Florists to florists Directory

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Hollywood

Hollywood

Active Member
Jan 20, 2008
174
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43
83
GRASS VALLEY CA 95949
www.countryflorist.net
State / Prov
California
:ghug:
When do we start??????
We just dropped Teleflora the last WS we had .
We dropped "The Joke" 800 flowers long ago.
We have started a list of REAL FLORISTS for ourselves, it is yet small but, I plan to make it longer with time.
You are welcome to this list.
You are important and people read what you write
It seems to me that a lot of florists will need to be pushed hard, because without wire services they feel alone, but like I wrote to somebody this morning, "you are not alone, you have about 50.000 other florists around you"

I think if we suggest to these great guys who handle Flower Chat, to start a segment on the Flowerchat site where each of us could add our list of Real florists who we trust we could very easily bounce business back and forth to each of us.
A member of our group said once: "If florists were as good mathematicians as they are designers, things would be different."
If one puts together the revenue of the Wire Services together it will amount to MULTI MILLIONS of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
We can, I am sure share this money among ourselves without the help of Wire Services and Order Gatherers.
All we need to know is names of florist who want to be a part of this
list.
If WE florists do not have to worry about money, I think we will design
prettier arrangements.
It will show and the recipient of this change of mood and change of business, will be our DEAR customers and clients and ourselves.
As HONEST and ETHICAL florists we owe this to our customers and to ourselves.
We are ready here.......Let's do it.

Let's do it and tell us what we can do to help.
Thanks a lot.......Henry & Sherry!!
__________________
Sherry & Henry FISER
www.countryflorist.net
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When we quit TF we did not feel alone as much as relieved!
It was sort of like having a ugly growth removed. I agree with you 100%
I want to create a map with links to FC chat members sites for my customers who are looking for a non-local florist since we currently don't offer any wire services.
Congrats. Viva la independant florists!
 
yay! I'm in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wish I knew how to lead the way here.....alas...not so...
Looking forward to all input..
jeannie
 
I've been independent for 2/12 years, Hey I'm still around!!!! People contact
direct, no fees. Fill me in on what the list will be like if you know.
Elmo:bouncy:
 
Auburn Country Florist said:
:ghug:
When do we start??????
We just dropped Teleflora the last WS we had .
We dropped "The Joke" 800 flowers long ago.
We have started a list of REAL FLORISTS for ourselves, it is yet small but, I plan to make it longer with time.
You are welcome to this list.
You are important and people read what you write
It seems to me that a lot of florists will need to be pushed hard, because without wire services they feel alone, but like I wrote to somebody this morning, "you are not alone, you have about 50.000 other florists around you"

I think if we suggest to these great guys who handle Flower Chat, to start a segment on the Flowerchat site where each of us could add our list of Real florists who we trust we could very easily bounce business back and forth to each of us.
A member of our group said once: "If florists were as good mathematicians as they are designers, things would be different."
If one puts together the revenue of the Wire Services together it will amount to MULTI MILLIONS of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
We can, I am sure share this money among ourselves without the help of Wire Services and Order Gatherers.
All we need to know is names of florist who want to be a part of this
list.
If WE florists do not have to worry about money, I think we will design
prettier arrangements.
It will show and the recipient of this change of mood and change of business, will be our DEAR customers and clients and ourselves.
As HONEST and ETHICAL florists we owe this to our customers and to ourselves.
We are ready here.......Let's do it.

Let's do it and tell us what we can do to help.
Thanks a lot.......Henry & Sherry!!
__________________
Sherry & Henry FISER
www.countryflorist.net
progress.gif
Click to expand...

When you approached me about filling your orders coming to my town, you asked if I did an 80/20 split. I was busy and was unable to respond but I am curious as to why you would want a split like that when you are trying and encouraging florists to have an arena so to speak to get their orders delivered. I mean this with sincerity...how is this different than a ws except for a membership fee. I have never understood 80/20 to non WS members...if you can explain that to me, I might be intrested. I take plenty of credit cards from Florists including some from FChatters and so far none of them ask for a split...we do an upgrade but they seem to be glad to have a happy sender. Thanks
Sher
 
Excellant, I'm just saying

I always wondered why anyone would use a wire service?:flowerfac In this day & age of computer service. If you have internet...someone comes in & says I need to wire flowers....You would take the info...get on the net find the best site in the area they want &.....you the florist USE the telephone & call & place the order....You the florist would have 1 credit card in your shop's name designated just for this......if there was a list that we all created of florist that did not belong to a traditional wire service.....one of the requirements to be apart of this list maybe.....Florist placing order would charge wire fee to customer? When the customer paid it put the money back in that account plus a little? The wire fee would have to be an agreed amount, same rate maybe another requirement to be part of "Real Florist's Wire Service"??? Any way I chatter to much.....Isn't there a "Techie":SUI: on this site who could give some good advice on this? I do think it is a great idea! but I'm just a :newbie & Know nothing.
 
