount too early for Christmas can become forgetful to customers who may not be ready. Post Christmas discounts during this month and make sure to have an expiration time or date. Great discounts are gifts for parents, teachers, corporate and the person, who has everything. Flower still remain the perfect gift.

Tip: Don’t forget to market to businesses! holiday parties and corporate decorating can be huge, so offer incentives to entice them to book with you for their flower needs. 

With all that said, florists, if you have any tips or thoughts on yearly or monthly planning, please leave them in the 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.

Ever wonder how we came to celebrate Valentine’s Day with roses?

Valentine’s Day is observed all across the world, and many consider this one of their favorite holidays. Celebrating romantic love, friendship, kindness and sweetness with flowers as the #2 most gifted, candy-chocolate #3 and greeting cards being #1.

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How Valentine’s Day Began

Saint Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14, but why? The story goes that in Rome around 269 AD, Saint Valentine was performing weddings for soldiers. Saint Valentine was arrested and imprisoned. While imprisoned he fell in love with a jailer’s daughter. Before his execution on February 14, 269 AD, he wrote her a letter signed “Your Valentine” as a final farewell, and the saying has stuck ever since.

Although a grim story, the association with undying romantic love captured the hearts of hopeless romantics, philosophers, and poets. Around the 14th century, Saint Valentine’s Day or Valentine’s Day became a tradition in what’s called courtly love. Knights would show their love for the ladies by performing services of nobility and chivalry with handwritten love notes, now better known as greeting cards.

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How Roses Gained a Part in Valentine’s Day

We all know roses—especially red roses—are a quintessential symbol of Valentine’s Day, much like poinsettias represent the Christmas season. But why roses? Florists aren’t complaining, as roses are very hardy and feature a long-lasting bloom. Besides any other flower, roses have historical relevance. It’s amazing how flowers, and roses especially, have resonated with all kinds of people throughout the centuries.

Roses are said to have become linked to Valentine’s Day during the 17th century, with tales of the rose being a symbol of Venus, the classical goddess of love.

Floriography exploded in the Victorian era, making a gift of Valentine’s Day roses a form of communication. In floriography, each rose color represents the giver’s feelings toward the recipient.

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Roses and Their Meanings By Color

Thanks to the conservative, emotionally-reserved nature of Victorian society, one would avoid speaking words of feeling, so the “talking bouquets” of floriography grew tremendously popular.

Below are some meanings of common rose colors:

• Red rose: Romantic love, desire (can be expressed with a single red rose)
• White rose: Innocence and charm
• Mixed red and white roses: Unity
• Light pink rose: Grace
• Dark pink rose: Thankfulness
• Medium pink rose: Happiness
• Lavender rose: Enchantment, love at first sight
• Burgundy rose: Beauty
• Coral rose: Desire
• Orange rose: Fascination
• Peach rose: Modesty, immortality
• Yellow rose: Friendship, joy, gladness
• Mixed colored roses: You’re everything to me

Florists, do you have any Valentine’s Day history or trivia to share? Feel free to leave a comment 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.

Florists, did you know you make a huge difference?

The world as we know it would never survive without floral professionals. With potentially one of the busiest floral holidays here, it’s no wonder florists may be feeling frazzled and drained. It’s our job to remind you just how amazingly awesome you are and how your career choice makes such a difference. Not just for your community but in general for all humankind!

Yes, we know that sounds deep and profound but it’s true. Florists you create so much beauty, emotions and memories. Your passion for the floral industry is recognized and very much needed.

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Florists Have Been Around For Centuries:

Earliest known flower arranging dates back to ancient Egypt to 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 royalty to be a florist.
• Back then (and even today) the most beautiful accessory, gift and decor accents are arranged flowers.
• Flower arranging made these miraculous gifts from Mother Nature to evoke everlasting emotions.

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Flower Arrangements Benefit Health:

Did you know that studies continually find that floral gift giving has a tremendous impact on our health? You would be surprised to know that lavish gifts, money, tech gadgets and clothing have little or no benefit to our general health.

• Studies find that patients in hospital rooms with colorful floral arrangements are in often a better, positive mood, need less pain relief medication and have overall lower blood pressure.
• Flower arrangements also have a profound effect on your workspace and home. Making you more productive, able to think clearer and also calmer.
• Surrounding oneself with flower arrangements helps increase your sex drive, evoking increased erotic feelings.
• Flower arrangements boost senior citizen’s spirits. Researchers at Rutgers released the shared results of a six-month behavioral study on the health effects of flowers on senior citizens. The study shows that flowers ease depression, inspire social networking and refresh memory as we age.

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Why We Need Florists So Much:

Florists, could we ever imagine what the world would be like with no flower designing? The impact would be tremendous and we imagine a less cheery, more drab world.

• No special way of adding color and beauty to one’s life.
• No way of giving a gift of flowers which convey our deepest gratitude.
• No way of marking memories in our life’s journey with the addition of floral arrangements.
• Weddings would not be the same.
• Life would just not be the same. People count on their florist professional. Remember that!

