Unleash Your Inner Creativity
Get out of the creativity graveyard in
time to boost your Halloween Sales.
Get out of the creativity graveyard in
time to boost your Halloween Sales.
by Julie Anderson
(original article FLORA Magazine September/October 2001)

It's easy to focus your business on one bottom line profits.

   But have you buried your creativity so you can survive in a black and white business world?
   Whether you are one of the consolidated companies going through aftershocks, a company being prepared to sell or one of the few that are privately owned-it can seem like the results are all that matters.
   When do we get time to stop and smell the roses?
   Creativity is an energy that comes from your inner core of being. An expression of your creativity is what sells your product. You as a director or buyer have the responsibility to motivate and stimulate your floral designer's creativity. This can be hard if you have buried your creativity.
   Well-expressed creativity evokes emotions. It can lift spirits, provoke memories and contribute to our need to feel pleasure. Keeping this in mind let's look at some ideas that can be carried out for September and October.
   How do we uncover the creative spirit, and then keep it alive? 
   Find that pile of trade magazines, and thumb through them. Let your imagination run wild.
   Find magazines that do not pertain to flowers directly, such as gardening, wedding, home decorating or even Martha Stewart
Living. Go to your local botanic garden or nearby nursery. Open your senses to the surrounding beauty. This will help relieve some stress, so your creativity can come out and sweep you away for awhile.
   Check other grocery floral competitors, retail flower shops, gift shops and anyone who sells flowers. Gather ideas to use in your own program. Observe how creative they are in product mix and merchandising.
   Attend workshops at wholesales or floral schools. You can always learn something new at a design class.
   During a very hectic spring selling season, I had to make some revisions in my cut flower pro- gram. I was fortunate to be able to visit a vendor partner that grows plants, and grows and produces cut flower bouquets.
   I stood there, flowers surrounding me. The smell and the colors lifted my weary spirit. I real-  how much I love flowers and how much I had missed them. I vowed that I would not distance myself from them any longer. I understood that putting my focus on my creativity and love of the product would get me the needed results.
   By September, the weather is starting to change. It is cooler outside, children are back in school and customers are ready to do more cooking. This will bring more customers back to your store. October is the month your creative energy can really show. Keep the fall colors and displays just setup additional auxiliary displays for the special events. Everyone is getting into the spirit of the holidays. So, maximize your sales by reaching out to the customers.
   Dig up that buried creativity. Have fun by using your creative powers every day. You will soon discover you have also uncovered more sales and bigger profits.

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