Guest Blog: Breaking up is Hard to Do! By Elizabeth Crisp: Real Florist!

Come on, you know you want to be single. The relationship is no longer working for you.  You give and you give and all you are asked to do is give more. There is an obvious imbalance in the amount of work you do and the benefits you are getting from your partnership.How do you break up with someone who you have come to rely on?  Have you allowed yourself to become complacent, just going through the motions? Do you think you can't possibly live without them?  How will you survive? When do you decide that enough is enough, you can't go through another holiday like this, over worked and under appreciated.I am talking about the major Wire Services.I did it, it wasn't painless, it wasn't quick, but I did it.And I survived.You will need to take control of your independent brick and mortar business. Some things to think about before you make this decision:•    You will need a POS system, unless you still are handwriting tickets and enclosure cards, which is another discussion entirely. A system that is user friendly and can retain customer’s information.•    You will need a uniquely designed website with a shopping cart and a company to host your site. A site where you can showcase YOUR shop’s designs and have complete editorial control over pricing and content.•    You will need someone to maximize your presence on the search engines, enabling you to compete in your market. Getting to #1 organically on Google is no easy feat, a good SEO team will know how to code your site with the most effective tags•    You will need a way to process your credit cards, watch out for early termination fees and contracts. A company who works with your POS system and website, start saving on processing fees, get the wire services OUT of your cash flow!!Just think, you will no longer have to fill orders that are undervalued to begin with. You will no longer be paid a fraction of the value of a Wire Service order after fees. You will set the pricing for your product and your delivery. You can get 100% of every order you fill.  In the long run you will be in control of your inventory, your marketing, your payroll. Just think about it, you can own AND control your business.After A LOT of research I found out some very interesting things.

Part 5 of a 6 Part Guest Blog from Elizabeth Crisp owner of Apple Creek Flowers. Stay tuned for Part Four of this REAL Life Flower Success Story!