Florists Only - Bloomin' Blog

SCAM ALERT – Email Scam

September 7, 2012 by Kelly Curtis Leave a Comment

Just got word from Tim and Sandra Hooper at MaryJane’s Flowers that their email has been hacked and an email saying they need money because they were mugged in England is being sent.

I’m Sorry I didn’t inform you about my trip to the England for a program, I am presently in England, something extremely awful happened to me, I was mugged at gun point on my way to the Hotel by some Hoodlums and they made away with my Bag and other valuables. Presently my things are been held down by the hotel management due to my inability to pay the hotel bills which I currently owe, they even had to restrict my access to the hotel facilitates until outstanding bills are cleared and I don’t have a dime on me again, I had to walk down to the city library in order to send you this email. I have spoken to the embassy here but they are not responding effectively to the matter.

This is shameful, I need you to help me with a loan of $2,600USD to pay my hotels bills and get my self home. I will reiumburse you soon as I get back Home, with all the interest. I will appreciate whatever you can assist me with. Let me know Immediately.

If you receive this email, please contact your florist – where they will be diligently working in their shop.

More scam alerts from the Flower Shop Network blog.

Please, if anyone else comes across this, or any other floral industry scams, let us know so we can warn others by emailing social@flowershopnetwork.com.

Filed Under: Florists Only Tagged With: Scams

2012 AIFD Symposium – An Unforgettable Experience

August 14, 2012 by Mandy Maxwell Leave a Comment

One of the florists in our network had the marvelous opportunity to attend the AIFD National Symposium in Miami and has shared her story with us. Lori Himes, AIFD, CFD from A’Bloom LTD in Walkersville MD tells us all about this once-in-a-lifetime floral experience.

“Caliente means Hot, it was in Miami.. but it was hotter here [Maryland] than in Miami,” Says Lori.

“My first [symposium] was in California. And that was what… 5 years ago?” Lori has been hooked every since. And why not? The AIFD Symposium is one of the biggest floral design shows in the world. Lori not only attended this year’s conference, but also helped out behind the scenes.

“We did probably $100k worth of decor before we were done. That’s something I’ll never get to help with again in my life. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Floral Conventions & Flower Shows, Floral Design, Floral Industry News, Florists Only Tagged With: AIFD National Symposium, Floral Design, Floral Shows, Florists Conventions, Maryland florists

FSN at the 2012 Oklahoma State Florist Convention

August 7, 2012 by Mandy Maxwell Leave a Comment

Flower Shop Network had the fantastic opportunity to attend the 2012 Oklahoma State Florist Association‘s Convention July 28 – 29th! A convention filled with beautiful flowers, great workshops and top-notch competitions, including the Oklahoma Cup Competition!

Gorgeous flower arrangements in the Flower Shop Network booth. These were created by the talented Tammy Martens, designer at Generations Flowers & Gifts, Broken Arrow OK.

Here is Tammy Martens with her award from the Oklahoma State Florist Association. Way to go Tammy! (The biggest arrangement in the photo above was created specifically for the FSN booth [and we loved it!], the others were used in the competition.)

South Carolina Florist Association Convention 2012

August 2, 2012 by Mandy Maxwell Leave a Comment

We had such a blast at the South Carolina Florist Association‘s annual convention this past weekend! The show was themed “Inspiration for Innovation” and it was just that. With great presentations, competitions and opportunities for networking, this was the place to be for florists.

Check out the amazing floral design in the Flower Shop Network Booth! It was created by Bernard (pictured left) from Rosewood Florist in Columbia, SC. It was filled with lush hydrangeas, gorgeous gladiolus, bells of Ireland, roses and much more!

Here is a closer view of the FSN booth arrangement before it was put into the booth.

Florists on Facebook – Friday Recap

July 27, 2012 by Mandy Maxwell 1 Comment

It’s Friday! Time for our reader’s favorite post of the week — Friday Recap! In this post we show off the talent of our wonderful florists friends on Facebook. Again this week the big theme is WEDDINGS! I have done something a little different this time and broke it out into segments for each type of picture submitted, for today’s post we’ve got Wedding Flower Pictures, Everyday Flower Pictures and Sympathy Tribute Pictures. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook for even MORE amazing florist pictures!

Wedding Flower Pictures

Classic white bouquet by The Petal Patch, McFarland WI

“Traditional and Classic… but look at the great movement in this one! I never tire of the beauty of the natural flow of flowers.”

—

Fresh Gerbera bouquet by Lasting Florals, Midlothian VA

“Here’s a pretty funky Bridal bouquet I designed.”

—

Log Cabin Florist’s ‘Spot The Van’ Contest

July 25, 2012 by Mandy Maxwell Leave a Comment

Log Cabin Florist in Bakersfield CA knows exactly how to get their community excited about flowers!

Every month, they begin a new “Spot the Van” contest. When someone spots their fabulously floral van and snaps a photo, they can enter it into a contest to win a free arrangement from Log Cabin Florist to be delivered locally to themselves or a friend. How cool is that?

The contest runs during the summer months of June, July and August. To spread the word about Spot The Van, the flower shop sends out emails, announces it on their Facebook page and at the workshops they host. This contest is a terrific way to get the community of Bakersfield excited about flowers and florists. Way to go guys!

