ALEXANDRIA, VA — What's the best way to capitalize on a full day of targeted education aimed at improving just about every facet of your business, from accounting to sales and designs? Bring a team, of course.
That was the strategy Nancy Gilmore-Ebner of Griffins Floral Design of Pataskala, Ohio, adopted in May, when she and six staff members drove 200-plus miles to attend the Society of American Florists' 1-Day Profit Blast in Detroit, soaking up ready-to-implement tips, trends and best practices.
"The most gains were from my staff," Gilmore-Ebner said. "[The event] really opened their eyes to all the intricate parts to running a shop in the floral business."
Dozens of florists attended the Detroit Profit Blast, which was sponsored by Nordlie and Kennicott Brothers Company. The event featured four educational programs, plus a Supplier Showcase with the latest technology, products and flowers, and lunch sponsored by Hortica.
Morgan Aranda, a member of Gilmore-Ebner's team, said the programming topics made the trip worthwhile. "We really loved the social media outreach and sales tips sections of the program," she said. "We are very excited to incorporate some new ideas into our shops."
Victor West of Vanessa's Flowers in Plymouth, Michigan, said the day offered something practical for florists of all sizes. "Everyone that attended will have a better more profitable shop in the weeks to come," West said. "You leave with ideas that you can start to use the next day."
Jen Linehan, CF, CFD, of Beautiful Blooms by Jen in Sylvania, Ohio, offered a similar take, emphasizing the value of the programming. "It's the perfect amount of information to come back and instantly implement things in your shop," she said. "What you change instantly pays for the conference."
Highlights from the Detroit event included:
Laura Daluga, AIFD, owner of Department of Floristry, demonstrated how to bring modern designs to classic products during "Exceeding the Design Demands of Today's Gift Givers," sponsored by Smithers-Oasis.
Tim Huckabee, president of FloralStrategies LLC brought Smart Selling, his popular Floral Management column, to life with a session that included live calls to florists to show real solutions to common customer issues.
Michael Pugh, AAF, owner of Pugh's Flowers in Memphis shared tips on how to navigate and make the most of accounting software during "Mastering QuickBooks for Quick Profits.
Rakini Chinery, AAF, AzMF, owner of Allan's Flowers talked candidly about website optimization and digital marketing during "Driving Local Orders to Your Shop."
Can't wait for the next Profit Blast? Additional SAF 1-Day Profit Blasts are coming up to Green Bay, Wisconsin on Sunday, July 15 sponsored by the Bill Doran Company; and Portland, Oregon on Sunday, October 7, sponsored by Frank Adams Wholesale. For details, visit safnow.org/1-day-profit-blast.
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About SAF
The Society of American Florists is the leading organization representing all segments of the floral industry. SAF is proud to provide marketing, business and government services to its members, including growers, wholesalers, retailers, suppliers, importers, educators, designers and allied organizations. The association was chartered by an act of Congress in 1884. To learn more about SAF or to join, visitsafnow.org.
Source: The Society of American Florists