Your contribution to the world is so special, so enduring, floral designs run deep within the receiver’s soul.

Think of all the ways you as floral professional impact patron’s life changing events.

Adding special memories;

• New baby
• Child’s first play
• Prom
• Graduation
• First date
• Breakup
• Showing love
• New job
• Birthdays
• Get Wells
• Mother’s day
• Weddings
• Holidays
• Anniversaries
• Offering beautiful floral arrangements for sympathy in helping to convey condolence and enhance the service.

Florists, during this busy holiday think of what a superstar you are and how your career choice impacts the lives of all and helps the world. We want to send all floral professionals across the world a special thank you for all you do in helping everyone’s life journey. We hope that you have a very prosperous Mother’s Day! Please share any feedback or 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.

 Opening a flower shop is a great career opportunity. You get to be creative and work with flowers all day, right?

Well, yes. However, there are so many other facets when it comes to opening a flower shop business. The floral industry does require much more than just designing flowers. Remember, you are selling, designing, delivering, marketing and much more!

We asked florist’s all around the world to share their most crucial advice/tips on opening a flower business. If you are thinking or just starting a floral business this will help you get answers to some of your questions.

Which is most important when opening a flower shop?

1. Location (111%)
2. Creativity (55%)
3. Revenue (52%)
4. I just like flowers (7%)
5. All of the above (63%)
6. Other (30%)

 With an overwhelming 111%, Florists have stated that location is key when opening a flower shop. So remember Location, Location, Location.

Additional Florist Expert Advice: 

• “Is there a need in your community for “Your” idea of a flower shop?” – Wild By Nature

• “Knowledge of business in general. KNOWING how to design already!” – Victorias Floral Design 

• “Driven work ethic.” – Tilted Tulip Florist

• “Social media, marketing and internet presence” – anonymous

• “A working knowledge of flower care and preparation methods and reliable suppliers.” –  The Enchanted Florist

What would you say surprised you when you opened your flower shop?

Long hours was the #1 answer by most florist’s for this question, however, there were many great responses that we believe are important to keep in mind when opening a floral business.

Additional Florist Expert Advice: 

• “How much yelp reviews really grew my business. After the first year, people calling the shop always mentioned: “I found you on Yelp”. I had more business from that then the local community that soon followed.” – Ace of Vase

• “All the prep work” – anonymous

• “The overwhelming bookkeeping if you are no prepared or don’t have enough financial experience.” – Flower Bomb

• “That many of the people who buy flowers know a lot of things about them.” – anonymous

• “How much you worry about it all and never get a true break from it. Even when on holiday, you don’t ever stop! ” – Beco Flowers

• “It’s hard work.” –  anonymous

• “How quickly the local people embraced us.” – Maureen’s Designs

• “How much of a percent wire service take for orders.” –  anonymous

• “How complicated the process was from start to finish- all the different ways something could go wrong from the weather to the shipping issues, flower care, and handling, order taking, design and delivery.” – The Flower Bar

• “How much fun it is!” – anonymous

• “The physical aspect – from collecting and packing flowers at the market to the lifting, cleaning and moving of heavy buckets.”  – Petals

 How much money do you say is needed to start your own brick and mortar flower business?

1. $1,000 to $5,000 (10%)
2. $5,001 – $10,000 (22%)
3. $10,001 – $15,000 (60%)
4. Other (102%)

Other was the #1 answer for this question with the winning budget amount $25,000.

Additional Florist Expert Advice: 

• “Depends on style location. Could be as little as $300. or as much as $250,000.” – Kelly Mayo

• “$40,000 ” – anonymous

• “Up to $50,000. You need refrigeration, insurance, vehicles. You also need to buy flowers and supplies c o d for at least 6 months before people trust you. Salaries and advertising are big unexpected hits in the first 6 months.” – Gloria’s Florist

• “I began with 15k. I would have been wiser to double that.”  – anonymous

• “The worst thing is to be undercapitalized” – anonymous

• “Purchase a shop already in operation if possible, would be what I recommend. “-  anonymous

 If you could open your flower shop today, what is the one thing you would do differently?

Do not join a wire service was the #1 answer if florists could do one thing differently. Trailing behind and almost taking over the number one sport was “Choose a better location,” with having an eCommerce website in third.

Additional Florist Expert Advice: 

• “The decor and the location to be more accessible.”-  anonymous

• “Design myself and eliminate payroll” – anonymous

• “Not take wire orders, EVER.” – anonymous

• “Web strategy and online marketing”  – Menifee Florist

• “I would go to flower school first and then open my flower shop.” – anonymous

• “I would have done more advertising to let people know I was there. Put decals on my van sooner. ” –  Mugfords Flower Shoppe

• “Coolers flush to the floor and better processing area.” – The University Florist

• “MORE WEB EXPOSURE.” – anonymous

• “Change business name” – anonymous

 What is the best part of opening a flower shop?

