Adding Value at the Design Bench With Jerome Raska AAF, AIFD, PFCI, CAFA

Jerome Raska shared great ideas on how florists can quickly addvalue to their floral arrangements at the design bench in this session at the SAF Annual Convention.

Adding Value at the Design Bench With Jerome Raska AAF, AIFD, PFCI, CAFA

The focus was on creating designs that make customers say, “wow!” without adding inordinate labor and product costs – using special design elements to enhance the store brand and fetch a higher price.

He started off by looking at some interesting design rooms from several shops including the Floral Underground in Traverse City Michigan and De La Flor Gardens in Florida. This is where it all starts and Jerome asked the attendees to consider whether their design rooms helped or hindered their efforts to create more beautiful and profitable designs. The point was that profitable design begins with an effective design room layout and he proposed three changes florists should consider making.

He then looked at how decorative accessories, specialty foliage and other design elements can be quickly & easily added for extra pizazz and larger profits. 

Some of the other points:

  • Put finishing spray on everything. At Blumz they even keep a bottle in the van, take bottles to events, and even small bottles to their retail customers.
  • Because some people already have so many vases they keep some designs that they can sell with or without the vase the piece is displayed in. If the customer doesn't want the vase they can just pop the piece out and sell it like that.
  • The stress consistent terminology to describe the various flourishes and extra touches so that all employees and customers are clear about what is being described/requested.
  • They keep the mesh sleeves that come with Fuji mums to gives to kids as a wristlet, then tie a helium balloon to that.

 It was a packed session and everyone loved it. The materials are available for members on the SAF website and if you get the chance to see Jerome at an event don't miss it.

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