Flower Business Survival Tips
The world feels more than a little crazy right now, and we’re living through times I never thought we’d ever see. From whole countries in entire lockdown, to the constant media barrage, it’s completely unreal what’s happening to the world as we know it - even in our own industry, seeing the European Flower market crash, and the millions upon millions of stems sent to incineration due to the inability to meet their minimum sales value is a level of insanity that I thought I’d never see. Like many of you out there, we’ve had the majority of our weddings and events cancel for the next few months, and we’ve plenty more scheduled in the coming 6-12 weeks which might be rescheduled too. We’re taking decisions day by day, and doing the best we can.
In light of this new reality my team and I have been looking at ways in which we can support our clients and our colleagues - essentially how we can support our community the best we can given these life and business altering circumstances.
In short, it’s a time to show up for each other wherever we can, however we can - to support our families, friends, colleagues, and neighbours. With this in mind, I wanted to share with you the launch of our new Resources here on josephmassie.com - a dedicated trove of articles, look books, mood boards, step-by-step guides and my personal floral hints, tips and tricks, all designed firmly with the flower lover in mind - and all completely free to access.
We’d originally planned to launch this space after we’d launched our online courses at www.learnjosephmassie.com (originally planned to launch later this month) but in light of the current situation, we felt it was the right decision to launch these free resources now - to give our resources to support our community at this moment, and instead look to launch our classes at another time. It’s truly my hope that as these Resources grow over time, they’ll provide you with a place of inspiration, knowledge, and community - starting today.
With sharing and support being firmly in my mind at this time, I wanted to share a few of my top Business Survival Tips for those of us in the flower business. It’s a tough time out there right now, and whether you’re working in a studio or retail environment, it’s my hope that at least one of my suggestions might help you navigate this tricky time. Let’s dive in.
1 - STAY CONNECTED
When things get tough, it’s time to lean in to your people for support. There has never been a better time to call your industry friends, join a facebook group of colleagues, or Zoom with likeminded business owners. Everyone in our industry is affected by what is happening right now - lean into your network hard - after all community is camaraderie and you might be able to learn some great survival strategies from your colleagues who are navigating the very same issues.
2 - CONTINUE TO SHARE
Share your experiences and share your struggles - let your community know what you’re going through, and how you’re navigating these tough times - even though your instinct maybe to shy away and hide. I was not shy about announcing on my socials that in the first few days of COVID-19 hitting, we lost around £50,000.00 worth of business - corporate business or corporate events that will not come back. Your presence online matters so much nowadays and by keeping your accounts active, you will help fuel your business when things pick up again. Share how you’re finding perspective in the chaos, offer assistance to others, or demonstrate your skills if you can do so at this time. I know for sure that any vulnerability you show will connect so hard with your community when times are so tough.
3 - TEND YOUR GARDEN
I know that in my own business that sometimes I’m so busy doing the key ‘thing’ that brings in the money - installing that artwork, or meeting that client - that sometimes I never quite get around to updating some key parts of my business that might need attention. This lockdown is a good time to create a list of all the smaller tasks in your business that you could refresh, update or re-examine. Consider both outwards aspects of your business - your email templates, the copy on your website, or the galleries on your website maybe - and inward aspects of your business too (processes, procedures and workflow maybe). Really use this time to find ways to invest positively in your business.
4 - GET LEGAL & GET FINANCIAL
In this downtime, it might be a good idea to review your legal contracts and ensure that they will protect you and your business in the future. You could do this with your insurers too - ensuring that you’re covered for every aspect of your business. Update your records if/as and when they are required. I know it’s not the most inspiring or creative work, but its essential to do, and it will save you time when things pick up again - which they will!
It’s also important to look into any Government support that you might be eligible to receive at this time, in the UK, this might mean SBBR grants, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the Business Rates Holiday 2020-21 and upcoming VAT deferral. Look into your options in your country and apply for that which feels right.
5 - REACH OUT
I’ve kept in touch with our clients through several mediums - through our websites, our email list, and our social media too - as I wanted to make sure that our customers know how their services have been affected through this crisis - and when I hope that things will be back to normal too. It doesn’t matter which vehicle you choose, but be sure to share an update with your community.
6 - BE HELPFUL
During this time we’ve been sure to post regularly on our flower studio Instagram (JosephMassieFlowers) advice or resources that we hope will be helpful to our clients - especially those who have weddings or events currently booked with us that might have to postpone. Try to think about what concerns or questions your clients might have, and provide information and support to them via your socials at this time.
7 - PAY IT FORWARD
If you’ve an online store, create a way for people to purchase gift cards to be used in the future. This can be a great way for your clients (and for you!) to support future business once this has passed. Ensure they’re gift-able, make the process easy and painless, and you could generate revenue today for future services.
8 - RESEARCH
If you’ve been meaning to explore anything new for your business, now is the time to do so. Research new social platforms, new vehicles, new technology or new website platforms - anything and everything that you might want to implement or invest in when this time has passed. If you do your due diligence now, you’ll save time and money when you’re back in the driving seat.
9 - GET INSPIRED
One thing I’m so guilty of is bookmarking articles, podcasts, and tutorials that I want to consume, but didn’t have the time to pre-lockdown. One huge gift that this strange time has bestowed is the time to read through everything I had squirrelled away on my phone, and really take some time to get inspired again. Although it might be bleak right now, schedule some of your time for inspiration - some podcast favourites of mine include Botanical Brouhaha, The Flower Podcast, and How I Built This.
10 - TAKE GOOD CARE
Above all else at this time, ensure you’re taking good care of yourself - in whatever form that takes for you.
I know this is a really hard time and I know it feels impossible - please know that you are not alone - we’re all in this together - and we’ll celebrate on the other side.
Take Care,
Joseph
Ps - if you enjoy this post, why not sign up to our future Resources below - you’ll be the first to hear all about our future Resources, and as a thank you, we’ve created an exclusive Resource - The Flower Care & Conditioning Guide - packed with my top care and conditioning information, waiting for you too!