'•i- 



FORUM 



-^ 



Be competitive — not with the flower 

 shop across town, but on a larger 

 scale — with supermarkets, card 

 stores selling roses, and Boy Scouts 

 selling Christmas Wreaths. 



Increase your knowledge — read industry 

 related guides, and publications. 

 Make Friends with other florists, 

 share your knowledge — band to- 

 gether 



Go to meetings — get involved with 

 anything to promote your business, 

 it's awful easy after a hectic day in 

 the shop to not want to travel to a 

 design show or business meeting, 

 but your livelihood might depend 

 on it! 



Cain buying power and know how to 

 use it. Investigate co-op buying 

 with the new florist friends you met 

 at that meeting. 



Promote your professionalism. Your 

 knowledge and skills put you above 

 the new competitors. 



loday's 



floral industry 



is changing, 



and the 



successful florist 



must look at new 



techniques 



and strategies 



in order to keep upl 



Demand support from those whose 

 business you support. Show the 

 wire-services they will loose your 

 business if they continue to serve 

 the chainstores and supermarkets. 

 Tell your wholesaler you will not 

 stand line to buy a roll of ribbon 

 next to one of your very own 

 customers. 



Know your market and your competi- 

 tion — now that the competition is 

 the hardware store selling gerani- 

 ums, the grocery store selling roses, 

 the lady next door doing silk wed- 

 dings, what will you promote and 

 capitalize on? What will you avoid? 



Look closely at your pricing system — do 

 you have one? Should you charge 

 as much for ten stems of loose 

 wrapped cash & cany flowers as ten 

 stems with gyp, greens, boxed, 

 bowed, delivered and charged? 

 How do other florists price? 



Keep records, know your holidays — 

 Valentine's 1993: How many roses 

 bought, sold, dumped? Is this infor- 

 mation at you fingertips? How will 

 you use this information next year? 

 (In January — not February 10th — 

 that's not the time to decide how 

 many to buy!) 



Valerie is at Bay State Florist Supply, 

 3 Perimeter Road, Manchester. NH. 

 She can be reached at 6O3-622-6300.>^ 



Jolly Farmer Products 



East Lcmpster, New Hampshire 03605 



WHOLESALE SUPPLIERS 



Bark Mulch • Hemlock & Mix 

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We are here to fulfill your needs.... 

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New Hampshire: 1-603-863-331 1 

 New England: 1-800-537-0031 



WHOLESALE GROWERS 



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Nationwide: 1-800-695-8300 

 Local: 603-863-3370 



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August & September 1993 



