To Open or not to Open ... That is the Question

To open or not to open … that is the question.  Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer no flowers, customers and money or have to take arms against all the people that may have a go at you if you decide to open.

With apologies to Shakespeare and Hamlet we totally get the dilemma facing so many florists and wholesalers. In fact, if anything has divided the global world of flowers – and believe us, this is an argument going on around the world – it’s whether anyone should trade or not.

And it’s not just florists. The whole “should we, shouldn’t we” argument is being made ten times worse due to rather woolly Government guidelines (the people on the helplines are temporary staff so have to constantly refer back up – some of the information we’ve heard them give out is scary and in some cases irresponsible) never mind various tactics being used to encourage people to do things they aren’t totally comfortable with.

However if anyone asks us what we think they should do our answer will always be "Sorry we can’t help". In fact we don’t think anyone can give you a clear guideline on what you should do simply because there are so many variables and it depends so much on YOUR circumstance.

And anyway it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks; it is what YOU think that counts and only YOU can make a decision because this isn’t just about the practical’s it’s about moral judgements as well … although we do realise that morals don’t pay the bills!

But what we can do is perhaps prompt some thought processes to help you reach the right decision for YOU using the classic Who, What, Why, When and How analysis process.

It is not meant to be leading or conclusive; we can only give ideas based on what we have heard and what you might have to think about based on the law of safe distancing and practical common sense.

But having read what we’ve said we would suggest that you then make a Pro’s and Con’s list based on YOUR circumstances because ultimately only YOU can make the decision that works for YOU.

 1:  Who will make ... and buy?

Who is going to make and deliver the designs?
If you have furloughed staff then you can’t get them back without re-instating them and anyway they may not want to come back because they are scared/have health issues/family to look after.

If you work on your own or with a live-in partner/family member then you can work as normal with the shop door shut.

If you bring in someone who isn’t a live-in partner or family member then you would have to put in place social distancing and safety measures so is your shop/workspace big enough to make this possible?  If you can shifty things round to create space (after all no one will be coming in so doesn't matter if it's not looking gorgeous) can you create space.

Who is going to buy them?
Being an online operator is as much about the selling as it is the making – players like Bloom & Wild and Freddie’s spend more on marketing than anything else.

If you are only doing funerals then that is a relatively simple process and you probably have a relationship with a FD so you’ll just get orders in as normal with contactless delivery systems set up – trust us FD’s are being scrupulous and as we get all the Government releases we know they have strict rules regarding bodies, especially those who died of Covid 19.  Given people can't be at funerals the order volumes may be higher. 

If you want to enter the gift flower market that is different as you will need a large number of people to sell to.  You are probably getting loads of calls and you have your regular client base but can you market to them effectively enough to sell everything.  Is your database and communications programme up to speed .. selling during Covid is very different to selling in normal times.

2:  What will you sell?

Given flower supply is still fairly limited and most wholesalers are only offering two/three deliveries a week you need to make sure you buy what you know you can sell and probably limit your delivery days – most people seem to be either doing letterbox flowers or limiting delivery to #FlowerFridays or weekends.

Should you be limiting the range or going for a full range and what would you do with any left overs. We did a survey and one of the main bits of advice from the 200 florists we contacted was keep stock tight, keep range minimal and be prepared for some very hard work because you will probably be short staffed.

Should you be moving into a different product range – for example more plants and bedding to cater for the gardening demand which is working well for many. Here links up may be useful … see the How section.

3: Why are you thinking of opening again?

• Are you bored? As a creative we get that but could you use your time on other things that would be productive without the effort of making and delivering. From the 200 florists we’ve spoken to, going back behind closed doors is not easy; in fact with no staff – unless they are willing and you have the space - it is bally hard work as you - and a partner if you are lucky - will have to do everything.  
• Do you need the money? If you didn’t get a grant or have access to any other funds we totally get that money is a prime motivator. However make sure that you can generate enough sales to justify the minimum orders that many wholesalers, quite rightly as they need to make it pay too, are putting in place. Yes we see a lot of florists raving about how well they are doing but as more florists come back into the market it could dilute the available business. On the other hand it could be that there is more demand now than usual because of lock down and we know the relays have orders - trouble is without good industry data no-one can tell you the potential. You need to research and talk to your customers.
• Is it because you want to help – particularly applicable in the case of funerals? Totally get this one as well but do remember that not only are funerals changing but there will be wakes/memorial services/celebrations after this is all over so you shouldn’t give up on them totally.
• Are you scared you’ll be forgotten? We see a lot of florists saying they are afraid that someone will come along and steal customers and they’ll never get them back. Yes there is a risk … but that is a risk you face every day, pandemic or not. How you communicate with your customers is vital. Send them cheery newsletters or virtual bouquets …. discount vouchers for when you re-open … and if you are really worried ask them if they need you to open; if you are unsure then why not send your customers a nice chatty letter and see what they say about you doing anything. The last thing you need is for people to criticise you but if you can engage them in the process it could help and they'll appreciate the contact.
• You’re behind on bills, you were actually struggling before Mother’s Day and people are now chasing you hard. To be blunt if you were in a pickle before this started then maybe you need to question if your business is sustainable Covid or not. If it isn’t sustainable then trying to trade out of a problem at this time may not a good idea especially as most suppliers will want pre-payment. This may be the wake up call to call it quits and be ready to do something new.
• Are you getting a lot of phone calls asking for deliveries. That is a tough one as it will be tugging at the heart strings but are there enough to justify doing something you may not be comfortable with. You need to work out the costs as otherwise you could end up being a busy fool or, like many we've heard from be so busy you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner.

4: When will you do it?

Do you want to be in the shop every day or should you, like many are already doing, limiting it to, say Friday/Saturday delivery only which would mean you taking delivery and making up Thursday. If it’s funeral work then you probably wouldn’t have much choice but you can control the other type of work.

Speak to your supplier to see what days you can get flowers and what the minimum order value is so you can work out the numbers.

5: How will you do it?

Delivery is allowed and the roads are still releatively quiet but is it safe, should you limit your delivery area, are the Police stopping anyone in your area because if they are that could be a problem; florists are not classed as essential workers and do not have the necessary passes. It's not impossible by any means - there are any number of delivery vans on the road - but could you think outside the box and join forces with another business? We are seeing a lot of florists working with local greengrocers and garden centres to share resource and customer bases.