1. Customer Interaction (50%)
2. Money, Money, Money (3%)
3. Being Creative (45%)
4. Being Your Own Boss (62%)
5. Flowers Galore (9%)
6. Other (22%)

Florists have chosen Being Your Own Boss as the best part of opening a flower shop. Though percentages were very close, coming in at 2nd place is Customer Interaction.

Additional Florist Expert Advice: 

• “Creating something bigger than myself.” – Studio Vincca

• “Being my own boss and being able to bring my children to work with me.” – anonymous

• “Satisfying a deep desire to own my own business, and put my big business and academic knowledge to work.” – anonymous

• “Bringing smiles to people’s faces thru my creativity.” – anonymous

• “Being able to go to a job you love every single day of your life! ” – anonymous

• “Rewarding to know you could do it, pleasing customers with your products.” – anonymous

What would be your most valuable tip to someone who wants to open a flower shop?

Working in a flower shop was the most valuable tip given to someone who wants to open a flower shop. This gives new prospects the understanding and functionality of how a flower shop is operated.

Additional Florist Expert Advice: 

• “Go for it! You must always try! Do not cut yourself short with the funds when borrowing $$.” – anonymous

• “You have to be passionate about flowers and ready for hard working for many hours to open a flower shop!!!”-  anonymous

• “Service from the heart.” – Yousef

• “Control labor and cost of goods sold.”-  anonymous

• “Keep your focus on quality and customer service.” – anonymous

• “Forget the idea there is no money to be made anymore and stay way from wire services.”-  anonymous

• “Be creative, make a difference.” – Floral Factory

What is the worst part of owning a flower shop?

1. Customer Interaction (4%)
2. Long Hours (64%)
3. Demanding Work Load (49%)
4. Having To Be Creative All The Time (2%)
5. Nothing (13%)
6. Other (54%)

Long hours took the top with florists on the worst part of owning a flower shop. The long hours and the demanding workload is something each florist will experience when opening and running a flower shop.

Additional Florist Expert Advice: 

• “All of it. Long hours, Staff, Customers, Physical Demand.” – Musgrove Florist

• “Having to make all the decisions and be the boss.” – anonymous

• “You pretty much need to eat, drink & sleep it unless you have a well paid very skilled staff.” – Flower Bomb

Would you recommend someone join a floral wire service when opening a flower shop? Tell us yes or no and why.

Overwhelmingly the #1 answer to this question was no, there was a tremendous response to this question with many great florist advice.

• “No! They undersell the florist and steal their business.” – anonymous

• “You don’t have to belong to a wire service at first. Many shops are moving to a direct call system where they call other shops and offer reciprocating discounts for the shop to shop orders. A wire service is helpful when you have the high volume out of town orders or if you have inexperienced employees.” – Beco Flowers

• “No. But I’m trying to get away from them. You have to buy their software/equipment and it is over priced. In the end you really only get around 70% of the order amount. Once you take out your costs & labor there’s not much profit there.” – Tilted Tulip Florist

• “Depends on the area- But I say no in this day and age.” – anonymous

• “Nope, No longer can make money with them.” – anonymous

• “Maybe for the first year to get your name out, but negotiate the terms. Otherwise no” – anonymous

• “Yes and No. They steal your hard earn income but it is more difficult to get orders and new clients without them. They have completely cornered the floral market.” – Amazing Occasion

• “Maybe but be selective and shop around.” – anonymous

According to design, what makes the most revenue?

1. Everyday Arrangements (40%)
2. Parties & Events (17%)
3. Sympathy (84%)
4. Weddings (35%)
5. Other (16%)

Sympathy is the biggest revenue generator for florists with everyday arrangements coming in second.

What are the standard flowers, filler, and greens you order on a weekly basis for your flower shop?

• “Baby breath, wax flowers and leather leaf.” – anonymous

• “Roses! Carnations, Mums, Alstromeria Lilies & Pomps/Daisies because they last… I like when people tell me and others how long their flowers lasted. Filler flowers – Baby’s Breath for sure and one or two others. Then some feature flowers for interest…Stock, Iris, Tulips etc. depending on the season.” – anonymous

• ” We stay away from the typical standards (carnations/mums) and buy the more unique blooms. Weekly purchases include mini cymbidium sprays (so many ways to use them!), hydrangeas and seasonal flowers such as tulips in spring, sunflowers in late summer, etc.” – anonymous

What popular florist holiday makes your business the most revenue?

1. Valentine’s Day (66%)
2. Easter (0%)
3. Mother’s Day (86%)
4. Memorial Day (1%)
5. Halloween (0%)
6. Thanksgiving (1%)
7. Christmas (20%)
8. None (4%)
9. Other (14%)

Step back Valentine’s Day, With a whopping 86% Mother’s Day won the top spot with the most revenue made for a flower shop.

What are the must have florist tools when opening a flower shop?

A knife was #1 tool recommended as a must have when opening a flower shop, with Secateurs taking 2nd place. For those of you who are not familiar with Secateurs, they are pruning clippers. Good scissors were also very close to 2nd place.

