flower shop.pdf

5/19/2018 FLOWER SHOP.pdf

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Managing the Flower ShopUnit: Floriculture

Problem Area: Floral Design

Lesson: Managing the Flower Shop

Student Learning Objectives. Instruction in this lesson should result in students

achieving the following objectives:

1 Describe the qualifications to be a florist.

2 Describe the various types of floral shops.

3 Explain the basics about good location and starting a floral shop.

4 Analyze the importance of marketing, promotion, and sales.

5 Describe effective packaging and delivery.

6 Explain the major areas of an effective floral shop floor plan.

List of Resources. The following resources may be useful in teaching this lesson:

E-unit 030068:Managing the Floral Shop. Danville, IL: CAERT, Inc.www.mycaert.com


Page 1 www.MYcaert.com

Copyright by CAERT, Inc. | Reproduction by subscription only. | L030068


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List of Equipment, Tools, Supplies, and Facilities

Writing surface

Overhead projector

Copies of sample test

Visuals from accompanying masters

Copies of student lab sheets

Terms. The following terms are presented in this lesson (shown in bold italics):

advertising

bucket shop

business plan

carriage trade shop

clearinghouse

demographic study

displays empty-nest couples

fictitious name statement

filling florist

franchise shop

full-service shop

gray market

large-volume florist

market mix

marketing

party/wedding florist

promotions

resale license

satellite shop

sending florist

stem shop

up-selling

visual merchandising

Interest Approach. Use an interest approach that will prepare the students for thelesson. Teachers often develop approaches for their unique class and student situations. A

possible approach is included here.

Have the students create a list of the various floral shops in the area. Havethem list what the shops have in common and how they differ. Ask them to tell

you what it takes to run a florist business.





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SUMMARY OF CONTENT AND

TEACHING STRATEGIES

Objective 1: Describe the qualifications to be a florist.

Anticipated Problem: What skills must I possess to become a florist?

I. Most people enter the floral trade because they enjoy flowers and plants. Working withflowers and plants brings joy and rewards. However, opening a business requires trainingand knowledge about the industry, training in floral design, and the ability to spot andkeep up with new trends. These skills can be obtained in a variety of ways, includingcollege courses, working in floral shops, and attending training sessions offered by tradeand professional organizations.Major skill areas include:

A. Business knowledge

1. Business knowledge keeps a florist in business. A florist needs to developknowledge of advertising, marketing, buying, inventory control, effective pricingstrategies, computer skills, bookkeeping and accounting, and employeerelations.

2. When partnering with someone in business, two individuals can take advan-tage of each others strengths to offset their individual weaknesses.

B. Personal skills

1. Personal skills include honesty, trustworthiness, drive, energy, patience, tact,compassion, consistency, and integrity. These skills will result in an ethicalbusiness operation.

2. These skills cannot be taught in the classroom, but a people person who is agood communicator is usually found in a successful business operation.

C. Knowledge of floral products

1. A potential florist must possess knowledge of floral products.

2. This includes an understanding of plant care and handling, design principles,display techniques, and overall creativity.

Begin the lesson with an interest approach. Share the learning objectives withthe students and introduce terms. Lead a discussion on the qualifications to bea florist. Use VMA during the discussion.





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Objective 2: Describe the various types of floral shops.

Anticipated Problem: What are the various types of floral shops?

II. There are several broad categories in which most floral shop operations can be placed.They are as follows:

A. Full-service shopThis is the traditional floral shop. It offers a wide variety ofservices and products to meet the consumers needs. Usually a member of one ormore wire services, the full-service shop does wedding and sympathy work and fills

various other needs. The successful full-service shop owner is usually a goodbusinessperson and prominent member of the community.

B. Large-volume floristA large-volume florist sells large quantities of design workbecause of a well-executed marketing plan. The owner is an expert in planning,budgeting, financing, and training. This type of shop offers many of the servicesthat a full-service shop offers but does many large-quantity orders. Large-volumeflorists are often found in big cities and work with corporate accounts, such as

hotels and businesses.C. Party/Wedding floristThis type of floral shop is considered a specialty shop

that has restricted its work to event planning for parties and weddings. Onecaution about operating this type of shop is that the market area must be able tosupport the specialization if the business is to survive. Another key to success isworking with other businesses in the specialty area of parties and weddings. Thisrequires the owner to be a good communicator, creative, and dramatic in carryingout the plans requested by the consumer.

