Tips for Selling Flowers Wholesale with Scott Shepherd

We're back on air with a conversation about selling flowers wholesale.  This episode is geared more towards flower farmers, but might be a fun peek behind the scenes for florists as well. Many of you are already familiar with today's guest, Scott Shepherd.  Scott is the host of The Flower Podcast.  If you haven't checked out that podcast yet, be sure you do.  Scott has such a unique position in our industry.  He studied horticulture in college and has been a producer of specialty stems like hellebores.  But his main job over the past three decades has been working in sales and sourcing at wholesale houses, first in Georgia and now in Tennessee.  In that role, he's touched every facet of the global flower market.  This episode is an excerpt from a longer conversation that took place on the podcast No-Till Flowers.  This podcast is brought to you by the Philadelphia Floral Guild, a collective of flower farms in the mid-Atlantic region selling together to florist and other wholesale buyers. We help you elevate your design work and manifest a better tomorrow with locally-grown stems.  Visit philadelphiafloralguild.com to learn more and follow us on Instagram @phillyfloralguild for regular inspiration.    Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on what's in season, tips and tricks for design, and the latest episodes.    Not near Philadelphia but would like to source local flowers for your business?  Check out localflowers.org and rootedfarmers.com to find a flower farm near you.     What Can Locally Grown Stems Do For Your Floral Business? Less Shrink: Without the stress of a long ride in the global supply chain, our stems are superior in quality with much less breakage and far better hydration. Less Labor: Our growers do all the work of a studio assistant, stripping stems and making fresh cuts on stems that go directly into water and never leave a water source. This means you do not have to process anything! Less Trash: There are no boxes, packing paper, bubble wrap, box straps, plastic sleeves, and all the other usual trash that comes with a flower delivery from the traditional wholesaler.