Employee conduct, or staff misconduct, is an issue every employer has to contend with. Read Croner's guide to find the solutions.

Ragebait is content that is deliberately designed to provoke anger, disagreement or outrage. Like most florists I have to use social media as a tool to run my business, to create engagement, showcase my designs and connect with customers. Over the last few months though I have seen more and more florists posting controversial takes on topics that could legitimately be described as ragebait. Ragebait is content that is deliberately designed to provoke anger, disagreement or

Most employees look forward to taking a well-earned break over the Christmas period. But staff holidays have to be balanced against ensuring business needs are met. Here we take a look at the considerations and rules around time off over the festive period. The Working Time Regulations Under the Working Time Regulations, full time employees are entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks of holiday in each annual leave year, if you have part-time employees or workers, their holiday is

A bottle of fizz with the bouquet is a lovely upsell, but selling alcohol means a licence and an ID check on the doorstep. Here is what is involved, and how the software handles the age check for you. Adding a bottle of prosecco to a birthday bouquet, or a half-bottle of champagne to an anniversary order, is one of the easiest upsells a flower shop has. The margin is good and customers love it. But the moment you sell alcohol, you are in a different bit of the law to the one

Some mornings I wake up and feel like I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. I’ve been running ACME Floral Co. in San Francisco for 16 years. We have a thriving business. Our clients trust us with their events, weddings and weekly flowers. I’m not trying to be a famous florist, I’m perfectly content being a solid B+ designer who can dazzle most clients. And still, I stare at the ceiling and think: Is this the day everyone figures out I’m making it up as I go? Entrepreneurship

As an employer, you have a legal obligation to protect the health and wellbeing of your employees.

How to refresh your design style, protect profits and cultivate sustainable growth. How do you innovate in your flower business? I’ve heard veteran designers say countless times: what’s old is new again. But how do you reinvent or reimagine your work to maintain your creativity and stay current? What keeps you excited about what you do? It may sound like a big question to ask—how do you stay relevant? But innovation and adaptation are essential to long-term business success.

Social media platforms use complex digital rules, called algorithms, to decide who sees your content, generally putting it in front of new people and non-followers first. The advantage of using video content rather than static imagery (whether on Instagram, Tik Tok, YouTube or all three), is that video content has a much longer shelf-life. It can run for months and in the process allow consumers to build up trust in your business and encourage them to buy from you. Video co

Don't let AI risks hold you back. Master the essentials of data privacy, legal exposure, and operational liability to use AI safely and effectively. 5 Practical Ways to Innovate Safely: Jump to: AI accuracy risks AI data security risks AI data privacy risks AI legal risks AI operational risks Artificial intelligence is reshaping how we work. It offers small businesses powerful efficiencies and new capabilities that were previously out of reach. But alongside these opportuniti

Viv Bradford explains why every florist needs to know how to select and buy flowers effectively.

As an industry, perhaps this is the conversation we should be having now before the market decides for us. Because the question isn’t whether bouquet vending machines are coming. Every now and then, a piece of technology arrives that genuinely makes you stop and think. Temperature-controlled bouquet vending machines are one of those innovations. On the face of it, they solve a number of problems. They offer 24-hour sales without additional staffing, make flowers available i

Part of your obligation as an employer is to ensure the health & safety of your workforce.

The UK’s high streets have faced significant challenges in recent years, with 2025 seeing over 17,000 stores closing their doors for good, according to the Centre for Retail Research. Rising costs, reduced financial support, and shifting consumer behaviours have created a difficult landscape for independent businesses. The pressure on small retailers shows no sign of easing, but with the right strategies, there is opportunity for growth and success. From diversifying revenue

Get ready to take better photos with expert Louise Mills. The good news is that you don’t need a high end camera.....

As florists prepare for the autumn and winter seasons, understanding where profits are quietly slipping away may be one of the smartest investments they make. When florists think about profitability, rising flower prices are usually the first concern. While wholesale costs certainly impact the bottom line, they’re often not the biggest reason profits disappear. In many shops, it’s the smaller, less obvious expenses that quietly chip away at margins day after day. The good new