Want to introduce your business and services to new customers, elevate your brand in the community — and bring in extra foot traffic at the same time? Workshops are a great way to teach people how to incorporate florals into their home décor, especially as the fall and winter holidays approach.

In this first of two SAF NOW articles, florists share their best advice for planning workshop projects that offer value, make a profit, and clear out low-performing inventory.

Find Practical Projects

When Marilyn Schweizer of Main Street Floral Company in Battle Ground, Washington, thinks about ideas for fall workshops, one major consideration is creating projects that a beginner can learn so attendees are able to replicate them at home later. She also thinks about the longevity of the products she chooses, as well as the cost.

“I don’t want a customer to make something and have it die two days later,” Schweizer says. “So we think about longevity, we think about, ‘Okay, what flowers are inexpensive, but still cool flowers — not the same old everyday thing.’ We always try to mix it up a little bit.”

For example, Schweizer is planning a workshop that includes pumpkins and succulents, and in order to ensure the project lasts longer, they’ll build on top of the pumpkins, rather than carving them.

Similarly, Cassie Osterloth of Wonderland Floral Art and Gifts in St. Petersburg, Florida, is planning Halloween- and Thanksgiving-themed floral design workshops structured to challenge attendees without being too complicated.

“I want the attendees to leave with their design and be proud of their creation, and having interesting design elements achieves that goal,” Osterloth says. “It also increases the perceived value of the workshop — actually learning a new skill.”

Control Costs

When it comes to planning the project, Osterloth pays close attention to product availability — especially with the challenges caused by a strained supply chain — so she can source quality materials at a reasonable cost. Though florists can only do so much about the cost of materials, Osterloth does keep ticket prices down by controlling labor.

Generally, Osterloth limits the number of attendees so she can handle the classes with the shop’s co-owner, her sister, and avoid paying staff overtime, which goes a long way toward keeping the workshop affordable.

If staff involvement is a must, consider hosting smaller classes during regular shop hours to avoid paying overtime, Osterloth, says. (Read more about Osterloth’s workshops in the Business of Design column of the May/June issue of Floral Management).

Use Existing Inventory

For Kelsey Thompson, AIFD, of Bloom Floral & Home Studio in Algona, Iowa, one objective when planning a seminar is to avoid holding on to too much inventory.

“I view workshops as an opportunity for us to clear out inventory for things that underperformed on the sales floor,” Thompson says. “If I’ve got 20 of a container left, I’ll say, ‘Okay, we’re going to develop a workshop using this container.’ Or if we have not moved out any orange stems for fall, we’re going to do some sort of workshop where we can use this stem.”

When pricing her workshops, Thompson uses a specific formula that combines product costs and time.

“I take the retail value of the items, so, for example, if I have a fresh arrangement, it’s the full markup on the flowers, and the box and foam. Then I also add $10 to each ticket price just to cover time marketing and prepping, and then teaching the class,” Thompson says. “I don’t add the normal labor markup like I would on a regular design because attendees are making their own.”

Check back next week for ideas on how to market in-store workshops.

Kenya McCullum is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.