pnelker Intro

[pnelker]

ButterflyandRoses.com
2 weeks
Yes, community college and working in the business for 5 years
By Flower Buyer, I think, don't really remember, is it important?
HELP from other florist who have been in the business longer, and a place where I can post questions. Some of the florist in my area don't want to help a new person. They're afraid.
Laughs, sometimes when you've been in a community (i.e. florist business) a long time you forget the silly and stupid questions newbies ask. It helps your soul and spirit to get a good laugh before you try and help them by answering their questions. I hope to offer those laughs to you.
Residence, retail space was just to expensive. I feel the industry is changing to more web orders and as we all know referrals are the best business you can get. My w

 

[roysecityfloristand gifts]

Hello,

I tried to open your website but it doesn't open. Is it brand new or something?

Also, who have you worked for that 5 years you mentioned?

On your profile you say your the "Manager", yet your working out of your home?

Thanks

 

[pnelker]

I worked for........

I hope this gets to you. I'm new at this comment on line stuff. My website is in the making. It should be up by the first part (i.e. Aug. 1st I hope) of next month. I've worked for three different florist here in Austin. I would rather not mention any names but all were well thought of and have businesses that range from 5-25 years in the florist business. I believe I left each one with a good taste in our mouths about each other but I would feel uneasy about posting their names without their permission. Thanks for asking me a question. It gives me a chance to understand how this site works.

 

[pnelker]

Sorry I missed your last question

Two reasons for the "Manager" title:
One - I've set the business up as an LLC and I am referred to as the "managing member" therefore I perfer to call myself "the manager" rather than the owner.
Two - I believe the Lord has instructed me to open this business and therefore I consider it his business and I just manage it.

 

[roysecityfloristand gifts]

In this forum you are asked basic questions to begin with. Your suppose to answer those fully. Then members here ask you questions, or ask for clarifications of your initial answers to the questionarre.

When you decline to tell us who you have worked for then we might get the feeling you are concealing something. You have the right to decline to reveal your former employers, but it might effect your being voted in. Sometimes applicants mentions previous employers because those employers are known by members here it helps you.

There are a few things which would give us pause. You do not have a website for us to see. You work out of your home, not a brick and mortar location. (This is important to many of us), and just as in a job interview when you decline to reveal your previous employers it doesn't feel right. Also, if you are an LLC, you are the owner. Those of us who are owners refer to ourselves as such, and laughingly as the bucket scrubber, driver etc.

Being open with us, is the fastest and best way to go about this. Others will also ask you pointed questions regarding your application for membership. Don't take offense, it is part of the process, and goes easily when you answer clearly.

Hope this helps you to understand the importance of your answers.

 

[pnelker]

I've got nothing to hide so let me explain a little more.

As a home based business, Austin's rules are I CAN NOT advertise my physical address in printed material. I can only advertise my phone number and my web address. Now I can have people come to my studio (I built a building on my property as a studio for my floral business) for consultations (i.e. like wedding work or funeral arrangements, those situations where people need extra time and attention). However I am not to operate the business as a retail store. (i.e. have arrangements made so people can just drop by and pick something up on their way over to a friends house). I assure you I am a real florist with all the required permits and agricultural licenses.
Now as to whom I have work for, in looking around this site and visiting your member page I found one florist that I have worked for (on a holiday only time frame) just at Valentines and Mother's day about 4 years ago, when I first started out. Her name is Ruth and she owns "A Flower Basket". I'm sure she would not mind me giving you her name as she is a member of this site. She is not one of the three florist I mentioned in my profile, I didn't think to include her because it was just Holiday work. But if you need to please get in touch with her. I'm sure she has heard about my opening this shop. The woman I was working for before I opened this shop is a good friend of hers and I hope still a friend of mine but I will not give you her name without her permission.
My last name, Nelker, is a very unusual name, in fact I think I'm the only one left in America. So any info on me you wish to gather, I'm sure you wil find on the internet. My home address is my shop address, please feel free to investigate.
As for am I the owner, yes you bet I am. I'm the processor, designer, accountant, driver, marketing rep and janitor and on paper with the IRS and Time Warner Cable and all the wholesalers in town I am the owner. Just because I perfer to call myself "the manager" I hope will not cause you any more problems.
I'm not sure I understand your concern about who gets on this site but then again I'm new at this business and don't yet understand everything. So please let me say I'm sorry if I didn't give you enough info at the beginning of our conversation to help you understand my position. I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any other questions.
Thanks,
Pat

 

[roysecityfloristand gifts]

Pat,

We are not the CIA we don't investigate people as you have suggested.
We simply have rules for applicants to follow. You seem to be offended that simple background questions would be ask of you.

