My 17-Year Playbook for Florists: How to Beat the Feast-or-Famine Cycle

Here's the thing about running a flower shop in Australia – you're either drowning in Valentine's roses or wondering where your next customer's coming from. Sound familiar?

I get it. Those massive spikes around Valentine's Day and Mother's Day can account for roughly 40% of your annual sales. One Aussie florist told the ABC that Mother's Day alone makes her shop "three, four times busier than normal." These peak moments are absolutely essential – as she put it, "We need our Valentine's Day and we need our Mother's Day" – but wow, those quiet months that follow can really test your nerves (and your bank balance).

The reality? If anything disrupts one of these big days – remember when COVID lockdowns hit right on Valentine's 2021 and one grower lost 80% of her stock? – the dry spell afterwards becomes even harder to navigate. That said, for all florists the COVID period, especially between April 1 2020 and December 2020 it felt like Mother's Day every day of the week as people were sending flowers in place of seeing friends and family, it was crazy! I recall walking into Brisbane Flower Market one morning and there were more flowers on the ground than there were in the stalls, never, ever, had I ever seen anything like that before. After chatting with one of the staff there, it had been happening day on day, for months.

Seasonality hurts when all your revenue lands in a fortnight and nothing in July. Start by mapping last year’s quiet months and adding a small off-season product, think of things such as workshops or subscription refills that could possibly cushions the drop in flower sales or foot traffic. Think about pairing it up with a lean cash flow plan and those peaks and troughs won’t feel so rough. A few focused tweaks beat scrambling twice a year.

The team and I want to take you into how you can turn those famine periods into manageable seasons rather than nail biting crises. I am hoping to share some of my experiences in the hope that they can help you.

Getting Real About Your Numbers

First up. and yeah, this might not be the fun part, you need to know exactly where your money's going. I am talking about calculating your monthly break even point and mapping out when cash flow typically gets tight (hello, winter months and especially June which stinks).

Planning is honestly your best bet for maintaining cash flow across the entire year. Start by creating a cash flow forecast using last year's data. Be conservative about those off-peak periods, better to be pleasantly surprised than caught short.

Here's a game changer: when those Valentine's and Mother's Day windfalls hit, resist the urge to spend every dollar. Set aside a chunk of those peak season profits (from my experience thinking 15-20% minimum) into a separate account earmarked for the slower months. Think of it as paying your future self. While this is a topic for a different day, I would do the same for a GST account, just pump a small amount into it every week over the quarter, so you barely notice it, but of 90 days it all adds up. If you GST is less, well beauty, you win!

And speaking of payments, try to spread things out more evenly. If you do weddings, break payments into deposits and progress installments. On the flip side, negotiate with suppliers for extended payment terms during busy periods, and consider prepaying some expenses when you're flush with cash.

Diversifying Your Income From Flower Sales

One of the smartest moves you can make? Stop putting all your eggs in the traditional flower basket. 

Weddings and Events

The wedding season often fills those retail gaps beautifully. Spring and early summer can boost what might otherwise be quiet months, and even winter has corporate galas and holiday parties that need florals.

Subscription Services

I love this one. Weekly office arrangements or monthly home deliveries create that steady recurring income regardless of season. Don't be afraid to get on the blower and start ringing local businesses in your area and sell, sell, sell. Always think to yourself, the worst thing that can happen is someone just says 'NO', the best thing is "yes, that would be awesome, thanks for calling...". As Business Victoria suggests, offering subscriptions or memberships can spread income across the year and “flatten” those revenue dips. You could provide incentives for subscribers (like a free vase on the first delivery, or a slight discount compared to one off orders) to encourage sign-ups.

Plants and Gifts

Indoor plants, succulents, terrariums – they're having a moment and account for about 13% of Australia's flower retail revenue. They last longer (customers see great value) and have a longer shelf life in your shop. Win-win.

Workshops and Classes

Use your expertise during quiet periods. A "DIY winter arrangement class" or Christmas wreath workshop brings in extra revenue while moving inventory. Plus, people love experiential gifts – you might sell workshop tickets as presents.

Smart Marketing Beyond the Big Days

When Valentine's is a distant memory and Mother's Day feels ages away, it's time to get creative. The goal? Give customers reasons to buy flowers "just because."

Don't overlook smaller occasions – International Women's Day, Easter, Father's Day (yes, flowers for dads!), even quirky celebrations like Christmas in July. One Victorian gift store had such success with their "Christmas in July" event that they temporarily had to close online orders due to demand.

Keep an eye on your local calendar too. Spring garden shows, food festivals, sports finals, these are golden opportunities to set up stalls or create themed bouquets. Align your business calendar with local events like Toowoomba Flower Festival; it's a smart way to stay visible during off-peak periods.

Online Sales and Delivery Reach

If you’re only selling through your brick-and-mortar storefront, diversifying might mean expanding online. Setting up an online ordering system can help capture sales beyond foot traffic. For instance, some rural florists join platforms like Buy From The Bush to reach customers looking to support regional businesses. Online channels can generate orders even when your physical shop might be quiet. Just ensure you manage delivery logistics and quality carefully to maintain your reputation if you expand your reach.

Build Location Pages

If you have an existing online store servicing flowers to just your immediate area, you may want to consider expanding your reach by making florist location landing pages, I wrote a very honest, and very high-level article recently on this that I highly recommend you read, I can assure you that nobody, not any SEO anywhere, has anything like the details I provided on how to do this. But to summarise that article, if your florist shop is in Bondi and for the last 10 years you have only every sent flowers to Bondi, you are missing out. For your standard delivery fee, you could be delivering in a much larger radius around your shop, like to within 10 kilometres, or even more if you have dynamic pricing on your website based on postcode.

