This Used to be a $40 "Make it Nice" Bouquet - Now it's SKU# 234FG36N! What Happened?

It seems like only yesterday you could take an order and just “Make it nice.” The entire retail floral industry was built on that common request, and that’s all you had to do – fill to the value requested by the customer and “make it nice.”

Then the Internet came along and completely changed the expectations of our customers by showing images of what can be expected.

Now you can’t just “make it nice” anymore, you have to “make it look like the picture.” You need the flowers, containers, balloons and even a ribbon…that HAS to match!

Meanwhile, prices continue to drop lower and lower to the point where it’s impossible to make a profit anymore. Consequentially, local florists have been dropping like flies. Some smartened up and others sold or closed shop. The rest will soon have to make some important decisions – and big changes.

So now what?

You have two options to survive, but inevitably you’ll have to choose one.

Option #1 is to redesign your operations to maximize the opportunity to be a fulfillment florist. With this option, 1-800 Flowers gets you the orders and you fill them. You build the facility, you pay for all the containers and they send you the orders with 1-800 Flowers labels and branding all over them. You’ll stay busy because 1-800-Flowers will continue to get orders and take business and send them back to you with significant cuts. Are you laughing? It’s happening now.

Option #2 is to start marketing and realize that no one is going to hand you success. Marketing takes work on your part, but you still have allies that can help you out. One that comes to mind is Teleflora.

Teleflora is the only company out there competing for orders and NOT direct shipping flowers. I can honestly say, I have seen them at work and their focus is on florist to florist business, containers and technology for florists to use to compete. They’ve even gone so far as to fight against order gatherers by kicking Wesley Berry out of their ranks for deceptive business practices. They truly are the only company I see helping local florists, but they can only do so much – the rest is up to you.

How can I compete with the “big guys” for orders?

Google Pay-Per-Click marketing is the single most important thing you can do to compete for orders. Organic listings on Google will no longer net you a top listing – no matter how well your SEO efforts may be.

Below is a Google search for florists in Dallas, Texas – the fifth largest media market in the United States. Who is at the top? Four well known order gatherers that don’t even have brick-and-mortar shops anywhere in the country, let alone in Texas. Why are they there? Because they use Pay-Per-Click to be at the top – leapfrogging ahead of every local florist in the entire Metroplex.

In the second graphic, you can see that Beneva Flowers is the highest listed shop in Sarasota, Florida (ahead of Ava’s and other order gatherers) due to Pay-Per-Click marketing efforts. This is why it is so important to understand how PPC works. We are happy to help you with this as I grew my company using it since 1998.

The game has changed and our beloved industry is a completely different animal than it was even a few years ago. Local florists are being squeezed out of the industry at an alarming rate, but there will always be a place for flower shops as long as customers are able to find them; effective marketing is the key to survival.

What about the wire orders?

If you’ve made the decision to stay in the game and have no desire to become a fulfillment florist, you still face the issue of what to do with filling orders from other florists. There is nothing wrong with filling orders – it’s what makes our industry special and unique. It worked well in the past and can work very well again in the future if we can all agree on some guidelines and adjust expectations nationwide by all florists.

Today we are seeking more and more florists speaking from both sides of their mouths. On one hand, they say they don’t want to keep filling orders, yet when the next phone line rings and it’s for a $100 order, they’ll take it. In fact, many of the same florists who won’t spend 7-10 percent of their annual sales on advertising (because they think it’s too expensive) will turn around and give up 30% to fill orders.

There is only one way to fix this, but we all need to agree on the following:



That is how we can keep the wire order alive and well. We need the industry to come together. Will this happen? It’s up to you.

Do you agree? Are you already on our INSIDER list of shops we contact for advice? Are you just a spectator that is waiting for everyone else to do it?

Regardless, we need you. Our industry needs a movement to standardize and create an expectation for the industry to meet and/or exceed. The consequences are, we do it, or 1-800 Flowers will do it for us. They already are, Look around, it’s coming.

If you want an industry that works, share this and be sure to add your name to the list. I’m here to help you – please let me know what I can do.

-Art

FTD Files for Bankruptcy: What Does This Mean for the Floral Industry?

As many of you are aware, FTD Companies filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week. While this news isn’t necessarily surprising considering some of FTD’s recent struggles, it has certainly created some concern in the floral industry since so many of us have relied on their wire service and products to help us run our businesses.

While this announcement isn’t good news for investors and likely signifies the end of FTD as a publicly traded company, it isn’t time for florists to panic just yet. FTD has stated that all customer deliveries will continue and said they have reached a tentative deal to sell their flower delivery business in North and South America to Nexus Capital. They also have offers on two of their subsidiaries: Personal Creations and Shari’s Berries; and are selling their International business to the Wonderful Co.  – the private company that also owns Teleflora.

This is a situation that I am keeping a close eye on and I will update you whenever new information is available. In the meantime, you can check out some of my thoughts on the FTD bankruptcy in the video below. Please feel free to call me or send me an email if you have questions or concerns that you’d like to discuss.

FTD filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week leading stock shares to drop about 75% of their value. While this may likely be the end of FTD Companies as a publicly traded company and bad news for investors, florists who rely on FTD for wire orders and service need not worry just yet.

Shopping for Father’s Day...At a Flower Shop?

Since flowers aren’t usually the first idea that comes to mind when people are looking for Father’s Day gift ideas, your shop may easily get overlooked if you aren’t marketing correctly. But that doesn’t mean you should pass up this excellent opportunity to ring up a few more sales.

