If you’re like most florists, you probably feel like your team is always busy, so why aren’t your profit margins higher? The answer might be in how you’re scheduling your designers.

In a recent article for SAF’s Floral Management magazine, Paul Goodman, CPA, PFCI, explained why many shops unintentionally hurt their bottom line by scheduling too many design hours for too little volume. His advice is clear: smarter scheduling, based on your actual sales data, can greatly increase both productivity and profitability.

We’ve broken down his insights into actionable steps to help you make the most of your team and your time.

1. Start with the Facts: Your Sales Aren’t as Cyclical as You Think

Many florists assume their business is unpredictable and holiday-driven, but most of your design work happens during “everyday” weeks. In fact:

• Only 29 to 43 days per year are true holiday rush periods.
• That means about 11 months out of the year follow a consistent, non-holiday sales pattern.
• Roughly 77% of your annual design sales come from birthdays, anniversaries, sympathy, get-well, and other everyday occasions.

If you’re planning staff schedules around the assumption that every week could be like Valentine’s Day, you’re almost certainly overstaffing.

2. Track Your Non-Holiday Daily Sales Patterns

To understand how many design hours you really need, start by analyzing four non-holiday weeks. (Avoid January and July, as they tend to be slower months.)

Here’s how:

• Add up arrangement sales for each weekday (excluding weddings/events).
• Divide each day’s total by four to get your average daily sales by day of the week.

3. Think in Design Hours, Not Full-Time Designers

Instead of asking “How many designers do I need?”, ask “How many design hours do I need each day?”

Here’s why:

• One productive designer can typically create 4 arrangements per hour.
• At an average sale of $55 per order, that’s about $220/hour or $1,320 in 6 hours of design time.
• Most designers are only actively designing about 6 hours/day (the rest is setup, cleanup, breaks, etc.).

So, if your Tuesday averages $500 in design sales, you need about 2–3 hours of design work, not a full day’s shift.

4. Cross-Train and Schedule Flexibly

Once you know your design hour needs, you can start creating smarter shifts:

• One person might do 3 hours of design, then switch to customer service or deliveries.
• Use part-time or flex staff to fill in on light or heavy days.
• Cross-train your team so they can shift roles as needed. This helps avoid downtime and keeps things running smoothly.

5. Prepare for Holiday Rushes Strategically

Yes, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day are intense. But they’re short.

• Valentine’s Day = 3–5 days of high volume
• Mother’s Day = 7–10 days
• Christmas = up to 25 days, but not the whole month

Instead of staffing full-time for rare spikes:

• Bring in seasonal or on-call help just for those windows.
• Use production-line techniques for large batches. Designers can exceed normal output when making multiples of the same arrangement.

6. Plan for Surprises, But Don’t Staff for Them

Every flower shop has chaotic days. But that doesn’t mean you should schedule as if every day will be one.

Instead:

• Have a list of reliable part-time or on-call help for unexpected spikes.
• If surprises are happening more often than not, it’s time to revisit your sales patterns and adjust accordingly.

7. Run the Numbers Twice a Year

Your sales pattern likely won’t change much. But running this analysis twice a year (say, March and September) can give you extra confidence in your schedule and help you catch any seasonal shifts.

Bottom Line: Productivity Drives Profit

Smart staffing is one of the simplest ways to improve your bottom line. When your design hours match your real workload, designers stay productive, you avoid unnecessary payroll costs, and your business runs more profitably. Good luck!