sales trend this year versus last year in September, October, and the first half of November. Next, look at the weekly sales from
Monday through Sunday for the three weeks after Thanksgiving. Add the three Mondays together, the three Tuesdays together, and so on for all seven days, and then divide it by three to get your average 2022 sales level for each day of the week. Now, adjust each of those daily sales levels up or down based on the same increase or decrease you’ve seen in September, October, and the first half of November. Finally, for each day in the fourth
week after Thanksgiving, adjust the sales from last year up or down based on your trend in the last two months. You will be left with a sales estimate for each of the 30 days.
Step 2. Establish Productivity Standards Once you know how much volume to expect, it’s time to determine the pro- ductivity of each worker. Normally, design labor should be no
more than 10% to 12% of sales during non-holiday periods. However, during a holiday, you should do even better than that. Seven to 8% is a good target. Why? Production design strategies will help increase productivity. During non-holiday times you can
expect a good designer to create four average arrangements per hour. Suppose your average arrangement price is $65. That would mean $260 per hour (4 x 65 = 260). Next, suppose you will get six hours of productive designing out of an eight-hour day. That would mean $1,560 designed per full-time designer (6 x 260 = 1,560) in an 8-hour day. That’s $195 average per hour. Since you will be using some produc-
tion design strategies, you can plan on more than $195 per hour. Depending on your situation, you might expect $250 or more per hour. Divide your daily arrangement sales
from step one by what you expect your hourly productivity to be, and you will find the number of design hours you need to staff for each day leading up to the holiday.
Staffi ng smartly is not only a matter of having the right number of people; it’s just as important to have them in the right places.
Step 3. Avoid Overtime Too many florists immediately turn to overtime to make it through the holiday rush. Expensive? Of course, especially
because wages have increased the past few years. There is a better way to handle additional staffing needs. During the year, build a cadre of part-time workers who agree to increase their hours during the busy seasons. Rather than paying overtime, you’ll pay these part-time workers for more hours at regular wages. If this isn’t possible, look for
part-timers who can come in at regular, non-overtime rates. There are always people who want to earn a little extra cash — especially during the holidays. In many cases, these are qualified, capable people who for a variety of reasons may not be in a position to work full-time.
Step 4. Cut if You Must Your analysis may show that instead of being understaffed, you are already overstaffed, and everyone’s time is not being fully utilized. Letting people go is a hard task for
any owner, and there are some ways to avoid that. Propose that everyone cuts back a few hours. Or suggest that a couple of employees use a job-sharing arrangement. There may even be some employees who would like to work fewer hours.
Organizational Structure Staffing smartly is not only a matter of having the right number of people; it’s just as important to have them in the right places.
Step 1. Don’t Assume Understaffing I know what you are likely thinking: You are so busy during the holiday rush and everyone seems to have too much to do, so you are obviously understaffed. Don’t be so quick to make that
assumption. It’s at least as likely that
poor organization may be rendering your workers less efficient than they should and could be. Take some time to ask your employees what slows them down or what might be more efficient than the current processes in place. Reevaluate your employees’ strengths and whether they might be useful in other areas of the business.
Step 2. Look For “Bad Apples” You may have plenty of workers. It may simply be that one or more are not pulling their weight. Look at individual productivity statistics. Is everyone on track or are some failing to step up? Maybe they just don’t have the skills you need. Whatever the reason, get rid of anyone who is slowing the team down and doesn’t show promise of improving.
Step 3. Use Your Managers Every manager in a flower shop should be a working manager, meaning that they are in the trenches with everyone else, designing or keying away on the computer (or calculator). In addition to their operational roles, managers should also have responsibility for making sure their areas are under control. If you have a manager, it’s also import-
ant to make sure you transfer to them real authority, not just an empty title. For instance, a design manager should really run the design room, have authority to hire and train new designers, and make decisions about what is produced.
You Can Do It Staffing is always a challenge — holiday or non-holiday. However, with a little care and planning you can ensure a profitable holiday with the correct staffing level and an efficient organizational structure.
Paul Goodman, MBA, AAF, PFCI, is a former CPA and the founder of Floral Finance Business Services in Tulsa, Oklahoma, editor of Floral Finance, and author of “The Profit-Minded Florist.”
The magazine of the Society of American Florists (SAF) 43
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