Florist Merchant Cash Advance & Business Funding
Florists can get a merchant cash advance, and the calendar is unusually predictable: staffing jumps in February for Valentine's Day and again in May for Mother's Day, then dips in summer. An advance can buy holiday inventory ahead of those spikes. Make sure the payment still fits the months in between.
How do funders read florists?
Funders read the holiday spikes as normal and look at the months around them. Applying just after a holiday puts a strong month in front of the funder, but the payment has to fit July too.
How does money come in for florists?
Sales come by card in the store and online, through wire-service orders settled by the service, and through deposits for weddings and events. Holiday sales arrive in a burst, and the flowers have to be paid for before it.
Which months are slowest for florists?
This table shows how many people private florists (NAICS 459310) businesses employed each month, as an index where the year's average is 100. It comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, the most recent full year available. Staffing is a stand-in for how busy a business is. Deposits can move more or less than headcount, so read it as the shape of the year, not your numbers.
| Month | Staffing index (average = 100) | |
|---|---|---|
| January | 97 | |
| February | 106 | |
| March | 98 | |
| April | 100 | |
| May | 108 | highest |
| June | 101 | |
| July | 96 | lowest |
| August | 97 | |
| September | 98 | |
| October | 99 | |
| November | 99 | |
| December | 100 |
The low point is July at 96.3 and the high point is May at 107.6, a swing of 11.3 points. The February and May spikes line up with Valentine's Day and Mother's Day.
| Quarter | Total payroll index (average = 100) |
|---|---|
| Quarter 1 | 96 |
| Quarter 2 | 102 |
| Quarter 3 | 95 |
| Quarter 4 | 107 |
Payroll by quarter can rise at year end for reasons like bonuses and overtime, not only more work.
What do florists use merchant cash advances for?
- Stems and supplies ahead of Valentine's Day or Mother's Day.
- Cooler repairs or a new walk-in.
- A delivery van.
- Wedding season inventory and staff.
- Website and online ordering upgrades.
What does an advance payment look like in a slow month?
Say a business like yours deposits $40,000 in an average month, and a funder sets a fixed payment of $4,000 a month, 10% of that average. If deposits follow the staffing curve above, here's what the same payment takes in the slowest and busiest months:
| Deposits | Fixed payment | Share of deposits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average month | $40,000 | $4,000 | 10.0% |
| July, the slowest | $38,500 | $4,000 | 10.4% |
| May, the busiest | $43,000 | $4,000 | 9.3% |
The payment doesn't change, but in July it takes 10.4% of deposits instead of 10%. Ask the funder to size the payment on the slow months, or ask how reconciliation works before the slow season starts.
Which funding options fit florists?
Each page runs one option against this industry's slow months.
Same-day merchant cash advance for florists
Money the same business day for an urgent cost, with the fixed daily debit measured against July.
Business line of credit for florists
A draw sized for July, repaid in thirds, with the interest on the balance worked out.
Revenue-based financing for florists
A remittance that moves with revenue, so July sends less, and the months to reach the repayment cap.
MCA consolidation for florists
One payment in place of two, with the share of deposits before and after in July.
Run a business like this?
Tell us your slow months up front and we'll look for funders that size for them. Call 877-FUND-654 with any question. We call you back, usually the same business day, and we always talk with you before we shop your file.