The Society of American Florists (SAF) has launched Aster, an industry-trained AI-powered business consultant designed exclusively for SAF members. Aster delivers fast, practical guidance on the real-world challenges floral professionals face every day, putting trusted industry-specific expertise just a click away.
Built to support floral businesses of all sizes, Aster provides clear, actionable answers to questions related to staffing, pricing, marketing, and operational efficiency - without the wait time or cost associated with traditional consulting services.
"Aster is like having an experienced floral business advisor in your pocket," says SAF President Lori Wheat, AAF. "Florists are busy running shops, managing teams and serving customers. This tool helps them make confident decisions faster, using guidance that's rooted in the realities of the floral industry. I encourage every member to try it."
Built for florists
Unlike general AI tools, Aster is trained exclusively on SAF's extensive library of trusted industry resources, including Floral Management magazine, SAF industry news, and educational courses from the Floral Education Hub. This ensures the guidance members receive reflects floral-specific workflows, terminology, seasonality, and business pressures - from holiday staffing crunches to perishability concerns and margin management.
"Aster understands our industry because it's built on our industry," says Joe Aldeguer, SAF's director of IT, who led the development and training of the chatbot. "We didn't want to create something that just sounded smart. We wanted something that's genuinely helpful - a tool members can rely on for practical guidance that aligns with SAF's expertise and values."
Aldeguer notes that Aster has the ability to remember past conversations, supports multiple languages, and will continue to evolve as members use it and new SAF content is added.
Supporting smarter decisions
Aster is designed to save time, reduce stress, and support smarter decision-making across every area of a floral business. SAF members can use Aster to explore best practices by asking questions such as: What marketing strategies work best for florists today?; How do I write job descriptions that attract the right candidates?; What operational changes could improve efficiency?; How can I improve margins in my floral business?
"This is about meeting members where they are," says Kate Penn, SAF CEO. "Our role as an association is to remove barriers and make it easier for floral professionals to succeed. Aster extends our expertise in a new, highly accessible way - giving members immediate support when they need it most."
Penn adds that the launch reflects SAF's broader commitment to innovation that delivers real value.
"Technology should serve people, not overwhelm them," she says. "Aster is another way we're investing in tools that help our members run stronger, more resilient businesses."
For more information:
SAF
[email protected]
safnow.org