To quote you "I'm not sure I understand your concern about who gets on this site".
This site is primarily Brick and Mortar Retail locations. Folks who have gone to the expense of opening retail locations, and yes there are very experienced event florist as well. We take this site seriously and respect it. Therefore we would expect new applicants to do so as well. It is not Facebook.

You said Austin rules state you cannot run a retail operation out of your home address, then you say you sell flowers "for people who come by on their way to a friend house".????

You still have declinded to say who you've worked with.

Sorry, but your attitude and lack of confirmable info. ( website, employers) has me leaning towards no at this time. However, others will weigh in, so if you'd like to provide further info. please do as it would be helpful. Thanks.

 

[Connie]

Do you have a business license and collect sales tax? Don't take offense at the questions being asked here. If you are voted in, you will come to appreciate the fact that applicants are screened in order to attempt to secure the integrity of this wonderful forum.

 

[Victoria]

Hi and thank you for your interest in our community.

As a suggestion for any time you are looking to become a valued member of a community it would be a good idea to answer the questions posed without feeling threatened.

These following responses aren't a positive reflection of how you want to be received are they?

By Flower Buyer, I think, don't really remember, is it important? Yes it is important because your answer could facilitate a speedy voting process.


HELP from other florist who have been in the business longer, and a place where I can post questions. Some of the florist in my area don't want to help a new person. They're afraid.
This is a large community and some of these people you disparage could very well be members here.

Laughs, sometimes when you've been in a community (i.e. florist business) a long time you forget the silly and stupid questions newbies ask. It helps your soul and spirit to get a good laugh before you try and help them by answering their questions. I hope to offer those laughs to you.
In your above statement you are hoping for help from those of us who have been in the industry for a longer period of time... you, in return are offering "laughs".

This is a wonderful community with a wide variety of people. Our expectations from all members runs a bit higher than what you seem to be offering.

I'm not a snob, but to be honest your tone is off-putting. If you can offer something to alter that first impresssion, please do.

Regards.

V

 

[pnelker]

OK, can we please start over.
First let me say that I am not offended by your questions. It is clear that I don't write well enough to get my point across without offending some of you reading these responses and for that I appologize. I meant no offense.
1) Unlike a retail location (a location where you can drop by and will find nice arrangements made up for you to choose from and take with you) I am to receive the majority of my sales via phone or internet. I would make an arrangement for someone who stops in the studio but according to the city of Austin I'm not really supposed to market my business as a retail location for drop in shopping.
2) Yes I have a resale sales tax permit and an agriculture license. The inspector was by last week and OK"d my studio. His comment was interesting, he told me that I was one of four businesses like mine that he had inspected lately. Now what "lately" means I'm not sure. Could be in the last month or last year for all I know. I will admit I didn't question him in detail but he definintly left me with the impression that there may be more home based floral businesses in the future. Of course he could have meant just any type of home based business but then why would just any business need an agricultural license? Interesting.
3) As far as the "laughs" comment. Please understand that what I meant was that at this time I don't know of anything I could offer this forum. I was just trying to get across that all I could offer you was maybe a good laugh at me should I ask some really silly or dumb question. I'm just to new and I see you all as people with a lot more knowledge than I have and yes I have taken your comments to heart and I am trying to explain myself better and not offend anyone.
4) Everyone seems to want to see my website and I can understand that request. So let me get it up and running and then I'll post a notice here and everyone can take a look and give me some feedback on improvements for the site. That would be very helpful. Thank You

 

[Victoria]

Thanks for giving such an extensive answer to the questions. Thank you also for clearing up some misunderstandings.

