No reason to be alarmed, FTD is here to stay

Some of you have seen this recent news article from the Chicago Tribune about some troubling news from FTD. According to the article, “FTD could go out of business or shrink its operations this summer if it doesn’t find a buyer or raise money by June 1.” 

At first glance, that sounds like terrible news for the floral industry, but we spoke to our sources at FTD who clarified what was being reported and assured us they’re not going anywhere. 

This is a time to think about where you feel most comfortable. Who is running your technology and what is most important to your business? Is it just about orders? Is it about running your business?

The truth is while this sounds more scary that I believe it is, FTD borrowed $400 Million and now owes $215 Million and is still making money. This is not a sign they would go anywhere. They can and should make more, but they are NOT losing money and that would be a concern.

Teleflora, on the other hand, is privately-owned and as far as I have seen, a very stable company. But if the family uses funds for whatever reason, to do anything, they do not owe any explanation.

I would like to see shops work together as teams. FTD and Teleflora both have their own strengths and shortcomings - so what you need for your business is most important.

If anyone is bashing FTD over this I doubt it would be Teleflora. Consider sources

According to FTD, the company filed its year-end 10-K (as required for any publicly traded company) but the article failed to characterize it properly. Any time a public company has loan or credit agreements, they are required to list any risks associated with the amendments of that agreement. 

FTD is a billion-dollar company and will reach $40-50 million in EBITDA in 2019 so there’s no reason to panic or overthink this report - FTD is not going anywhere. In fact, they are currently working on a new cutting-edge website platform that they plan do roll-out early this summer. 

With this new platform, FTD is focusing on the needs of the retail florist by upgrading and enhancing the back-end capabilities of their websites. We’re excited to see how well the new changes perform when they begin upgrading their current websites in waves starting on June 1.

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The Industry Responds

As this news reaches more people, the industry is starting to react and take action. Floral Systems, who offer point of sale products has issued the following release urging FTD customers to consider other options.

The truth is, FTD borrowed $400 million and in 5 years has paid down the debt and still maintaining a profit. They have plans to create new back end systems and acquired a company most recently to help them improve the websites as clearly, we all know, we need more than a fancy landing page these days. They are making an effort. Having POS companies play up on this? Well, I just think everyone knows what is available and the relationship is the difference. Who hears you and treats you best?

This should not be a reason to jump ship in my opinion as I have heard comments that FTD will be gone in six months several times.

 I would just say, if you do not care for one or the other wire service, let them know. They need you to survive, FTD is far more aggressive and with good reason. This is and has been the ride with them for years and years. Your business should rely on YOUR needs and communicate with whoever could do a better job for you. Wire services like Teleflora are the ONLY ones who do not ship flowers in a box and other than that, it's personal preference. I applaud them for that but understand FTD is up against 1-800 Flowers and if one does it, the other does too. That's my 2 cents. What's yours?

 -Art

Bloomerang Solutions can help your business bloom with custom websites, reputation and social media management, online marketing with Google and much more! Visit our website or give us a call at 941-806-1911 for more information.

Outsourcing is a Wise Business Decision When Resources are Limited

In order to run a successful business, you need to make smart decisions that often require utilizing different levels of effective trade secrets or strategies in order to achieve that success.

But what happens when new opportunities like social media or pay-per-click advertising come along?

These are not only ways to run your business better, they are opportunities that need custom strategies. When they are working correctly and effectively, they could be the difference between success and failure for your business.

With something so important as the survival of your business on the line, do you really want give up that much responsibility to a fresh-out-of-school employee simply because they "know the lingo" of social media? If so, it's important to first learn exactly what these so-called "socially connected" kids know and find out exactly how they plan on utilizing your social media accounts.

They may talk a good game and know how to get your listings live and looking nice, but do they know how to properly utilize all the available business features? How are they measuring results for you? Are they constantly searching for the next new strategy that will give you an edge? Can they tell a good idea from a bad one? And most importantly, is the person doing all this for you going to stay with you for 5 or 10 years? If they leave, what will you do?

There's a lot more to consider when hiring a social media professional for your business because there is a lot more on the line. Social media for business is a completely different animal than posting selfies and memes. Remember, everyone you meet can call themselves a "photographer" because they carry a nice camera in their pocket, but that alone is not a good reason to hire them to shoot your wedding.

As with most things in life, you usually get what you pay for when it comes to your social media. Unfortunately, most small business owners don't have the resources to hire a full-time professional social media manager so they hire someone cheap with little or no experience and hope for the best.

That's one solution, but here's a better one: OUTSOURCE

Why should you consider outsourcing your social media? Lots of reasons, but here are a few important benefits to hiring Bloomerang's social media experts:

• Hiring a professional to run your social media will ensure professional results and is less expensive than hiring and training your own full-time employee who you'll also have to manage - plus you don't have to offer us benefits or cover days off!

• Our focus is on keeping you as a client and not auditioning for a better job offer. We're already exactly where we want to be and that's with you - not with whoever may come along offering a higher salary.

• We can train anyone in your company to get them up to speed. Our social media experts are not only experienced, they live and breathe social media and stay on top of the constantly changing trends in the industry.

• Our staff does nothing but what you contracted for us to do - all day, every day!

• Your results are guaranteed.

At Bloomerang Solutions, not only do we create an expectation, but we give you one that is reachable before we begin our work to get you there.

Best of all, no contracts, just agreements! In other words, you'll never have to fire us - but you can quit any time you'd like with nothing more than a 45-day notice. If you ever decide to quit our services, it is our professional responsibility to turn over all information that is outlined in our agreement back over to you - it's your business, you're in control!

Want to keep it in-house?