I'm trying to figure how to make the florist to florist transaction happen. I am finding more often than not, that in the smaller mid west towns, there are no TF of FTD shops to fill my orders. I'm thinking about getting a credit card specifically for use of sending orders to other flower shops.
I have create a system for filling other shops with no sales tax taken. I have a florist to florist file that I keep a copy of the other shop's tax exempt certificate and a copy of the invoice of the order. Just in case..... Won't take the order without a faxed tax exempt certificate.
I'm still not sure how to handle the 80/20 split. Too complicated, that's what we pay TF and FTD to do - to be a clearinghouse (among other things). I give professional courtesy and tell the shop that's sending me the order to give me a total dollar amount. If they want to take some off the top, I tell them it's their call. I give good value for the dollar.
This is new territory for me.
 
KUDOS to Henry & Sherry!

YES Henry and Sherry, there is LIFE after the Wire Services.

So, good for both of you in making the right decision for YOUR BUSINESS and YOUR BOTTOM LINE rather than worrying about THEIRS!

We DUMPED FTDI back in 2001 and REJOINED TELEFLORA after having been FTD ONLY! since 1984 when back then, we dumped all six out of the seven which were around in those days. When we started in 1969, we just kept joining every wire service that was around or came along, thinking that, the more we had, the more money we could make. It wasn't until I was able to learn LOTUS in 1984, and put each WS on their own seperate spreadsheet, that the reality of WE LOST MONEY ON EACH ONE OF THEM, hit me in on my head and IN MY WALLET!

The only way we could make any money was to dump six, keep only one, and concentrate on SENDING rather than FILLING, since SENDING was where all of the CLEAN PROFITS were to be made. Of course, and down the road, the current OGs and DOGs also figured that out too, and eventually caused the destruction of the entire ws game once rebates came into play and tipped our balance of trade.

And then, we RE-DUMPED TELEFLORA in March of 2007 and after they fired Greg Coccari, their FLORIST FRIENDLY CEO and launched their own CONSUMER DIRECT WEBSITE in an effort to COMPETE WITH ME over MY OWN CUSTOMERS! NOT! And when you ask them WHY, their only answer is that, they had to since, the other two did dat doo too! Heaven forbid, they should try and come up with their own NEW and UNIQUE ideas and strategies to combat what the other two did and actually figure out a way that, their WS could make REAL FLORIST'S CASH REGISTERS or TELEPHONES RING with a customer's 100% SALE. It seems that, the best they can doo is to COPY what the other TWO DOO! OH, but WE DON'T DROP SHIP FARM DIRECT, like the other TWO DOO. That's their ONE SAVING GRACE MANTRA for now but, we all know it's subject to change at anytime in our futures, EY?

You might consider joining the Independent Florist's Association to get your out-of-town orders filled.

www.myifa.org

Membership is FREE if you just want to be a FILLING FLORIST and if you want to send orders, it's only $20 per month.

I use the 80% net to filler, 20% sending florist commission structure for all of our outbound orders.

The benefits to the filler is obvious since my 80% NET TO THEM is a whole lot better than the WSs 73% NET less the other average 2% order transmission charges FREE to SENDER but PAID FOR by the FILLER. (That brilliant idea was a gift from Bob Poirier, former group director of FTDA's FNI, and just before he left back in 1989 to go work for Conroy's which was mananged by 800, OH MY!)

On the smoke and mirror surface, many of the WS FILLERS still think they net 71% but fail to factor in the additional incoming order acquisition costs because of the annual dues and numerous other ancillary fees they pay to be a member of their WSs.

