Part 5 of my series on systems is focused on how to use a production schedule to increase your efficiency on event set up days. I’m sharing a free, simple, and powerful scheduling tool with you today.

Do you create production schedules for your event setups?

Would you like to Maximize your profits with a powerful florist event production schedule template? Think about your recent event set-ups. Are they as efficient as they could be? Do your employees have a lot of downtime? Or do they need to rush to get everything completed before the event begins?

If either of these scenarios sound familiar to you, this blog post and accompanying Florist Event Production Schedule Template can help!

K, her handsome groom, and adorable pup on their wedding day. Her story is at the end so keep reading!

So, let’s jump in.

In short, your goal is to deliver on your promises as efficiently as possible. You must use your team’s labor and skills effectively on event days to maximize profits. Above all floral design is a labor-intensive business model. All your labor costs directly affect your profits. That is to say, you must keep your production costs in-line with what you charge for them in order to maximize your profits.

Based on my business experience there are a couple of fundamental principles at play here.

Cost-control is understanding how much you can spend on any aspect of your business and staying within that budget. This applies to labor because it is one of your biggest expenses. Service is providing the customer with everything they need to feel like you’ve gone above and beyond for their event. Today we are going to attempt to strike the optimal balance of these two principles.

That’s the essence of being a profitable floral designer. We are striving to cultivate a balance between giving your client an exceptional luxury experience and efficiently maximizing your profits.

Let’s meet this challenge head-on! By taking the guesswork out of production on event days you’ll be one step closer to this practical goal.

As I mentioned last week, preparation is the glue that carries your client’s trust from the day they book your services to the event day. But then, what? After that, it's the production that takes over.

Both preparation and production must be combined to propel your client’s trust beyond the event. There's little advantage to preparing for an event and then winging it on the event day. A structured plan and a team that is willing and able to execute on it are the next natural steps in your client's journey. They may only be witness to bits and pieces of your event set up or they may see it unfold in its entirety. A smoothly executed event set up witnessed by your client is the key to less advertising. Why?

It’s because a well-produced event is what turns your client into a word-of-mouth referral machine! That’s how you make the client’s journey work for you.

Laguna Gloria Wedding Details babies breath, napkins and straws

An event day production schedule can help ensure that you attend to even the smallest of details!

Your focus is always on serving your client and building their trust.

The event day is the apex of this entire client marketing cycle. You want your client's loyalty to flourish while watching your team in action. By running the event set up like a well-oiled-machine, your team ensures that your client will be a brand loyalist for life!

So, let’s concentrate on how to execute the best possible event for them. The way to do that is through a structured plan for the event day.

I’m going to share 3 steps to a well-thought-out event production schedule. Then, I’ll also share my Florist Event Production Schedule Template with you. This template will make it easy for you to execute an effective event day production system.

If you want a copy of my production schedule template, simply email me. luann (at) everystem (dot) com and I’ll send it your way.

I’m going to share some screenshots so you can follow along, but if you’d like to open your copy of the Florist Event Production Schedule Template you can do that now.

It’s high time we simplify event day scheduling and production. This 3-step system will take your event days from chaotic to coordinated.

Let’s dig into the details.

Step 1 - Schedule your time:

Do you get overwhelmed attempting to organize multiple employees and tasks at the same time?

The best way to overcome feeling overwhelmed by an event day schedule is to break it into chunks. Start with your tasks first, then move to your people.

Here’s the breakdown.

It’s best to start with your proposal or invoice in hand. Look it over line by line. Identify all the tasks you need to tackle on-site for the event. Then, fill in the Florist Event Production Schedule Template with all those tasks.

Next, estimate how long each task will take and how many people you’ll need for each one. The Florist Event Production Schedule Template has formulas that will automatically tally the totals for you. See the example below.

Event Day Production Schedule Template for Florists by Profitable Floral Design EveryStem

Then, you can schedule your employees based on the tasks and time required for each one. As I have noted the goal here is to strike the right balance for your business between customer service and efficient use of labor.

