“Mother’s Day Madness”

Mother’s Day is one of those holidays that we have a choice on how well we can prepare for it. Unlike Valentine’s Day which is a one day holiday, Mother’s Day spreads the work out for two to three days making for a more smooth execution. But, the bottom line is that there must be a plan in place. The best advice that was shared with me years ago is “Plan your work and work your plan”. This pretty much sums it all up. Knowing who is responsible for what task and when it needs to be completed keeps all the staff defined and focused.

So with the challenges in the economy this year, where do you think sales are going? Some feel that the lower ticket items are going to be the better movers as people may not have the discretionary income that they might have had years ago. This may be true for some, but not all. The opposite side feels there is a percentage of customers that are looking for and are willing to pay a more premium price for a unique and higher end floral presentation. Again, probably true. So, the difficult decision is trying to figure where to position your sales.

Low ticket items often lack the perceived value that customers are looking for while they often take more labor hours to produce than larger ticket items. While it is necessary to have them remember to recipe the design and now how much time it will take to make these happen.

Higher ticket items often take less time as fewer premium components have to be inserted so labor costs can be reduced or perhaps work at a lower labor cost to make these affordable.

Middle price point ticket items can usually be mass produced and this makes for a more cost effective way of production.

Whatever the division of lower price to higher price items and everything in between, having the proper amount of product and staff to make it happen are paramount for a successful and profitable holiday. Setting goals and assigning responsibilities are necessary for success. Remember, the best way to eat an elephant is a bite at a time. Start now getting your prep work done and review your production numbers to make sure you are covered for your product needs. Your Account Manager is standing by to help insure your success this Mother’s Day. Call today for your holiday needs.

By Tom Bowling AIFD PFCI exclusively for Florabundance, Inc.