Preparation is the most important piece of floral design.

Many of the high profile floral designers you see on Instagram make it look easy.

How do they do it?

Well, it isn’t magic.

In short: they prepare for everything.

Self-confidence is about preparation. Arthur Ashe quote

If you’re new to Profitable Floral Design, welcome to my blog series on systems!

Today is Part 4: Event Preparation

This post builds upon the foundations of the earlier posts in the series. So, if you haven’t read those yet, I invite you to catch up!

Part 1: Introduction, Part 2: Qualifying Leads, and Part 3: Proposals are all available via these links.

I started this series on systems to help you maximize your profits.

The best part about this series is that you can take ideas that you connect with from this blog and apply them to your business. Try them on for size. Then, adapt them to fit your needs.

Now, let’s get down to it!

Here’s why preparation is the most important piece of floral design.

The events industry is fast-paced.

Wedding and event day execution often resembles an avalanche.

It starts slowly. A chunk of snow and ice starts in motion down a mountainside. Suddenly it takes on momentum, picks up speed as it moves downhill. Snow, ice, and rocks fall rapidly. And right before your eyes, it settles like concrete.

Event setup days can certainly get the heart pumping. There’s a flurry of activity and a shedload of work gets done in a short time span.

Before you know it, the venue is set. The candles are lit, and the chaos of the avalanche has been cleared away.

You get to take it all in and reflect on months of hard work for a quick minute.

Then, the party begins!

Let me guess. You've felt that way too.

You want to exceed your client’s vision. So, of course there is work to be done in the months and weeks leading up to the event day.

The event day is the final execution of all your efforts up to that point. So, how can you make that process work efficiently to maximize your profits?

Enter preparation, the most important piece of floral design.

Oversized arrangements require preparation before events. Profitable Floral Design

This oversized entry arrangement was in a large urn. Tests before the event revealed that the urn did not hold water. We lined it with plastic bags and then placed a bucket inside to ensure it would not leak during the event.

Let’s backtrack a bit to the point where event preparation begins in your client’s journey.

Remember the steps you’ve taken to get to this point.

The client finds you online while searching for a local floral designer.
She asks her friends and co-workers for referrals. A few of them rave about your business.
Then, she fills out the inquiry form on your website.
She engages with your email nurture sequence and builds trust in your brand.
You meet with her and create a personalized floral design proposal.
She books your services for the event. The contract is signed and the retainer/deposit fee paid.

All the hard work you've done up to this point was centered around building your client’s trust. Now, there’s some work to be done leading up to the day of the event.

So how do you keep building trust and deepening your relationship through this phase of the client’s journey?

The answer is your preparation system.

Your preparation system is what carries that trust from the day they book to the event day. This period can make or break what you've built up to this point. If you lead the way your client will feel well taken care of and if you disengage they may feel the opposite.

That’s why preparation is the most important piece of floral design.

Clients want to know that you have a plan. They need security. They are fascinated with the process of taking their vision and bringing it to life. So, be sure to use your social media to share trust-building behind the scenes videos. You can also share your preparation system itself with your clients. Let them know how you plan to take their vision from inspirational images to reality, step-by-step.

Installations like chuppahs require preparation before the wedding day.

My team preparing for a chuppah installation a few weeks before the event. We sunk these poles into low wide cake pans filled with concrete for stability. The client wanted to make sure it would be secure on a windy day and so did we! Finished image below.

Here’s how it works.

Step 1: Identify the weak spots in your current process.

Brainstorm with your team. Focus on past issues that have surfaced when you prepare for event days. No blame. Just focus on the sticking points. Then, write it all down.

I’ll give you some points to consider.

Do you forget items at the shop that you need on-site for events? If yes, how often?

What are the hardest parts of prepping for an event?

What are the least enjoyable parts of prepping for an event?

Are there any patterns in the feedback you get from clients, other vendors, and employees after events?

Which part of event preparation do you personally feel you could improve upon?

Do you have a clearly defined way to tell what work has been completed and what still needs to be done at any point in the event lifecycle?

Use these ideas to identify specific tasks that are key to event preparation or new tasks that could improve your floral design process.

