Make the Most of Your Downtime: An Off-Season Checklist for Florists

As we head into the cooler months here in Australia a lot of florists will start their quiet season. Whilst you may be thinking “yes some time for a break” (you’re not wrong) there are some really important things you can be doing for your business during this time to set yourself up for the next year. Here are some things you can be focusing on during this period.

1. Review and Reflect

It’s always important to continually reflect on your business performance, often you’re so busy going from one event to the next that finding the time to do this can be tough. Carve out a drew hours to review your work from the previous 6-12 months some things you can focus on in this review

~ Analyse past event performance and profitability

~ Gather and organise client feedback

~ Identify your most and least profitable offerings

~ Review your pricing structure, make sure it reflects current costs and desired profit margins.

~ Update your business plan, adjust goals, services, and offerings based on your past season.

2. Refresh Branding and Marketing

Your branding may not (and hopefully not) need an overhaul although this is a great time to work on that if it does, I’m sure there are some areas within your marketing that can be worked on.

~ Update website content, portfolio, and galleries - this is always quite time consuming but your website should be as up to date as your social media accounts, spend some time here!

~ Refresh your brand visuals (logo, colour palette, etc., if needed)

~ Create a batch of social media content for the upcoming season

~ If you’ve gathered client feedback add those glowing testimonials to your website and socials

~ Plan your marketing for key events in the next 12 months, Christmas, Mother’s Day etc.

3. Improve Systems and Processes

A giant task for some! When you reviewed your business performance were there areas of your process that you identified as needing some work? Some things that maybe just aren’t working effectively for you? Now is the time to figure those out.

~ Streamline your booking process and client workflows

~ Create or refine pricing and proposal templates

~ Automate repetitive tasks with software (e.g., email, invoicing)

~ Build a client welcome/onboarding guide

4. Education and Skill-Building

We never stop learning, now is the time to invest in yourself.

~ Take a course on business, design, or marketing

~ Attend workshops or networking events (online or in person)

~ Practice new floral design techniques or mechanics

~ Read business or creativity books to spark ideas

5. Plan for Growth

Your business can not grow sustainably if you don’t plan for it. Think about how you want to grow your business and then come up with the actionable steps to achieve that growth

~ Set revenue and booking goals for the year

~ Review and revise your service offerings or packages

~ Create a marketing and content calendar

~ Research and connect with venues or planners you’d like to work with

6. Organise Your Business

If you’re anything like me you’ve gotten to that stage where you’ve been so busy you’ve not kept up with your general business maintenance, now is the time to get back on track.

~ Clean and inventory your studio or storage space

~ Organise floral tools, containers, and any hire items

~ Digitise receipts and update any bookkeeping

~ Prepare any business documents or meet with your bookkeeper or accountant

7. Build Relationships

You’ve met so many wonderful people during those busy months now is the time to form up those connections.

~ Send thank-you notes or gifts to top clients or vendors

~ Reach out to planners, venues, or photographers to collaborate

~ Engage with your audience online to stay top of mind

8. Personal Recharge

This is still an incredibly important part of running a successful business, If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of your business

~ Schedule creative time just for you

~ Take a holiday or short break to rest

~ Reflect on your “why” and check in with your long-term goals

The off-season is the perfect opportunity to pause, reflect, and make intentional changes that will set you up for success in the months ahead. Whether you're fine-tuning your pricing, refreshing your website, or simply organising your studio, each small step adds up to a more sustainable and confident business. If you'd like support working through this process, I offer business reviews as part of my coaching sessions—think of it as a seasonal tune-up for your floral business. You're not in this alone, and I'd love to help you make the most of this quieter time