What Happens to the Floral Industry if Minimum Wage Rises to $15 an Hour?

One of the “hot button” topics we keep hearing about is one that is poised to do substantial damage – not only to the floral industry – but for many small businesses across every industry. Raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour may sound good in theory, but in reality, it could be the most devastating blow to small business yet.

I speak from experience for the retail flower industry, but the truth is, you can apply this to any service-driven business because, like florists, they also have a very small margin to work with. Since there is no structured understanding of what a floral designer is, it is all up in the air as to what fits well and what the owner’s vision is - beauty is in the eye of the beholder for sure.

That being said, there will no longer be an opportunity for someone to just drive, or just sweep floors and clean buckets. If minimum wage goes up, those jobs go away and the Floral Designer is forced to take on more duties because in addition to designing, they’re also covering the work that the minimum wage helpers used to perform.

I am sure you can see where this is going, right?

If minimum wage goes up $4, $5, or $6 or $7, what does that mean for the designer making the industry average of about $20/hour? Now they go to $25 an hour (or more)? YIKES!

So how do we hire? It’s hard work, it takes experience…That is your answer.

The greatest challenge I find florists facing today is finding people to get the work done, to go out on the weddings and to know how to create a wristlet that doesn’t fall apart during prom or a wedding.

My prediction is florists will no longer focus on growth.

The florist filling orders for the larger gathering operations who secure transactions nationwide and expect local florists to fill them like 1-800 Flowers, FTD, Teleflora, Just Flowers, From You, will only be able to fill “cookie cutter” design options.

In other words, florist will have to create the system to pump out and mass-produce the work while the companies selling the products will need to sell according to what the retail florists can mass produce.

Smaller boutique shops will be the norm and creative designs will only be based on what the retail florist in the area creates. More focus will be on the Google my Business offerings or websites will be treated more hands-on by the retail florist.

The industry needs to come together. No longer can a florist offer hundreds of creations to design and we all need to start working smarter (and harder) in order for our industry to survive. There are a lot of questions that need to be answered, so now is the time to start practicing, talking and creating a solution as an industry.

Do You Have a Customer Retention Program?

Summertime is the perfect time to do some housekeeping and focus on your valued customers. A great place to start is by implementing a Customer Retention Program. We created this program over a decade ago and it has consistently proven to be very successful for our clients.

What is a Customer Retention Program (CRP)?

The Customer Retention Program (CRP) is an effort to recognize and revitalize accounts that were once active, but have not had recent activity.

Through the CRP, we obtain valuable feedback regarding whether or not we exceeded our customers’ expectations. We simply reach out to our customers via a phone call to let them know that we care and are looking for a better way to serve their floral and gift-giving needs in the future.

NOTE: This is not telemarketing!

These calls are not sales calls, although it is not uncommon to have customers place orders with the sales associate at the time of the call because they’re impressed by the personal touch. In fact, the valuable information we obtain has led to developing some of our very best accounts.

How does the CRP work?

First, we identify the criteria and focus on customers who have placed five or more orders over the past three years, as well as customers who do not have any order activity in the past 18 months. You can export this data into a spreadsheet.

Next, identify and sort the list. Give your employees a list and review a script with them. We thank our customers for the orders they have placed with us and ask how we can improve their experience with your shop. We have a detailed script you are welcome to use if you would like, just email us and we will be happy to send it to you.

Remember, if a customer has ordered five or more times, there must be some value in the relationship. It is important to understand that there may be a reason that they did not order in a particular year, but it is still worth giving them a call. What is most important here is not to question them, but to thank them. If they decide to order, do not offer them a discount. The last thing you want is for this to come across as a sales call.

When you're speaking to the customer, it is important that notes are taken for later reference. You may find out that someone could have had an unfavorable experience and you now have a chance to save the relationship.

This is an excellent way to clean up your account database so when the time comes to market for the holidays, you can start from a clean list.

People shop with companies they trust. Forming a relationship is the ultimate goal of every marketing plan. If you concentrate on retaining customers and enhancing the shopping experience, chances are customers will trust you with all their floral and gift giving needs in the future. Remember to promote across town or across the USA in all your ads. You are one-stop shopping, don’t keep it a secret.