“Floral tape, wet foam, containers, knives, wrap paper, cellophane, deferent wires gauge, scissors, ribbon, bows, moist and shine spray”  – anonymous

“FloraNext! A cooler is also an important investment.” – Petals Flower Company

“Knife, wire nips, pruning shears…great accounting system, telephone, the internet….and the list goes on!!!” – anonymous

“A cooler, buckets, cutting tools, containers.” – anonymous

“Computer, phones, functional front of store, good size fridge” – Carls Flower Company

“A good POS system and Website.” – anonymous

“Knives, Scissors. Clippers” – anonymous

Florist’s we are very appreciative of your participation in our surveys. We had an overwhelming response to “tips on opening a flower shop survey”. We plan to continue surveys as your expert tips and advice is so helpful to our readers and for new and upcoming florists who are considering or opening a flower shop.

Please share any feedback you may have on Opening A Flower Shop 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.

Prepping roses is the key ingredient in providing customers with a long lasting arrangement.

With a busy Valentine’s Day just around the corner, in this blog we will focus on prepping roses for maximum longevity.

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Good To Know

• Roses are packed 25 stems in a bunch and come in these lengths of 40cm, 50cm, 60cm and 70cm. The longer the length of the rose stem, the bloom size is (typically).
• Crystal Clear flower food delivers ingredients to hydrate your roses and other flower stems.
• Quick Dip is an instant hydrating treatment.
• The 60 cm Freedom rose is most used by florists on Valentine’s Day.
• Guard petals are the outer petals that have a tear or damage with tiny blemishes.

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Prepping Rose Buckets

Flower buckets need to be cleaned thoroughly. Poorly cleaning your buckets will wilt your roses. This is an important step in quickly hydrating your roses. Their first drink is most important!

1. Wash flower buckets thoroughly. Be sure to get in all the corners and remembering to remove all bacteria.
2. If you are using bleach, please be sure to rinse and rinse. Roses do not like bleach, so be sure to not add any roses to a bucket that may have some bleach residue.
3. After buckets are cleaned, fill buckets half way with cool water and add Crystal Clear.

Tip: Be sure to maintain a clean environment before the roses arrive.  Always keep your cooler clean and free of bacteria. 

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Processing /Prepping Roses

1. Cut the bottom of your rose stems by one inch or so. Be sure to cut on a slight angle.
2. Be sure (if you remove them from their wrappings) to not leave any foliage below the water line as this will create rot.
3. Removing thorns can be simply done by pushing on the thorn. Do not remove the whole thorn as this will let air in the stem.
4. It’s highly recommended that all roses be dipped in Quick Dip. Hold roses in solution for a few seconds and then add to your rose bucket.
5. Let your roses sit in the water bucket for approximately 1-2 hours outside the cooler, then transferring them to cooler for 24 hours (if possible) before using.
6. Once ready to arrange, take the guard petals off the rose. This is a crucial step in a making a beautiful rose arrangement.

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Arranging One Dozen Roses

Mastered by florists, one dozen rose arrangements are one of the biggest sellers in the floral industry. For those who are new to floral design, here are some simple steps in arranging one dozen roses.

1. Choose your vase. One dozen roses look beautiful in a variety of tall vases. Add cool water about 3/4 of the way to top and add flower food.
2. Select your roses. Look over your roses and be sure to remove guard petals that look brown and all foliage below the water line.
3. If you are adding greens to your one dozen rose arrangement, you may start by adding the greens first. This does vary by florist as some like to add them after the roses. Do what feels right to you, as long as the finished product looks balanced.
4. Add you long stem roses to a vase (one in each direction) and then add roses filling in all spaces. Remember your floral design basics of balance, harmony, proportion, movement and unity.
5. At this stage, you may add any filler you like by filling in any sparse areas or leaving it as is.

Florists, have any great tips on processing or arranging roses? We would love to hear about them, please share them below with our readers.

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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.

Florists now is the time to gear up and prepare – Valentine’s Day is approaching at lightning speed!

 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, compared to Mother’s Day.

 In this blog, we will create a step by step checklist to make it easier for you to maintain organization and increase profits in your flowers shop for a smooth, successful Valentine’s Day.

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Flower Shop Appearance

(Best implemented early to mid-January)

Valentine’s Day Decor: Take a look around and make your flower shop ooze love! Customers respond to seasonal and holiday decor, so go ahead and add your special touches. Create a beautiful window display if feasible. The key here is to create an inviting atmosphere, all while reminding customers Valentine’s Day is approaching.

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 Flowers & Supplies

(Best implemented before mid-January)

Order Flowers: We encourage you to order your flowers early from your suppliers, ask for price breaks and be sure to order all you need but do not over order. Remember, Be Smart, Buy Smart!

Try A Flower Auction: Due to large quantities, you must buy in order to get a great deal, this may not be a good option for all year long but great for Valentine’s Day. Look into getting roses for a super value and again ordering early is key.

