Making the Most of Your Holiday Minutes
By Rich Salvaggio, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, Vice President of Teleflora Publications

Flowers and Profits®

As with many other retailers, florists must work to constantly balance production, inventory, staffing and marketing activities. And during peak sales periods, which occur around major holidays, you need to be especially prepared for a sudden upsurge in business.

Plan for Success

Without some forethought and planning in the design room, your resources can be strained beyond their capability, damaging both short- and long-term sales.

To begin the planning process, review records from previous holidays. By analyzing previous years' records you can access the strengths and weaknesses of your approaches to past holidays or peak periods.

If you don't have records to review, use this time to set up a system to begin recording notes for this holiday season.

Creating an Action Plan

Once you have reviewed your records, create a list of activities to see which ones can be done in advance. Determining a list of what tasks need to be done for the holiday (or any peak period) will assist you in deciding what can feasibly be done.

Space and time constraints will be a factor in developing your list of preparation activities. Staffing needs should also be a consideration as you prepare your list. Adequate time and personnel are required to complete your prep work in addition to day-to-day responsibilities.

Design Room To-Do's

There are always tasks in the design room that can be done in advance. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

• Bows and ribbons to be included in holiday designs or added to plants can be pre-made. Estimate your count for these items from last years' sales records. Bows and ribbons should be prepared according to how they will ultimately be used. Some may require a wire, some a tie and others a wired wooden pick.
• Bows can be stored by attaching them to a foam board and covering them with large plastic bags. A roll of large garment bags from your local dry cleaner is an excellent and economical means of keeping these items clean and dust free.
• Placing floral foam in wire service and in-house special containers is a big time saver. Secure dry floral foam in liners and containers with tape or pan melt glue, which is extremely quick and efficient. Do not pre-foam any containers or liners that cannot be submerged in water later to hydrate the floral foam.
• Return the foamed containers to the original shipping cartons and store until ready for use.