Florist Tips
Every week we post a helpful tip on the @jaltheacreative Instagram account. This blog contains every tip from the previous three months (with a little more detail added, of course)! From processing to marketing, using these tips will help you run a successful home business and take some of the stress away.
FLORIST TIP: Use a Clean Vase
Flowers, especially cut flowers, are very sensitive to their environment so it’s important you put them in a fresh, clean vase.
Whether you use soap, bleach or other cleaner, make sure you rinse the vase thoroughly!
Residue left can be harmful to your flowers & significantly shorten vase life.
In our studio, we use antibacterial dish soap & HOT water. For items that are extra dirty, we’ll occasionally use a touch of bleach.
FLORIST TIP: Proposal Writing
A floral design proposal is a detailed description of your plans for bringing your client’s floral vision to life.
It can include an itemized list of products and rental items OR an overall description of your plans.
Either way, a good proposal helps you close the sale! Here are a few tips when making proposals:
create a template
include pictures
send a contract with your proposal
include an expiration date on the proposal
FLORIST TIP: Self Care in General
Self-care is important for everyone but especially for those running their own business.
Your well-being and happiness will contribute to the success of your business.
Taking care of yourself is just as much a priority as taking care of your business.
You can practice self-care in so many different ways so find what you like and add it to your to-do list!
Personally, I like a good sci-fi book!
FLORIST TIP: Don’t Carry Vases by their Neck or Lip
Always carry vases with both hands so you can support them from underneath.
Never carry vases by their neck or lip.
Carrying vases by their neck or lip puts a lot of pressure on the glass and water is HEAVY. This can cause them to break which could result in serious injury!
FLORIST TIP: Build a Business You’re Proud Of
Deciding to start your own business is exciting and a bit overwhelming. You want to be successful and stay true to yourself. It takes a lot of learning and practice but it’s definitely worth it.
Here are some principles I’ve used to build a business I’m proud of:
Planning - having a business plan and a marketing plan
Consistency - brings value through establishing trust
Focusing on my goals
Saying “yes” to what matters, and “no” to what doesn’t
FLORIST TIP: Inclusivity
Are you taking the steps to ensure your clients feel safe and welcome?
Here are some tips to improve inclusivity:
Stop making assumptions!
Pronouns - share them and ask for them
Fix contact forms if you have gendered language that's not inclusive (use ‘partner’ or ‘client’ instead of bride & groom)
Clients look at your website and ask, "am I represented?"
When we prioritize inclusivity we start to align our beliefs with our business practices to help create a more equitable world.
FLORIST TIP: Rose Substitutions
With recent floral shortages & increasing prices, it’s sometimes necessary to make substitutions in your floral recipes. This series of tips was created to offer some suggestions.
Rose Substitutions: carnations, double tulips, and Lisianthus
Carnations are the perfect size for rose substitutions, however they are often seen as ‘cheap’ and some people really don’t like them. Make sure your client is OK with carnations before making this substitution!
Double tulips are beautiful but they’re really only available in the spring. They can also be smaller than roses, so you might need more stems to fill the same space.
Lisianthus is often mistaken for a rose, so it makes a good substitution. The stems are more delicate, though, and they’re not quite as full as rose.
FLORIST TIP: Create Item Lists
Itemized lists can be a life-saver. I create lists for almost everything: event task lists, accounting task lists, employee scheduling, toolbox checklists, supply lists.
Lists are extremely helpful when planning floral details for weddings and events. Create lists for each floral piece including flower or foliage name, color, and number of stems.
Use bullet points, numbers, check boxes, whatever you like. Anything can be turned into a list and it will help you stay organized and on track.
FLORIST TIP: What’s in our Toolbox?
These are the tools I always bring with me to events and weddings:
TAPE: waterproof tape, corsage tape, ¼” clear tape, gaffers tape, duct tape
WIRE: bind wire, bullion wire, wax twine, 24 gage & 18 gage florist wire
GLUE: glue dots, cold glue
CUTTERS: snips/cutters, wire cutters, knife, needle nose pliers, scissors, ribbon scissors
PINS: corsage pins, boutonniere pins, safety pins
MISC: thread, lighter, hammer, ladder, Band-Aids, tape measure, crowning glory, snacks, nails & tacks, wire picks, zip ties, pipe cleaners
BUSINESS ITEMS: pens, business cards, sharpie
CLEAN UP: aprons, towels, paper towels, dust pan & brush
Make sure you go through your toolbox AFTER each event so you can replenish low items and replace any missing items. It’s also a good idea to keep a small emergency kit in your vehicle as a backup.
