> THE BIG RETHINK And remember… Focus on employee


skills, potential and attitude. Rockcastle recommends looking beyond job title and scrutinizing your employees’ personality and strengths. “We have a woman who is a real detail person who usually takes on prom work fiercely,” she said. While that business disappeared this year, the employee’s passion for managing details and numbers remained. “We put her in charge of holiday produc- tion numbers [on Mother’s Day], which was an amazing shift for her”— and a boon to the business, she said.


THE LESSON: Focusing only on one sales area can leave you vulnerable


THE REINVENTION STRATEGY: Diversify products and services


Like many longtime florists, Georgianne Vinicombe found herself reflecting on the Great Recession and lessons from 2008 as she and her husband, Kevin, led their team through the early days of the pandemic. Springtime is usually a robust


NEW WAYS OF WORKING Wendy Rockcastle said that in the pandemic, many decisions are now about effi ciency.


period at Monday Morning Flower & Balloon Co. in Princeton, New Jersey, with a steady stream of work tied to area universities and community colleges, not to mention holidays, cor- porate work and weddings. Overnight — as schools sent students home early from spring semesters, ahead of commencements and spring formals, and businesses transitioned to remote work and canceled in-person events — much of the Vinicombes’ planned revenue disappeared. Because the shop had been focused for years on diversifying its income, however, expanding its product line into new areas and putting energy into its online presence, they were able to adapt, Vinicombe said, noting that sales are down by about 25 percent year over year so far — a scenario that’s far from ideal but also manageable. (The Vinicombes, who applied for and received a PPP loan, were at about 80 percent of their pre-pandemic payroll at press time, with five full-time team members, including Georgianne and Kevin, and three part-time workers.)


26 FLORAL MANAGEMENT | July/August 2020 | WWW.SAFNOW.ORG


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