Elizabeth Presenting Flowers to Winner of Teacher Appreciation Day Essay Contest from Apple Creek Flowers!

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!!

Wendy and Fran gearing up for Another Profitable WIRE SERVICE Free Mother's Day at Apple Creek Flowers!

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.

Elizabeth Crisp: Real Florist!

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!

Photo Courtesy of Flowers by Local Florists

This Mother’s day there was an Increased awareness for the BUY Local Movement…  all across the country people were talking about Flowers… and although there was the occasional “negative flower campaign”… that the Society of American Florists help combat…

This Year… the BUZZ was about WHERE your FLOWERS Come from… and WHO you choose to buy them from….  I got the message from all over the country… Flower People Stepping forward to talk about the HISTORY of Flowers in America… This Article passed on to me from Kasey at the California Cut Flower Commission is a great Example! Read “WAR of the ROSES”!

Little did I know... that the Colorado Carnation would be a thing of the past!

My Friends are always Shocked when I tell them… when I was teenager… Colorado and California led the World’s Carnation Production… Today… NO Carnations are grown in the USA…

How about this News Report from Minnesota… about Buying FAKE FLOWERS??? I wasn’t sure what to think at first… but then as the story unfolds… you realize it’s about Len Busch Roses… one of the FEW (if Only) Remaining Northern Midwest Flower Grower still in operation… What a FUN Report!!! Watch “Economists: Don’t get your Mothers Flowers for Mother’s Day!”

My Parents, in their 4th generation Family Owned Flower Business…. (82 and 86 years young)… Still buy their roses from Len Busch… for Everyday and Holidays as well! Their Customers appreciate the effort…. and ask for them!

Or this Report from Florida… with a Local Florist talking about where your Flower Spending Dollars go… and their Dedication to finding Local Resources… when it comes to Mother’s Day Flowers and Foliage for their Customers! Watch “Florist Strives to keep spending local for Mother’s Day!”

It’s seems to be The TREND… the Media… the Consumer… and even the Florist… is realizing that have a Choice… (and a VOICE) when it comes to choosing where to Buy their Flowers… Supporting the Local Independent Business and Neighbor… over Wire Services or Box Shippers…

Here’s one more Gem… Posted by Flowers by Local Florists… Read “Why Buy Flowers by Local Florists!”. It’s lays it all out on the table…

To quote a couple of old adages… “Times… they are a changing”… and “the Only Constant you can depend on… is Change”…  Stay Tuned my Flower Friends… Stay tuned!

The BEAUTIFUL Hinsdale Flower Shop

We all know how important aethetics are when it comes to our floral business. I mean…we are FLORISTS…we better have the best looking shops around! We Florists are held to a very high standard when it comes to the exterior & interior design of our shops.

The exterior of florist shops should be an eye-catching “teaser” of what customers can find inside the store.  If we sport plain Jane, uninspired decor outside of our shops…what do we think customers will assume about our flower designs inside of our store?  Exterior decor should attract attention, stir excitement & expectation…and ultimately draw people inside!  Creating lush “landscapes” with plants, designing artistic window displays & making signs clearly/easily visible will draw foot traffic into the shop…something we ALL could use more of!

Hinsdale Flower Shop creates an exterior store display that is bursting with color and interest!  For anyone walking or driving past Hinsdale Flower Shop…they are treated to an incredible visual floral display of irresistable proportions! (see photo above)  How could you NOT be compelled to stop in and “smell the flowers” with all that yummy floral goodness on display?  Definately a traffic stopper for sure!

Take a fresh look at your shop’s exterior (or have a friend stop by and give a “customer’s point of view” observation) and get inspired by Hinsdale Flower Shop to do something fresh, fun and fabulous that will generate excitement & foot traffic at your biz!

Prom Corsages... Business as usual at Apple Creek Flowers!

One of the major ways to control costs is to control your inventory. It is essential to your bottom line to have the right product and the right amount of product. It is inevitable that there is going to be some waste with perishable product but with careful planning it can be kept to a minimum. Ending the week with an almost empty cooler and starting the next week with fresh, exciting assortments of new product keeps my designers and my customers happy.

