Mache containers

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allie

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Dec 7, 2003
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Edmonton
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Alberta
We've never used mache containers in our shop. We're not likely too start using them, but I'm curious to know if anybody has creative ways (other than the obvious spray paint) of making these rather ugly containers look better.
 
Cathy, we have used the "Recreations" line that you can find on the link you provided. They are nicer looking, different from what most florists use in my area and work well. This line is nice because they look more like a vessel than the older generic ones do. And when doing events, the difference is day and night when it comes to your clients' appreciation of your fine work. Two words to my fellow florists....Trade up.
 
Dazeal, this may be an ignorant question, but can you explain what "trade up" means? Thank you. :)
 
My wife and I worked out of our house doing events 5 years before we opened our retail shop 3.5 years ago. Before we did open our shop I really tried to figure out where this industry was heading. I saw such businesses as Proflowers and 1800flowers pop onto the scene in the late 90s and saw what WS were doing to their own florists with OGs and businesses such as butterfieldblooms.com. I saw what the grocery stores were doing too. I looked at popular magazines that features homes and gardens, with floral arrangements in them and I studied the local florists. I also examined closely the florists who were going out of business here in Southern Oregon. I threw all of the above into an equation and came to the conclusion that the only way for us to make it in a time were florists are dropping off like flies, and still are, it to offer a higher end product with a uniqueness to my region, but with a similar look to what people saw in popular magazine they might pick up at Barnes and Noble or get in the mail. I thought if I set my shop up with this philosophy, I'll be safer and more protected in the future when it came to the big boys online and the local grocery stores. Basically setting up a niche that has an appreciation for flowers. My philosophy is hard to change to, once you have been in business for a long time and your customer expect a certain product. It is not impossible though!!! I see several LARGE shops on this forum that are slowly moving towards being more unique. I don't remember if it was Griff or Steve, but they said, "If you don't evolve, you will be out of business", which is so true. These large shops are evolving, but it's probably not that new of a concept for them, since they are 3-4th gen florists. The large shops have a huge customer base and if they can learn to evolve, they will survive. Us new florists have to use every trick up our sleeve to survive. The new florists in 10 years will even have a harder time to survive. Evolving doesn't just mean product and style, it means marketing and branding too. I've looked at the MAS system, and it REALLY makes marketing and branding a lot easier, if you use it. (anyway, this is really off the subject)

I got the term "Trading Up" from a book I read about 8 months ago. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...102-4839449-9058528?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

You don't need to go buy it, I'll tell you what it says. An American construction worker who makes 30K a year will buy a set of golf clubs for 5K(can't remember the exact numbers) because it is something that is important to him. It’s the same with high end cars, designer sun glasses, and even flowers. (note* I know we are living in a material world, but I am not a material girl, in fact I am very anti-pop culture and anti-flavor of the month, but I am smart enough to know what pays the bills)

There is a niche of people out there that will up your average arrangement by twice as much; you just need to learn what they want. Look at the magazines they read like Horchow ( http://www.horchow.com/ ), while staying at the best western in SF, run into the hotels these rich people stay in, check out the design, not just the flower design, but the over all design. A lot of my clients travel to Europe; it's a treat for them. So my shop reflects what they saw in Italy and with what they heard with Parisian music playing in the background. The experience, just for just for a minute, it takes them back. The style I have set up to target my niche is almost like a Venus fly trap :) Everyone has their niches and the above plan would fail miserably if implemented in some parts of the country. The trick to trading up your florist is the target the rich who live around you and find out what they like and then set a beautiful floral trap. :) One good thing about selling flowers at a higher price, we don't sell as many arrangements a day. *laughs* You might think that is a bad thing, but 10 arrangements a day at $100 makes more profit than 100 arrangements a day at $10. Why? Less employees and other such overhead and COG.

I don't have all the answers, but it is just my opinion that if we can set ourselves far apart from the grocery stores, for example, we will be less likely to care what the grocery stores does, because they have a different product and style. Heck a lot of my customers buy from the farmer's market, but they know where to come when they want something sent or something special. I could get mad, but my attitude is pretty "simple minded" - the most flowers we can get out there in the public, no mater if it is from Costco or the grower’s market, the better I will do. The trick is, you have to set your shop up to have that kind of naive attitude. As soon as the grocery stores quit using carnations, BB, cellophane, balloons and little teddy bears, then by goodness, you'll see my shop full it.