This is just another step in changing for the better and taking back our industry for the local florist!

Would you like some help starting your own Customer Retention Program? We're here to help get you up and running - we even have a detailed phone script that you're welcome to use and modify to fit your needs. Give us a call or send us an email and let us know how we can help you.

Are You Using Surveys to Listen to Your Customers?

What do these companies all have in common?

They all listen to their customer through surveys!

I often have retailers ask what my secret formula was for turning a small Sarasota flower shop into a top-50 florist in the nation. The truth is, there was no secret formula. In fact, the formula I followed for success is as simple as this:

Passion + Perseverance + Quality…and SURVEYS!

That’s right, hearing the voice of my customer was one of the greatest tools I ever had, and I can’t believe that so many businesses neglect to do this, even with all the resources available to help them.

Let's face it, most owners think they know what their customer likes, but do they really know? Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to sit down and visit with each customer face-to-face to discuss their thoughts, feelings, and concerns about their shopping experience as well as their overall impression of our business?

Of course, that isn’t possible, so in many circumstances our only real feedback comes from one of two of two places – upset customers who are extremely dissatisfied, or the opposite end of the spectrum where longtime loyal customers think we can do no wrong.

Both groups provide valuable input and deserve our attention. However, if we only listen to them we’re missing out on a vast majority of our customers. It’s easy to sit back and think we have all our bases covered by making our most vocal customers happy, but our perception isn’t always as accurate as we imagine.

You Just Have to Ask

Business owners should not only value customer feedback but depend on it as an essential part of their day-to-day operations. However, trends change fast, and today’s hot seller may be an outdated fad in a month or two. Your impeccable sense of style and design doesn’t help your business if customers don’t share your vision.

Differences in styles and attitudes are also evident in different parts of the country, and even in different areas of town. A concept or design that works well in Arizona may not be popular in Florida. Ultimately, there are no universally correct answers – all situations and circumstances are unique.

The only way to get the most accurate pulse of your business is by listening to your customers. Surveys are a perfect way to find out how they’re feeling, and an outstanding way to identify areas for improvement. Many people won’t offer feedback unless you ask, and those are often the customers with the most beneficial feedback.

Next time you stay at a Marriott, rent a car from Hertz, or dine in any reasonable establishment, rest assured if they have your email address, they run surveys. It's the ONLY way to keep up with their clients in a changing industry.

Surveying customers is a substantial undertaking. Busy business owners don’t have the time, nor the resources needed to manage it properly. Fortunately, we’re here to help! Customer Survey Management from Bloomerang is the easiest and most efficient way to monitor customer feedback. Let us create a custom survey for your shop today and leave the guesswork out of your business strategy.

Everyone Wins When Your Staff Spins

As a business owner, I am constantly looking for new ways to boost numbers, increase sales, and motivate employees. One of the most effective solutions I found was also the most fun - I call it “Spin to Win.”

Spin to Win is such a popular promotion because of the excitement and camaraderie it creates with the sales staff. As a retailer, you know that your sales staff is the heart of your business and the difference between a great sales staff and a poor one will affect your entire shop.

Customers have long memories when it comes to how they were treated at establishments where they spend their money. Oftentimes, it doesn’t take more than one bad customer interaction with a rude or unfriendly employee to drive that customer away permanently.

On the other hand, people like to shop with friendly people and people they trust, so having helpful and friendly employees representing your brand is a critical key when it comes to customer retention.

Keeping employees happy

Happy employees are productive employees so it’s important that everyone in the company feels motivated and respected. One great way to keep employees motivated and engaged is by running a sales contest – but the key is to keep it fun.

One option to consider is a 'Wheel of Rewards' to recognize those who have reached sales goals created by management. It’s one thing to create expectations but it's another to create a way to reach them with a rewards system to recognize those who do.

The wheel itself can be found for a reasonable price online or you can simply make your own with some basic materials. The wheel itself isn't the important part, but great prizes certainly add extra motivation for your sales staff. I always liked the model that we used (pictured below) because it allowed us to change up the prizes easily and limit the size so that some prizes were harder to win than others.

