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April | 2021
pause, upgrade or change their orders at will. But the
farmer-florists with whom we spoke typically approach
their subscriptions as a luxe CSA [community supported
agriculture]-style investment, with fixed-price multi-week
packages. ose growing their own stock generally offer a
greater variety of delivery intervals than do retail florists.
Due to vase life and production efficiencies, many farmer-
florists deliver every 10 days versus the weekly, biweekly and
monthly frequency of boutique florists.
What about when customers are out of town? Are they
bound to regular deliveries, or does the subscription offer
a "pause button"? Petals, Ink, of Austin, Texas, offers a
touching idea for clients who won't be home during a
subscription week. "We will happily donate [your flowers]
to a local nonprofit for you," their website reads. You could
offer missed-week deliveries to charitable organizations,
hospitals or hospice, all of which would undoubtedly love to
receive the beautiful windfall for a week, or you could add
the missed week(s) to the end of the customer's contract.
All of these details can make a multitude of choices and
a complexity for you and your customers—a potentially
paralyzing combination. Abare recommends that if you're
just starting, well, then, just start! " You have to decide
what you want to do and commit to it," she says. "Every
customer is valuable, but your business runs smoother
when you stick to what works best for you." In other words,
"accessorize" later.
Sarah Abare,
The Stemmery
