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On The Level With Neville: February/March 2010
Mind Your Own Business |
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Written by Neville MacKay
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What a wonderful life it is, owning a flower shop! We get to come to work when we feel like it, play with flowers, make pretty arrangements, and create beautiful displays for all to enjoy. How lovely our days are – filled with fun, laughter and joy.
Wait a second – what do you mean, “balance the books?” They won’t tip over! “Overhead”. . . what the heck is that?? “I must still have money, I still have cheques left!” And what are these “margins” and “cost of goods” things I keep hearing about?
This is a strange new language to those of us who start a business, at least for those of us who have never done so before. I got a terrible shock when I realized how little I actually knew about the business end of the floral business after signing a five-year lease!! Boy, did I have my work cut out for me! Ignorance isn’t always bliss.
Thankfully, when we started this business, a business partner of mine did know some of the business aspects of running a store. It was up to me to learn as much as I could as quickly as possible so I could run and understand my business. To my benefit, I had years of experience working in the industry and understood the value of time as well as the cost of each flower as it snaps off and hits the floor. Still, when it’s your own shop you get a much clearer sense, for sure.
I’ve owned my shop for more than 15 years and still get fed up when it comes to the business side of things. I do have a remedy, a saviour and a gatekeeper who is a “no you can’t” person who looks after so many painful things for me. Ethel does my books, deposits, payroll, billings, and all the other nasty stuff that has to be done here at the shop. If you can at all afford it, I suggest you all go out and get yourself an Ethel. Now, don’t think that I couldn’t do all this if I had to; I just know that she can do it all 187 times better and faster than me, which makes it very cost effective. It’s a luxury to know that I can stuff all pending paperwork in the drawer for Ethel to look after. She is also another pair of eyes that is looking out for the business, which is important these days.
Having your own store means everyone who works with you should also learn at least some of what it takes to run a business smoothly. Take the snapped off rose on the floor, for example. I get everyone to understand the cost of every flower and leaf being tossed, the cost of the sales slips they write on, the pens, etc. so they can get a better understanding of why things are how they are. In as much as it is important to teach your staff how to wrap a flower, talk on the phone and clean the fridges, it is also imperative to teach them the value of the store and the importance of proper administrative work.
Some of the biggest challenges I have faced in this business involve paperwork: getting people to file things away properly, understanding sales slips and invoices, noting credits on invoices from suppliers and finishing the cash sheets properly. It is shocking how much money you can lose because of simple errors or omissions. I’d better look out when Ethel comes at me with an invoice flapping in her hand – that means someone messed up! It doesn’t matter who did (or didn’t) do whatever it was they were supposed to do; it all floats up to you being responsible! In the end, you are the one paying for everyone’s mistakes.
Years ago, we got to do a rather large floral party for a group. We worked long into the night and, when all was said and done, the party was a total success! We laughed and chatted about it for months! Here’s the thing: we weren’t the only ones laughing. No one took the time to prepare a bill and put it on the client’s credit card. It was not a pretty scene here when I found out, that’s for sure! That’s why now we check every sales slip at the end of the day to see that things are rung in and looked after.
When I started My Mother’s Bloomers back in 1992, I had pretty much a full head of hair and I weighed 50 pounds less. Owning a flower shop is without a doubt one of the best things I have ever done, and for the most part I have loved every minute of it! If I do have a little advice for anyone out there thinking of starting their own shop, it would be to arm yourself with as much knowledge as possible. Read floral publications (this one is one of the best resources available!) and learn from others whenever possible. I have had many call me for ideas, advice, etc., and I welcome it! We all need to work together in our industry in order to keep it alive and well.
Neville owns and operates My Mother’s Bloomers in Halifax and lives close to Peggy’s Cove with his partner, David, three cats and an overgrown garden. For more info on Neville or to book him for a show or talk, check out www.mymothersbloomers.com .
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