> POWER UP YOUR BUSINESS
Project Collaboration/ Communications
Slack What it does: A high-value order is nowhere to be found, and the customer is waiting at the counter. One quick mes- sage in Slack’s design-room channel gets an instant reply: The arrangement was mislabeled and shelved incorrectly — crisis averted. Slack is a channel-based messaging
platform that organizes information and facilitates collaboration across teams. Users can organize conversations by topic, project, or team to streamline workflow.
Integrations: Slack integrates with a vast array of other applications, allowing businesses to tailor the app to their needs. Some of the most popular integrations include Trello, Asana, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Calendly, Google Suite, Dropbox, Salesforce, Adobe Express and Slack. Guenther
appreciates the ease of integration for LiveChat and the employee scheduling app AttendanceBot, which appear as separate channels in Slack.
Why florists love it: Chris Drummond, AAF, PFCI, president of Penny’s by Plaza Flowers in Philadelphia, has his shop’s most popular channels (like “supplies needed”) projected on flatscreens in communal work areas to enhance real- time awareness of the daily needs. It’s also useful for meeting the needs
of special or unusual orders. “Instead of calling around to our
other location or the warehouse, and hoping you get the person who knows, you can post it on our special orders channel and the right person will respond,” says Drummond, who uses the paid version. “It’s saved us from pur- chasing things that we already have but stashed in the back of the warehouse.” Guenther recommends starting
a channel for an event as soon as the deposit is made. She also really values
having her drivers mark deliveries in Slack, providing a photo and information on where it was left. “It gives us a time- stamp and makes tracking orders really easy,” she says.
Take note: Slack can lead to informa- tion overload and noise. Drummond recently reduced the number of channels because there were too many to effi- ciently respond and follow each one.
Cost: Basic functions and features on Slack are free. Paid options are based on team size and needs. A team of 5-10 could spend $44 to $95 per month for the Pro plan.
Also noteworthy: Trello Visual project management tool based on boards and cards. Great for tracking tasks, assigning team members, and integrating with other apps. Annual cost: $0–$210
Asana Project and task management platform. Helps teams plan, organize, and execute work with timelines, dependencies, and reporting tools. Annual cost: $0–$366
Spark Smart email app for individuals and teams. Enables shared inboxes, collab- orative email drafts, and scheduling. Annual cost: $0–$84
Social Media Marketing
Meta Business Suite What it does: Posting to three social channels at 8 a.m., replying to comments at noon, answering DMs at 9 p.m. Sound familiar? Social media can feel like a sec- ond full-time job. Meta Business Suite is a centralized platform to manage posts and messages for Facebook, Instagram and Messenger, saving hours of work.
Integrations: The app is specifically for Instagram and Facebook, but it integrates with CRM systems, email marketing platforms such as Mailchimp, and video programs like Vimeo.
SLACK SYNC WildFlower Stem + Sundry uses Slack to keep its team connected — from coordinating delivery updates to celebrating finished event designs.
24 FLORAL MANAGEMENT | July/Aug 2025 |
WWW.SAFNOW.ORG
Why florists love it: It’s a great sched- uler, Drummond says, because users can
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