D. Carriage trade shopThis type of shop provides extensive, personal service to alimited, elite clientele. It offers the services of a full-service shop but in a lavish,

upscale manner to a limited customer base. The key to this shops success isdeveloping a name and reputation with the desired clientele. The ability tocommunicate with the customer is critical.

E. Stem shop or bucket shopThestem shopis a cash-and-carry operation thatoffers a variety of flowers and foliage by the stem or bunch. It is often referred toas abucket shop because the flowers are sold directly out of buckets or largecontainers. One key to this type of business is a heavy traffic area. Stem shopsare commonly found in grocery stores or malls.

F. Satellite shopThis is a second shop operated by a full-service shop, commonlyin a strip mall or shopping mall. Satellite shops might also be found in hospitals oroffice buildings. Increased exposure and traffic are the main reasons why a full-service shop might open a second location. The survival of a satellite shoprequires the owner to have skills in planning and organization.

G. Franchise shopA franchise shop is a floral shop purchased from a parentcompany and operated according to that companys specifications. The shopowner pays a percentage of gross sales to the parent company for use of its nameand business services. There are not many shops of this type, because the initial





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cost of purchasing the franchise can be quite high. However, the advantage of afranchise is name recognition and demonstrated services and products in themarketplace.

Require the students to read about the different types of floral shops. Lead adiscussion on the specific services offered by the different shops. Build a

PowerPoint presentation to be used during the classroom discussion.

Objective 3: Explain the basics about good location and starting a floral shop.

Anticipated Problem: Where should a floral shop be located, and what basic legalrequirements need to be met before a shop can open for business?

III. Many decisions must be made when starting a floral business. A business plan needs tobe developed. The location must be identified, and legal requirements must be met.

A. Starting a floral shop begins with a business plan. Abusiness planis an

organizational tool that states the goals of the business and estimates thefinancing needed to start the business. The business plan is a document requiredfor securing loans.

B. The key to finding the best location for a shop is to conduct research about thearea where the business is to be started. This research should include thepotential state, city, and neighborhood. Competition, population and populationtrends, traffic flow, parking, visibility, and wholesale florist locations must beconsidered. The prospective owner needs also to evaluate the economic anddemographic information about the potential area.

1. Ademographic studyis an investigation of the size and distribution of popu-

lation in a specific area. It includes information on age, education, and incomelevel.

2. This allows the future florist to see if there are trends, likeempty-nest cou-ples(people under 65 who no longer have children at home and are morelikely to spend money on flowers). The gray marketconsists of people over65, who typically spend less on flowers because of their fixed incomes.

C. Some basic legal requirements must be met before operations begin. Licensesand permits to run a business must be obtained from state, county, and localgovernments. These vary, so government officials should be consulted todetermine the specific needs for the area. There are five important licenses that aflorist needs to obtain:

1. Afictitious name statement is a document that must be filed with thecounty to register the business name and prevent another business in thesame county from using that name. There is a filing fee, and a notice must bepublished in county newspapers.

2. A federal employer identification number (FEIN) must be obtained if the floristis going to have employees. This number will be used by both the Internal Rev-





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enue Service and the Social Security Administration as its identification sourceon tax returns and other required filings. If the business does not have employ-ees, the owners social security number is used.

3. Aresale license, or tax number, is obtained so that the required sales tax canbe collected and wholesale items can be purchased without paying sales tax. Itis applied for through the states revenue department. A county resale license

might also be required.4. Professional licenses are issued by the state agriculture department, register-

ing a business to meet certain state regulations. They are not required by allstates.

5. Special licenses are issued for special services a florist might provide, such asa liquor license and a pesticide application license. Helium tank owners andoperators are often required to have licenses that would fall under thiscategory.

Have students gather information, including demographics, about a certain areathat might support a floral shop. Have them conduct the research using the

Internet or other sources to determine a good location. The students shouldsearch for information about licensing and what legal requirements exist in thearea. Limit the inquiry to the state or surrounding area so that the informationmight be usable for the students in the future. Use VMC to illustrate the variousfactors to be considered in deciding where to locate a shop.

