2011 june floriology

June 2011

E X P R ES S I O N S O F F LOW E R S ®

PREMIEREPREMIEREDIANN VALENTINE STARS IN ‘I DO OVER’

OWNER’S CORNEROWNER’S CORNERRANDY WOOTEN, , , , :FAST TRACK FOURTHGENERATION FLORIST

TECH TALKTECH TALKPOS SYSTEMS SAVE THE DAY

01_BN0611.indd 101_BN0611.indd 1 6/14/11 1:56:00 PM6/14/11 1:56:00 PM

creo

florio

logy

|Ju

ne20

11

2

Mark Nance, AAFPresident, BloomNet

PUBLISHER

BloomNet, Inc.www.MyBloomNet.net

(866) 256-6663

SENIOR EDITOR

Lisa Carmichael

MANAGING EDITOR

Fred Russell

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Len Vermillion, Megan SullivanNicole Gandini

ART DIRECTOR

Shane Hickey

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Mike Pucci

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS

Ted MarloweJerry Rosalia

floriology is published monthly byBloomNet, Inc.

Printed in the United States, Copy-right 2011. All rights reserved. Nomaterial contained herein may bereproduced without the consent ofthe publisher or editor. Permission toreproduce portions of this publicationshould be obtained through Bloom-Net, Inc. Publications.

All statements are those of the per-son making the statement or claim.The publisher does not adopt anystatement or claim as its own and anystatement or claim does not necessar-ily reflect the opinion of the publisher.

Although published material is intend-ed to be accurate, neither floriologynor any other party will assume liabil-ity for loss or damage as a result ofreliance on this material.

Opinions expressed are not necessar-ily those of BloomNet, Inc.

Annual Subscription Rate is $71.88 (plusapplicable tax) in U.S. and Canada.

4 Industry InfoBloomNet helps Alabama florists affected by the tornado.

5 By the StatsTop-selling delivery vans.

6 Out & AboutFrom the set of “I Do Over” to tornado relief efforts.

7 Tech TalkPOS systems save shop owners time and labor.

8 design center: On the EdgeMaxine Cutts-Alcott, CFD treasures natural components.

10 Owner’s CornerRandy Wooten, AIFD, CFD, GMF, PFCI is a late-bloomer in the industry.

12 design center: Back to BasicsJackie Lacey, AIFD, CFD, PFCI says color can make or break a design.

14 PremiereCelebrations.com expert Diann Valentine executive produces “I do Over.”

14 MarketingVan wraps are a cost-effective method of mobile branding.

15 Store OperationsEquipment like stainless steel design tables streamlines business.

15 InnovatorWill Cross texts customers pictures of arrangements they send.

16 Neighborhood CornerThe Flower Kiosk celebrates its 25th anniversary with a big bash.

WHAT’S INSIDEV O L . 2 N O . 8 | J U N E 2 0 1 1

ALISO

ND

UKE

8

12

1014

02-03_BN0611.indd 202-03_BN0611.indd 2 6/15/11 2:34:24 PM6/15/11 2:34:24 PM

creo

3

UP FRONT

THE ‘DOG DAYS’OF SUMMERWebster’s Dictionary: “The period between early July and earlySeptember when the hot sultry weather of summer usually occurs inthe northern hemisphere; a period of stagnation or inactivity.”

Coming out of Mother’s Day, it seems like a natural tendency totake a long, deep breath and sit back to enjoy some much neededrest through the summer months. Finding true balance betweenrunning a business and our personal life is a struggle that many, if not most, people experi-ence. So how do we find that balance in the dog days of summer?

One answer may lie in the old adage, “work smarter not harder.” I don’t know about you, but thisis certainly difficult for me. It seems the more I use the new tools in business, the more time I spendusing them. A stellar example is technology: Windows notebook, iPad, iPhone and MacBook toname a few. Not to mention all of the associated applications (Windows, Office, OSX, Facebook,Twitter, Zite, Chrome, etc., etc., etc.) that require an empirical focus to use and use effectively.

I have no one to blame but myself, as it is my personal goal to stay on the extreme edge of emerg-ing technologies to improve my business skills and, frankly, to keep up with my 16-year-old. (LOL!)However, this takes precious time. So, what’s the answer for balancing work with personal time?

Recently, I received a link to a great article about staying organized at work, but the article canapply to your personal life as well (www.ehow.com/how_5245841_stay-organized-work.html).

Here’s an overview: Prioritize your tasks on a daily basis; keep a daily “to do” list; keep a fileon each project you are working on; designate a separate notebook for each project’s notes;manage your e-mail lists and contact information; and always keep an up-to-date calendar.

How does this impact you in your shop? I would suggest looking at anything that can helpyou stay more organized, be more efficient and maximize your time. Certainly, a POS systemis fundamental to being efficient. Just as important, to whom in your shop can you delegatemore of the day-to-day management? And who can take on additional responsibility for run-ning the business in your absence?

I see succession planning and key owner dependency as one of the greatest concerns forthe future of the floral industry. Time is of the essence. What is your plan?

Have a relaxing and rewarding summer!

