And it’s never too early to start planning!
We say it every year and it's still true; forward planning is the key to a successful AND PROFITABLE Christmas.
With so much hype and excitement around the Christmas trading period, it’s easy to be lured into trying to do too much to satisfy everyone’s demands for products and services. And in the process, the need to remain profitable and operate efficiently can get a little lost.
Structure and focus are the keys to Christmas trading. Start by reviewing what worked and didn’t work so well last year and learn from that. Decide on what you want to offer your customers and how your business can stand out. Certainly look at what your competitors may be doing but don’t get swayed by them into any knee-jerk change of direction. There will inevitably be a flurry of self-taught, “YouTube” florists coming out of the woodwork at this time of year, selling cheap, poorly designed products which will always find a market, but that’s not you and they are not your customers!
Wreath workshops are everywhere now and are certainly a great money spinner as long as you price them correctly and don’t overstretch yourself. You can choose to run workshops at a local venue, in a client’s home or even online but plan well in advance, as many items such as pre-mossed wreath bases and decorative sundries sell out quickly at the wholesalers. If you choose to offer refreshments at your workshops, make sure those costs are covered too. Always have a stock of business cards or promotional flyers printed to give out at your workshops, as they’re a great way to market your business to potential new customers. Take everyone’s contact details and add them to your year-round mailing list (making sure you remain GDPR compliant).
If you’re going to offer your own wreath designs for sale, along with a selection of other Christmas-specific products, make and photograph them early and get them up on your website and social media accounts now. Take forward orders and decide a cut-off date for supply; that way you know what income you’re generating and are in control of supply. Take a look here for some Christmas wreath design inspiration Christmas Wreath Inspiration (floristrytradeclub.co.uk) and here for more tips on Christmas planning Planning for a Successful Christmas (floristrytradeclub.co.uk)
Don’t underestimate the power of Christmas window displays to draw customers into your shop. There are lots of examples here to inspire you and there are no rules against using ideas from other retailers to give you design inspiration for your own window.
For lots more tips on turning Christmas into a trading success, take a look here and start planning now!
