What Inspires Us More Online


GET HELP Get fast, reliable answers to your floral business questions with Aster, SAF’s AI-powered business consultant. Built on SAF’s trusted content, Aster helps you think through everyday challenges — from operations and staffing to pricing, marketing, and industry issues — while also guiding you to the SAF resources and benefits that matter most. Available any time you need clarity or direction. Try Aster at safnow.org/aster


DESIGNING FOR WHAT MATTERS MOST


> The floral industry rarely stands still. Markets shift, suppliers consoli- date, consumer expectations evolve, and technology continues to reshape how business gets done. In moments like these, success depends less on reacting quickly — and more on building clarity into how decisions are made. This issue explores how florists


CONNECT Join fellow floral professionals online on March 12 at 2 p.m. ET, to learn how tipping can motivate employees and boost morale and how to deploy tipping so it’s fair, compliant and transparent. Then, on April 9 at 2 p.m. ET, join Tim Huckabee of The Profitable Florist and your peers to discover how exceptional service goes beyond fixing problems and creates experiences that build loyalty. Register at safnow.org/events


LISTEN Stay connected to the floral industry wherever you are with SAF’s Spotify channel. Get timely industry news in audio format and hear interviews with the industry’s top leaders, innovators, and movers and shakers — all designed to keep you informed without slowing you down. New episodes drop regularly, making it easy to plug in and stay ahead. Search for SAF News Now on Spotify.


are navigating change with intention and building systems to support strong businesses. From marketing investments and incentive structures to risk management, space planning and quality control, these stories highlight how thoughtful operational choices create stability — even when conditions are uncertain. The goal isn’t perfection, but alignment: making sure the way a business oper- ates supports how it wants to grow.


In one feature story, we turn our attention upstream to the wholesale sector,


where consolidation is reshaping long-standing relationships and redefining how florists source product. As the supply chain evolves, understanding what’s changing — and how to adapt — has become an essential business skill. This story offers perspective on the forces driving consolidation and practical guidance for florists seeking to maintain reliability, transparency and flexibility in a shifting marketplace. Throughout the issue, a consistent theme emerges: Informed decisions lead to


resilient businesses. Whether it’s protecting margins, strengthening partnerships, or investing in tools and processes that support people, the florists who thrive are those who focus on fundamentals — and revisit them often. That’s why access to trusted information matters. Floral Management has


long been one of the Society of American Florists’ most valued benefits. Now, the expertise featured here — along with SAF’s courses and industry news — is accessible in one place on safnow.org through Aster, SAF’s new AI-powered business assistant. Built exclusively for members and trained on trusted SAF resources, Aster delivers fast, practical guidance on the real challenges floral professionals face every day. (Read more about Aster in the SAF in Action column on p. 6.) Because good guidance shouldn’t be hard to find — especially when it’s


EXPLORE Explore SAF’s image gallery, provided in partnership with the Floral Greens Farmers of Florida. This exclusive member benefit offers 200 high-resolution, professionally photographed floral designs — each paired with recipes to inspire your team and enhance your marketing. Use the images to upgrade social media, websites and staff training with ready-to- use, visually compelling content. safnow.org/ memberbenefits


already part of your membership. Amanda Jedlinsky Editor in Chief ajedlinsky@safnow.org


The magazine of the Society of American Florists (SAF)


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