While the coming months will be difficult for most retail florists there will be opportunities for some shops to thrive. In this section we will discuss those opportunities and how you can take advantage of them.

Many shops have already closed their doors. More are likely to shut down right after Valentines.

This is sad for the people involved - that cannot be overstated. It can also be an opportunity for you. We'll talk more about how in future posts.

In the meantime you need to keep your ears to the ground. If a competitor is getting ready to close up you want to know about it in advance. The best way to find out is through your local network. Talk to your delivery drivers, your wholesalers, their drivers, freelance designers, your wire service reps, etc. If somebody is going out of business they'll probably know about it.

There are lots of opportunities - inventory, coolers, fixtures, etc. But the things we're most interested in are less tangible - things like their customer list and phone number.

Think about it - if a shop has been in business for any length of time they probably have a phone that rings. Maybe not enough to keep them in business but enough to mean some extra orders for you! And a good customer list is very valuable to a shrewd marketer.

More information will follow. For now keep your ears open for news of competitors who are getting ready to pack it in.