Order Supplies: Make sure you have good tools, and all the prep supplies you need (wire, tape, oasis, flower food, etc). Besides your tools and prep supplies, you will need vases and containers. Order your standard vases and shop around home decor stores for unique finds for great deals.

Order Add-Ons: Do not forget to order updated plush, candies, chocolate, balloons and candles. Anything is really up for grabs and can be an add-on. Cross-selling creates huge profits and these items generally last from year to year. If you can, invest in quality products and watch them sell.

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Floral Website Checklist

(Best implemented before February, 1)

Ideally, it is best to have your floral eCommerce all set and ready for Valentine’s Day before the first of February.  However, it is never too late to do a few website renovations that will attract customers. Remember to implement some Valentine’s Day keywords for your SEO.

Website Products: Start with your Valentine’s Day product images, these should be displayed throughout the website in various pages. You may certainly add Valentine’s Day products to your Best Sellers, Birthday and any other pages you like. The key here is to add a few products sporadically on different pages, all while keeping your Valentine’s Day page.

Call To Action: Great practice is to have a call to action on your floral eCommerce.  Add a “Shop Now – Valentine’s Day Flowers” which will direct customers where they need to go. Make sure  Valentine’s Day is clearly shown on your menu nav bar so customers have easy access to the page.

Clear Valentine’s Day Policy: If your policy is somewhat hidden on your website, now is the time to post it more clearly. It is a great idea to post a delivery policy as well as it is impossible to deliver everyone’s arrangement at a set time. Picking a time range is always best (Valentine’s Day Delivery – Guaranteeing between 9:00 am – 5:00 pm). This is also something that can be posted on your website top bar.

Promotions: We encourage adding an early bird special. Unlike other holidays, Valentine’s Day is one day which can get very busy. Having customers select a different delivery day spreads the holiday throughout the week. Offer a free delivery or percentage off for anyone who opts for delivery before February 14.

Pricing: If you are charging more for Valentine’s Day flowers, make sure your floral eCommerce has holiday pricing set.

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Valentine’s Day Employee Checklist

(Best implemented before February, 1)

Employee Scheduling: Discuss what is required from your employees as far as their scheduling goes. Most flower shop employees understand the importance of this holiday, have a clear understanding of days and times they must work.

Cross-Selling & UpGrades: Valentine’s Day is a such a busy holiday in a flower shop that sometimes cross-selling or upgrading is not even thought of. We encourage you to make upgrading and cross-selling mandatory in your flower shop. The difference is astronomical in profits, every employee should offer a customer more with every sale.

Extra Help: Hire any extra help you need this week, front counter help, designers, and delivery drivers. Make sure to go over all that is required including scheduling.

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Valentine’s Day Prep Checklist

(Best implemented after February, 5)

Prep Your Flowers: When your flower supply arrives, be sure to quickly prep all your flowers, do not cut corners. Prepping is the key in selling beautiful long lasting flowers. How to flower prep.

Supplies: Cut your ribbon ahead time for quick access. Line up all your codified containers and make sure you have enough, same goes for pics, pins, plush, candies and so on.

Get To Greening: Practiced by many florists, green vases before the holiday. Greens are very long lasting, doing this ahead of time will save you some valuable time (be sure to keep in cooler all pre-greened containers and vases).

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Valentine’s Day Week Checklist

Get Your Display On: Create bundle deals and display them throughout the shop. Add special offers for roses purchased with plush, candies, or any combination. Make sure these are visible for easy purchase for walk-in customers.

Single Roses: A big seller from many florists has been the single wrapped rose. Pre-make tons of these and place them at your front counter. These sell quickly and most customers will almost always purchase an add -on to go along with the single wrapped rose. Be sure to display them close together.

Tip: Wrap single colored roses as well. Customers love these, with the color pink trailing right behind red. 

Delivery Route: Look over the orders you currently have and make a set plan with your drivers on what areas they are delivering to. Remember more orders trickle in the day before Valentine’s Day and day of, so be as organized as possible, with the delivery routing for each driver.

Tip: If you can, we advise having a standby driver at the shop, this driver will handle all new orders that come in on Valentine’s Day.

Attire: Why a section on attire? We want you to be comfortable! Please wear proper shoes. Do Not allow employees to wear open toe shoes, this can be an insurance liability.  Be comfortable and wear closed toe shoes.

Do Not Be Wasteful: With the orders piling up it is so easy to be wasteful, make sure to use what you need. Amazing how many flowers and supplies are simply thrown on the floor and then thrown out. Discuss the importance with your employees on not wasting products, this all cuts into your bottom line profits.

Watch Your Finances: You are exhausted we get it, however, please be sure to check your daily sales for each day leading up to Valentine’s Day. Keep clear reports on all accounts payable and accounts receivable.

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Valentine’s Day Checklist

All the preparations have paid off! Valentine’s Day is here!