I'm a little unclear though... are you an events florist?

Thanks.

V

 

[TGDragonfly]

I see no problem here, if we can approve an applicant that sells plastic business holders for the side of a van within hours why not another applicant who makes a living with flowers?

 

[roysecityfloristand gifts]

Thom, I think it has more to do with the idea that applicant is not answering the required questions fully. As well as she has stated more than once that she is selling to the public as a flower shop from her home (home based Business) which is against her local zoning ordinances and what most of us here feel is a real florist. In my last post in this thread I mentioned our established high end event florist like yourself.

I agree with you that there have been some questionable approvals of late, but unless everyone gets involved in the process, then our Real Florist Fourm is open to whomever wants to eavesdrop on our (what we all hope) are private exchanges between real florist.

I see two red dots, one is mine. I will bow out of this thread now and let this forum become a chat room. I'm done.

Where there is no integrity, there can be no trust.

V. thank you for taking over the interview process, I'm sure you'll make the right decision.

 

[Victoria]

Thom, each applicant is different... dependant upon who recommends them (like everywhere, it's a who you know kind of world), and how they respond to the questions.

This applicant had a rocky start, but she has cleared up the misunderstandings... I for one appreciate her candor.

While she has my vote now, if she hadn't been so willing to change the perception it would have been a no from me as well.

Like it or not folks, I do take this responsibility seriously... deal with it.

V

 

[Victoria]

As I said above, thank you for being candid with your answers to our concerns.

Welcome to the community and we hope you share what you can.

Thanks.

V

 

[Tracy D'Amico]

Welcome Pat and thank you for answering enough of the questions, at least for me.

The reason we don't allow everyone to just wander in is because we discuss some detailed business info and some of it just isn't meant for sharing with the public.

Please look around, read the forums & search the older posts - you'll find a wealth of info here. Another site you might want to look into is ubloom.com.

welcome

 

[RWK]

After reading through the postings......I too will be voting yes.

The way I understood her to talk about the laws governing home based businesses is this.

It is LEGAL to open and run a home-based business......but you cannot utilize the physical address as a business address in any advertising/publication/marketing schemes.

As far as the un-willingness to mention other shops.......I have been in areas where the competitive market between shops was very un-friendly. I got the impression that she may have been in that type of situation.....where a previous shop might see this as 'revealing trade/proprietory/trademarked/classified secrets' ........even if it is sharing one's own knowledge......I have known people who would think that.

 

[Rhonda]

Thanks for the explanations. Still am confused as to why if you have all the certifications from the city, county, state or whichever that you can't business advertise but oh well? Every area has different zoning restrictions...
Welcome aboard - read much, post often

 

[Sher]

When I first came to this forum, it was strictly brick and morter shops..that was cool. Then we had some basement bettys..I was not real crazy about that especially when one asked how to "make a tulle puff".
Then I noticed a trend of more and more posts from folks working out of their homes..oh my, I was appalled..how could you be a "real florist" and work from your home.
Then I went and visited Carol Raynor from Greens and Things in NH..got to meet Brad, Nancy and a bunch of other folks up there in that gorgeous neck of the woods...what I did learn was that these folks working out of their homes needed to work out of their homes...they were in such small "burgs" or townships that it was unrealistic to have a Brick and morter shop...and I also saw their work and more often than not, their work was better than some city folks work that have Big A** shops.
Now I see even more of a trend of true qualified Florists working from home studios or a special part of their home and meeting all of the city and State requirements. As the economy continues it downward spiral and until the "stimulus" reaches us and not just the Bank Of Americasleezebags, I think it will continue with more and more home/studio florists.
Personally if I was able, I'd do the same @@@@ thing...
So after my ramblings, welcome aboard..bring lots of ideas and dont hestitate to share....me personally...well, I could use a laugh..or your casino money! lol
Sher
South Florida

 

[RWK]

Regarding a home studio based business - If I were not in a rural area.....sitting back in the middle of woods....on 3+ acres of property......I would open a home based studio myself were I in a more heavily populated area.