Florist News

Having been off the radar for a while (buying my shop fell through), I am now in the process of buying another one! However, having had a sit down and thinking about it, I have decided that I need to come up with a 'list of processes I need to learn'

e.g. How do I take a telephone order
How do I track business mileage
etc etc

Any input from 'the experts' out there as to what I should be adding to this list of processes I must learn would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

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mel

hi mel

for telephone orders you nee to take all of the recipients details i.e. name, address, tel num etc and then you will also need your customers details i.e. name tel num how they are paying and then you just need to see what they want and get a card message from them

hope this helps( this is the way we do it here in the office but then again im not a florist)

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hi mel,
sorry to hear about your shop falling through - just keep thinking that all things happen for a reason, so it was probably for the best. My first attempt at buying premises didn't work, but then i bought the florist shop i've got now, which is lovely, was all done up for me, was a good price, in a better area, with a really nice member of staff who has helped me loads - and the best thing is that the other shop is still empty now, over 2 years later!!!!!!

For your phone orders, you can get receipt pads from sundries suppliers which have spaces for all the stuff you need to ask. I've made my own on the computer so i can just print more out when i need them. I have the following information typed out, so i can fill it in when i'm asking the customer:

day, date and time required (be as vague as poss with time, except for funerals)
Customers name and telephone number (VERY important - the ones you forget to take a phone number for are ALWAYS the ones you have a problem delivering!!!!!)
what they would like to order - design, style, colours, flowers, etc
the price
the card message
any extras (balloon, chocs, teddy, etc)
the recepients name and address, with postcode and tel no if poss
delivery charge
total cost
to pay/paid

on the back I write the card details down if thats how they are paying, but you can't keep the card details and the security code together in case you lose, or someone steals, the paper - we write it on the corner of the paper, then tear it off after we've rung it in to the machine.

For my mileage i have a simple table that i keep on a clipboard in the van where i write the date, where i've been, and how many miles i've done each day. Make sure you log the exact mileage at the beginning of each month, then you can take this figure and the mileage for the end of the month (same as the beginning of the next month!) add up the business mileage you've clocked up (don't forget to include trips to wholesalers, the bank, deliveries you walk with, going to wilko's for your sticky tape, or the corner shop for your milk - it all counts, and it all adds up!) and work out your private mileage so you don't have to record both.
I transfer this info onto a spreadsheet my accountant gave me, but then i just pass it on to her to deal with.

Hope some of this helps and it's not too ramble-y on-y

sarah
x

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