Everything Will Be Great: Florists by nature tend to be perfectionists. Our advice is everything will come together. The day will fly by so enjoy it, focus on your task at hand rather than feel like you have to be doing everything.

Keep Up The Sense Of Humor: Do not sweat the small stuff. Things can happen and they are all part of the Valentine’s Day flower shop process.

Treat Employees To Lunch: This is great for the fellowship in the flower shop and also keeps employees from venturing out for lunch.

Delivery Confirmations: If you participate with a floral wire service, be sure to confirm all your delivered orders. Doing so will keep you from being charged high non-delivery confirmation fees. Most floral wire services have a time that they need to be confirmed by, so please do this accordingly.

Florists, have any great Valentine’s Day tip to share with our readers? Please post your feedback below, as it is so important to us! We would like to wish all florists a very lucrative and successful Valentine’s Day!

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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.

A Florist Guide to Planning Your Year

The floral industry, a fast-paced business, that’s ahead of seasons & holidays.

To most florist’s, planning the year is second nature, however, it always helps to have a set plan to organize everyone’s duties. In this blog, we present an easy guide for all your floral yearly planning.

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January can be a slower month in the floral industry, however, there are loads to do. This is a great month to focus on your flower shops organization and marketing planning.

• Start a blog: This is a great way to increase your SEO, a simple how to blog will do wonders for your search engine visibility and keep the buzz going on your social media.

• Tip: “How to” blogs are the most searched, so anything with tips and tricks will be well received.

• Review your last years Valentine’s Sales: Start ordering your flowers for Valentine’s day. Ordering early equals savings, so make sure to order enough, and everything you need. Do not forget to order your add-ons, these are money makers, plush, chocolate, candy, and anything you wish to sell.

• Tip: If this is your first Valentine’s day, do not over order, this may be tricky, but set up a set amount you will order and see how your sales go. You can always get more in a pinch.

• Decorate Store & website for Valentines: Start the 2nd week of January, make a spectacular Valentines display in your store and also make sure your eCommerce store is ready for the early bird sales.

• Sign up for wedding sites:  If you are already signed up great, if not, now is a good time to sign up for wedding sites to promote your wedding floral business. Here are few you should consider, The Knot, Wedding Wire, My Wedding.

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Buckle down for this short fast paced month! Although slow to start,  it is a good idea to have everything in order before the rush.

• Employee Management: Go over all employee scheduling and duties in the first week of February. Make sure you have hired all your new holiday help and that everyone understands their tasks for Valentine’s day.

• Tip: Good time to also rent extra delivery vans if needed.

• Promotions: Offer pre-Valentine’s day delivery promotions.  The idea here is to spread the wealth of this Valentine’s day and not be constricted to just delivering on February 14. Offer generous promotions on your flower shop website, post on social media and of course make sure they expire a few days before Valentines.

• Take care of yourself:  During this busy month, it is important to rest and take time for yourself. Encourage your employees to do the same and wear comfortable clothes, comfy shoes, and eat please, it’s amazing how many florists do not eat when they are busy. Being organized will alleviate most of the Valentines day pressure, so make sure to be well nourished and comfortable.

• Tip: Start a flower shop with a holiday diary. We know sounds corny, however it’s amazing what can be learned from holidays by just writing it down. Yes, you have your gross receipts, but how about mishaps, or comical happenings that are not noted, these are all so important and good read before the holidays.  

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March can be the most rewarding month in the floral industry, it gives florist time to relax and get ready for new beginnings with the coming of spring.

• Finance Review: With the first quarter almost through, now is a good time to get a grasp on your profit and loss for January and February. Add notes about what you may do differently next year, a  good thing if you have started the flower shop diary.

• Spring Cleaning:  The #1 season that is most anticipated by customers is spring, especially if you live in the colder weathered areas, it is never too early to start bringing out this season. Start refreshing your flower shop and get ready for spring with beautiful decor and showcasing.

• March Sales Madness: As florists, we know march can be hit or miss with sales, so start a campaign and sell your products customers love, try a Free with purchase or half-off sales. make this a yearly ritual if this works for your business.

• Order your Easter flowers & plants! It’s always good to get ahead, start an order for your easter flowers and plants. Again ordering early equals savings from your suppliers and you also have the best selections.

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Ready or not Mother’s Day will be here before you know it! Take April as a month to prepare for the #1 florist holiday.

• Order Mother’s Flowers & Supplies:  Make sure to order those beautiful containers and Mother’s day flowers with your supplier. Good time to order is early April.

• Showcase your plants: If you are selling plants, now is a good time to showcase your flowering plants, this creates such a welcoming inviting atmosphere for customers. If you can move some outdoors, this is great for some curb appeal.

• Promotions & Marketing: We recommend you start promoting after Easter to generate some early bird sales for Mother’s day. Post on your social media and website, this will help boost your SEO. A great marketing tip is to offer a giveaway, maybe a gift basket, or free flowers for a few months, and have customers fill out their information when they make a purchase.

