What Inspires Us INNOVATIONS TO DRIVE GROWTH
> Breeding flowers that are more disease resistant and drought toler- ant. Redesigning products to use less plastic. Rethinking the retail floral business model for efficiency. Those are just a few of the ways floral pros are innovating and driving the in- dustry forward. In our cover story, we profiled five industry innovators nominated by their peers to find out more about their inspiration and motivation; how they envision the future of floral — and the role their innovations might play. Read about these inspirational professionals in the feature on page 24. Surely by now you’ve read (the
good and the bad) about artificial intelligence — but have you thought about how it can help your business? In this issue, we talked with progres-
sive florists who are tapping AI to write job descriptions and product descriptions from photos, and even to lend a hand to produce marketing and customer service emails. Sounds good, but the reality is that it can be overwhelming to know which AI platforms to use, how to use them, and how to apply them to your tasks. The feature story on page 34 covers all of that and more. If economic uncertainty has you concerned and wondering just how healthy
your business is, look no further than the accounting column by Derrick Myers, CPA, CFP, PFCI, president of Crockett, Myers & Associates. He runs through a battery of tests you can perform to indicate whether your business is operating at peak profitability. And although it’s not quite pumpkin spice season, writer Katie Vincent was
thinking pumpkins when she set out to write the Business of Design column. We hope you find the posh pumpkin designs featured in the column inspiring (and don’t miss the Fresh Choices column, which is full of ornamental stems to fill those pumpkins and put the finishing touch on fall arrangements!). Enjoy this issue and happy reading!
Amanda Jedlinsky Editor-in-Chief
ajedlinsky@safnow.org
SAVE THE DATE FOR PETAL IT FORWARD Petal It Forward, SAF’s popular pay-it-forward event, is happening Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023. Prepare now by heading to
safnow.org/petal itforward for information and event resources.
LEARN FROM YOUR PEERS SAF’s virtual Idea Exchanges are an opportunity for you to learn from your peers. Mark your calendar for these interactive, monthly gatherings to discuss best practices. On Wednesday, July 12, fl oral pros will gather to share hacks to overcome slow summer sales. And on Wednesday, August 9, the Idea Exchange will focus on how to use artifi cial intelligence in your business.
safnow.org/events
PUMP UP PROFITS Experiencing a summer sales slowdown? SAF’s Floral Education Hub has a collection of resources including articles and on-demand videos to help you increase profi ts.
safnow.org/profi t
More Online
CELEBRATE SUMMER SAF’S library of social media graphics features images and web banners to encourage your customers to celebrate the Fourth of July and Labor Day with fl owers.
safnow.org/summer
4 FLORAL MANAGEMENT | July/August 2023 |
WWW.SAFNOW.ORG
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