Find Your Local Florist:Everything you want to know about flowers!
This week takes us ever deeper into fall as we received some absolutely stunning fall-themed arrangements. These florists have taken an already gorgeous time of year and added creative flair and style as well as unbelievable beauty. Enjoy your photographic journey through these amazing fall flowers.
Magnificent bouquet from Klamath Flower Shop in Klamath Falls, OR [Read more…]
Veterans Day is Tuesday November 11th, 2014!
This holiday is all about honoring each and every one of the men and women who serve or have served in any branch of the armed forces. Can there be any better reason to give the gift of flowers?
Flowers are the perfect gift for any occasion, and they have a language all their own. Couple that with the talent and skill offered by your local florist and you have something personalized and beautiful that says exactly what you want to say exactly how you want to say it. Your local florist can create a themed arrangement, one featuring the veteran’s favorite flower or even one as a memorial to a fallen loved one.
When you buy local, you have the option of being as detailed in the process as you like. You can outline what you want down to the smallest detail or just tell them to make it beautiful. You can choose from what’s available or have a custom piece made just for you. When you shop local, you know you’ll get what you paid for and more!
We use Veterans Day to say ‘Thank You’ to those who fought and still fight for our daily freedoms. Shouldn’t you say it with flowers?
Remembrance Day is Tuesday November 11th, 2014! Originally began as a tribute to those who fell in WWI, it has grown into a memorial for all those who have died in armed conflict, both military and civilian. What better way to make the day special than with flowers?
Flowers have long been a tradition in Canada’s Remembrance Day celebration, specifically the red poppy. This flower was adopted in 1921 as the “Remembrance Poppy”. And though artificial poppies are widely available, nothing beats the beauty and grace found in a fresh cut flower. You can walk into any flower shop in town and find a beautiful bloom to wear near your heart.
The poppy has also been incorporated into wreaths laid on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier as part of the national Remembrance service, and recently spectators of the event have placed their own red poppies on the memorial after the service concludes.
There are many ways to use the red poppy to commemorate the fallen, and your local florist knows them all. Whether making them the centerpiece of a gorgeous arrangement to decorate the home or as part of a bouquet to lay on a tomb, your local florist will make exactly what you want.
Is there someone special you want to honor? They can put together an arrangement specifically personalized to meet your needs.
Walk in the door of your local flower shop and see what your florist can do for you!
November is a great month for flowers, (so is every other month, but I digress) and we’ve got some great reasons to visit your local flower shop!
#1 Veteran’s Day – November 11 It’s time to honor the men and women who have served in any branch of the armed forces to keep this country safe. And what better way to show them the love and appreciation they deserve than a gorgeous arrangement? When you visit your local florist you’ll find patriotic arrangements, patriotic colors and the freedom to ask for any combination you might desire. Those who served deserve appreciation and appreciation means flowers.
#2 Remembrance Day (Canada) – November 11For our friends to the north, this is the day you remember all those who have fallen in the country’s armed conflict. And it’s not just for those who served in the armed forces. Remembrance Day is for civilian casualties as well. Come by and pick up a poppy to wear on your clothes, find a wreath to lay on your local memorial or get some poppies to lay on the tomb of the unknown soldier.
#3 Forget-Me-Not Day – November 10thA day to reach out to friends and family that you may not have seen in some time. Have an aunt that lives across the country or a good friend across the state? Use the FSN florist finder to locate a local florist in their town. And remember, nothing says “I miss you,” like a beautiful and creatively designed arrangement from that flower shop on the corner.
#4 Thanksgiving Day – November 27thThere are so many reasons to buy flowers on this day of thanks. Need a magnificent centerpiece for your Thanksgiving feast? Looking for the perfect gift for your host/hostess? Maybe you just want to decorate your home in the spirit of the holiday. Whatever the reason, flowers are a must.
#5 November BirthdaysFlowers make a perfect birthday gift. Who doesn’t love natural beauty? And don’t forget the wonder of a living plant. Your local florist has everything you need to make any November birthday a great one!
