I agree with you mostly. I work in a busy shop in a hugely popular market in a large metropolitan city. The most important thing I've learned in the five years as a designer, and now as an assistant manager, is to have options. We have about 50 customers a day on a slow day, and things happen, roses break, customers ask for a vase that's too big etc. I've notice that having inexpensive greens and fillers that can serve as a buffer helps. Also, having the information available to staff as to what each flower (down to the stem if possible.) cost, both at cost and retail cost. There needs to be a balance to make sure you are providing your best product every time. It's important to make sure arrangements leave the shop looking good, so have options for you design staff to be able to adapt and meet your bottom line. That leg work usually falls on owners and management. Staff aren't as invested in making you money, creating a system that allows for flexibility has been essential to business.
As a flower shop owner, I've battled designers with this for years. I finally started spot checking our designs for incorrect orders and over filling. Any designer that could not correct this right away, we let go. It's amazing what that did for our profitability. I also share the wealth with the designers by giving them an incentive. You'd think you don't need to do this but it's worked for us.
That's incredible to hear, Georgianne! I am sure it was not easy to put your designers on the spot like this, but WOW! good for you. You are a flower boss. Way to go.
+mary robledo Thanks, Mary! I have a feeling a lot of designers will be talking to themselves after considering these stats! Thanks so much for watching!
The Business Woman in me is calling an emergency meeting with the designer in me so we can touch and agree and be on one accord. If I see a hole in the arrangement, figure out how to " re- space " the flowers to get the arrangements I want, and not lose money !
Thanks Alison for the amazing advice I had a shop but now closed it as relocated and now working from my farmhouse I feel like am starting from scratch to find knew customers any advice thanks
+Allie King So glad to hear that, Allie. This is the kind of stuff we need to keep in mind at all times....because just 1 more is so, so easy to do. xoxo Thanks so much for your comment and for watching!
How would you advise pricing greens? I find it hard to price by the stem since it can vary so much. Can't wait to watch this with my employees, thank you!
I price greens either by the stem or by the bunch. If I price per bunch, then I'll estimate how many centerpieces or bouquets I can make per bunch, thus pricing the greenery per arrangement. I do the same markup as flowers for greenery. If a bunch of greenery cost $8, I'd price it at $24 for the bunch and then divide by 6 centerpieces to determine $4 per arrangement. Hope that helps!
Denise, Florists overfill because either they're unaware of the correct pricing methods, or out of fear that a design "don't look full enough". Sometimes, florists aren't clear on the overall value they're providing because they never learned the proper markups or industry standards on pricing. Hope that helps to answer your question.
This is great information, however, doesn't it contradict your No Stem Counts philosophy? How can you know if you're overfilling if you're not counting stems? Feeling a bit confused. (But there's no denying your math. $26,400 per year. Yikes!)
+Christine March Yikes indeed! I appreciate your comment....let me clarify the stem counting vs recipe creation. The recipe is essential (as I teach in Flower Math) because that's how you know what flowers you need to fill each order to value. The recipe does require you to "count stems", but it also takes into account your design fee, etc. (ie your talent and time). Straight-up stem counting is when we give away recipes without being under contract. It devalues our process by considering ONLY the number of stems and not all the work that goes into a design. It's different from counting stems for an order you're filling because 1. the customer has already paid you for the order and 2. you must count every stem because each stem has a price tag and that's how you know you've give your customer the full value. Please let me know if any of this is unclear, Christine. The stem count is so important....we just cannot give it away for free.
I agree with you mostly. I work in a busy shop in a hugely popular market in a large metropolitan city. The most important thing I've learned in the five years as a designer, and now as an assistant manager, is to have options. We have about 50 customers a day on a slow day, and things happen, roses break, customers ask for a vase that's too big etc. I've notice that having inexpensive greens and fillers that can serve as a buffer helps. Also, having the information available to staff as to what each flower (down to the stem if possible.) cost, both at cost and retail cost. There needs to be a balance to make sure you are providing your best product every time. It's important to make sure arrangements leave the shop looking good, so have options for you design staff to be able to adapt and meet your bottom line. That leg work usually falls on owners and management. Staff aren't as invested in making you money, creating a system that allows for flexibility has been essential to business.
SOOO HELPFUL! I just started floral designing for a few weddings and I'm trying to figure out the numbers and how to make profit.... No overfilling!
No matter how old this video is, it's packed with such vital info. Thank you for sharing!
As a flower shop owner, I've battled designers with this for years. I finally started spot checking our designs for incorrect orders and over filling. Any designer that could not correct this right away, we let go. It's amazing what that did for our profitability. I also share the wealth with the designers by giving them an incentive. You'd think you don't need to do this but it's worked for us.
That's incredible to hear, Georgianne! I am sure it was not easy to put your designers on the spot like this, but WOW! good for you. You are a flower boss. Way to go.
Thank you for starting this conversation! I am going to have to address this with my employee (me) ASAP!
+mary robledo Thanks, Mary! I have a feeling a lot of designers will be talking to themselves after considering these stats! Thanks so much for watching!
Excellent. Excellent. Excellent. You are absolutely correct on all points!
Thanks so much for watching.
The Business Woman in me is calling an emergency meeting with the designer in me so we can touch and agree and be on one accord. If I see a hole in the arrangement, figure out how to " re- space " the flowers to get the arrangements I want, and not lose money !
Thanks Alison for the amazing advice I had a shop but now closed it as relocated and now working from my farmhouse I feel like am starting from scratch to find knew customers any advice thanks
!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS ONE HIT HOME!
+Allie King So glad to hear that, Allie. This is the kind of stuff we need to keep in mind at all times....because just 1 more is so, so easy to do. xoxo Thanks so much for your comment and for watching!
How would you advise pricing greens? I find it hard to price by the stem since it can vary so much. Can't wait to watch this with my employees, thank you!
I price greens either by the stem or by the bunch. If I price per bunch, then I'll estimate how many centerpieces or bouquets I can make per bunch, thus pricing the greenery per arrangement. I do the same markup as flowers for greenery. If a bunch of greenery cost $8, I'd price it at $24 for the bunch and then divide by 6 centerpieces to determine $4 per arrangement. Hope that helps!
Why would you overfill in the first place?
Denise, Florists overfill because either they're unaware of the correct pricing methods, or out of fear that a design "don't look full enough". Sometimes, florists aren't clear on the overall value they're providing because they never learned the proper markups or industry standards on pricing. Hope that helps to answer your question.
This is great information, however, doesn't it contradict your No Stem Counts philosophy? How can you know if you're overfilling if you're not counting stems? Feeling a bit confused. (But there's no denying your math. $26,400 per year. Yikes!)
+Christine March Yikes indeed! I appreciate your comment....let me clarify the stem counting vs recipe creation. The recipe is essential (as I teach in Flower Math) because that's how you know what flowers you need to fill each order to value. The recipe does require you to "count stems", but it also takes into account your design fee, etc. (ie your talent and time).
Straight-up stem counting is when we give away recipes without being under contract. It devalues our process by considering ONLY the number of stems and not all the work that goes into a design. It's different from counting stems for an order you're filling because 1. the customer has already paid you for the order and 2. you must count every stem because each stem has a price tag and that's how you know you've give your customer the full value.
Please let me know if any of this is unclear, Christine. The stem count is so important....we just cannot give it away for free.
OK. Now it all makes sense. Thanks for the clarification Alison!
+Christine March Anytime. Thanks for the question!