Let me explain.

Lots of event venues will let you arrive earlier than necessary while others give you a very limited amount of time to set up before the event begins. It’s easy to show up at the time the venue opens. However, it might not be the best use of your time. Alternatively, when you have a short set up window, it’s important to make sure you have enough staff to set everything up on time without anything falling through the cracks.

Calculating your arrival time based on your project requirements is the best way to ensure profitability. Too much downtime for your team on event days means higher payroll costs for you while rushing to get the job done leaves your team feeling burnt out. The goal is to staff and prepare your team efficiently.

Here’s why:

You’ll need to consider the amount of time it takes to handle each task on your event timeline. For example, how long will it take your team to unload the delivery vehicle? Or how long will it take your team to set up and decorate an arbor for a wedding ceremony?

I’ve included a basic list of tasks on the Florist Event Production Schedule Template to help you get started. Review your proposal or invoice line by line and include every task listed. That way you’ll cover every item.

Also, keep in mind that tasks can happen simultaneously. So, some of your employees’ task times can and will overlap. What I mean by this is that 2 of your team members can set up the ceremony décor while 2 others design the reception installation. These tasks will happen at the same time by different team members. The Florist Event Production Schedule Template includes an easy to use timetable. This timetable will help you easily schedule multiple people at the same time.

Wedding centerpiece and table settings at Laguna Gloria in Austin, TX

Timing is important when it comes to keeping flowers looking fresh on a warm summer day!

Sounds awesome, right?

Then, let’s dig into the second part of the Florist Event Production Schedule Template.

Step 2 - Staff your team:

Once you’ve determined your tasks and how many people you need for each task, it’s time to staff up!

Your team is essential to event day production running smoothly. So, I suggest you hire based on personality and ability. Then teach the floral skills needed to people who share your positive mindset. There are resources, for example, the newly launched BloomTrustCo., that you can draw on to train your team. This trustworthy resource offers the best curation of floral education opportunities.

You can develop and coach a strong team. Tools like this make it easier than ever before.

As you plan your production schedule, it’s important to consider what tasks are best suited to each person on your team first. Then, hire freelancers that align with the remaining tasks. Once you’ve chosen who will be on your team, you can start to fill in the timetable.

The goal is to use the timetable in the Florist Event Production Schedule Template to assign all your tasks from the task list in part 1 to the employees and freelancers on your team.

Start by entering the time you want to be finished with the event in the yellow cell near the bottom of the Florist Event Production Schedule Template. It will automatically fill in all the time slots above in half-hour increments.

Then type in your employees’ names in the columns across the top.

See the example below.

Florist Event Production Schedule Template Timeline by Profitable Floral Design

Next, as you consider the logistics of the event day, copy and paste the tasks from the upper portion of the Florist Event Production Schedule Template into the timetable.

If a task requires multiple employees, paste it into each of their columns.

By starting at the time you want to be finished with the setup and leaving the venue, you can systematically work your way up to the time you need to get your day started!

It’s simple. You can assign each task in an order that makes sense for the event. Start from the time you want to be finished and keep outside influences in mind as you plan. For example, if the ceremony is outside on a warm summer day, plan that late on the timetable. Or let’s say the cake will be delivered at 3:30 pm so you’d slot in the cake table installation at 4:00 pm.

Step 3- Systematically execute the details:

Fill in the event production timeline with all the details that pertain to your event. Then, share it with a couple of your team members. Allow them to review it because they may notice something you didn't think of originally. If you don't have any employees, run through it with a family member or friend. They might not know the details of the flower business, but they can help by asking questions you might not have considered before. Then, adjust and share the details with your team.

Give everyone on your team ample time to review the event proposal, the Florist Event Production Schedule Template, and any detailed instructions on their assigned tasks for the day.

Laguna Gloria Fountain styled with baby’s breath

A well prepared team can handle multiple installations at the same time!

