How turning virtual could save you time
Unless you are a superhuman, a florists' biggest headache is time or the lack of it!. In fact chances are you are only just getting back to normality after the craziness of Christmas. That's why Carole Wickham wants you to think about how a Virtual PA could help.
If you have just made it through another Christmas season, you know exactly how exhausting this can be. Wreath workshops squeezed into every spare evening, early-morning conditioning sessions, last-minute orders, and the mess of pine needles that somehow end up everywhere!
In fact by the time January comes around, most florists are completely drained. And I get it. I have been in those very same shoes, balancing exhaustion with the pressure to stay on top of everything. But as soon as you start recovering from December, another busy period arrives almost instantly: wedding enquiries never mind the pressure of Valentine’s, Mother’s Day and whether you should be doing something about International Women’s Day.
For shop based florists, this time of year can feel brutally overwhelming. December puts you into a constant state of motion, with customers walking in all day, the phone ringing just as you are halfway through a bouquet, sympathy orders arriving alongside birthday requests, and deliveries piling up. Keeping the shop presentable, stocked and organised on top of that is a job in itself. Christmas magnifies every one of these tasks.
So, when your inbox is full of newly engaged couples wanting quick replies and detailed conversations or wholesalers chasing you for your Valentine orders, it is easy to feel like you’re already behind before the new year has properly begun.
Studio florists experience the same pressure, though it shows up differently. Without the walk-in element, the work is heavily focused on weddings and events, which means a huge amount of behind-the-scenes planning. Engagement season delivers a surge of enquiries, and while exciting, they come with an immediate expectation of proposals, consultations, design ideas and reassurance. After finishing festive contract work and installations, many studio florists barely have a moment to breathe before diving straight back into admin, scheduling and client communication.
This constant overlap between one demanding period and the next is exactly why a Virtual Personal Assistant (VPA) can make such a difference.
Because a VPA can bring clarity and calm into the busiest stretches of your workflow. Communication is often the first thing to slip when you are swamped, and florists know how quickly unanswered messages can turn into lost bookings.
A VPA can step in to reply to enquiries promptly, organise your inbox, schedule consultations and carry out follow-up messages, always keeping potential clients engaged while your focus remains on creating. It gives your business a responsive, polished feel without adding more hours to your day.
Writing proposals and preparing quotes is another task that eats into a florist’s time. After a long day designing or prepping for a weekend wedding, the idea of sitting down to draft a detailed proposal is overwhelming. A VPA can gather all the necessary details, format your templates, organise inspiration photos and put together proposal drafts for you to review. You remain the creative decision-maker, they simply ensure the process is smoother and far less stressful.
Organisation is another area where a VPA’s support can be transformational. With Christmas rolling straight into peak wedding-planning season and the pressures of the peaks, it’s easy for deadlines, appointments and payments to become muddled. A VPA can manage your diary, set reminders, streamline delivery planning and help build event timelines so nothing gets overlooked. It replaces that constant mental load with clear, manageable structure.
Then there is the digital side of things. Social media needs consistent content, your website needs updates and enquiries need acknowledgement. After a long day on your feet, these tasks are usually the last thing you have energy for. A VPA can keep your online presence active and engaging, ensuring potential clients always see a business that feels alive and attentive.
Behind the scenes, a VPA can also help manage stock spreadsheets, communicate with suppliers, and keep track of seasonal price changes and product availability, all the things florists know they should stay on top of, but often can’t when the busy seasons collide.
And at the heart of it all, a VPA gives you something you rarely get as a florist: time.
Time to design without feeling rushed. Time to meet clients without worrying about what is slipping through the cracks. Time to grow your business. Time to breathe. And because I've lived through those hectic seasons myself, I know how invaluable that time and support truly is.
About the author. Carole Wikham was a florist before moving back into the business support sector to set up her full team virtual service. And because she’s been a florist herself, she is uniquely placed to understand and relate to the issues you face and come up with practical solutions. To find out more visit her website to set up a discovery talk and see why Vicky Laffey – the florist behind the flowers for Love is Blind - rates her so highly.
Carol and her team of virtual experts ... ready to take on everything so you can focus on what you do best!