FLORIST TIP: Get out of your Comfort Zone
Get out of your comfort zone and thrive! Trying something new can be scary but you’ll always be glad you did.
Almost everything you’ve ever done was once out of your comfort zone.
Here are a few things I’ve had to work on:
talking in front of people (or just being in front of people!)
selling everyday arrangements
big arrangements like arbors and installations
How did I overcome all of these? I practiced! Whether it was by myself or with a trainer I made sure to keep practicing until I improved. One tip to take some of the anxiety away is to reframe the wording: instead of saying “this is out of my comfort zone” say “I’m excited to try something new.”
What are you excited to try?
FLORIST TIP: Emergency Toolbox
It’s important to keep an emergency box in your delivery vehicle. This is what I keep in mine:
business cards
a few pens
blank enclosure cards
enclosure card envelopes
cardettes / floral picks
disposable masks
towels
bottle of water (in case of spills)
toolbox with tape, bout pins, ribbon scissors, general scissors, knife, bunch cutters, wire, bindwire
It’s better to have it and not need it!
FLORIST TIP: Color
Understanding color is very important in floral design.
Color gives life and personality to your designs.
An arrangement can have perfect form but if the color selection is off it may never sell.
Using a color wheel is a great way to learn.
Primary: red, yellow, blue
Secondary: mixing of primary (ex: yellow and red = orange)
Tertiary: mixing primary with secondary (ex: blue and green = teal)
Black, white, and gray are neutral colors and they don’t appear on the color wheel. They change the tonal quality or value of a color.
Once you’re familiar with all of the colors it’s important to learn about color combinations, or color harmony. Florists work with color harmonies every day so it’s crucial to understand these combinations. The different combinations are monochromatic, analogous, complementary, and triad.
Invest in a color wheel. Here’s a good one from Amazon.com: COLOR WHEEL
FLORIST TIP: Peony Substitutions
Peony Substitutions: garden roses and double tulips
Garden roses have the same lush look of peonies. They are also available all year long.
Double tulips are beautiful but they’re really only available in the spring. They can also be smaller than peonies, so you might need more stems to fill the same space.
FLORIST TIP: How to Pack an Order for Delivery
Once your arrangement has been made you need to securely package it for delivery. I use cardboard boxes with tissue paper and cellophane. The boxes are great for keeping the arrangements secure.
Plastic crates are great for delivering multiple arrangements. I put non-slip sheets in the bottom to keep them from sliding around and then I use sand bags to really prevent them from falling over.
Larger arrangements can be tricky so I’ll sometimes wedge a plastic bucket in between the arrangement and crate wall. It’s good to do a brake test (in a safe spot, tap on the brakes to see if anything shifts, falls or spills) as well to really be sure your arrangements will travel safely.
FLORIST TIP: Trash & Compost
Trash and compost can pile up once your business begins to grow. You want to make sure you have a designated area for each bin.
It’s good to have multiple bins so you’re not constantly emptying the trash and compost.
I use large, round bins for trash and I use large, rectangular bins for compost. Using different shapes helps keep trash and compost in their separate containers.
During warmer months the compost will attract bugs very quickly so you’ll need to empty more often.
Make sure you give them a good rinse down every once in a while too!
Compostable materials in landfills is a growing problem. Every year TONS of material that could be composted ends up in a trash bag in the landfill. By separating your compostable material from your non-compostable trash, you can help. It takes a little bit to get used to separating as you design, but it’s worth the effort.
Your city or count will have different rules about compost, so it’s a good idea to check with them and see what they require if you’re using their program. If not, and if you have the space, you can create your own compost.
As a home-based studio, I don’t have commercial trash service. However, my city does pick up our compostable material as ‘yard waste’.