Corona Virus ….. NOT the end of UK Mother’s Day

We’ve come to the conclusion that the Corona Virus pandemic is actually even more of a nightmare than Brexit … and we thought that was challenging to get a handle on!

However whilst things are changing every day – at times every hour – we did find there were a fair few FAQ’s popping up plus we have our own thoughts. So we’ve bashed out the following in the hope it will help. If we’ve left anything out let us know otherwise good luck, we’re rootin’ for you.

Will there be a UK Mother’s Day?
Absolutely! We are not at the stage of shutting shops. The Government has said today (12.3.20) we are four weeks behind Italy. So even if they’ve got that wrong, given Mother’s Day is now only 10 days away – and deliveries can be started on Friday (if not Thursday) there’s just 8 days to get through so we are staying very positive.

Marketing must carry on!
That said we know shopping areas are getting emptier as consumers get more twitchy and orders are slower than normal.

Trouble is people are always slow, the world is in a very strange place and normal doesn’t actually exist at the moment.

However they will still need flowers and you may find as a traditional retail florist you get more orders as the day looms as you will be viewed as the ‘safe’ option.

As such not only do you need to keep banging the drum you are open but really push your delivery service (emphasising the precautions you are taking) and how easy it is to order from your website or by phone.

Are there going to be flowers?

Yes, as of today (12.3.20) there are plenty of flowers around.

At the time of going to press Italy was still sending … slight delays on some roads because of driver checks but still getting through.

South America is fine and a lot of it will be being cut and packed this coming weekend and heading direct into the UK so UK based wholesalers will have supplies.

Kenya has had some serious issues with flights being cancelled so supply may be a bit tight from there.

Dutch wholesalers are reporting business as usual and UK wholesalers have stock arriving every day from the Dutch Auction which still handles the vast majority of product.

British growers are obviously in a strong place but there is limited supply and many suppliers are already closed for orders.

What about the Sundries?
Given so many sundries come from China there are going to be issues … some lines are already running short. However there are good stocks of most things in the UK and if you can’t find something then there is highly likely to be a more than satisfactory alternative.

Most people will understand and the manky ones that don’t??? Well if it was us we’d probably smile nicely, do a refund and then stick out our tongue at them afterwards!!

Will prices rocket or fall like the stock market?

There is talk of falling prices on flowers via Holland – how long that will last we can’t say.

South American products will have been pre-ordered at a pre-virus crunch point but will still represent good value when you compare head size/stem length.

However please don’t try and cut costs by buying cheap/second grade to make more margin. Mother’s Day deliveries are your chance to shine so do the best job possible.

How much should I buy?

The Brits aren’t just made of stern stuff but this is Mother’s Day; THE biggest event of the year and we don’t think a pesky virus will stop sons and daughters saying Love You Mum to their No 1 ladies!!

Some wholesalers are suggesting little and often every day and have employed extra drivers to cope, others are saying just do the normal. Only you can make the final decision.

Our advice would be to buy cleverly by making sure you have plenty of hardy stock like Carnations, Chrysanths etc (funky varieties of course) Lilies etc and leave the softer stuff till Tuesday/Wednesday when you have a clearer idea of orders on the clip and your delivery routes.

And don’t underestimate the power of plants, planted bowls, drieds and silks. Not only do they create fab space fillers but, should the worst happen, they will last past Mother’s Day as well …. Because there will be life after MD!

Keep an eye on the purse and the margins

Don’t automatically expect credit. If you haven’t paid your bills (we know of some florist who still owe for Valentine’s – very naughty) your supplier may well say “no money, no flowers”.

They are wholesalers, not banks, and IF the situation gets worse they need their reserves to keep their businesses afloat not prop up yours. Do not be offended. Find the money and help everyone. With the Government measures announced in the Budget the VAT will actually wait … your supplier needs paying.

Don’t overstuff your designs … that will skew the margins completely and just lose you money. You only have to see the free fall of shares to know the economic outlook is not brilliant, never mind the cancellations that may happen. Mother’s Day is your chance to make as much profit as possible this month to carry you through any slumps.

