Are gerberas among your staple flowers? If so, you have an opportunity to make a big difference in lives of Guatemalan children. Let us introduce you to Gerbs of Hope, a foundation started by the Fratti family, owners of Verdifratti Farms in Guatemala. To raise funds to provide children with nutrition and medical care, the …
Happy August, everyone! Here in Florida, the month is practically synonymous with thunderstorms. Although traditionally our rainiest month of the year, August 2015 seems to truly be one for the record books. Tampa, for instance, typically gets 5-9 inches each August. As of today (August 6), the city’s already had 7.8. In the past two …
About a week ago, the owner of a diner in Maine demonstrated some of the worst customer service conceivable. Perhaps you saw the story, which went viral on social media and many national newspapers, including The Washington Post. In summary: a family walks into a crowded diner on a Saturday morning. Their toddler daughter, stressed …
You may purchase top quality flowers and employ creative designers with prestigious accreditation, but if your sales staff lacks confidence, ambition or tact, your business will never meet its potential. Training, an invaluable exercise for every employee, improves these shortfalls — to a point. Some people simply aren’t cut out for certain roles, says Mitch …
Most children embrace summer vacation as a time to be lazy. Not Claire and Bridget Geary. On Friday, June 26, the girls went to work with their mom, Jen, owner of Sterling Rose Design in Avon Lake, Ohio, to shock and awe some locals with the joy of flowers. Across the country, hundreds of florists …
It’s been nearly a decade since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. In that time, two enterprising women turned a community building activity into a national franchise. Perhaps you’ve heard of Painting With a Twist®. The business, which pairs instructional art with friends and spirits, has more than 220 locations in 30 states. Earlier this year, …
If you want to be known as a florist who’s chic, creative and cutting edge, you need to be educated on the latest trends. That means tuning into the fashion world, synthesizing what you see and applying it to your designs. That can be a lot of work. Fortunately, there are a few experts in …
This week, all eyes have been on Charleston, S.C., the latest site of senseless carnage. The murders of nine people at a bible study at Mother Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church has stirred up many emotions — sadness, fear, anger, disgust — not to mention a fierce debate about South Carolina’s legacy with slavery, secession and the …
Last week, Jacob McCall, AIFD, competed against 25 of the world’s top florists in Berlin for the Fleurop-Interflora World Cup, the industry’s preeminent design competition held every four to six years. (Consider it the floral Olympics.) Participation in World Cup is by invitation only and competitors must have already been successful in competitions or shows …
Many florists regard summer as a drag: daily orders slow, no major gift giving holidays occur, and everyone seems to operate in vacation mode. But for Carolyn and Vince Butera, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, summer is the best. It’s a time to turn customers into friends and to bond with fellow small business owners in their community. …
With Flag Day (June 14) and the 4th of July coming up, perhaps you’ve considered displaying an American flag at your shop to show your love of country. Research suggests that, just as customers prefer buying locally-sourced or made products, they also like patronizing patriotic businesses. But be advised: there are very specific rules you must …
There are so many phrases that flowers express. I’m sorry. Thank you. Congratulations! Feel better. I love you. This is a fact that every florist knows but one that’s not so obvious for consumers who have unlimited gift options for nearly every occasion. But for the thousands of people who visited graveyards last Monday to …