Again I don't have all the answers, most shops here are established and the above plan might not work for them. I suggest all new florists opening a shop heed my words though. Our shop will be 4 years old this next Feb. We're on track to do about 250k and ready to open a second shop in a near by town. The town we live in now has 6 florists and only 20K people.

I don't know a lot about our industry and learn new things here everyday from the wisdom displayed here by veterans. I do know you need to take the info I put at the top, look at your local market/economy and form your own equation that will set you up for safety in the future, for me, it is "Trading Up" that will set up a niche that I don't have to worry about in the future. On that same note, I am smart enough to know, that if I let my guard down and not stay ahead of the norm, I will fall too.
 
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Dazeal:

Thank you for that very thorough and informative response.

I've been in the floral business since Feb of this year. The few weeks prior to that I was in school with Phil Rulloda. That's where I met Cathy. Before Dec 19th of 2004 I didn't even know what "foliage" was!! lol All I knew about foliage was how to spell it and that it was green. That was a VERY LONG time ago. :) Seven months later I'm a different person with a whole lot more knowledge and respect for the floral industry, and I'm learning more everyday. (pssst: I'm also having the time of my life learning about it). :)

I learned a whole lot of things at Phil's school, especially about floral design. But what I learned mostly was how to approach the industry as a business owner. It might be that since I was a business owner that's what I listened to the most. I don't know. But it doesn't matter. Phil would say that everytime someone pulled up to his shop he would act like this person was his next $100 sale. Well, I did the same thing from day one, except I upped it to $150 (just because of inflation. :) Anyway, I loved the way Phil's approach was. I loved the way he taught how he approaches his clientele.

I respect every sale no matter how small, right down to the young children that may come in with a few dollars to buy their mother flowers. Those little children get very special attention, but I look at everyone coming in as my next $150 sale or my next $10,000 wedding.

All of that is to say, I like the way you think, Dazeal, and I'm right in line with that thinking. I am not going to get the low end flower buyer. They are "gotten" by everyone else out there. What I'm looking for is the more discriminate flower buyer. It's working.

I also network a lot. I've joined the Chamber of Commerce, Business Network International and Soroptimist. Besides the fact that I love meeting new people and getting to know them, I find that networking has definitely exposed our shop to many venues.

I also use our local newspapers to let them know what our shop is doing as far as donating, winning contests or anything else that has a human interest to it. This is free. (I'm going to see if the newspapers are interested in the fact that one of our designers is going to a competition beforehand. I don't know if they'll consider that a human interest or not. It might be just the win that's of interest to them, but I'll find out).

Newspaper advertising is expensive. I do that a little, but not much because I'm not sure the return is that great. But I make sure anything that goes on in our shop that's of human interest to the community is put in the newspaper.

I try to do everything in our shop unique, even as far as the candles that we sell, to the containers we use, to the wedding books that we use for the brides to pick from. I make a special attempt to be different. I'm hoping that makes us our niche.
 
Well, I did the same thing from day one, except I upped it to $150 (just because of inflation.

It is 6 am here, about to head up to Victoria/Seattle and I had to laugh at that. :)

Networking good, newspaper ads bad. Remember that your product is your best advertisement because word of mouth is free. We take pride in walking into a hospital and the pink ladies know that the arrangement being delivered is from our shop. We dropped our advertising last year by 40% and profits were up 60%.

I also use our local newspapers to let them know what our shop is doing as far as donating
Great idea! I learned something new today :) I think I'll start doing this.

If I were you, and you don't start making money on TF or any WS soon, I'd drop them very quickly. We dropped our WS a long time ago and haven’t missed it. *ducks from Cathy's shoe*

It is nice that you live in the Mecca of US flowers and whenever you want fun things like China Berries or James Stori Orchids, they are right there. We use Florabundance when we need really unique stuff, and they are right next to you. I'm jealous. :(

Anyway, need to load the van and get some coffee. I have lots more to chat with you about. My name is Brandon and Dazeal has just been my online nerd handle for almost 10 years now.

One last thing, make sure when you get customers in your shop or there info, you start creating a mailing list. Direct mail for a niche type business is golden.
 
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