Objective 4: Analyze the importance of marketing, promotion, and sales.

Anticipated Problem: How does one market and sell floral products?

IV. Marketing is an essential part of the retail business world.

A. Marketingis the process of selling a product and/or providing a service theconsumer wants or needs. The goal of marketing is to determine the mosteffective market mix and market strategy for a given consumer base. A market

mixis a combination of activities and shop characteristics that attracts andretains customers. Market mix will vary from one shop to the next based on thenature of the customer base. There are five guidelines for effective marketing:

1. Define specialties or strengths of the particular floral business.

2. Define the target customers or target market.

3. Determine the products the customers want to buy.

4. Determine how to communicate the message.

5. Decide the specific products and services to offer the target market.

B. Promotions encompass a variety of activities that lead to public namerecognition. Promotions might include advertising, community involvement,contests, punch cards, coupons, demonstrations, educational articles, logos andother images, window displays, publicity, signs, and effective selling techniques.





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C. Advertisingis probably the biggest promotional activity that florists use daily.Advertising can vary from print, to voice, to video, to the Internet. Placing anadvertisement in the telephone directory is popular because the majority of ordersare placed by telephone. An affiliation with a wire service is an important aspect toinclude in advertising. Wire services include FTD, Teleflora, Florafax, and others.

The florist who sells a wire service order is called the sending florist. The order is

sent via phone, fax, or computer. Thefilling florist

takes the order and then fillsand delivers it. Accounts are settled monthly through the wire serviceclearinghouse, which determines which florists must be billed or debited andwhich florists must receive checks or credits based on order activity.

D. Smart selling is invaluable to the retail florist industry. A salesperson must beversatile in handling a variety of situations, from weddings to funerals. He or shemust have knowledge of flowers and must be friendly and personable to project apositive image for the shop. Salespeople need to be good listeners as well aseffective communicators. One valuable skill that a salesperson can develop is up-

selling, a technique of persuading a customer to make a larger purchase thanoriginally planned. This is accomplished by offering a range of prices, not just the

lowest, and suggesting the purchase of related products.

Present the information above in a lecture/discussion format. Reinforce thediscussion with VMD. Have the students create an advertisement for a floral

shop that would run for a certain holiday season. You could also cover theinformation while selling products from a greenhouse.

Objective 5: Describe effective packaging and delivery.

Anticipated Problem: How is packaging and delivery handled effectively?

V. Packaging plant materials has a two-fold purpose: protection of the design andadvertising and promotion of the shop image. On very cold days, items should bedouble-packaged, and the delivery vehicle should be warmed up.

A. Packaging materials to protect design work include sleeves, bags, boxes,cellophane, tissue, paper, or any combination of these. A package should be neatwhen finished and held together with tape or staples. Ribbons and accessoriesmight be included, and the package should be finished off with a shop sticker.

B. Delivery is an essential part of the floral business. It is the link between thedesigner and the customer. Efficient routing and delivery schedules must be kept.

The delivery person must be good at maintaining the delivery vehicle and loadingthe items. He or she must be timely and safe, neat in appearance, and courteous.Items to be delivered must be secured in the vehicle. Various ways ofaccomplishing this include using sandbags, bricks, boxes, and plastic carriers.Placing tall items on the side and shorter ones in the middle of the vehicle willhelp in effective loading. Deliveries fall into several categories, and charges forthem will vary.





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1. Regular deliveries are those made in an area predetermined by the shopowner.

2. Out-of-area deliveries are those made outside of the predetermined area. Theycarry larger delivery charges.

3. Timed deliveries are those made at times determined by the customers (usu-ally for birthdays and anniversaries).

4. Special deliveries are those made for customers who forgot or were not awareof floral needs, making last-minute delivery trips necessary. Additional chargescould apply.

When making sales in the school, the students should create the packaging ofproducts. A good time to do this is at Valentines Day. As a class, they candevelop the packaging materials needed when selling roses or carnations inbundles. Use TME to reinforce the different delivery categories. LSA will

provide a good application for practicing the packaging of cut flowers.

Objective 6: Explain the major areas of an effective floral shop floor plan.

Anticipated Problem: What primary areas are needed in a floral shop floor plan?

