There’s one more thing to do before you close out Valentine’s Day: Take time to make notes about what was successful — and what wasn’t — to help you plan for Mother’s Day and beyond.
Congratulations, you’ve made it through another hectic Valentine’s Day! Before moving on to International Women’s Day, prom, and other spring occasions, conduct a holiday postmortem — a reflective exercise that will set you up for success in February 2023, as well as this upcoming Mother’s Day.
First things first: embrace self-care. You and your staff have put in seriously long hours for the past few weeks preparing for the big event. Praise your team for their dedication and encourage everyone to decompress, be it with a day off, a trip to the spa, or a leisurely group dinner. Taking a much-deserved break will help you recharge so you can tackle upcoming business.
Next, set aside some time to record as many details as you can remember while Valentine’s Day 2022 is still fresh in your mind. A few questions to ask:
- Which marketing tactics worked especially well, and why? Which ones didn’t click with consumers?
- What were the most popular flowers, colors, and price points?
- What perks or promotions incentivized early orders?
- Did you end up with an excess of plush, cards, candy, or containers — or did you run out?
- Did you have to make unplanned purchases of premium-priced roses to fill last-minute orders?
- Were your deliveries efficient, or did they involve multiple runs?
- Were there many customer complaints and, if so, was there a common theme?
When you identify a problem, try to determine what went wrong and discuss it with your staff to find solutions for next time.
While you perform the review, consult your seasoned employees for their candid evaluations of this year’s processes and part-time hires. They likely have strong opinions and can tell you what saved time and what took more time than it should have. They might also share who among your part-time hires had a good attitude, who worked hard and who hardly worked.
Did your postmortem reveal your business needs help in a few key areas? Use this time to prepare for the spring holidays by enrolling in courses in Career Connection, the Society of American Florists’ learning hub . Career Connection has courses that focus on:
Hiring and Retaining Staff
- Grow your Team: Workforce Planning and Attracting Talent. When it comes to hiring, do you really know what you need? Take a step back and rethink your hiring process.
Training
- Flower Prep School: The Essentials. It’s tough to find designers. With labor shortages, cross training in design is essential. When you do hire a new designer, on-boarding is time consuming and difficult. This interactive course teaches universal design basics and provides a solid overview of the fundamentals of design.
- Flower Care & Handling. Teach the skills your team needs to prevent unnecessary mistakes. Correct care and handing protocols lead to better quality product, increased customer satisfaction and decreased waste.
Marketing
- Marketing of Flowers 101: Strategy & Introduction to Social Media. A strong social media presence is imperative to successfully marketing your business. Learn fundamental skills and feel confident managing your channels. Learn how to identify your consumer base, target market and which social media channels are best for your business needs.
Katie Vincent is the senior contributing editor for the Society of American Florists.
