EDITORS’ NOTE Derrick Myers, CPA, CFP, PFCI, loves a good financial management challenge, however big or small. Send your questions to fmeditor@safnow.org.


Will a Busy December Pay Off? D


A busy holiday season doesn’t guarantee a profitable one. Protect your margins with smart purchasing, efficient production, accurate pricing and a delivery plan that covers its costs.


DERRICK P. MYERS, CPA, CFP, PFCI


ecember can be one of the highest-volume months of the year for a retail flo- rist. Between holiday centerpieces, corporate gifts, parties, sympathy work, seasonal decorating and last-minute deliveries, the opportunities for strong sales are everywhere. But strong sales do not automatically create strong profits.


You may finish December, look at impressive sales totals and assume you had


a successful month — only to discover later that excessive product costs, overtime, waste and underpriced deliveries consumed much of the additional revenue. A profitable December does not happen by chance. It is planned before the first


orders arrive.


Purchase Early Your winter holiday menu and product orders may already be set by the time you read this. Use this same approach now for Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, then revisit it when you plan next year’s holiday season. Waiting too late to decide what you will sell puts your supplier, not you, in control of your product costs. By that point, availability may be limited, seasonal products may be more expensive because of demand or freight, and you may be forced to substitute products or buy quantities that do not fit your needs. Start by pulling last December’s sales report from your POS. Identify your


best-selling arrangements, the quantities sold, the price points customers preferred and your profit margins on each product. Also factor in the products that created the most waste, if you have that information. Use that data to develop a focused holiday menu and calculate your anticipated product requirements.


28 FLORAL MANAGEMENT | November/December 2026 | WWW.SAFNOW.ORG Once you know what you intend to


sell, talk with your suppliers. Ask about early-order discounts, volume pricing, standing orders, case quantities and delivery schedules. This will help you reserve product, lock in favorable pricing when possible and avoid expensive emergency purchases. Your purchasing plan should also


include hard goods. Containers, candles, ribbon, picks, ornaments, floral foam, packaging and delivery supplies can become surprisingly difficult or expen- sive to obtain at the last minute. Every missing item creates an interruption, and interruptions cost you in labor.


Green Arrangements Ahead of Time One of the most effective ways to increase holiday production is to sep- arate the greening process from the final design process and to use batch production.


SHUTTERSTOCK/NANI888 & FOURSAGE


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