VI. There are four major areas to consider when developing a floor plan.

A. The sales area should contain a display window and have a good entry spot thatinvites the customer into the store. The sales area needs room for display units,display coolers, tables, shelves, a sales counter, a cash register, and possibly aplant section. Lighting should be considered, along with the flooring, wallcoverings, and ceiling treatments. Traffic patterns should encourage the customer

to look at all available merchandise before making a purchase. Effective displaysin the sales area will promote a greater volume of sales.

1. Visual merchandisingis a coordinated plan to attract a customer to the floralshop to make a purchase.

2. Displays are one component of visual merchandising. They attract attention,create interest, and motivate the customer to want to buy the items displayed.

B. The design area, or workroom, needs to include design benches, easy-accessstorage for containers and supplies, an area for receiving incoming flowers, and anarea for outgoing deliveries. A storage cooler should be located in this area. Thecooler should be large enough to hold the increased volume of flowers neededduring busy seasons. Good lighting, accessible water, drainage, and good shelvingare important to a design area. Design benches should be at a height comfortablefor the florist to work at while standing.

C. A wedding consultation and/or funeral consultation area should be located whereconversations will be undisturbed by phones and other people. A table and severalchairs should be provided. An area neutrally decorated and furnished can serve





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the needs for both types of consultations. Some funeral ordering will take placeover the phone.

D. The final area is the office. This area should be convenient for supervision of boththe sales and design areas. It should be equipped with as much modern officeequipment as possible, including computers, telephones, and fax machines. Itshould have Internet capabilities.

Reinforce the content by displaying VMF. Then, have students develop a floorplan for a shop. Consider obtaining the dimensions of an available building intown and have the students draw up a floor plan for that site. Invite a florist toappear as a guest speaker to discuss the many aspects of operating a floralbusiness.

Review/Summary. Use the student learning objectives as the basis for review andsummary. Have students explain the content associated with each objective. Use theirresponses in determining which objectives and concepts need to be reviewed or taughtfrom a different angle. The anticipated problems can be used as student review questions.

Application. Use the included visual masters and lab sheets to apply the informationpresented in the lesson. An advanced class should perform the basic tasks necessary toestablish a shop in the area. They should conduct research on the demographics of anarea and then develop a business plan that covers introductory material and business data.Financial data might also be included, depending on how in-depth the exercise needs tobe. LSB forms the outline for developing a business plan.

Evaluation. Evaluation should be based on student comprehension of the learningobjectives. This can occur during instruction, review, or later as students apply the

information. The sample written test can also be used.

Answers to Sample Test:

Part One: Matching

1. a

2. i

3. f

4. k

5. b

6. h7. l

8. d

9. c

10. j

11. g





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12. e

Part Two: Multiple Choice

1. b

2. b

3. a

4. c

5. d

Part Three: Short Answer

1. Research should include the potential state, city, and neighborhood. Competition,population and population trends, traffic flow, parking, visibility, and wholesale floristlocations must be considered. The prospective owner needs also to evaluate theeconomic and demographic information about the potential area.

2. sales, design, consultation, office





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Sample TestName ________________________________________

Managing the Floral Shop

Part One: Matching

Instructions:Match the term with the correct definition.

a. carriage trade shop g. gray marketb. clearinghouse h. satellite shopc. demographic study i. sending floristd. displays j. stem shope. fictitious name statement k. resale licensef. filling florist l. visual merchandising

_____1. A shop providing extensive personal service to a limited, elite clientele_____2. A florist who sells wire service orders

_____3. A florist who takes a wire order and then fills and delivers it

_____4. Obtained so that sales tax can be collected and wholesale items can be bought withoutpaying sales tax

_____5. Determines which florists must be billed or debited and which florists must receivechecks or credits

_____6. A second shop operated by a full-service shop

_____7. A coordinated effort to attract customers to the floral shop

_____8. One of the components of visual merchandising that attracts attention, creates interest,and motivates customers to buy

_____9. A report of the size and distribution of population in a specific area

____10. A cash-and-carry operation that offers a variety of flowers and foliage by the stem orbunch





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____11. People over 65 who typically spend less on flowers because of their fixed incomes

____12. A document that must be filed with the county to register the business name andprevent another business in the same county from using that name

Part Two: Multiple Choice

Instructions:Write the letter of the correct answer.