The annual costs to those florists can range from a low end of $3,000 to a high end of $5,000 and if you are locked into any of their technology, FO-GET-A-BOUT-IT! And so, a filler florist can figure on an additional (-10%) or more added to the already TOO HIGH FILLER DISCOUNT of (-29%) which comes to a real total discount of (-39%) or a TRUE NET TO FILLER amount of only 61% or less for a REAL PER INCOMING ORDER TOTAL DISCOUNT of up to LESS (-39%). With their COGS (cost of goods) at 30% and their COL (cost of labor at 25% and their COD (cost of delivery) at 20%, for a total per order cost to them of 75%, for which they are only netting 61%, they then wonder why, THEY AREN'T MAKING ANY MONEY, despite the fact that, they are busy all the time and their products are FLYING OUT THE DOOR! OH YES, I almost forgot! They are getting their products into the home of RECIPIENTS which will, in turn, become turn THEIR NEW CUSTOMERS for their shops and at SOMETIME, in their FUTURE. That's always been the WSs BIG LIE in their efforts to justify, just WHY IT BEE THAT, the filler can afford to LOOSE MO MONEY!

Some florists are of the mindframe that, they don't want to give a SPLIT commission to a sending florist.

In fact, it's NOT A SPLIT! If it were a split, it would be 50% to filler and 50% to sender. The 50% to filler is closer to what the WSs skimmer scam is all about.

The 80% net to filler with a 20% sending commission to the sender, is both reasonable and fair in all cases, especially since, the FILLER FLORIST had no INCOMING ORDER ACQUISITION COSTS as compared to the WSs.

You will hit upon a VERY FEW FLORISTS who refuse to grant you the 20% sending florist commission, but they are FEW and FAR BETWEEN.

Most IFA florists are FWAC and each and everyday, more and more REAL FLORISTS are getting wise to their getting S-C-R-E-W-E-D by the WSs, and joining IFA, which links directly to FASnet POS users.

IFA members pay NO PER ORDER TRANSMISSION CHARGES for either sending or receiving REAL FLORIST TO REAL FLORIST orders and the filler gets their money in their account in 48 hours since the sending florist is using his business credit card, preferably the one which gives them the most points.

It's a great idea to create your own list, but most of that work has already been done for you through IFA. One of the first check points I do use is the FC member list. I click on MEMBERS LIST at the top of the screen, choose SEARCH MEMBERS at the far right side, click on ADVANCED SEARCH, enter in the CITY and STATE FIELDS the city and state I'm searching for, scroll down to the bottom, and click on SEARCH NOW.

If I'm lucky, I will find an FC MEMBER who is also on the IFA database list of FILLING FLORISTS, and I've got a WIN WIN situation going on.

Suffice it to say that, more and more REAL FLORISTS have, or will be coming to, the same conclusions that, the days of the WSs as a partner or even a tool, is a business model which is either DEAD or DYING.

They simply forgot WHO THEIR BEST CUSTOMERS WERE, and then, simply decided to COMPETE WITH THEIR BEST CUSTOMERS over THEIR BEST CUSTOMER'S CUSTOMERS, therby ELIMINATING THE MIDDLEMAN, EYE EEE YOU!

And all along their way, they wanted us to continue to send our hard earned money to them, in the forms of our PASSIVE STREAMS OF REVENUE, thus enabling them to DO EVEN LESS FOR US as they FIGHT FOR OUR CUSTOMERS EVEN MORE!

I think the BIGGEST JOKE on their members is when, they expect their members to buy their overpriced BRANDED or HOLIDAY BRANDED CHACHKA with 100% REAL DOLLARS, after which, they expect their own members to fill their HIGHLY DISCOUNTED DOT.CON INCOMING ORDERS with SMOKE and MIRROR WIRE SERVICE WAMPUM DOLLARS at a discount of from 30% to 40%.

There was a time, back in the day (pre 1990) when national advertising to the consumer actually triggered 100% consumer sales direct to the florists, either by walk ins, telephone, or websites. Now, any advertising they do is designed to bring those consumers to THEIR WEBSITES or 800 NUMBERS.

That enables THEM TO DO THE SKIM and subcontract all of the labor and service intensive part of the order to the fillers while allowing them to MAKE ALL THE MONEY thus forcing the filler to LOOSE ALL THE MONEY.

These are VERY HARD TIMES for US WEE BEES! Since we're in the DISCRETIONARY INCOME arena and since the consumers are getting killed with the TOO HIGH COSTS of FUEL, OIL, and other energy needs plus TOO HIGH TAXES, and YES, we're in a RECESSION, we must make every one of our nickels count.