Is your local florist hosting any summer contests or workshops? Are you a florists doing something like this? Share your experiences, thoughts or ideas in the comments below!

Filed Under: Florist Spotlights, Florists Only Tagged With: Delivery Vehicles, Flower Delivery, Marketing Tips

2012 Texas State Florist Convention: Recap & Photos

July 24, 2012 by Mandy Maxwell Leave a Comment

Over the weekend, part of the FSN Team traveled down to the Lone Star State for the Texas State Florist Association‘s Annual Convention. This year’s theme was, “Floral Paradise” which is exactly what they created. In their unusual location, The Hanger Hotel (an actual airplane hanger!) they brought paradise to life with only the flair florists can bring.

Metro retro. The old hanger definitely had a retro vibe. Love the way these creative Texas florists work it into their show. Looks like something you’d see in a old war-time postcard or something. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Floral Conventions & Flower Shows, Floral Industry News, Florists Only Tagged With: Floral Conventions, Flower Pictures, Texas State Florists Association, Texas State Florists Association Convention, Tropical Flowers

15 Snapshots Florists Should Keep In Their Phones

July 12, 2012 by Mandy Maxwell 3 Comments

Important Pictures to Take on your Cell Phone Let’s face it, as we age our memories are just not what they used to be. If you’re anything like me, you’d loose your head if it wasn’t attached! However, with new technology, there are lots of things you can do to help yourself remember, the most important of these is your cell phone! Whether you’re carrying and old Razr or an iPhone, make it work for you in more ways than just calling friends.

Most modern cell phones have some sort of camera on them. Sure, it’s great for grandkids, but it can also be used for many other things you might not think about, such as aiding our memory.

15 Photos Florists Should Keep In Their Phones

1. Where you parked – For some deliveries, this will really come in handy!
2. Pictures of any refills – Take pictures of the sizes, brand, or other specific information on refill-type products you might use in the store, such as: printer cartridges, specific flower food, light bulbs you use, gift items used often, etc.
3. Common design recipes – Keep your best-sellers handy.
4. Delivery vehicle license plates – Just in case something happens, or you need to know it when they are gone. You can also take a picture of the mileage when necessary.
5. Hotel room numbers – When going on trips to florist conventions!
6. Delivery drop offs – Keep a record of how the flowers looked when they are delivered.
7. The White Board – If you have a white board or other place you write out shopping lists, take a picture of it right before you leave so you don’t have to copy it all down again! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Florists Only, Tips & Tricks Tagged With: Florists Only, Tips For Florists

Have You Claimed Your Bing Listing?

June 28, 2012 by Mandy Maxwell Leave a Comment

It’s very important to make sure all of your information is correct and consistent across all web profiles and listings. If you have not claimed your Bing listing, what are you waiting for?

Claiming your Bing Local listing is another of the FREE services that you can use to make your shop’s presence known and control the information that search engines see about your flower shop. It’s as simple as that. Actually, FSN has made it even easier for florists. We have a Checklist for Claiming Your Bing Listing you can print out to keep the information you provide for your own records. We have also recently updated (just yesterday!) our Complete Guide to Claiming Your Bing Listing that will walk you through, as a florist, with examples and screen shots.

FSN is committed to helping florists promote themselves and their businesses, both on and off the web.

Filed Under: Florists Only, Marketing Tips Tagged With: Bing Local, Marketing Tips, Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization

How Florists Keep Flowers Cool During The Heat

June 27, 2012 by Mandy Maxwell 2 Comments

Wooo! It’s a scorcher out there, and it’s only going to get worse! I don’t know about you, but I can barely keep my lawn alive during this heat, and flowers — forget about it! So how is it florists keep such beautiful flowers all year long, even Sun - Heating Things up for Florists on deliveries?! Here are some tips our florists shared with us yesterday.

Tips For Keeping Flowers Cool In The Heat

Make sure the A/C in your delivery vehicle is in good shape and prepared for summer.
Make sure the delivery vehicle is cooled off before loading. – via Lisa from West End Florist, Rome GA
Invest in a spare key so you can leave the car running while making other deliveries. – via Emily from The Enchanted Florist, Asheville NC
Check newly arrived flowers for improper temperatures.
Immediately prep and refrigerate newly arrived flowers.
Try not to move flowers in and out of the cooler while designing.
Make sure the temperature of your cooler is adjusted properly for your flowers.
Choose lighter colored delivery vehicles to help keep them cool.

Flowers and plants need to be kept at a certain temperature in order to breath and intake food properly. Keeping flowers at a consistent temperature is vital for reaching a it’s full vase-life potential. Low temperatures also slow down the growth of bacteria and other micro-organisms, which will extend the vase life for customers.

Before a flower arrives at your local flower shop, it has made a long journey. Starting with the growers, they are shipped in refrigerated planes or trucks to the wholesale level. Wholesalers keep these flowers in coolers until they are shipped to the florist, who also stores them inside a cooler. After all this refrigeration, you can see why flowers would get finicky once they are out of the cool. Florists do their best to maintain the right temperatures for their flowers.