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Ideas and Inspiration
Canadian Florist hosts our first business forum |
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Written by Amanda Ryder
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Canadian Florist hosted our first ever Canadian Florist Business Forum (CFBF) on Jan. 12 in Toronto, with the generous help of our sponsors, FTD, Smithers-Oasis and Teleflora. We are happy to report that the one-day event was a success – our attendees walked away with new ideas they can use to re-energize their business and drive up sales.
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The first Canadian Florist Business Forum was held in Toronto on Jan.12 and attracted florists from across Ontario and even a few out-of-province attendees.
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When we began planning for CFBF last year, our goal was to create a business-focused forum where florists could come together to share ideas and learn from a panel of experts who would impart their knowledge of the floral industry. We also wanted to connect florists with floral wholesalers and suppliers through a trade show so that they could discover what new products are available in this market.
After months of planning, more than 80 florists came out to the 2011 CFBF during the second week of January, braving rough road conditions to take part in the event. The day kicked off with a networking breakfast where florists had the opportunity to mingle and browse CFBF’s exhibitor trade show area.
Our first seminar, Connecting with the Chain: The Innovation Strategy, sponsored by FTD, brought Italo Paris of Ital Florist, Gayle Smith of Chrysal and Jouke Sypkes of the Ontario Flower Growers to the stage. Each member represented a different part of the floral supply chain and shared with the audience innovative and best business practices they can incorporate in their shop right now. Paris spoke of the power of a POS system and the ways in which it can improve the order-taking process. Electronic inputting of a customer’s information, allows flower shop employees to take orders more efficiently and owners to use the system for accounting purposes, sales tracking, card printing and instant invoicing. This also allows for better customer service as you can track that customer’s preferences with greater ease.
During her segment, Smith spoke about the importance of proper care and handling protocols in a flower shop and how florists can prolong vase life. She also fielded questions from audience members and addressed common problems with certain varieties. Our third panelist, Sypkes, wrapped up our first session by offering a grower’s point of view. He talked about the ways in which the floral industry has changed in the past few years. There’s been a decline in both wholesalers and retail florists and, as a result, Sypkes predicts the industry will soon see a production shortage in flowers and higher prices. He advised florists to react to these changes by buying smart, using displays to wow customers, selling more niche items and offering shoppers a personal experience that they can’t get from other floral outlets.
The day’s second session, What Sets You Apart? The Complete Focus Strategy, sponsored by Smithers-Oasis and Teleflora, featured Cathy Anstett of Teleflora, Jacque Sir Louis of Smithers-Oasis, Thomas Wu of Flora Seda and Arman Patel of Flowers Canada Retail. Anstett was the first on stage and she offered the unique viewpoint of a former florist now working as a supplier. In her presentation, she emphasized the need to always be fresh and new, which extends to your flowers, your marketing and your shop’s appearance. She also touched on how important it is to deliver customers a consistent store and online shopping experience.
Sir Louis’ presentation was filled with informative statistics on the shopping habits of each generation and how this affects your business. He also talked about what type of things influence customer behaviour – 54 per cent of flower-buying households that were surveyed in the United States said that poor quality was the most important attribute that would deter them from shopping somewhere, along with overpriced products at 37 per cent. Forty-four per cent said that value is a positive influence, as is sales assistance and courteous employees (30 per cent).
Wu emphasized to the audience the power of branding and creating a shopping experience. Patel finished the seminar by touching on why florists need to focus on the business side of their operations in order to continue to grow and improve their shops.
CFBF’s two afternoon sessions began with Wayne Watson of Forest of Flowers in London, Ont., who explained how he doubled his sales during the recession. He also detailed how since 1996, Forest of Flowers has evolved into a franchise with eight locations. Watson’s presentation revealed the policies and procedures that each of his stores uses to deliver shoppers a branded experience. He and his Forest of Flowers team also review the sales numbers and forecasts on a weekly basis to make sure they’ve hit their sales targets.
The day’s final speaker was Patsy Deswaef, aifd, owner of Patzees Floral Scapes, also located in London. Deswaef described how building partnerships to provide one-stop shopping for events and weddings can help florists expand their services. She offered tips on how to connect with local vendors to create a network of professionals that drives more clients to your shop.
Overall, Canadian Florist’s premier event was an informative day and attendees walked away with ideas and inspiration that they can implement in their businesses right now. We couldn’t have done it without our fantastic speakers. To say thanks, we gave each presenter a gourmet gift basket donated by Saksco Gourmet Basket Suppliers.
In the days succeeding CFBF, several of our attendees took the time to pass along their thoughts. “Just wanted to say ‘great job on the business forum.’ It took me two hours to get there but it was well worth it. It was a fantastic day!” wrote Frances Bruni, of Toronto’s Frolic Fresh Flower Market, in an e-mail. Sherry Yuska, owner of Erin Mills Florist, agreed, saying, “The sessions were very informative and relevant to the operation of my business.”
Here at Canadian Florist, we’d like to extend a thank-you to all of the florists and exhibitors who took part in CFBF, as well as our sponsors, FTD, Smithers-Oasis and Teleflora. We are already looking forward to next year’s event and hope to see you all there!
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