Step 2: Create a timeline to define when, how, and who will tackle each task.

To clarify this, I have a detailed timeline example below. Stay with me here. I'll explain it in a bit!

Step 3: Build the timeline into your workflow for every event.

You can use a project tracking tool or your CRM software (if it offers a workflow feature). Alternatively, you can create a tracker in Google Sheets or Excel for your team to share. It’s also helpful to create weekly reminders in your calendar.

As each item on the tracker is completed you get to check it off the list.

Super satisfying, right?

Establishing an event preparation timeline and using a tracker will minimize mistakes and maximize profits.

Here’s how.

Multiple trips back and forth to your shop or studio on event days eat into your profits. As does work that is completed twice because of a lack of communication. A preparation system can help you focus on the details that will result in higher profits on your events. This is achieved by minimizing errors and redundancies.

Now, can you see why I think preparation is the most important piece of floral design and how it directly affects your profitability?

A preparation system can easily be incorporated into your business. Holding yourself accountable to the system is what matters. A simple Excel spreadsheet can be a great place to start, but a CRM like Honeybook or Dubsado maybe more your speed. The technology you use is up to you.

Step 4: Build this preparation system into your client communication regularly.

Share your preparation system timeline with your clients. Believe me. They’ll love you for it.

They want to know the steps you are taking to ensure their event day will run smoothly. You can include this in your email nurture sequence. Then, share it again with them as a selling point attached to your floral design proposal. Social media is a great place to share this information too.

By doing so, clients will see your preparation system as a point of differentiation over your competitors.

Clients want to hire an organized and transparent business. So, be both!

Preparation is the most important piece of floral design.

This chuppah was built and the poles were sunk into wide concrete pans for stability before the wedding. I used this base structure for countless weddings and events. Preparation is essential to confidence when it comes to installations.

Next, identify the most common times that your clients reach out to you with questions throughout the event planning process. Align those points with key dates in your preparation timeline. Then, use those as touchpoints to claim communication with your client as opportunities for trust.

What I mean by that is you should email your client before they email you. Consistently beat them to the punch in a good way!

You can easily use email to communicate each step of the preparation process with your clients. You can even automate messages at specified times. Use the tools from my email nurture sequence from part 2 of this series. Then, let automation do the work for you!

A few unsolicited check-in emails will keep your client’s trust level high.

It’s a much better experience for them to receive an email from you than the other way around. For example, send a friendly reminder email that it’s time to finalize their proposal before they’ve even thought about it.

Be sure to keep a customer-centric mindset as you plan your system.

You’ve worked hard to build trust up to this point. Fanning the trust fire will give your client a warm fuzzy feeling. And, do you know what that means? It means more referrals and social media shout-outs, otherwise known as user-generated content. In turn, it means more sales!

This system increases profits because it will drive your customer satisfaction through the roof. This customer-centric system turns clients into brand ambassadors for life. That equates to a business built on word-of-mouth referrals. Be a business that doesn’t have to advertise. It doesn’t get better than that!

There you have it, my floral design friends.

4 simple steps to create a preparation system for your business.

Preparation is the most important piece of floral design Leeza Gibbons quote

I know it will increase your profitability by enabling you and your team to work together efficiently while minimizing oversights and errors.

After all, preparation is the most important piece of floral design. It might seem basic, but it will set you up for success on the event day.

Now, shall we circle back to step 2?

I want to share the timeline and tasks I use for events with you.

Let’s dig into the details.

I like to think of event preparation in 4 stages that span 8 weeks.

The key to this stage is to focus on details early so your work on the event day goes as smoothly as possible.

Stage 1: 8 weeks out to 6 weeks out.

Hold a final client meeting to review the proposal details. Design a mockup centerpiece if requested.

Confirm all the details of the proposal with your client in this meeting.

Communicate with wedding/event planner and other vendors on expectations and event day logistics. Get this communication started early. It often takes a while for replies to come in during busy events season.

Ask the wedding planner (or client) to review the proposal and verify logistics including days/dates, times, and addresses.

Ask for delivery times and specific locations.

Confirm placement of ceremony décor and details of logistics.

Confirm reception décor and details of logistics.