Stocking certain varieties can be expensive if you don’t know your market. I watch my cooler like a hawk and my standing order covers the basics. That doesn’t mean all I carry are daisies and gyp, I am known to experiment. I fill in week to week with color and style. I love stock, I admit it, the fragrance is intoxicating and the colors can’t be beat.  K-paws in the fall, flowering branches in the spring, a few different things each week go a long way and get you out of a rut. Mix it up!!

Purple Mini Calla Wrist Corsage from Apple Creek Flowers!

Good design is ART after all and being different and unique is going to set you apart. Balance is the key. Keeping up on new design trends, being able to step out of your comfort zone and offering arrangements that aren’t what you would normally stock as cooler fill or on your website will catch people’s attention. I love when my customers say, “Just make something different, you always make something they love”.  If they want what everyone else is making, why should they call your shop?

The one thing a successful shop wants to be is known for is the quality of their product. I can offer outstanding customer service but in the end, if my flowers don’t last, I am not going to stay in business very long. It is not uncommon at all for my customers to gush, yes gush, that they can’t believe how long the flowers from my shop last. That, my friends, is why they come back. My wholesalers know not to waste my time or my money because I have been clear, don’t clean out your cooler and send me garbage. I had a few that I don’t order from anymore because I was tired of problems with every delivery.

Making it Personal... and Pleasing Every Customer... Everyday!

I have to laugh when I hear a certain company claim that their flowers aren’t kept in refrigeration but flown in from the field.  Well they may be cut fresh from the fields but after 7 days in a warehouse, they aren’t going to look like mine when they are delivered (in a box, vase included, some assembly required). Storing fresh flowers at the proper temperature increases their shelf life.

We all know that occasionally things go wrong and flowers die… If something isn’t right, FIX IT. Don’t grill the customer, just fix it, you are better off, trust me, in the long run.  Thinking in terms of your lifetime relationship with that sender AND recipient will reward you in the end. If all you are thinking about is THAT transaction, that’s not service, that’s just a sale.

Keeping records at holidays is absolutely essential. I put my orders on a spread sheet and every stem left is counted the day after every holiday so I know what sold and what I need to order for next year. Based on sales numbers I can tweak the order in either direction. The good news is, lately that is usually up! Weather, staffing, product condition, containers, feature items (yours, not theirs) are all important factors to track.

Do you have balloons? Chocolate? Remind your staff to add on, this one isn’t new, take advantage of the traffic and increase your average transaction. Make notes of anything unusual, did someone come in for something out of the ordinary? Can that be anticipated next year? Sometimes it doesn’t matter how well I try to plan a holiday, a request will come in for something that I don’t have, and I will try my best to look for it.  One of the most important things florists do for their customers is to make it personal. We facilitate the emotion and the experience, that’s why I love what I do.

Part 4 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!

Club uBloom Member Long Doan

Meet Club uBloom Member, Long Doan of Tinh Thuong Flowers in San Jose, CA!

About Long

Long describes himself as Loving, Friendly and Open Minded.  He gives his money to orphanages and students in Vietnam.  He enjoys his flower business and helping his customers…and they are happy with his business & service.  Long loves everyone and serves his customers from his heart.

Kelly Mace Marketing/Communications Director for Smithers Oasis

Kelly is the Marketing and Communications Director for Smithers Oasis Floral Products.  She has been married for 29 years and has two sons.  Kelly enjoys travelling, gardening, hiking/biking, working out and playing with Sadie, her new German Shepherd puppy!

When did you first “fall in love” with flowers?

I fell in love with flowers at a very early age; we always had fresh flowers in our house growing up and both of my grandmother’s were always planting their petunias and annuals in the spring! During high school, I took a floral design class in the evenings at a local floral design school (Robin Art School of Floral Design) and have been hooked ever since.

What was your first official flower “job?”

I started working at Smithers-Oasis in 1993, so officially I’ve been in the floral industry for 19 years.

When did you realize that you wanted to make a career in the floral industry?

When I first started working with our team of designers at our photo shoots and realizing that I was working with the most talented designers in the world.

You have been at Smithers Oasis since 1993…what was your first job at Smithers Oasis?

My first position was working part time in the Human Resources Dept.

Currently you are the Marketing Programs/Communications Manager for Smithers Oasis…tell us a little about your job and what it entails.

I am responsible for the floral marketing communications of our company. I currently manage our Design Director team, IDEA Magazine and IDEA Mail, our trade show participation and all of our floral communications to wholesalers and retailers.

