Surviving the Summer Sales Slump

Hello fellow florists - here comes Summer! a time when the sun is shining and sales seem to dwindle. Are you ready to take a look at what you can do to strengthen sales during the sleepy Summer season?

At a time when sales drop off every flower shop needs to take a look at what they are offering and find a niche that only they can provide. The obvious question would be "What can I offer my customers that others in the area can not?" The answer will give you the reason why customers seek out your services before going to another florist in your area.

My Individual Point of Difference (or IPOD) is that I have shifted my purchasing power to farm fresh direct flowers instead of relying on my local wholesaler.  I have found that by buying my flowers from the ibuyflowers.com website, I have increased my profit margin and at the same time increased my customer's satisfaction! I have created a "niche" of my own.  My customers come back time after time saying that their arrangements have lasted weeks instead of days - all of which can only be due to the fact that I am now buying product that is cut when I order it and it is shipped to my shop within 72 hours of being cut. No other shops in the area are doing this. Although we will always need and appreciate our wholesalers, the introduction of farm fresh product has helped put our shop heads and shoulders above our competition.

My suggestion to other shops would be to TRY the product from ibuyflowers.com.  Start supplementing your regular orders with farm fresh product and see what is available on the website at www.ibuyflowers.com.  For a limited time only ibuyflowers.com is offering a 50% off discount on your first box. Log in today and carve out your own "niche." Turn those lazy days of Summer sales into a hot buying frenzy.

You want WHAT for HOW MUCH???

Today as I was reading through some of my floral sites on Facebook, I noticed a theme that sounded oh so familiar. Many of the florists were asking for help finding a solution to a problem they were having. Their problem was this:  A customer had asked them to create arrangements for their banquet tables for only $10 each. The florist didn't want to turn down the order, however, it was nearly impossible to meet this budget and put out a memorable product. What could she do? She was asking for ideas from the group. I must say the we florists are a very creative group of individuals and we came up with several viable options that would "work" for the small budgeted amount. The only problem with this scenario is that her "creation" would be seen by many people in her hometown and that her shop name would be associated with the finished product. She didn't want people to think that her shop produced product that was below standard,just because the budget was minimal. She wanted to help her customer reach their goal without losing her reputation in the process. These scenarios go on every day in a flower shop and I wonder sometimes why it is that people put so little "value" on what we do. I often hear customers say "you are so lucky you get to play with flowers all day" and then I realize that our customers actually have no idea what goes into the making of an arrangement. Even when you come to a floral design class, we make it seem SO easy, but that's because all of the preparation has been done for you BEFORE you even get to the door. At Fuller's Floral we hold design classes for the enjoyment of those individuals that "like to play with flowers".  It is a fun time usually permeated with wine, women, and song (straight from the CD player). With light refreshments, we go about the task of arranging a design for their homes as well as each customer having a "Girls Nite Out" to boot! But I digress...from point A to the point of walking out the door with an arrangement - MUCH is required from the florist. Even when someone is looking for a small arrangement there are decisions to be made, and the knowledge of a good florist is imperative. The colors, the choice of flowers, is a line flower needed, is it an angular design, is it a vase design or table piece...All of these questions have specific answers that the average joe just won't know. The reason that your florist KNOWS these answers is because of her many hours of training and countless hours of practice. These are the skill sets that they have acquired and yet the public feels that the florist should not charge what their skill set is really worth. At Fuller's Floral we are always attending classes and seminars to keep up with the trends and fresh new ideas. We are not the same cookie cutter florist that goes only by the book. Give us some creative license and a bit of a budget and we will stun you with show stopping arrangements. But, when you tie our hands with a budget that is less than a meal at Micky D's, then it becomes a much harder task to WOW your audience. Keep that in mind when you go "shopping" for flowers for your next event.  Ta Ta For Now...

Inspirations for the New Year

As the New Year begins, we all tend to make resolutions. By the end of the first month, most of them have been thrown by the wayside.  The year marches forward while all your good intentions are just a memory. This year I have decided NOT to make any resolutions. Instead I have decided to become inspired and to try my hardest to keep myself on track.  How can you do that?, you might ask.  Enter, my daily "Happy Planner".

This year I am using my planner to the fullest extent every day. I am jotting down important dates - as I am given them - right in my planner.  And instead of writing them on a tiny piece of paper that will disappear on my desk, they are neatly arranged within the contents of either the month or the day or both.

Some people decide to keep their appointments on their phone or computer. I even have a watch that can be programmed to hold your calendar. But I am a paper kind of gal and I like to see things written down. I am learning via a Facebook Group that these planners are not just a way to keep track of appointments, but also can be used for various other tasks.

• You can "bullet journal" within your  planner. 
• Make lists for the amount of water you are drinking each day. 
• Set goals for yourself for weight and fitness. 
• Keep track of the weather
• Do your meal planning 
• Write down your "to do" list
• Keep track of important dates - birthdays & anniversaries

All of these very important tasks in ONE book! But that's not all! I have learned that you also need to decorate the pages of your planner. There are stickers and stamps and washi tape (who even knows what that is???) and a host of other items needed to make a respectable page. Actually I have found decorating to be very relaxing and I am on the look out for these products any time I go shopping now. 

I have decided that my marketing skills needed to be kept on track, so I have made a "date" for myself to keep marketing of my business in the forefront of my mind instead of always on the back burner or somewhere that never gets any attention. Blogs, video productions, in store promotions and new classes have all been calendared for the month. I am proud to say that so far (one month in) I have kept up with my marketing plan thanks to my Happy Planner!!!

In conclusion, I will mention to my fellow florists that you might want to take a look at a planner for yourself. I know how hard it is to keep those New Year resolutions. So I challenge you - Instead of making resolutions this year. -  make PLANS.