Hold your own Cobra meeting

Now is the time to hold your own planning session to discuss – with the whole team if you are shop based or supportive friends and family if you work on your own – what you will do in the event of the various scenarios

Not just a good team bonding exercise (we do recommend wine!) but a practical way to see what could happen/might go wrong. Things to think about include but are not limited to;

Deliveries
Have you enough drivers in reserve if anyone goes sick?
Will recipients accept deliveries or will you need to phone in advance to discuss a safe location?
How do you protect your drivers from possible infection? Look at how the supermarkets are handling it and adapt to suit you. We suspect florists are probably a bit more gung ho than most but you need to be sure the recipient doesn’t have go at you for not taking precautions.

Shop closures
Can you operate from anywhere else?
How would you deal with funeral orders?
Have you any events in the pipeline?

Insurance
See our separate section

Staff
What are your contract terms?
What job sharing can be done if people have to look after relatives?

Relay
Have they set rules?
Can you cope with more orders or do you need to switch off?

Don’t panic …. worrying never helped anyone
This cannot be brushed off or ignored. Being British and having a stiff upper lip is all very well but this is serious. That said there is no point getting yourself into a complete tizz or having sleepless nights over it. Everyone is in the same boat, we are all a bit twitchy and no-one really knows everything. You are not alone.

Don’t always believe Facebook
It’s good to have a place to chat but be careful of some of the advice being bandied about. There is some complete rubbish being spouted at the moment. Do your own research and don’t rely on anyone; no - not even us! We can only give broad brush ideas and pointers for you to think about – every business/operation is different so you ultimately have to make your own choices/decisions. Read the government websites for the official line.

What about my business interruption insurance
From what we can find Covid-19 is NOT covered. It’s a schnucky one we think (we particularly loathed the comments on Axa’s website) and the chances of finding anyone to cover you now is remote if not downright impossible.

Our best advice is for you to talk to your own broker/insurer but we wouldn’t hold our breath … this is an Act of God and no-one can take Him on.

What if I cancel an event – like a workshop?
That will be your call and we’re sure people will be totally understanding. However you would need to refund anyone who had paid or see if they will accept an alternative date and any losses would have to be covered by you.

What if an event cancels on me?
There are a lot of cancellations going on and, depending on what happens over the next few weeks, there may be more.

Deposits should, we understand, be non-refundable but it depends on how your T’s and C’s are written – you should take proper legal advice on this. However if the organiser has their own insurance (although new wedding policies are now being suspended) then they should be covered but there may be caveats on how/who cancelled.

Our view is that each case will have to be considered on their own merit and you may need to be pragmatic and - for the purposes of good customer relations - either give money back or not expect full payment – especially if it’s a big regular client  This IS going to end and people will remember how you dealt with things.

Our personal opinion is not to send out revised T’s and C’s that just protect you; to us it seems both churlish and, to be honest, possibly not legal to move the goal posts. You will need to assess every event as it happens, not put a knee jerk reaction out which could backfire on you.

By all means send a nice reassuring note saying that you are keeping on top of things, realise how worried people are and that you are happy to talk through any concerns but we would be very wary of sending out any sort of letter saying you won’t be responsible for this or that.  

Look after yourselves
It may only be a cold according to some but it’s the ramifications that are important here. You may be fine and sail through it but a more vulnerable person won’t be. That’s why the medics want us to reduce the risk … not just to stop the spread but to take the pressure of the health service.

The elbow bump or Namaste hand may look daft … although no dafter than the Spock sign …. but given the way this thing can be transferred it makes sense to do that whole distancing thing.

Keep you and yours as healthy as possible; the stronger your immune system the better to fight it off. We’re not going to teach grandma to suck eggs … just say please take care and drink lots of water, wipe down all surfaces as often as possible, clean phones and headsets, equip the drivers with sanitiser etc and make sure you have chocolate, teabags, coffee and a touch of your favourite tipple!

And finally … be kind

Everyone will deal with this differently. Some people are gung ho and work on the basis what will be will be, others wetting themselves with worry. Don’t berate people on social media if they are scared … we are in unchartered territory here and need to be supportive of each other.