You are in charge of managing your companys’ trade shows.  How many shows are you a part of each year…and which one(s) are the BIGGEST?

We participate in over 100 National, Regional, State and Wholesale Shows. The larger shows that we participate in are the Special Events Show, IFE, AIFD, NE Floral, Philadelphia Flower Show and Great Lakes Expo.

How do you decide which products to highlight at the trade shows?

Depending upon the show, we will typically introduce and showcase our newest products and feature those products.

Kelly Mace

Marketing is obviously the biggest factor in your job at Smithers Oasis. How do you keep your marketing ideas” fresh” and “appealing” to customers?

I would like to believe we are one step ahead of color trends and new products – giving our customers what they want even before they know that is what they want!

What do you like to focus on the most in your marketing?

We like to focus on how to help the retail florist grow their business.

How do you create marketing initiatives that make Smithers Oasis stand out from your competition?

We are involved in all forms of social media, i.e. facebook, twitter, youtube, etc. and with the help of our advertising agency, we stay on top of the social media trends.

Are there any marketing tips you can give to florists and event professionals?

We have developed a new series of marketing materials for retailers. Starting with our Everyday Tool Kit which includes marketing tools for a complete marketing campaign.  We know how expensive photography can be and how expensive it can be to begin a marketing campaign. We do all the work for the retailer, the Everyday Kit includes posters, information on customizing postcards, and emails and links to images. These images can be downloaded onto the retailer’s website. The kit also includes a desk blotter with matching inserts. Once signed up for the original Tool Kit, retail florists are then provided with updated seasonal kits. Check out www.oasisfloral.com/everyday for additional information.

You are also head of the famous “Smithers Oasis Design Team.”  How do you choose the team members?  What are the responsibilities of the design team?

The Design Director team are renowned Floral Designers throughout North America. They are selected by Smithers-Oasis based on their industry experience, reputation, presentation and design skills, and their availability. Our Design Director team is involved in everything from product development, color trend resources, and presenters and educators of our products at various industry shows throughout the country.

Working with such creative people is exciting but also a challenge. How do you keep members focused and on track without squashing their creativity?

Our designers pretty much know what we like and what may be a little too outside of the box. We never want to squash their creativity, but we do have to be realistic to what the market will accept.

Kelly's Boys!

You also oversee the publishing of the Oasis IDEA Magazine…which comes out twice a year in print and once a month via email newsletter. (I LOVE IDEA magazine btw…look forward to it!) IDEA is always filled with such creative designs and innovative Oasis products. How do you decide what to “showcase” in the magazine?

We meet several times beforehand, with our designers, advertising agency and  marketing team internally and discuss what we would like to showcase.The magazine comes out twice a year and typically coincides with our product launches, so we generally showcase new products and their applications. We also have two selection guides which come out seasonally, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. These selection guides are a resource for the retail florist to see seasonal design ideas featuring our products.

What is the BEST thing about your job?  What do you enjoy doing most?  What is the hardest?

The best thing about my job is the interaction that I have with designers throughout the country.  I enjoy working on photo shoots and learning and keeping up to date on upcoming trends and design techniques.

Which Oasis marketing campaign has been your most successful to date…and why do you think it was so successful?

I’d like to say they were all successful!  We put a lot of research and work into our marketing campaigns and listen to the retail florists for their input when we are developing our campaigns.

How has your marketing strategy changed since the economic recession?

We have been focusing on the retail florist and helping them with education, business tips, labor saving products and our Marketing Tool kits which I mentioned previously.

Sadie

Oasis is best known for quality flower foam…how many varieties do you sell and which one is your biggest seller?

We have OASIS(R) Floral Foam Maxlife Standard, Instant, Instant Deluxe, Deluxe and Springtime. We also have Advantage Plus.

Which foam do you recommend for thick stemmed flowers like Callas?

We recommend Deluxe and Instant Deluxe for thicker stemmed flowers.

Which foam is best for funeral work and other designs requiring a foam that can handle large amounts of flowers and a strong “grip” on flowers (so you don’t have any stems fall out).

Our new OASIS(R) Floral Foam Maxlife is now in all of our shapes including mache shapes. You can be guaranteed that flowers will last up to 50% longer than other floral foams and can handle a large amount of flowers.

