You already have the information needed to train new employees, but do you have a system to do it consistently and without pulling managers away from running the business?
A new course by the Society of American Florists, NotebookLM for Florists: Build Your Shop’s AI Training Assistant, shows floral businesses how to use AI to transform employee handbooks, standard operating procedures and other existing training materials into a searchable knowledge base, customized training podcasts and other resources that help new hires find answers independently.
The result is faster onboarding, fewer interruptions for managers and a more consistent training experience for every employee.
“The technology itself can seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be,” says Joe Aldeguer, SAF’s IT director and the course instructor. The course breaks the process down step by step so anyone can build a powerful training system using the documents they already have. “You don’t need to be an AI expert — you just need to know your business,” Aldeguer says.
The course is based on a project Aldeguer developed with Carma White, AAF, owner of Four Seasons Flowers & Plants in San Diego. Together, they created a centralized knowledge base using Google NotebookLM by uploading the shop’s policies, procedures, customer-service guidelines and onboarding materials. Instead of searching through binders or interrupting managers, employees simply ask the program questions such as “What is our substitution policy?” or “How do we handle late deliveries?” and receive answers based on the shop’s procedures. The pair shared the project during SAF Phoenix 2025.
NotebookLM also generates role-specific audio “podcasts” that makes the material more engaging for employees.
“The podcasts save me the time of having to give examples of situations new hires may encounter,” says White. “One of the hardest conversations for a new salesperson is helping someone order funeral flowers. The same day one of our new employees listened to the podcast, she confidently handled a $1,400 funeral order. She told me that without the podcast, she would have handed the phone to me.”
Because employees can access information in multiple formats, White says they’re better prepared — and more accountable.
“It’s there in what they’ve read and what they’ve heard,” she says. “They can’t say, ‘I didn’t know that.'”
Kate Delaney, AAF, SAF’s director of education who managed a Mid-Atlantic flower shop for 20 years before joining SAF, says that’s exactly the kind of solution many floral businesses need.
“Training is one of the biggest investments shop owners make, especially when hiring seasonal staff or onboarding multiple employees at once,” Delaney says. “This course helps businesses create a training system that’s easier to deliver, more engaging for employees and far more consistent than relying on shadowing or someone remembering to explain everything.”
The course also addresses important considerations beyond implementation, including organizing business information, managing employee access and protecting company data. Participants learn not only how to build their knowledge hub, but how to maintain it as their business grows.
The course is available through SAF’s Floral Education Hub for $9.95 for SAF members and $29.95 for non-members.
Amanda Jedlinsky is the senior director of content and communications for the Society of American Florists.