Normally you want customers to think of you when they think of flowers, but how many of them will remember that you have plants and gift items as well?

Even though many shops have the word “gifts” in their name, it’s easy for the non-floral offerings to get overlooked by customers – especially if the items aren’t prominently displayed in the store or on the website.

Shopping for dad isn’t always easy, but you can help inspire your customers with some fun and unique gifts ideas that can’t be found anywhere else - and best of all...you deliver!

Gift baskets

Now is the perfect time to showcase your gift baskets. In addition to the pre-made baskets, you normally carry, be sure your customers know that you’re able to create custom baskets especially for them at whatever price point they desire. Don’t forget to promote any unique or locally-made goods included in the basket that make it exclusive to your store. If you don’t already have gift baskets available, it is easy to create them around almost any theme you can imagine.

Plants

Father’s Day is also an excellent time to feature your selection of plants. Plants are almost always a safe choice for Father’s Day thanks to their simple care and hearty nature. Plants make fantastic gifts that come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes to fit nearly anyone’s budget. If you have them off by themselves in a separate section of your store, make sure to have plenty on display in high-traffic areas.

Offering other suggestions

Cut flowers may not be big sellers for you on Father’s Day, but with the right marketing approach, you can assist your customers with some unique and unusual items they may not have even known you had available. Make sure your customers are aware of ALL the options you have for them and be sure to suggest add-ons to make this Father’s Day gift one-of-a-kind.

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Do you need help promoting your shop for Father’s Day? Bloomerang Solutions is here to assist! Whether it’s social media marketing or Google Adwords, we’re ready to help your business bloom! Give us a call at (941) 806-1911 or leave us a comment below.

Who Do You Trust to Handle Your Marketing and Social Media?

Thirty years ago, I helped my father in his flower shop by writing out the statements and mailing out bills. This was a very important task back then if we expected to get paid because most accounts in those days were invoiced. When computers took over that task we knew were witnessing the evolution of technology but we had no idea at the time how heavily we would rely on it for every aspect of our business going forward.

Even though many tasks have been made easier and more efficient than we ever thought possible, it still takes a new skill set to take advantage of these features and many small companies can’t afford to hire someone to effectively master and properly operate the programs necessary to be successful with the technology.

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 marketing opportunities like social media or pay-per-click advertising come along?

These are not only ways to run your business better, but they are also opportunities that need custom strategies. When they are working correctly and effectively, they could be the difference between success and failure for your business, but is now the right time to add several full-time marketing specialists to your payroll?

Specialized employees don’t come cheap but hiring inexperienced employees to handle your marketing could prove to be even more costly. 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 marketing and social media professionals 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 marketing. Unfortunately, most small business owners don't have the resources to hire full-time professionals 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: OUTSOURCING

Why should you consider outsourcing your marketing or social media? Lots of reasons, but here are a few important benefits to hiring Bloomerang's 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, offer benefits to, and 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 marketing and social media experts are not only experienced, but they also 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 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 online presence from your website to social media and targeted marketing with Google. 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 an option worth exploring if would like to keep a closer eye on the accounts you manage.

So, what are you waiting for? For a fraction of the price of hiring a full-time employee, you can hire a group of experienced professionals, 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.

-Art

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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 leave a comment below 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.

Focus on the Success and the Dollars Will Follow

I have never claimed that growing your business is easy or fun, in fact, it can be extremely challenging. I’ve learned from experience that the two most dangerous things you can ever do to a small business is grow your business or move your location. Both of those things sound enticing but they can have severe consequences if the timing isn’t right.

When small businesses grow too fast, they’re not always ready for the influx of business they receive. This can quickly spiral out of control and it won’t take long before they’re buried in problems they didn’t even know existed.

The main reason for this is because so many people make the mistake of equating growth with success; the more they grow, the more successful they’ll be. In a vacuum, that makes sense, but the problem is that most people ignore or simply underestimate the new responsibilities that come along with growth – they’re called growing pains for a reason!

Patience is key, but along with that, it’s important to realize that not everyone can grow a business – and not every business is ripe for growth. It’s a great feeling when you see sales numbers jump and that’s a good sign that growth may be a viable option in the future – but your focus should be on success, not growth. If you follow success, the dollars will follow.

Work smarter…and harder

If your goal is to grow your company and you feel that you’re ready to scale up, here are the three areas you need to focus on first:

• Staffing. Invest in the right people – look for those who are fast on their feet and are good critical thinkers who can handle some pressure. I always find restaurant staff is the best for understanding organized chaos and dealing with unexpected issues. Better staff can free up more of your time which allows you to focus on other areas.

• Training. Everyone needs training - even the top-level professional athletes spend much more time practicing than they do preforming. The key to great training is consistency. If all employees are trained the same way, there can be no dispute about what is right and what is wrong. Make sure your training materials are accurate, up-to-date, and taught consistently. Never assume that a new employee knows your business practices or procedures just because they have experience in your field.

• Measuring. Set your benchmarks now and keep a close eye on your progress.

Now that many of the major spring holidays are behind us, the next few month are the best time of the year to take a closer look at all aspects of your business in order to make the changes needed for a successful end to 2019.

Set your goals and expectations and focus on what is most important. To me? Close the sale and have plans to grow the relationship. Build from there and the dollars will follow.

I am here for you! Call me anytime at (941) 313-8025 if you would like to discuss or simply leave a comment below. Remember, it’s not just 'point, click, and order,' It's 'point, click, order…and grow'! You really can do it and next month you will have the order volume to get started!

Have a great week!

-Art