Other than flower foam…what are the top 3 most popular products sold by Oasis?

Our Decorative Products, mache and designer shapes. Also Floralife products.

Which products do you think florists need to know more about?

We probably get the most questions on gluing and which glues to use for different applications. Also, how many carnations do you need for our Floral Foam Spheres?  We ended up doing a video on that one! Check out our youtube videos on www.youtube.com/oasisfloral to find out!

What is YOUR favorite Oasis product?

My new favorite product is our new OASIS® Floral Foam Float which debuted this spring. It is one that I have been passionate about bringing to market for several years.  I can’t wait to see how creative designers will be with this new product!

Oasis Colored Aluminum Wire is incredibly popular and versatile. Does Oasis have a “How To” video teaching florists how to create swirls, hearts, etc. with the wire?

Yes, we have several how-to videos, design tips, trend information on the OASIS YouTube Channel.

All your hard work was recently recognized by AIFD.  You received the 2011 Award of Merit from AIFD recognizing your contributions to the floral industry.  What an honor!  Tell us about that.

I was so honored to be recognized by the American Institute of Floral Designers. I was very surprised and couldn’t believe that I was chosen and I especially that I didn’t suspect a thing. The best thing they did was not tell my twin sister Kim or I would have known for sure. To be honored by my peers was the highlight of my career.

Kelly Mace with Sharon McGukin, AIFD and Tom Bowling, AIFD accepting AIFD’s Award of Merit Award

What is YOUR favorite flower and why?

My favorite flower is a white tulip, I love green and white together and this flower is just so simple, clean and beautiful to me.

When you aren’t performing your marketing magic for Smithers Oasis…what do you enjoy doing on your time off?

When I am not working, I enjoy being with family and friends. My mother has a house on lake Erie so I spend alot of time there in the summertime – love all of the local wineries too!  I also enjoy working out, biking, golfing, hiking and dancing. Suffering from empty nest syndrome recently, my husband Ken and I decided to get a German shepherd puppy that never stays still, so walking and playing with her daily is never ending.

One of your hobbies is traveling…where are some of the places you’ve visited?  What was your favorite place to visit? Where have you always dreamed of visiting?

I’m very fortunate to be able to travel for my position with Smithers-Oasis throughout the USA . I also enjoy traveling with my family; we’ve traveled to Cancun, Belize, Cozumel, Bermuda, Canada and throughout the US. One of our favorite vacation locations is Hilton Head Island, SC and hopefully one day we will have a retirement home there. I also love Chicago and New York and have been to both cities several times. My son recently moved to downtown Chicago, so he will have me as a visitor quite a lot! Sorry Bryan! I have yet to travel abroad, so hope that is in my travel plans one day, specifically Ireland, Italy, Germany and England.

You also enjoy gardening. What flowers & veggies do you regularly plant in your garden?  What are the easiest and hardest plants for you to grow?

I love to work in my yard (love to mow!) and the easiest plants for me to grow are hostas!  They just multiple and always do so well for me and grow anywhere I plant them. I design many container arrangements too in the spring and love to go to the garden center. My mother and I go every year together and it has become our “thing”. Plus the name of the garden center is Kelly’s.  I don’t have much luck with geraniums; don’t care for the leaves falling off all over.

Do you have any personal goals that you would like to accomplish within the next couple of years?

Yes, I would like to continue my education in floral design and marketing and that ever elusive 5K.

Ok, last question….What has been the most important piece of “advice” you’ve been given…and how has it helped guide your life?

I’ve always lived with the advice of many of my mentors in my life and that has always been to “treat others as you would want to be treated”, pretty much says it all. And the other most important advice from my best friend from high school, Vicki Brock, “It’s always better to be overdressed than underdressed!” – Still do that today.

Mother's Day Flowers

Which flower variety do you sell the MOST of for Mother’s Day?  Roses? Lilies? Orchids? Mixed Bouquet?  VOTE in our new uBloom Poll on our Facebook Page and let us know what flowers your customers buy most often on Mother’s Day!

Flowers push our sentimental buttons and make Moms smile.
Flowers drink more solution when it’s hot and mid-May is pushing right into summer.
Set up processing buckets a day ahead of delivery to pre-chill the solutions.
Prepare a back stock bucket of Chrysal Professional #2 and store in cooler.
Use cold solution to fill vases and top-up arrangements. Cold water travels faster than tepid in flower stems. Cold also reduces condensation forming on blooms (reducing Botrytis potential).