_____1. What type of floral shop is considered the traditional type of retail florist?

a. carriage trade shop

b. full-service shop

c. large-volume florist

d. satellite shop

_____2. Which type of shop is purchased from a parent company and operated according tothat companys specifications?

a. bucket shopb. franchise shop

c. party/wedding florist

d. satellite shop

_____3. What is considered the biggest promotional activity that florists use daily?

a. advertising

b. consulting

c. marketing

d. visual merchandising

_____4. What is promotion?

a. the process of selling a product and providing a service the consumer wants orneeds

b. a technique of persuading a customer to make a larger purchase than originallyplanned

c. a variety of activities that lead to public name recognition

d. taking and delivering orders

_____5. What are FTD, Teleflora, and Florafax?

a. franchise shopsb. large-volume florists

c. stem shops

d. wire services





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Part Three: Short Answer

Instructions:Complete the following.

1. What should be researched before opening a floral shop?

2. Name the four major areas in a floor plan for a floral shop.





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VMA

QUALIFICATIONS OF A

SUCCESSFUL FLORIST




Floral Knowledge Business Skills Personal Attributes

Flowers

Care/handling

Design

Display techniques

Creativity

Trend watcher

Advertising

Marketing

Personnel management

Buying and inventory management

Pricing knowledge

Computer skills

Bookeeping/accountancy skills

Salesmanship skills

Good communicator

Delegator

Honest

Trustworthy

Consistent

Self starter

Motivated

Energetic

Patient

Tactful, compassionate

Ethical

Friendly, polite

Goal oriented


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VMB

FLORAL SHOP CATEGORIES

Full-service shop

Large-volume florist

Party/Wedding florist

Carriage trade shop

Stem shop or bucket shop

Satellite shop

Franchise shop





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VMC

FACTORS TO CONSIDER IN

FLORAL SHOP LOCATIONS




Geographic Factors Economic Factors Demographic Factors

State, city, neighborhood

Population

Population trends

Number of competing businesses

Traffic flow

Parking

Site visibility

Availability of wholesale florists

Employment

Income

Per capita retail sales

Health of the local businesses

Population age

Education


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VMD

FIVE GUIDELINES FOR

EFFECTIVE MARKETING Define specialties or strengths of the particular floral

business.

Define the target customers or target market.

Determine the products the customers want to buy.

Determine how to communicate the message.

Decide the specific products and services to offer the

target market.





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VME

DELIVERY CATEGORIES

Regular

Out-of-area

Timed

Special





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VMF

FLORAL SHOP FLOOR PLAN




Packaging

Storage

Office

Design

Room

Display

Window Display

Coo

ler

Sales

Counter

Wedding

Consultation

Area

Gift Items Plants


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LSAName ________________________________________

Packaging Cut Flowers

Materials

various cut flowers

card

stapler

tissue paper

packaging paper

ribbon

Procedure

1. Put the packaging paper on the tabletop and then place a sheet of tissue paper on top ofthe packaging paper.

2. Center the flowers and foliage on the packaging materials.

3. Fold one side over the stems of the plants.

4. Fold the bottom up toward the stems.

5. Fold the other side over the stem area of the plants.

6. Fold the top down and staple shut.7. Place a ribbon around the middle of the packaging that covers the stems and secure the

side wraps in place.

8. Place a card on the ribbon.





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Evaluation

Items Points Possible Points Achieved

Folded correctly 10

Stapled shut 5

Ribbon attached 5

Card placed on the

package

5

Neatness 5

Total 30





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LSBName ________________________________________

Business Plan

Materials

research materials

paper

writing utensil

computer with word-processing software

Procedure

1. Listed below are several items that might be used to develop a business plan.

Introductory Material

Title PageLogo

Company Name and Address

Owners name

Business Data

Description of the Business

Type of shop

Business niche

Products and services

Location

Site

Building dimensions

Floor plan

Equipment list

Marketing Plan

Advertisement





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Special promotional activity

Packaging material

Delivery vehicle

Management Team

Employee and labor needs

FinancialOne Months Budget Capital items that need to be purchased and their costs

2. Use these and other items you might think of to develop a business plan for a floral shop.




flower shop.pdf

Documents

florist business

florist franchise

florist stem

floral trade

floral designlesson

various floral shops

l0300685192018 flower

flower shoppage