Walking through the Flower Shop Network offices on October 31st can get a little … well, weird. The witches, vampires and skeletons are expected, but who anticipates running into Alan from the Hangover? Or that crazy alien guy from the History Channel? Napoleon Dynamite had a five minute conversation with a headless turkey this morning. Seriously.
But that’s what happens on Halloween!
These are just a few of the faces behind the voices you hear when you call into FSN’s relay department. Wait a second. The woman in black with all the name tags is an identity thief. In the relay department. That IS scary!
You didn’t know you were talking to Axl Rose or the Mario Bros. when calling your service rep, did you? I think Erin makes a perfect Flo!
The web services department! An eclectic collection of writers, graphic designers and SEO specialists posing in costume for your viewing pleasure.
Here’s our IT and Admin departments. You just knew Darth Vader had to be one of the people in charge, right?
Here’s a better look at our rockers. I love the theme costumes!
As always, the costumes were fantastic. And whether they dressed up as the cast from Hey Arnold! or Despicable Me’s minions, everyone had a great time!
The voting has finally come to an end, and we have our winners!
These three shops fought through a flood of entries just to be included in the list of finalists. To then be chosen from all the other amazing finalist submissions to earn their spot? What an accomplishment! The voting was extremely close with only a handful of votes separating each, but here they are: the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners!
3rd Place – Lori – Abloom, Ltd. – FSN T-Shirt and Mousepad
“We use corsage bags to keep all of the little hardgoods (ie: ribbon, bling, bracelets) for corsages with the order and for the boutonniere, a boutonniere bag. We put the order ticket right in the bag with the supplies, creating a “kit”.
This way the designer has everything they need to quickly assemble the items. It saves time by eliminating questions about the descriptions if the salesperson is not present when the order is filled.”
2nd Place – Dale – Baesler’s Floral Market – FSN Apron, FSN Money Bag and SuperCharge Your Designs CD
“Don’t take a complaint or concern about your service or floral arrangements personally, take it as a compliment! Why a compliment? My Grandfather always said, “That person thought so much about you that they are giving you a chance to improve on or fix the problem.” Most people just stop shopping with you. Thank the customer for letting you know, take care of the their problem and even if you think the problem was minor, give them their money back or another arrangement or whatever it takes to make the situation right.
This person took the time to let you know of an issue that needs to be addressed. Had they not told you of the problem, how would you ever know? You’d just stand around wondering why your customers had all gone somewhere else. We are not selling a unique product anymore, even gas stations sell roses on Valentine’s Day. All we have left is our service so be the best at service. Along with that, you present your outstanding arrangements and smiling faces. And even smile when you talk on the phone. You can hear a smile.”
1st Place – Pamela – Lee’s Floral & Gift Shop – 4 Training CD’s from Tim Huckabee and Floral Strategies, FSN Mousepad and FSN Money Bag
“Once a quarter (the beginning of each new season) I do a “Pay it Forward” bouquet. I give it to one local business with the instructions to enjoy for a short period of time and then pass it on to someone else to enjoy for a short period of time. The only rule is you must post a picture of the bouquet on Facebook after you receive it. My shop gets a lot of “likes” that day and a lot of free advertisement. I am also able to reach new people, as the arrangement gets passed to people not in my own circle of friends.”
If you are a member of Flower Shop Network, you can see all the entries collected in one place in the new Florist Tips category located on the FSNf2f.com Marketing Center page.
Thank you to everyone who participated, either submitting or voting, and remember to keep an eye on the blog and our Facebook page for soon-to-be announced information on even more giveaways!
We have an explosion of fall arrangements for you this week that range from excellently designed Halloween-themes to a beautiful tapestry of oranges, reds and yellows. Sit back, relax and enjoy this spooktacular floral display!
Wedding table decoration from River Birch Florist in Locust Hill, VA
Exquisite bouquet from Robyn at Flowers and More in Fresno, CA [Read more…]
Halloween is almost here, but there’s still time to order flowers!
Whether you need them for party decorations or as a gift for your host/hostess, your local florist is ready to make it happen. So walk down to the corner flower shop or give them a call and let them make the prospect of planning your Halloween decorations a little less scary.
