Are we dragging ourselves down?
After the buzz of being at the Miami based SAF Convention and being surrounded by people investing big bucks*1 and a determination to ‘go for it’, I confess I was a teensy-weensy bit depressed seeing someone bleat that Fleurex was too far ... they were a mere couple of hours away!
Where was the get up and go? Where was the passion? Where was the determination to make their business better?
And it got me thinking that one of the biggest problems in the UK florist industry is negativity and dreariness … summed up by five things I frequently see on socials.
- I couldn’t sell that in my shop
- Supermarkets are cheaper than I can buy at
- If I put my prices up, I’ll lose customers
- I haven’t got time for marketing
- I can’t afford/it’s too far to go to demonstrations/events
Now don’t get me wrong. I am no Pollyanna*2. I know it is bally hard running a florist. I know profit is being eroded by rising costs. I know there are a legion of people trying to undercut you. But I also know … particularly from my GFG members ... that there is everything to go for … if you want it.
Because truth is …
1: You won’t know what you can sell until you try it, and anyway you simply cannot keep selling the same old same old. It is boring, and customers will stop coming if they think you are boring. You don’t need a zillion new lines every week but please try to have at least two new things every week – even if it’s just a bunch of this and a tray of that. Show something different, promote it and prove you are not a boring old florist!
2: Supermarkets will always be cheaper on certain lines … they have economy of scale across every product range. But chances are not only will the quality be different, but bluntly you shouldn’t even think of competing with supermarkets … their customer base is simply not the same. Yes, you should have some lower priced lines but trying to go head-to-head on either look or price is a recipe for disaster so just shut your eyes and focus on doing a fabulous upmarket job.
3: Putting your prices up may well lose you some customers but if they weren’t paying you enough to run your business/make a profit/earn a living what’s the point of them? Far better to have 50 well paid, profitable orders than 100 low profit ones … it’s about working smarter and knowing your value. If you really can’t get higher prices, then maybe your business isn’t sustainable.
4: Marketing is not an option; it’s a necessity. You need to hustle every single day - or at least three times a week and not just by sticking a picture up on your social feeds! If you are making shedloads of money, then maybe fair doings but if you have capacity or see other florists doing well you HAVE to market … you MUST make time for it … you CAN’T just sit there waiting for customers to find you … they won’t.
5: And as for dems and events. Blimey I can’t remember the last time I went to something that didn’t take at least two hours to get to (usually it’s a lot longer) and has cost me time, effort and money - no I don’t get invited to everything for free – I pay my way too. But getting out of your business is crucial for you and it. You NEED to see new things, you NEED to talk to other florists and suppliers in real life (social media is NOT enough), you NEED to get out of your comfort zone, and you NEED be revitalised … or at least have it validated you are doing the right thing. To just sit in the business and communicate online is, quite frankly, lazy and dangerous.
Now to diss the whole UK flower industry would be a bit unfair – there are some stonking, go getting florists out there and I don’t mean the ‘insta' type who would have you believe every order is a zillion pounds or involves a gazillion flowers. I’m talking about the traditional (and not so traditional) florists who are breaking boundaries and giving it their best shot. But as a total sector - and based on many years of working with and for it - I am seeing a malaise creeping in that is dangerous.
Not just because we are losing more businesses than are being launched but because (and greatly aided and abetted by social media groups) there is a slow but sure draining of positivity … it just seems easier to moan. And that is a great shame. Not only because there is still everything to go for but frankly being positive is a whole lot more fun.
So please … next time you are tempted to write something negative/moany or complaining please think twice and see if there is a positive spin you can put on it. Not only will it make me a happy bunny but will help you and anyone else reading it.
Thank you so much!
*1 SAF Registration alone was nearly a thousand dollars – I know, I paid it and the flight and hotel – it was so worth it. Fleurex is a mere £40 for a lot of good stuff.
*2 Pollyanna: An excessively cheerful or optimistic person who tends to find good in everything.
