7 Simple Ways to Supplement Your Business with Non-Floral Revenue
As floral business owners, we get into the industry for the love of one thing: the fresh flowers. And for many of us, that will always be our main source of income, but in uncertain times, it’s smart to think about diversifying our revenue streams to include channels that don’t utilize fresh flowers.
When the pandemic hit and began taking its toll on the event industry and flower supply chain, I started thinking about services and products I could offer if I couldn’t get my hands on flowers anytime soon. Pivoting was a popular topic among my flower friends, and I was impressed and happy to see so many creative ideas come out of the need to be resourceful.
If you’re thinking to yourself, But—I’m a florist; I don’t know what to offer besides flowers, don’t worry! I’m going to share some ideas and, hopefully, some of these will work for your florist business or spark a new concept for you. Even when business is back to normal, these may work as ways to put some extra money in the bank moving forward.
Without further ado, here are some of my favorite non-fresh-flower revenue ideas!
Holly Platt Art
2020 Team Flower Conference
Photography: Girl Squad Inc.
1. Paper Goods (That Include Flowers, of Course!)
Just as much as people love flowers, people love the artwork of flowers. Go through photos of your flower arrangements and choose your favorites, and then find an artist who can recreate them in their medium: illustration, watercolor, collage—the possibilities are endless!
If you don’t know any artists personally, check out a freelance site to find one. Then, you can have the artwork printed on postcards, greeting cards, calendars, etc., and sell them to people who love your floral work. It’s an excellent way for people to enjoy your work long after the last petals have fallen.
2. Open Up an Online Flower Shop
Many website platforms come with the ability to create an online shop, which is what I’m focusing on during this season of uncertainty. Flowers typically fall into the gift category, so you could open a shop with related items such as paper goods (see above), candles, vases, etc.
I thought it would be fun to design some t-shirts, sweatshirts, accessories, and other fun gifts for florists and fellow plant lovers, so I opened my online shop with 18 products and had a successful launch that brought in some extra income.
Containers: Accent Decor
2020 Team Flower Conference
Photography: Girl Squad Inc.
3. Offer Dried Floral Arrangements
Without the logistical complications that come with fresh flowers, I’ve seen some designers pivot to offer “everlasting” florals in the form of beautiful dried bouquets and arrangements.
If you miss flowers and don’t want to depart too far from your usual floral offerings, this can be a great way to continue to flex your creative muscles and get flowers into the hands of your clients. Dried and preserved flowers are trendy right now, and the fact that they last forever only adds to their appeal.
4. Coupon Booklets for Flower Savings
If you’re looking to generate some income immediately, consider creating a coupon booklet for future purchases. You could include coupons such as “15 percent off an arrangement of $50 or more,” or a “Complimentary bridal bouquet when you book wedding florals totaling $2,000 or more.”
For each coupon, include the value to the client (i.e., 15% off $50 = $7.50 value), so you can promote the total amount of the coupon book that you’re selling (for example, $500 in savings for $25). By selling the coupon book, you can generate income now and later when they purchase to redeem the coupons.
5. Gift Cards for Flower purchases
Another way to generate some immediate income is to offer gift cards. Many clients understand the importance of supporting small businesses right now and are willing to help any way they can.
If clients can’t buy flowers from you currently, offer them gift cards to use in the future and help you sustain your business in the short term.
2020 Team Flower Conference
Photography: Girl Squad Inc.
6. Future Flower Subscriptions
With the floral industry currently being a bit unpredictable, it may not be possible for some to reliably offer subscription delivery unless you grow your own flowers.
Instead, sell future flower subscriptions that will start at a later date when the supply chain has stabilized, and restrictions have eased up. Similar to the gift card idea, you can generate income now, and your customers can feel good knowing that they’ll get amazing flowers delivered in the future and they helped a small business.
7. Affiliate Programs
Are there products or services that you swear by? Maybe it’s a favorite pair of snips that you recommend to all your flower friends, or perhaps it’s the company where you get all your vases.
Many brands offer affiliate programs, which is a fancy way of saying that they’ll pay you when people purchase the products you recommend. It’s essentially getting rewarded for the word-of-mouth marketing you’re already doing. Keep in mind, it’s vital with affiliate marketing to only recommend products and services you truly use and love. Otherwise, you’ll lose credibility with your customers. It typically takes a lot of sales to see a significant boost in income from affiliate programs, but it may be worth it for a little extra moolah on the side.
Hopefully a few of these ideas will help you supplement your business with non-floral revenue as you navigate the current scene of the floral industry. As creative professionals, I’m confident in our ability to innovate to keep our businesses alive. We’ve got this!