Your local florist wears many hats. They put together fantastic arrangements, provide knowledge of flowers and their care and they are also a near limitless wellspring of ideas if you are stumped on what kind of arrangement you’d like for your Halloween celebration.
Are you thinking of a Halloween themed fairy garden but not sure how it should look? Let your local florist sit down with you to flesh it out. Maybe you’re looking for a way to amp up the spooky atmosphere of your haunted house. Contacting your local florist will give you a flood of ideas and someone to help you implement them.
Let your Halloween decorations will take on new life. Contact your local florist for some fantastic Halloween themed arrangements.
Fall is in full bloom at your local flower shop as the entries this week illustrate perfectly. We have amazing arrangements this week evoking the spirit of the season, paying tribute to those who have passed on and celebrating the beauty and celebration of life found in love. Scroll on through and enjoy this display of fall floral fabulousness.
Stunning bridal bouquet from Monday Morning Flower and Balloon Co. in Princeton, NJ
Breathtaking donation to a local hospice from Petals in Thyme of Wasaga Beach, ON
Seasonal arrangement from Wilma’s Flowers in Jasper, AL
Elegant fall table design from Petals in Thyme of Wasaga Beach, ON
Some Boss’s Day flowers from Wilma’s Flowers in Jasper, AL
Lovely spray from Wilma’s Flowers in Jasper, AL
Beautiful sympathy piece from Bud’s In Bloom Floral & Gift in New Albany, IN
Lovely design from Crow River Floral and Gifts in Hutchinson, MN
Funeral tribute for an outdoorsman from Petals in Thyme of Wasaga Beach, ON
Lovely standing spray from Wilma’s Flowers in Jasper, AL
Sympathy spray from Bud’s In Bloom Floral & Gift in New Albany, IN
Sympathy tribute for a military husband and father from Hobby Hill Florist in Sebring, FL
Who knows what next week will bring? Be sure to like us on Facebook for even more beautiful floral designs. If you’re a florist, we want to feature YOUR favorite design of the week right here on the Friday Florist Recap!
If you want to skip right to the poll, just scroll to the bottom!
Wow. That’s all we can say, florists. Just … wow.
From the moment this contest began, we received a constant flood of entries. Every time we thought the well was dry or that we had exhausted the pool of ideas out there, you proved us wrong. Fantastic tip followed fantastic tip serving to make this entire selection process extremely difficult. So difficult in fact, that we found no way to narrow the options to a mere three finalists.
How could we? They were too good!
Instead, we have selected ten finalists. TEN! And because there are so many excellent entries to choose from, we didn’t think it possible for anybody to pick just one. We certainly couldn’t. So now you will be able to vote for up to three different submissions. And because we had so many excellent entries, we had to give out more prizes!
1st Place – 4 Training CD’s from Tim Huckabee and Floral Strategies, FSN Mousepad and FSN Money Bag
2nd Place – FSN Apron, FSN Money Bag and Tim Huckabee and Floral Strategies SuperCharge Your Designs
3rd Place – FSN T-shirt and an FSN Mousepad
Voting will end on October 29th and the winners will be announced October 31st.
Here are your FSN and Floral Strategies Tips for Training finalists in no particular order. Go to the poll at the bottom of the post to place your votes.
Come on, let’s vote!
I find during the holidays it’s easier for me to develop a price point that I can easily change by adding one or two more flowers. I develop a recipe that has a good starting price point and make up to 30 vases. I have found if my vases are greened up I can make up to 6 to 8 completed vases in an hour.
Mary – Blossom Shop
We use corsage bags to keep all of the little hardgoods (ie: ribbon, bling, bracelets) for corsages with the order and for the boutonniere, a boutonniere bag. We put the order ticket right in the bag with the supplies, creating a “kit”. This way the designer has everything they need to quickly assemble the items. It saves time by eliminating questions about the descriptions if the salesperson is not present when the order is filled.
Lori – Abloom, Ltd.
Every day, usually on my lunch hour, I get social. I check Facebook, post on Pinterest or learn a new app, and this has made my shop much more successful. Not only do I keep up to date with social media, it also forces me to eat lunch. Lunch is a meal that I know a lot of florists skip, but my social media hour everyday keeps our shop happier, healthier, and busier!
