Are you one of the dedicated, creative, and hardworking people who make up the floral retail industry? With over 16,000 retail shops around the country, how can you be sure that your shop gets all the business that you deserve?
How do you see the current status of your business? Are you struggling and in dire need of business just to stay in business? Perhaps you are making ends meet and even growing, but know you aren’t capitalizing on the potential opportunities that surround you?
With the information age upon us and growing the way small businesses (and any business for that matter) market their goods and services have changed. The Internet offers a whole new medium for advertising. Many small businesses may feel at a loss on ways to effectively utilize this huge marketing venue.
According to the 2007 U.S. Economic Census, the floral industry reigns in over $6,000,000 in sales each year. Are you capturing as much of these valuable dollars as you could be?
If you want to increase your revenue follow the following three tips to improve your small business revenue by establishing an online presence for you floral business.
3 Steps to Increase Revenue for your Floral Business
Step 1: Evaluate Your Current Marketing
The first crucial step in improving any business plan is to evaluate the one you are using now. Take a look at how much you budget to marketing. Look at where each dollar is going and what you’re getting back in terms of customers. Do you have an ad at the local hospital but never seem to deliver any flowers there? Eliminate where your dollars are being wasted and then re-distribute them into one of the following areas listed in Step 2.
Step 2: Jumpstart Your Online Marketing Campaign
If you don’t use the Internet at all for marketing there are a few easy, inexpensive ways to get started. Explore Facebook, Twitter, and blogs to determine what your florist competitors are using. Next explore each one of these options for your floral business and see what you feel most comfortable with using. Start an account for your floral business on one or more of these sites and you’re one step closer to establishing a stronger online presence for your business. Most of these sites offer free tutorials to get you started and advise you on how to best reach your target audience. Dedicate a few hours each week to upkeep of this site or these sites. This is a crucial part of continuing to build your online presence in the floral industry.
Step 3: Grow Business Affiliates
Once you have your online site set up start to explore affiliates who can contribute customers to your business and you to theirs. These are industries related to florists but not florists. For instance, you could ask a local funeral home to refer you as a great local florist on their website (or at their brick and mortar location) and you’ll give them a percent of any sales you receive. The list of potential affiliates for the floral industry is long and is only limited to your brainstorming. Almost everyone loves flowers and you can utilize this to grow your business. Hospitals, jewelers, restaurants, local boutiques, candy stores, and more are great places to start.
Even with limited computer expertise you can start an online presence for your floral business. If you have no experience with the computer you can hire someone to start and maintain a blog, Facebook, or Twitter account for you for a fraction of what traditional advertising costs.
Explore, enjoy, and watch your floral business blossom!