• Employee Management: It’s that time again to make sure to hire the extra help you will need for Mother’s Day. Make sure all current employees understand their schedule and duties.

• Tip: If you are new to the floral industry, then a good to know tip is that Mother’s Day is the #1 floral business holiday, customers order throughout the week rather than one day. Be prepared with help, lots of flowers, and beautiful containers. 

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May, what a great month for the floral industry! With one of the top selling holidays, this month starts off slow and quickly picks up in a super-charged way, so always good to be ready.

• Take a look around: Do a quick glance, does your flower shop look appealing to you? Make sure you use a critical eye and take it all in, the sound and if possible even the way it smells. Customers are drawn to a beautiful environment, it has proven to make them feel relaxed and comfortable, which will help increase those sales!

• Employee training:  The first week of May is a good time to discuss employee customer service, the cross-selling, and up-selling of products. Make sure your employees are polite and offer customers upgrades and add-ons with their purchase. This is an easy way to almost triple your profits.

• Offer prom promotions: Proms are a way sure to make sales. Build relationships with future long time patrons. Offer a referral discount.

• Examine your finances: After the Mother’s day rush now is a good time to sit down and see whether or not you made a profit, be sure to calculate all costs and include any spoilage or waste. Keep notes on what you would do different next year.

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Oh June, what a lovely month! For some, the commencement of summer and a chance to organize all your floral business needs. June is the most popular month for weddings with September and October in a close 2nd. Florists are pleasantly surprised on how busy June can get with weddings and graduations.

• Refresh your floral website:  Update your flower shop for some summer specials, make sure you’re wedding galleries are up to date with great content and keywords.

• Offer promotions: Teacher gifts and graduation promotions are a great way to bring traffic into your flower shop. Be sure to post these on your floral website and social media.

• Order retail products: This is a great time to order some fresh new stock to get customers to flock to your flower shop. There is nothing you cannot sell, so think outside the box, What is popular? Candles (certain brand), skin care, plush, home decor, makeup, even unique greeting cards. Brand your flower shop!

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We like to call July,  “a month of organization.” This month can be on the slower side,  so it’s very important to get your flower shop in order with beautiful displays and heavy on the marketing.

• Write a blog: We know this is listed in other months above, however,  July can be a slower month.  If you have time to write a How To Blog, or anything that inspires you, think about things you search for, read,  and watch as your SEO sky-rockets through the roof.

• Social media: Take some time to focus and revamping your social media communities. Add content and images and don’t forget the hashtags #, Again all this for top placement in Social Media.

• Tidy up your flower shop: By tidy up we mean clean, scrub, wash, organize, label, etc. Freshen up your floral space!

• Browse your floral supply stores:  July is a great month to look at products in your floral supply store, you can find great deals on holiday items, it is a great time to stock up.

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August can be one of the slowest months in the floral industry. we ask that if you are slow, to try implementing new ways to market in your flower shop.

• Newsletter: Email, mail, or both! Send out a newsletter to your customers offering special savings.

• Start a workshop or floral party! Get busy with hosting a floral workshop, kids floral birthday parties, and much more. This can lead to great profits and new patrons at your flower shop.

• Start preparing for fall!  Get your flower shop ready for the most popular season, create beautiful displays, order new inventory and go for it! We recommend doing this the second to the last week of August. Don’t forget your fall marketing!

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Flowers sales in September pick up rapidly towards the middle of the month. Customers are now back to their normal routines with the kids back school and weddings start to pick up.

• Order fall flowers and Plants: Stock up on your seasonal flowers & plants.

• Revamp your floral website:  Add the season touch to your floral website with fresh new content and images. Use proper keywords, specific to the floral industry for SEO advantage.

• Launch and Adwords Campaign: If your budget allows, try launching an Adwords campaign for more clicks to your eCommerce store. Be sure to set a budget and stick to it as this can get expensive. adwords.google.com

• Keep up with your blog: Now that you are pro, how about writing a seasonal blog or fall wedding blog? We cannot say this enough, blogs are so powerful with SEO.

• Note: Canadian florists, September is a good time start ordering flowers and supplies for Thanksgiving.

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October offers some great sales in the flower shop business, now is a good time to start orders on any extra stock supplies and get them at a discount for future use.

• Prepare for the holidays: The holidays are just around the corner, shop around for the best deals on all your flowers, and supplies for the holidays. Also, shop around for holiday products to sell at your shop.

• Employee Management: Go over your employee scheduling and see if you will need extra help for the holiday season.

• Open House: Host a holiday open house showing off your latest products and floral designs.

• Floral Expo: Take some time to visit a flower expo in your area, take your employees, this is a good way to stay current with the new trends, and first dibs on new products.

• Note: October is a very popular wedding month with most wedding proposals in December. Think of launching a Wedding Package special on your website during this month.

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Tis the season for flower sales, November all in all is a great month for flower sales. Customers are getting into the giving mood.

• Market the holidays! Add promotions to your floral website and do not forget about your social media!

