Fifteen months ago, I made the decision to close my retail shop & return to a studio model.  This was a good decision for me for a variety of reasons. 2019 ended up being a pretty good year for Rose of Sharon.  Valentine’s Day this year (2020) was our best year on record. Things were looking up. I’d pretty much recovered from the burnout I was experiencing and my team had settled into the new location, & routine. 

And then.

And then.

And then the news of Corona Virus started ramping up. News stories about Corona Virus and COVID-19 started becoming more frequent.  Maps of confirmed cases started appearing. Talk of self-quarantine was heard.  Deaths were reported. 

Last week, rumors of a toilet paper shortage began.  Social media did it’s thing & the rumors became reality.

This week, the University of Arkansas decided to curtail all in-person classes & move to virtual classes. Big (BIG) corporations like Walmart told employees to work from home.  Everyone was told to social-distance, don’t gather in large groups, stay home. The stock market dropped 20+%.

Y’all--my business is built around gathering people together! 

Within hours of the U of A’s announcement, events started being cancelled or postponed.  Spring is supposed to be the busiest time of year for anyone in the wedding/event industry. March dried up. April dried up. May is looking iffy. 

Every single social media group that I belong to is the same. Events are being cancelled or postponed. And the wedding industry here is made up of small businesses. We’re all scared. There’s only so much ‘positive attitude’ can do. 

I’ve been a florist for 25 years. That means I was in business on 9/11. & during the Great Recession. I weathered the fear & scarcity. I’m still here.  A few years ago, I lost my dad after 4 months in the hospital, my marriage ended, & I moved all within 10 months. I survived. Rose of Sharon survived. But let me tell you-having been through tough times DOES NOT make the anxiety of looking down an unknown number of dry months any easier! AT ALL. 

Now…and Next Week (past that, we’ll see)

Open For Business: As a studio florist, we are not open to the public. However, we continue to design & deliver floral arrangements for you. While the large events aren’t happening, life events sill go on. These could include: Birthdays, Anniversaries, New Babies, Sympathy, general occasions (cheer-up, thinking-of-you, just-because-I-care), and yes-illnesses. Flowers are appropriate gifts for each and every one of these occasions.

Please order ONLINE or call 479-973-0588.

Where do we deliver? At this time, we are still delivering to hospitals & nursing homes. We will deliver to the front desk or nursing stations & will not be in direct contact with patients/residents.

Sourcing: It has been & continues to be our practice to source flowers locally as much as possible. This limits the effects of any disruption in the availability of non-locally grown flowers. The local flowers right now are beautiful! Anemones, ranunculus, daffodils, blooming branches…it’s just hard not to smile when you see these. 

Technology: Two years ago, I started using video for all my event planning meetings.  So, I’m good to go-no changes needed. 😊 If you’re getting married and want to talk about flowers, let me know.  If you’re a florist & want to talk about business, I’m here!

What about Weddings/Events? Our wedding & event clients will be contacted if issues arise. Otherwise, we continue to work on their events. Right now, we aren’t experiencing any supply disruptions. (YAY!) And we’ve reviewed our plans for emergencies. As a small business owner, this something I’ve thought about before. It’s crucial to have a plan in place-you never know when one of your team will break a bone, get the flu, or get in a car wreck. It’s my job to make sure these things are covered for my clients.  I have floral friends that will help if I get sick, and vice-versa. I’m here for them as well.

Other Opportunities: Over the last year, I’ve been saying that I wanted to teach more, share my knowledge, and help new florists succeed.  Since there is suddenly an opening in my schedule, I will start doing this. No more ‘someday-when-I-have-more-time.’ That time is here. In fact, I’m teaching a class tomorrow!

Positive Attitude: I said earlier that a positive attitude can only do so much. This is true, but…Yes, it looks bleak but the reality is that I’m healthy. My loved ones are healthy. Weddings will continue and even if they are postponed, there is plenty of planning to do.  Flowers are needed for a variety of occasions. I was working too many hours each week.

I found this quote this morning. I think I’ll keep it front and center: