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Business 66 January | 2022 tied to global supply-chain issues such as transportation, much of it can be traced to manufacturing being unable to catch up to demand. Even with global economies reopening, pandemic precautions often limit the number workers able to work within closed, limited-space environments. at means fewer employees on production lines; ergo, a slowdown in physical production. For our floral industry currently, there doesn't seem to be too much of a supply-chain issue, but that doesn't mean it can't or won't happen. And if it does, it could cause issues for your business. All that aside, Forbes magazine predicts that there will not be a recession in 2022 (yay!), but it does expect one in 2023 (boo!). Even if the slump is avoided in 2023, Forbes says it will come in 2024 or 2025. In other words, even when things look rosy, stuff happens, and you need to be prepared for an economic downturn. Our advice: Don't build a business strategy based on optimism; rather, ensure that your flower business is able to continue operating during both good times and bad. 6. Adjusting to Social Media Behavior When communicating via social media in 2022 and beyond, it's crucial to identify the audience(s) you are trying to reach. While the majority of your customers are probably baby boomers, Gen Xers and/or millennials, don't forget about the younger customer base—Generation Z (those between the ages of 10 and 25 in 2022, according to Pew Research Center). You have to keep your digital lingo as fresh as your flowers. at may mean realizing that while one social media platform was "in" in 2021, it may not be in 2022. Social media trends and practices will continue to evolve, and what worked in the past may no longer work now or in the near future. One way to capture the attention of Generation Z is to post videos to YouTube, which is the current favorite platform for news and information among this age group. However, it's how you present your content that will capture the greatest audience. In addition, in a recent Ipsos survey, 40 percent of millennial subscribers to YouTube said that their favorite "creator" understood them better than their friends. Let that sink in for a moment! is implies that millennials (ages 26 to 41 in 2022, according to Pew Research Center) are more likely to take advice from YouTube videos than from friends. It also means that this YouTube trust and engagement will garner you more business than a Twitter tweet or a Meta/Facebook "like" will. e best solution is to expand your social media area of expertise (or hire an expert) to engage with your customer base and the customer base you hope to reach. 7. Older Social Media is Still Viable Although you need to keep up with modern demands, that doesn't mean you should kick older social media platforms to the curb. e main reason is that there are a lot of people who are slow to adapt to new social media. While many a Generation Z person will laugh at anyone still using Meta/Facebook, those in older "generations" still frequent that domain. And, those older patrons tend to have more financial resources. Bottom line: Make sure you look after the customer base that got you where you are. 8. YouTube for Infotainment As noted in Tip No. 6, Generation Z is obsessed with YouTube, and it is a trusted source of information for millennials. But, are you aware that YouTube has been around since Valentine's Day 2005? It was the next big thing when it came out, slowed down for a while and is now a big deal with a youthful generation. What makes the popular YouTube creators popular? at's a difficult thing to nail down, but suffice it to say that it's the same things that make anyone or anything popular : a modicum of looks, something interesting to say and the way in which those thoughts are presented. Of course, just because someone has something interesting to share doesn't mean it's interesting. It has to be the right topic at the right time. We recommend viewing all floral industry video channels to gauge the popularity of topics and to see how they are presented. Is it humor, being over the top or simply the topic? Or, was it the level of design? Viewing commentary left by viewers also offers clues to a topic's popularity. While we always hope that our design is what rules the day, today's YouTube viewers enjoy being entertained while they reap information. Visuals are key. Whether it's the background or the incursion of unexpected guests—maybe a

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