Bloomerang Solutions is ready to handle your entire social media presence from posting to community management, but what if you already have a great staff member working on your accounts? Never fear - we can work with them to execute the strategies we create. We like to have a team on your end to work with, so that is definitely an option worth exploring if would like to keep a closer eye on the accounts you manage.

So, what are you waiting for? For as little as $200 a week you can hire a group of experienced professional, get results, improve your sales and engagements, and now focus more attention on the rest of your business while never having to worry about who has your access and what anyone else is doing.

Some of the best companies in the world understand this value. Unless you are big enough to run your own in-house agency, it makes sense to tap our knowledge base and let us get you results you desire. We're ready to help you supercharge your social media and achieve results you never thought were possible. Give us a call at (941) 806-1911 or email us here to get started or to simply talk to one of our agents to find out if Bloomerang Solutions is the right choice for managing your social media.

Want to Land More Weddings? It's All in Your Approach

When you look at all the wedding networks and wedding workshops out there, it seems like we’ve already covered every possible way to perform beautiful weddings, yet I still have florists asking me how to sell such an event.

One of the biggest complaints I keep hearing is about brides with budgets, which is kind of surprising when you consider that all brides have budgets – even the ones in the beautiful magazine photos.

Determining which part of the wedding budget you get depends on you and how you approach the consultation and how well you explain why what you are prepared to show cannot be lived without.

That’s right, most brides set a conservative budget for florists because they have no idea what you’re capable of doing. My question to you is: will you keep that a secret or are you ready to ‘wow’ them into a memory that will never be forgotten? It’s all up to you!

Many of you may know me as a marketer, but I am a florist first and yes, even a designer. It all started for me in a restaurant when I sold something I didn’t have but was able to make everything come together after I got the order. The point is, don’t limit yourself and your abilities – unless, of course, you really can’t do it better than your competition.

I believe you can, so now it’s time to show it and watch your sales go through the roof. Call me and let’s talk. It’s time to add the marketing magic into the creative design capability that will never be showcased without a sale and a demand for it.

Now is the perfect time of year to step up your game in the marketing department when it comes to weddings, and we’re here to help you make sure you’re getting what you’re worth. So many florists out there produce unbelievably gorgeous results, but they just aren’t able to market and sell it properly, and that needs to change.

Please give us a call anytime at (941)-806-1911 or email me here to set up a time to talk about your wedding business and the areas that may be holding you back. I have over 30 years of experience and I’m here to help you see the results you deserve.

-Art

Teleflora: A Business Partner Like No Other

By Art Conforti, founder

When I work with florists trying to grow their business, the first question I ask is, "what is your goal?" The next, "what is your plan to get there?" If they don't at least mention Teleflora in their response, I always know where to start.

For over 20 years now, Teleflora has rewarded and thanked florists for supporting the network with their orders. The orders sent through Teleflora help many florists prosper. You see in my opinion, no one is doing more to help local florists succeed than Teleflora to ensure this continues.

They offer every possible option for helping florists operate a business including point of sale equipment, signage for your shop, images to sell, credit card programs (which are better than almost any local bank), state-of-the-art tech websites, and dedicated support staff available to help any florist in need, at just about anytime.

What I applaud most about Teleflora is, they generate their own orders (which they do by marketing) and send them through their system. They secure the trust of the online shopper and completes the transaction with the help of a LOCAL RETAIL FLORIST who designs and delivers the order. They clearly appreciate the time and hard work their members put in to generate orders to send through the network and they make showcasing flower buyers a priority.

What if Teleflora was not out there doing this? I would bet the chances are far greater that FTD or 1-800-Flowers would get those orders. Why? Because they have the marketing dollars. The local retail florist has what they need to market locally, but unfortunately, not enough do. Teleflora even tries to help florists understand how to compete by offering programs to market local florists. But what really makes Teleflora stand out is the fact that they NEVER ship flowers in a box, it is always designed and delivered by a local florist. I personally appreciate this.

Teleflora supports any shop looking to grow their business. It's important florists remember one thing, Teleflora needs florists to be successful for Teleflora to be successful, and that's a great position for florists. So reach out and talk to your Teleflora representative, myself, or anyone you feel comfortable speaking with and make decisions that are best for you and your business. That is everyone's goal because if we do well, our support systems do well.

Did you know...

• Teleflora will make you a custom website just about any way you like? Just ask.

• You don't have to carry every image Teleflora offers. If you don't control your inventory, Teleflora can't either. You will end up with more options than you want. This is up to you.

• Teleflora is the ONLY wire service that offers after-hours service for YOUR customers. Answering services are not cheap. Teleflora continues to make them available to local flower shops at affordable prices. Shop around, I did. I was amazed. There are so many more values they bring to the table. I find when florists seem frustrated it is because they are not informed.

Last but not least, Teleflora handles order resolutions FAR GREATER than any credit card company does. If there is a problem, Teleflora is pretty fast, to the point, and fair. They see the big picture and want all their members happy.

Let's remain optimistic and enjoy the beauty of this industry. Our greatest strength, we can have a bouquet HAND-DELIVERED on the same day, anywhere in the USA! Let's not forget the power of what made us special to begin with. I am always available for you any time day or night. You can reach me at (941) 806-1911 or drop us a line here.

Bloomerang Featured in SRQ Magazine

Bloomerang Solutions was featured in a recent SRQ Magazine article along with one of their clients, Sarasota-based personal injury attorney Tom Harris of the Harris Law Group. The article can be seen in its entirety below.

Bloomerang Solutions specializes in helping small business owners succeed in a crowded retail marketplace with effective marketing strategies and customized business solutions that target the right customers through online advertising, robust websites, and social media campaigns.