Onsite Flower Categories

From my 17 years in the flower game, mostly in the marketing side of things, this is the single most overlooked, untapped, side of most florist businesses that simply should be pushed. For consistency, let's go back to the Bondi example. 

Also note, I will be doing an article that goes into much greater detail on this later this month, so stay tuned in our Florist Lounge.

So in brief, typical website structure I would see for a local florist shop in Bondi is:

Homepage - Birthdays - Funerals - Bouquets - Arrangements - New Baby's

You job, is to try to capture other searches outside of the big peaks. Think about expanding your categories to ones like: Hospital Flowers, 60th Birthday Flowers, Graduation Flowers or even Flowers for Job Promotions. This way, you may start to acquire, over time, traffic from people who are looking to send flowers for searches outside the norm, I like to call them 'evergreen categories', that is, categories that can provide income all year round and that are not seasonal.

The Mysterious July to August Bump

I know right, or as my 14 year old likes to type on SnapChat - IKR. What the heck is the 'mysterious July to August bump' We've all seen it, felt it, and we have all thought, at least at some point, what is it, where did it come from. Or, if you have 'been asleep at the wheel', perhaps you have no idea what I am talking about.

Historically, from my experience, November is the worst month of the year in terms of flowers sales, closely followed by June, sometimes they switch. But then, by some form of miracle, something usually swings in mid-July and the sales bump happens and gathers even more momentum in early August and powers through to early September.

But why?

Looking through and analysing the data, it's almost like clockwork, year on year, and the only explanation is this: Tax returns are rolling in, and new financial year optimism. There is no feasible other explanation. So, be prepared, embrace it, acknowledge it, staff for it and plan for it.

Tools That Make Life Easier

Running a flower shop is tough work, but technology can lighten the load significantly. Accounting software like Xero, MYOB, or QuickBooks connects to your bank accounts and tracks everything automatically – no more spreadsheet headaches.

For inventory (crucial when you're dealing with perishables), look into florist-specific POS systems that track what's selling and when to reorder. One Australian florist saw profitability increase just from smarter purchasing decisions based on better data.

Don't forget about government support either. The Grant Finder tool on business.gov.au can help you find funding for everything from digital upgrades to energy-efficient fridges. Even if you don't score a grant, these sites offer heaps of free resources and templates.

Using the Quiet Time Wisely

One more “resource” to mention is time. When you’re not slammed with Valentine’s, Mother's Day or Christmas orders, use that downtime productively. It’s an opportunity to work on your business (planning, organising, learning) rather than in the day to day rush. Tidy up your workspaces, update your website, update your socials, refine your pricing strategy, train your staff, or even take a well deserved break to recharge yourself for the next peak. 

Try and think of the off season as a valuable resource in itself. it’s when you can set aside some time lay the groundwork that will make the next feast period even more successful and the famine potentially less painful, especially if you take some of my suggestions on board. Many savvy florists I have bumped into since 2008, treat the slow months as their time for strategy and maintenance, ensuring they emerge each season stronger and more prepared.

Feast of Famine FAQ's

What is the most critical first step to managing the feast-or-famine cycle?

Yes, the most critical first step is to get a crystal clear picture of your finances. Before anything else, you must:

• Calculate your monthly break-even point.
• Create a cash flow forecast using last year's data to predict your quiet months.

How should I handle the money from a massive holiday like Mother's Day?

During a peak holiday, you should immediately "pay your future self" to prepare for the slow season. The two most important actions are:

• Set aside a minimum of 15-20% of your profits into a separate reserve account.
• Negotiate longer payment terms (e.g., 60-90 days) with your suppliers.

What are the best ways to diversify my income beyond holiday bouquets?

Creating year-round income is key. Based on our experience, the most effective ways to diversify are:

• Subscription Services: For steady, recurring weekly or monthly revenue from offices and homes.
• Workshops & Classes: To monetize your floral expertise and engage the community.
• Corporate Accounts: For reliable, contracted work with local businesses.

How can I use my website to get more non-holiday sales?

Definitely. The key is to target specific, non-seasonal searches all year round. Focus on:

• Creating "evergreen categories" like 'Hospital Flowers' or '60th Birthday Flowers'.
• Building location pages to expand your delivery radius and capture more local customers.

Are there any 'surprise' busy periods I should plan for outside of the main holidays?

Yes! Be prepared for the "Mysterious July-August Bump." Our data shows this mini-peak is driven by:

• Australian tax returns arriving in bank accounts.
• A sense of new financial year optimism. Treat it as a predictable sales opportunity: staff for it and plan for it.

The Bottom Line

The feast or famine cycle doesn't have to control your business and please, don't let it. By planning ahead financially, diversifying your products both in store and on your website, and marketing creatively year round, taking charge and staying on top of your social media presence, you can build something much steadier and more sustainable throughout the flatter periods of the year.

Use those quiet periods wisely – they're perfect for working on strategy, updating your website, training staff, or simply recharging for the next busy season. Think of the off-season as valuable prep time rather than dead space.

Remember, you already know how to bring joy through your creations. With these business tactics, you can ensure that joy (and revenue) isn't confined to just two dates on the calendar.

Here's to steady growth, vibrant creativity, and success that blooms all year long! :)