Name: Mélanie Girard-Brisson

Location: Montreal, QC

Business: Flowerink Stationary

What does your business offer? 

Flowerink offers plantable greeting cards that grow into beautiful wildflowers.

What seasonal products/services are you introducing this holiday season?

We are introducing small holiday cards. The small size is perfect for smaller budgets while adding a nice touch to all gifts. It will certainly impress everyone as the card grow into wildflowers when planted.

For more seasonal products from Flowerink check out the QuickBooks Holiday Gift Guide

What are some of the challenges you face during the holiday season that you have overcome or are working to overcome?

We print our own cards, and it is always tough to predict which ones will be more popular. So, it is always a challenge to choose how many cards to print for each artwork. Every year, we learn more about our customers and we make better decisions on what to print ahead of time.

What do you think is the most important thing a business owner needs to do to prepare for the holiday season?  

The most important thing is to make sure you have everything you need in advance. Order your products, shipping material and everything else ahead of time and know about the production and shipping deadlines during the high season in case you need to order again during the holiday season. We make most of our orders in August and that takes off a lot of stress during the following months.

How do you keep sane during the holiday season?

Listening to music according to our current mood in the office helps boost everyone’s mood. Also, we avoid working overtime as much as possible! We love what we do, but I believe that our mental health is more important than the eco-friendly products that we offer, so that comes first no matter what.

What advice can you offer to up-and-coming small business owners during the holiday season? 

It’s a lot of stress but you can do it! Mistakes are an opportunity to learn and remember that you can only get better next year.

What holiday traditions do you and your employees take part in?   

We always decorate the office starting in November and we have an amazing holiday playlist that we listen to very often (almost every day to be honest)! We also order in or go to the restaurant a few days before going on our holiday vacation to celebrate our hard work during the high season.

What are three things you feel have contributed to your success during the holiday season as a business owner?  

1. Our friendly communications with all our partners, wholesalers, and customers.
2. Our product offer is more and more tailored to our customers.
3. Our positivity and happiness working as a team during the holiday season.

When you’re having a tough day, who or what inspires you to keep going?

My kid is a big inspiration. I think it will be inspiring for him to know that I’ve worked hard to offer an eco-friendly product that suits my values.

How do you see QuickBooks helping you during the holiday rush? 

QuickBooks is a big help to make sure our budget is tracked. We make updates monthly to understand our finances and decide if we should act or keep going. Overall, it is easy to use, and it helps us make the best financial decisions.

What is your favourite Christmas song and why? 

Currently, I love “Tu m’emballes” from Damien Robitaille. It’s a French song that talks about wrapping a gift that I can’t stop listening to.

How do you decompress after the holiday rush?

We take a break for a couple of days or weeks and start again after the new year. We spend time with friends and family and put work aside so we can come back refreshed and ready for the new year!

What are the next big plans you have for your business?

We would like to offer a wedding plantable line (invitations, thank you notes, place cards…). We have a lot of demand for this kind of product so we are working on creating various artwork that will be customizable. Look out for it in 2023!

Is there anything else about your business that you’d like to share?  

Feel free to get in touch with us if you have any questions. We always love to chat about our products! And if you have planted seed paper before, send us a picture of your results! We love seeing what everyone gets in their garden.

To learn more about Flowerink and support their business, visit their website or check them out on Instagram.