Bringing together 35 people for a high-volume event such as Mother’s Day can be quite a task. Here are some of my tips, based on decades of experience running our family business, Stein Your Florist.
- Keep your phone number list. I recently called someone I worked with in the 80s and said, “Wanna come play flower shop?” My old friend spent 4 evenings with us at Valentine’s Day and brought along family to help out.
- Assess people by the company they keep. A polite, well-rounded, enthusiastic employee will often have friends or family with similar qualities. Ask your team members if they have any contacts who may be able to help out during peak times.
- Seek out professional freelancers. Many cities and towns have organized groups of designers who make themselves available to florists for holidays and events. This can strengthen your team when they need extra (expert) hands to get them through the busy times. Hiring a clutch corsage and bouquet maker ahead of your biggest prom can be a huge asset.
- Consider community business organizations. These can be a great resource for busy times around the shop, too. Our local Business Improvement District has helped connect us with skilled part-time workers to grow our team when we need it the most.
- Keep your young people around. Don’t underestimate the quality of youthful workers! Many a florist started their career pushing a broom and watering flowers. We always have people who start here when local school students, work through college and joyfully return to us during busy times.
- Think about who knows the roads. Drivers are some of the most important and integral parts of our team. A properly processed and beautifully designed order is useless if it doesn’t arrive at its destination. We resource drivers from the local police and fire stations. If they can’t find a delivery location, no one can!
Patrick Kelly is the owner of Stein Your Florist Co. in Philadelphia and Burlington, New Jersey