You don't always need to offer expensive prizes, in fact prizes with a 'mystery value' like scratch-off lottery tickets are always highly sought-after due to the fun factor that goes along with the anticipation. Other ideas such as gift cards, a half day of paid vacation, movie tickets, car washes, dinner for two, sports ticket,s and free flowers, are always popular choices but you are only limited by your imagination.

The rewards can be as big or small as needed – what’s truly exciting is the action of staffers spinning the wheel. It's important to realize that recognition is half the fun.

The more exciting the environment, the better your chances will be of getting engagement from staff. The result will be more sales for your company and recognition and rewards for those who get you there - it's a 'win-win' for everyone.

Let's face it, those who try harder usually achieve more. Those who produce results can now have a chance to be recognized for it.

A photo once a week featuring the person who got to spin makes for a great social media post. When it comes to social, people want to learn more about you and your company. Sharing programs that reward your employees show that you care about your staff and that is worth sharing!

If you would like to run a sales contest for your employees but don't know where to start, Bloomerang Solutions is here to help. We are always looking for new ways to improve your business and we know from experience that employee-only contests are an excellent way to build morale - and improve your bottom line. Let's get started today! Drop us a line here or give us a call if you would like some help getting started, we're always here to help you!

Understanding N.A.P. Consistency and Why It Affects S.E.O.

Today, there are acronyms for almost everything, especially when it comes to technology. Some of the acronyms we hear every day are instantly recognizable and we know what they mean without any further explanation, but we often hear of new acronyms and don’t fully understand whey them mean, or what purpose they serve.

One very important acronym that you have likely heard - but may not know much about - is N.A.P. Simply put, N.A.P stands for:

N=Name

A= Address

P= Phone

Those three things are all critical elements that should be very visible on your website because search engines look for that data in order for your business to show up on geo-targeted searches and maps.

This may sound like common sense, but in reality, most businesses have some discrepancies when it comes to the accuracy of the information on their website. These things often happen when there are several people managing profiles and directories for your business.

Consistency is the key when it comes to N.A.P.

In addition to making sure that your name, address and phone number are accurate, the other critical element of N.A.P. is ensuring that everything is listed consistently - this includes using the same spelling and formatting every time.

The first thing we do when researching a new client is run a scan to check for N.A.P. consistency and most of business owners who turn to us to assist with their marketing have varied address information or conflicting phone numbers and even multiple names that show up with their listings.

In order for proper NAP consistency, you should be using your company’s full name and full address. It’s up to you whether you choose to use full words or just abbreviations, but it is extremely important to stick with one and use it consistently whenever it is listed.

For example, You can choose either 123 Main Street, or 123 Main St. - either is fine - as long as they’re always the same. Likewise, your phone number listing should also be consistent; some companies prefer (555) 234-5678 while others use 555-234-5678 or even 555.234.5678. The choice is yours, just stick with whatever format you choose.

Why is N.A.P. so important for SEO?

N.A.P. is critical for a local business if they want to rank high in organic search results because the process of influencing the ranking of your business is consistent of N.A.P. The quality of a website where the N.A.P. is consistent influences the validity and quality of the website.

If you have consistency, Google views that as the ultimate "match" and rewards you with a higher ranking. The most important information is a match aligning the data. So if your website had one phone number and a directory online has the same phone number address and a DIFFERENT phone number, you not have the ULTIMATE result.

The best and most important leads will come from sites that pay attention to this. You want to be as consistent as possible with all your online listings.There are so many online directories used for more than just a search by the general public. If your name is there, it should be consistent. The base is what you have on Google my Business listing. This will be your base.

What makes this process more challenging, if you make manual changes, your information may easily revert to another listing form elsewhere on the web. You need to stay on top of this and we can do this for you at Bloomerang. We not only insure your listing is correct, we GUARANTEE it will remain correct going forward. This is the very first step of maximizing your online presence, understanding and paying attention to your N.A.P. Give us a call, or leave a comment below to get started, or you can run a free scan yourself here to check your own NAP consistency.