If your people are starting at 10 am on your timetable, ask them to arrive at 9:30 for a preview meeting. Those 30 minutes spent at the beginning of the day will set the team up for success. You can even include this as a task on your timetable before you share it with your team. This way, everyone can be more efficient because you’ve prepared them for what’s ahead. They will also feel both connected and dedicated to your team because of your efforts.

If you share your event production schedule with your team, they can help you stay on track.

But that’s not all…

Your team can take accountability too! They want to help you succeed.

You may get pulled in 10 different directions once you arrive at the event. The client may want to chat, the event planner may have a few updates, and even the other vendors have questions or want to catch up. By preparing your team ahead of time you minimize both the questions they have for you and allow them the freedom to do their best work. This creates an efficient workforce that maximizes profits by knowing their tasks and keeping each other on time.

So, there you have it.

Download the Florist Event Production Schedule Template and give it a try. I’d love to know how it works for you.

I also want to offer a few simple tips that will help you if you are new to this type of schedule:

Consider transportation. All the people, flowers, ladders, and supplies need to fit. Pack efficiently. Bungee cords, milk crates, and bubble wrap are tools of the trade. Use them freely.

Let me add a note here about employee vehicles. Anytime an employee drives their vehicle for your business you need to pay them mileage reimbursement. Do the right thing.

An employee policy that is fair and equitable is a must for every business.

Lunch and longer breaks can be included in the Florist Event Production Schedule Template as tasks. On setups that will take a full day, be sure to calculate that time into your schedule.

Freelancers should be notified if they need to bring a lunch or if one will be provided for them if you ask them to work a full day. Always provide some snacks and water for your team. They will be more productive when they are running on a full tank!

Don’t forget to schedule people for a flip of the venue from ceremony to reception if needed. That is often an afterthought, but it’s important to make sure that your team knows how long they are expected to work.

You can also use this to schedule your late-night strike after the event.

Also, make sure your strike team knows which flowers, containers, and supplies to leave at the venue and which to remove. Part of giving your client exceptional service is a well-trained professional strike crew.

Another tip is that you can stagger your event timeline. Start the day with a larger team, get the heavy lifting done, and then send some team members home. The remaining team does the detailed work and you maximize your profits. The goal is a minimal amount of downtime for your employees and freelancers. However, make sure they are aware of the hours you need them ahead of time. If they are expecting an 8-hour shift and get sent home 3 hours later, you may have a hard time getting them to work for you again. That’s another great reason to use my Florist Event Production Schedule Template and share it with your team before the event.

It’s also a good idea to have a backup person on-call in case of emergencies. I understand that this isn’t always possible, but a friend or relative can serve this purpose if need be.

Bride and Bridesmaids Florist Event Production Schedule Template can help

K and her bridesmaids + 1 adorable pup on her wedding day.

Let me wrap up this post with one of my favorite on-call stories from my Verbena days.

My dear husband was usually my reliable backup person. I'll never forget calling him into action one day. It was solely because the bride needed to steam her dress a few hours before the wedding. Why did they wait until the wedding day to steam the dress? I didn't even ask. Honestly, it didn't matter. The wedding planner provided a steamer that didn’t work and was at a loss for an alternate solution. Since the bride was upset, her mother was starting to panic. I delivered the bouquets and they shared the situation with me. My husband was at home, only 10 minutes from the venue, and so was our steamer. I reassured the client that we could remedy this situation and put an end to her worries. My awesome husband rushed the steamer to the wedding venue and saved the day!

Let's call her K. She was eternally grateful. She became a huge supporter of my small business after that. Consequently, she is a word-of-mouth referral machine for Verbena to this day!

The reason we could handle our client's dilemma that day was because we prepared.

When you prepare in advance and you have an informed team, you can step up in ways your client never dreamed possible!

Until next time,

LuAnn

All the wedding images in this post are from K's beautiful wedding day at Laguna Gloria in Austin, TX . I will always love sharing the 'steamer' story!

Maximize your profits with a powerful florist event production schedule template