Adele – A New Leaf Flowers and Gifts
Coming up with a lump sum to pay sales tax each month can be a challenge. To make sure I have enough to pay the bill, I set aside the sales tax collected each day. With a web-based bank account, this is a simple daily transfer from your checking account to your savings account. Then when the sales tax is due, I transfer the money back to my checking account and write the check.
Daniel – Blumen Garten Florists
We like to call it “Dialing for Dollars”!
We track customers Birthdays and Anniversaries and then we call them a week before to see if they would like to send flowers again. It assures that your shop is top of mind and that you care enough to make the extra effort.
We have been doing this for some time and 99.99% of the time we get appreciation and the majority of the time we are filling the orders!It adds a personal touch and increases your revenue. A Win Win for your shop!
Lance – Playa del Rey Florist
One of the greatest things about America’s favorite flower, the rose, is the fragrance. And sadly, most of the fragrance has been lost to genetic engineering in order to give the blossoms a longer vase life. If you really think about it the most fragrant flowers have the shortest vase life.
At The Flower Merchant, we add just a drop of rose scented oil by rubbing it on the underside of the foliage that is added to the rose design. It restores the element of the scent of flowers to the equation. I have notice that if I hand a rose to a client, the first thing they do is raise it to their nose for a good sniff. With the scent added, they smile and tell us how beautiful they are. The secret is to use a good, fragrant oil, and it just takes a drop! You don’t want to over do it!
Pat – The Flower Merchant Ltd.
Once a quarter (the beginning of each new season) I do a “Pay it Forward” bouquet. I give it to one local business with the instructions to enjoy for a short period of time and then pass it on to someone else to enjoy for a short period of time. The only rule is you must post a picture of the bouquet on Facebook after you receive it. My shop gets a lot of “likes” that day and a lot of free advertisement. I am also able to reach new people, as the arrangement gets passed to people not in my own circle of friends.
Pamela – Lee’s Floral & Gift Shop
Of course Holiday Time is always hectic. What I did since the first Christmas after opening my store 14 years ago, was to keep a Holiday Diary in Excel. I created a spreadsheet that captured the following information: Flowers ordered, quantity, from which wholesaler, Special containers, Holiday themed accessories. Then I would add in other information: Day of the week the Holiday fell on, weather, what sold well, what didn’t, traffic flow, problems, best ideas.
This proved to be one of my best ideas, because every year I and then my manager would pull out the diary for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day etc. Ready was the information on what to order (we would only augment the order to the percentage amount that regular business had increased over the previous year) and what to prepare for the Holiday. Over 14 years this worked perfectly and I believe we only had one Valentine’s Day when we were left with product (due to a snowstorm and no walk in traffic!)
Marilyn – Nineteen Melrose Flower Studio
When training a new employee for phone orders we have a paper order pad we’ve designed that matches our POS order entry. That way, if needed, the employee can write down any info if they become frustrated entering an order on the computer. Having the paper pad give the employee a back-up system in case they get panicked. Plus, it helps them get used to the POS form.
Darlene – DLN Floral Creations
Don’t take a complaint or concern about your service or floral arrangements personally, take it as a compliment! Why a compliment? My Grandfather always said, “That person thought so much about you that they are giving you a chance to improve on or fix the problem.” Most people just stop shopping with you. Thank the customer for letting you know, take care of the their problem and even if you think the problem was minor, give them their money back or another arrangement or whatever it takes to make the situation right.
This person took the time to let you know of an issue that needs to be addressed. Had they not told you of the problem, how would you ever know? You’d just stand around wondering why your customers had all gone somewhere else. We are not selling a unique product anymore, even gas stations sell roses on Valentine’s Day. All we have left is our service so be the best at service. Along with that, you present your outstanding arrangements and smiling faces. And even smile when you talk on the phone. You can hear a smile.
Dale – Baesler’s Floral Market
Don’t forget to vote!
Which Tip Deserves the Training?
Total Voters: 99
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