A Golden Recipe! 
"Planning, planning and planning. That has always been my recipe, together with my co-workers, for staying on top of things during the busy holiday season. Read my lips: starting on time is crucial. Since the December holidays are all about atmosphere, the shop should radiate atmosphere from every shelf. But it also means that there must be a healthy atmosphere among the co-workers. Of course, we also had the occasional exchange of words behind the scenes, but the mood in the shop was always relaxed. No matter how busy things get, this time of year should also be a time of celebration for the staff." 

Profit or Loss   
"We always began our purchasing and ordering in September, for the simple reason that that is when you have plenty to choose from. The later you start, the fewer the options you have. I considered it very important to decide with my fellow workers at an early stage what we were going to do and how much work we could handle. Remember, for many florists the month of December is the 'icing on the cake' – the difference between making a profit or a loss. So it is important to prepare well for it, especially because if often entails extra work such as home deliveries." 

Steadfast Styling   
"We always put a lot of work into our display window and shop. The code word was atmosphere. You have to keep it simple. Choose one or two themes and work them out in detail. That is better than filling up your shop with flowers in every color of the rainbow. Know what you want and stick to it. 'I call it steadfast styling and customers recognize it. I always chose the themes in close consultation with the staff. I have no monopoly on wisdom. They also have to feel comfortable with the choices." 

The Business Market   
"Naturally, florists are artists in their own right. But you are also a buyer, a planner, a sales person – you name it. We practiced well in advance with arrangements and Christmas wreathes that are fairly easy to produce. This enables you to keep production high during the days leading up to Christmas. The business market is extremely important. We had more than 100 company subscriptions. These were companies to which we delivered fresh flowers weekly, every Monday. Early in December we combined the budgets for several weeks.  We used that money to make one large, exquisite Christmas wreath for each of these subscribers for the rest of the month. The customers were pleased, we were pleased and it gave us some extra elbow room." 

Extra Adrenaline   
"December is of course a month during which florists have a lot of extra adrenaline. It made things that much nicer when we all got together in the shop on Christmas Eve. Everyone was tired and exhausted. This was also because we spent additional time putting the finishing touch on our shop window, since there are always people out and about during the holidays. With pastries and wine we had a simple little celebration. And afterwards? Afterwards I disappeared into the kitchen. Cooking is one of my hobbies. For me, good food is just as important for the Christmas atmosphere as candles, red flowers and evergreens."