Email the venue, caterer, cake baker, and other vendors with your questions about delivery, logistics, and if they need flowers for any of their portions of the event.

Do an inventory check for rentals, hard goods, and supplies needed for the event.

Order or shop for required items based on inventory above.

Schedule employees/freelancers based on the estimated workload for the event.

Note: You can plan this at the beginning of each season and then fine-tune as needed.

Floral design preparation, track inventory

Here's an image of little wooden containers from my rental catalog. I kept track of inventory with a catalog. Each entry had an image, a quantity and a rental price. My team refrenced it often.

Stage 2: 6 weeks out to 4 weeks out.

Finalize the proposal based on all the feedback from the client, vendors, and wedding/event planner.

I recommend two people review the proposal for errors or oversights.

Revise the proposal and get final approval from the client.

The final payment is due one month before the event. Send a reminder email if needed. Adjust this based on your contract due dates.

Get updated wholesale flower prices from your vendors.

Write or finalize your flower recipes and plan the order.

Send your order to wholesalers and growers as early as possible.

Arrange for delivery of flowers to allow for blooms to open.

(Note: Lilies, blooming branches, and other varieties can take a full week to open. Be sure to account for this when you request your delivery date from your wholesaler.)

If you email your flower orders, request a confirmation email.

Communicate expectations on flower quality and color to your vendors.

Also, it’s smart to ask your wholesaler to notify you of any issues with the flowers as they occur. Then, you can adjust the order or sub in alternate flowers if necessary.

Stage 3: 4 weeks out to 2 weeks out.

Receive the final payment. Email your client confirmation receipt of payment in full.

Wrap up communication with all vendors. Finalize timelines and fill in all delivery details.

Start to pull all rental items needed for the event.

Build or create any custom elements needed for the event.

Determine which designs you’ll make ahead of time and which ones you’ll need to make on-site.

Mark this on the proposal and communicate it to your team.

Preperation is essential for floral design.

Determine which arrangements will be made ahead of time verusus on-site at the venue. This arrangement was made the day before the event and placed in the urn on-site.

Stage 4: 2 weeks out to event day

Finish pulling your rental items. Clean and prep candles.

Build and prep mechanics for installations.

Double-check your rental items.

(Note: I advise you do this early in the week of the event week and that the person who pulled the rentals ideally is not the person who double checks. It will help catch any mistakes.)

Fill in your wedding day timeline schedule with estimated times for each task.

This includes:

Who is going to which event if there are multiple on the same day?

What vehicles they are using.

Who is doing the late-night pickup and when?

Communicate work schedules and guidelines to freelancers and employees.

Receive and process your flowers.

Count every stem!

Confirm color and quality.

Leave flowers out that need to open and place others in your cooler.

Design all elements of the event that you’ve decided to make ahead of time.

Pull and label flowers in separate buckets for the elements of the event you will make on-site.

Review your supplies list. Gather and prep all necessary items like ladders and toolboxes.

Also, don’t forget to add a line item for provisions. Bring water and snacks for your team.

This preparation system leads you right up till the event day. And next week, I’ll share my wedding and event day system with you!

There you have it. Please feel free to use this timeline and adjust it based on your brainstorming session with your team. You can replicate my preparation system and maximize your profits by starting today!

I’m a believer. Preparation is the most important piece of floral design.

As Arthur Ashe said, "An important key to self-confidence is preparation.”

This system will help you launch into every event with a high level of self-confidence. So, give it a try and let me know how it works for you!

Also, I’d like to say thank you for reading my blog. I started this blog to share my experiences and knowledge of the business of flowers with you. One thing I know is that the world of floral design is always evolving. However, things are different this year. COVID-19 has turned everything inside out and upside down.

Everything is a bit more challenging for all of us.

So, I've dedicated myself to our floral industry community through this blog. It's my goal to help you maximize your profits. I want you to achieve your profit goals on every event you book and every floral arrangement you sell. Each dollar counts. Believe me. I know how hard you work for it. We can build a community that supports each other. Industry secrets have no place here. Let's learn together!

Until next time,

LuAnn

Preperation is the most important piece of floral design