In other words, if the money you send to them does not produce a PROFIT FORE YOU, then it becomes THEIR TIME TO GO since they have morphed from being an ASSET into a LIABILITY on your spreadsheet.

Keep the faith (in yourselves) and move on down your own yellow brick road. You'll find yourselves walking faster now since, you've left all of their heavy baggage behind.

TOTO said:
"The RAINBOW'S DARK! THE GOLD IS GONE! "
Click to expand...
 
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And how would one know anything about quality control?

Is the assumption that because someone is a flowerchat member mean they are any good?

That would be an ASSumption ideed.

Same goes for just finding a florist on the internet. Zero assurance of quality.
 
YES, at least FC members HAVE A BRAIN!

bloomz said:
And how would one know anything about quality control?Is the assumption that because someone is a flowerchat member mean they are any good?That would be an ASSumption ideed.Same goes for just finding a florist on the internet. Zero assurance of quality.
Click to expand...

Same analogy could be used for either FTDI, TELEFLORA, or 800 members.

Just because they appear in those directories does not equate to QUALIFYING QUALITY FILLING FLORISTS. Facts bee known, that in today's WS game, anyone can PAY to PLAY with no standards anymore.

At least with the FC members, I have to ASS-U-ME that, they at least HAVE A BRAIN, which is why, they are here to begin with.

Same goes for GOOGLE and doing a search for FLORIST 97330

I would examine (closely) the results of that search and try to find a REAL FLORIST who appears to be PROFESSIONAL and based on how their website looks and when I view it. Also, and if their website appears to be TOO WS FRIENDLY, I would have to move on to another MORE INDEPENDENT REAL FLORIST.

Of course, and with IFA, most of their members are FWAC. www.myifa.org

Then again, that's JUST MEE! While I'm a PLAYER, I refuse to play in their sandboxs anymore. The smell of their URINE just got to bee TOO MUCH FORE MEE! lol
 
Your right, how in this world do you know your order was filled to meet your spec's using ws ? You don't! I'ts all a gamble. lol
 
I do and it isn't a gamble.

It's called the Preferred Florist List.

Don't leave home without it.

And no Toto, just being a wire member has not that much to do with it. A few of mine are not members of any wire service.

:scatter
 
The directory already exists and it is here. It needs more flower shops though.

Look on the right hand section of the FC homepage. You will seel a florists' directory.
 
We love you more and more, TOTO MAN, keep writing you are doing great.
I suggest to any florists good or bad to read what you write and UNDERSTAND it.
So the good florists will be better and the bad ones will have a chance to become good, before they get better.
As for the rest, naturally they will go out of business.
I know you understand what I mean, I am not sure everybody does.
But what the Hell, to make a simple analogie if we get 80% of the florists to understand and 20% to not understand.
We win, new friends, more money, less stress, better designs, happier customers and on and on and on.
Like I said at the beginning WE LOVE YOU MAN , you can even have my BUD!!
Henry Hollywood!!
 
Eric S said:
Why not create a open sourced google map. We create an account say flowerchat for the user with a password.

This way we can all add our information to the google map instead have someone just doing it.
Click to expand...
Now there's a new idea....hundreds of push pins all with web and email links...Hmmmmmm
 
If one gambles with QUALITY one looses.
I trust you to do a good job, because I also trust that you want me to keep calling you and give you more business.........right?????????????????????????
This deal if for serious people only and most people can understand that.
Yes we have to take a chance on each other, only one.
If the florist I call is good... Great, if the florist I call is bad ...He or she is GONE.
You got to believe, you got to take chances that is how you find real people and sometimes real friends.
Example: I just made a new friend....TOTO, on this site Flower Chat, only a few hours ago.
I read what he wrote, I understood his words and I know the Man is straight, ethical , logical and kind. I also know that he is a great florist, bad florists don't stay in business too long.
And you know what???????????? I don't even know TOTO.
Hard to believe....hein???????????????????
TOTO is a leader and a good one. Much needed these days.
I love you and I trust you ..................once and forever.
Henry Hollywood!!
PS: The nickname "Hollywood" was given to me when Sherry and I had a famous small French restaurant in Los Angeles, to be precise in Hollywood, by friends and customers.
I kind like it and it stuck, why not.
After all we florists are some kind of artists..........right????
 
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