Hydrangeas: As the name implies, hydrangeas are big drinkers!

• Allow plenty of time for blooms to fill completely
• Process hydrangeas in Rose Pro Hydration for min. 6 hours up to 3 days then transfer blooms into Rose Pro Vase solution
• If Hydrangeas arrive wet packed from the wholesaler, process blooms into Rose Pro Vase or Professional #2 solution (min 2 hours).
• Check display buckets…daily! Hydrangeas can drink a bucket dry in a day!
• Top up with fresh solution (Rose Pro or Professional #2) not tap water!
• Display hydrangeas up high, in low-drip areas. Those round beauties suffer when the curious customer squeezes the heads or moisture drips on flowers.

Freesia: Display fragrant varieties on counter areas—the fragrance sells the bloom!

• Treat freesia in Chrysal Bulb T-bag solution so the entire comp of florets open
• Don’t feel compelled to give freesia stems a fresh cut unless the callous tissue on the stem end indicates flowers were dry for a long period. Freesia, like most bulb flowers, can drink just fine through the callous tissues on bottom of stem as long as it’s not too thick.

Gladiolas: Glads are super-sensitive to fluoride—if city tap water is fluorinated, consider using bottled water when making display solution. The cheapest brand works perfectly!

• Cut stems and display in Bulb T-bag solution. Unlike freesia, these bulb flowers need a fresh cut every time they go into fresh solution!
• Another big drinker, fill buckets at least 1/2 full and keep close watch
• Remove an inch of the apical tip of stems to promote floret opening all the way to the top. Snap off tips in a way that doesn’t ruin the aesthetics of a “pointed” bloom spike. (No Bart Simpson flower spikes, please)

Snap Dragons: These tall spikes love to dance and lean toward light and away from gravity and as pretty as they are, snaps foul the water fast. Keep your eye on display buckets. Change the solution as needed—likely a day earlier than other bucket changes.

• Clean that cutter blade at least 1 time every day! Spritz it with Chrysal Cleaner
• Give snaps plenty of room. Allow air flow in buckets to prevent damage to florets
• Top up buckets with fresh (cold) Professional #2 (NOT tap water)

Stock: Another big drinker! Stocks need flower food for that sweet fragrance.

• Process into Chrysal Professional #2 display food. Bulb T-bags also give great results with stocks! (prevent yellowing leaves)
• Absolutely critical to check solution level daily and top up with fresh Chrysal solutions, NOT tap water.
• Give plenty of breathing room in display buckets so Botrytis doesn’t take hold of the dragon’s nose!

Roses: The dearest mother of all….

• Work clean! Roses have very sensitive vascular systems–easily plugged with bacteria and air bubbles!
• Use clean flower shears or knives—NOT paper or ribbon scissors!
• Remove any petals showing signs of Botrytis. Avoid cross contamination by throwing infected tissue in trash, not on counter or floor
• Remove ONLY foliage that falls below water line. Leaves are the plumbing system pulling solution into rose heads.

For dry-packed grower boxes of roses:

• Process blooms in Chrysal Professional #1 or Rose Pro Hydrations hydration for 4hrs—3 days
• After stems are filled, transfer roses into cold Rose Pro Vase or Professional #2 solution where they are happy imbibing for 5-6 days

For wet-packed roses or roses your wholesaler has processed:

• Prepare buckets with cold Professional #2 or Rose Pro Vase solution.
• Make sure every stem gets a fresh cut

Peonies: Mom’s favorite! Ants love these flowers, too. In fact there is a symbiotic relationship between the insect and the flower so take time to inspect buds when putting buckets out on display. Knock off any ants that may be hiding in petal folds before they scare off customers.

• Take care not to cram too many bunches because the stems become a bit brittle as they harden up–snap off easily
• Display in Professional #2 solution. Prepare with cold water or pre-chill solutions–peonies open fast in warm environments
• What flower can drink a bucket dry fastest? I put my money on Peonies. Watch solution levels in buckets—these girls are BIG drinkers
• Top up with (chilled) Professional # 2
• ALWAYS provide customers with flower food packets to prepare vase at home. Peonies NEED sugar to hold in the vase