• Start greening: Green those Thanksgiving centerpieces ahead of time, add any taper or candles and put in the cooler for a quick way to add flowers as sales role in for thanksgiving.

• Decorate for the holidays: Time for Christmas cheer, create eye-appealing displays and make sure your flower shop is festive. If you can make a beautiful Christmas window display or storefront display to bring in curious shoppers.

• Offer incentives: Offer black Friday or Small business Saturday deals,  “buy ones get ones” are great offers, even if it’s just a couple hours that day. Having a great deal with a cut off time is a good way of creating hype and traffic into your flower shop.

• Tip: Do not forget to revamp your eCommerce for Christmas and update your social media

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Many florists around the world enjoy huge flower sales during the Christmas holiday. Although in some parts of the United States, florists have seen a decline in their floral sales during Christmas, this month is quickly picking up and still trailing as the third best month for floral retail sales.

• Employee management: Set exceptions for your employees on selling upgrades and add-ons for each customer’s order. Review scheduling and days you are closed.

• Christmas Greens: Mentioned above, it is also a good idea to green your arrangements ahead of time for Christmas. Take time to do this early before the holiday rush.

• Offer Discounts: Sometimes offering a discount too early for Christmas can become forgetful to customers who may not be ready. Post Christmas discounts during this month and make sure to have an expiration time or date.  Great discounts are gifts for parents, teachers, corporate and the person, who has everything. Flower still remain the perfect gift.

• Tip: Do not forget to market to businesses. holiday parties are huge, so offer incentives to have them book with you for their flower needs. 

These are just some examples and a helpful guide for florists to plan out their year. Florists do you have any tips or must do’s for a specific month? Please share in the comments below with our readers.

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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.

Valentine’s Day is the busiest and potentially most profitable day for any flower shop. So what can you do to make your life a little easier (and make more money!). Here are some tips from Floranext. Let us know your suggestions in the comments section below!

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Two Weeks Before Valentine’s Day

1. Email marketing – Send out a $5 off coupon to customers. Make sure you pull all the email addresses from your florist POS system
2. Codified Arrangements – Make codified or flower specific orders before designer’s choice orders to ensure you can fill orders properly.
3. Pre-buy flowers – order roses early from trusted sources. Pre order 1/2 of what you think you need and get the rest as you need it from wholesalers

The Week of Valentine’s Day

1. Website Update – update your website prices!
2. Pre-Arranging – Hand tie greens for vase drop in, store in waxed boxes and spray with anti desiccant
3. Pricing – If possible have a lower price point with 30 or 40 cm roses for cash and cary
   
4. Single Roses – Have many single roses wrapped
   
5. Big sellers – a single wrapped roses with box of candy attached display these in a basket at counter
6. Save Money! – Colored roses are always cheaper than red so do something to promote them
   
7. Promote! – Enclose an offer for March in every delivery (offer should be an inexpensive in-store pickup)
   
8. Delivery Manager – nominate one employee as the delivery manager
9. Prearrange delivery – route out deliveries you know already.
   
10. Refer to last year – if you sold 800 stems of red roses you will probably need that and few more
11. Keep impeccable records – Day of week, weather, staffing, what was ordered, what was not sold, hours open.

The Day Before/On

1. Buy lunch – to keep everyone in the shop.
   
2. Roses – when you pre-make roses in a vase before they go out, be sure to change water and also rinse the stems that have been in water.
   

Florist Techology

1. Delivery routing – is standard with florist POS systems now (including Floranext). Try out yours to make sure you know how it works.
2. Delivery notification – head off those phone calls from customers by sending out delivery confirmation emails. Your floral POS should have this built in.

After Valentine’s Day 

1. Appreciation – Give your staff a token of appreciation for their commitment to making Valentine’s Day a success – free flowers to bring home!

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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!

Is your flower shop ready for bad weather on Vday?

Is your flower shop ready for bad weather on Vday?

A flower shop’s worst nightmare – freezing cold temperature, lots of snow and ice the week of Valentine’s Day! The fix – make it a Valentine’s Week!

When the blizzard of 1978 was bearing down on New York City, Mayor Koch announced it to be Valentine’s Week! This was a win-win for everyone.

New Yorkers could celebrate Vday anytime of that week by sending flowers, going to dinner and giving gifts and still feel like they celebrated Valentine’s Day!

Florists, Restaurants and Shops benefit with receiving their Valentine’s Day sales and the government also won by collecting the tax revenues for these purchases!

Valentine’s Day is on a Friday this year so check the weather the weekend before to see what is predicted. But be ready ahead of time with an action plan in case of bad weather.

• Talk with other local business in your area to get them on board. Working together with benefit everyone!

• Engage your local Chamber of Commerce, Mayor and government office to ask for their help in talking it up to the media, writing letters and emails. Have the Mayor do a press conference talking about Valentine’s Week!

• Involve the local media. Can they do a Valentine’s Week promotion?

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be a weather worry
It can be a Week of Celebration!