Mark Nance, aaf | President

THE COFFEE POT

WHAT’S ON TAP

“We absolutely love floriology! Primarily, it energiz-es our minds while challenging us to think outsideour routine paradigms. Additionally, we simplyenjoy the content and articles.”

❋ LANAE PIPER~ Wild Hare Floral & Garden Center,

Clara City, Minn.

“floriology sparks our design flair...it never fails toignite new ideas!”

❋ JOE DEKEYSER~ Aster Park Floral Studio, Green Bay, Wis.

“‘Flowers whisper what words cannever say.’ Every time I read floriol-ogy I am whispered to and rejuvenat-ed. Your articles are clear and preciseand motivating. The photographs arestimulating and inspiring. It is educa-tional and interesting to read articlesabout our industry peers.”

❋ ILENE GILBERTSON~ Flowers On Main, Brookings, S.D.

● Independence DayJuly 4

● AIFD NationalSymposiumJuly 4-9San Francisco, Calif.

● Ohio Short CourseJuly 9-12Columbus, Ohio

● The AtlantaInternationalGift & HomeFurnishings MarketJuly 13-20Atlanta, Ga.

● Texas State FloristAssociation 98thAnnual ConventionJuly 16-17The Woodlands, Texas

● Arizona StateFlorists “WeddingExtravaganzaJuly 24Phoenix, Ariz.

● South CarolinaFlorist AssociationConferenceJuly 24Columbia, S.C.

● Spring and Gardenfloriology FreshForum❋

July 30Jacksonville, Fla.

● Oklahoma StateAnnual SummerConferenceJuly 30-31Oklahoma City, Okla.

● Floriology Institute– 3 Day AdvancedWedding Class❋

Aug. 1-3Jacksonville, Fla.

❋ For more informatione-mail [email protected]

June2011

|floriology


creo

florio

logy

|Ju

ne20

11

4

INDUSTRY INFO AWARDS, SHOWS, ADVOCACY

RELIEF EFFORT

DELIVERING SUPPORTFollowing a devastating tornado,BloomNet assists florists.

It was a storm of historic proportions, a mile-wide tornadocarrying 165 mile-per-hour winds. Among the areas hardesthit when the tornado struck on April 27, 2011, was Tuscaloosa,Ala., where scores of people were killed and hundreds of

homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed.Bronson Englebert, who with his wife, Stephanie, owns Stephanie’s

Flowers in Tuscaloosa, witnessed the storm’s fury first-hand. “The tor-nado blew the front of the building in,crushing and shredding everything, thenit tried to take the roof off and wrinkledbeams as it traveled through our store,then it hit an 8-inch block wall in the rearof the store...the wall tumbled down andcrushed two of our vans,” Bronson says.

In the aftermath of the deadlytwister, associates from BloomNet of-fered assistance to Stephanie’s Flowersand several other retail florists in thearea. “BloomNet was there for us withcomfort and support during a very dif-ficult time,” Bronson continues.

BloomNet provided fresh floralproduct, containers, aprons and other supplies along with deliveryservices, and helped get phone lines and computer systems runningagain. BloomNet donated food and water, and created large ban-ners proclaiming that the shops were open. BloomNet also provid-ed carnations and visited area shelters to bring the spirit of Mother’sDay to local residents affected by the tornado.

EDUCATION

‘IMAGINE’American Institute ofFloral Designers holdsNational Symposium.

The American Institute of Floral De-signers (AIFD) “Imagine” NationalSymposium will be held in San

Francisco July 4-9 at the Marriott MarquisHotel. The inspiration behind “Imagine”is from 44 years ago when thousands ofpeople came together in the Bay City toshare magical, cultural phenomena. Their

goal was to dream, create and share asthis young group became known as the“Flower Children.”

The symposium is “themost exciting, motivational,artistically-refreshing programof its kind in the floral indus-try,” says Sharon McGukinAIFD, AAF, PFCO and president ofthe Institute. The symposiumwill feature dynamic stagepresentations from floral de-signers from the U.S., Finlandand the Netherlands, among others.

The AIFD Symposium is also thetime when over 100 aspiring designers

will participate in an AIFD Profession-al Floral Design Evaluation session(PFDE) as they endeavor to achieve

CFD® (Certified FloralDesigner) and ultimately aninvitation to become an ac-credited member of AIFD.

BloomNet is sponsoring“The Power of Social Media”program featuring MilenaRegos. For more information onAIFD please visit www.aifd.org.

For a recap of AIFD’s “Imagine” Sympo-sium in San Francisco, please read nextmonth’s issue of floriology.

SALES RECAP

ON THE RISEMother’s Day salesup significantly.

According to the Society of American Flo-rists, more than a third of Americans (35percent) bought fresh flowers and plantsfor Mother’s Day this year, up significantly

from the 27 percent who bought in 2010.“It was a wonderful holiday,” exclaims Melanie

Ruiz, owner of Melanie’s Florist in Haymarket, Va.Although at the time this issue of floriology waspublished she did not have actual figures, Melanieestimates that her 2011 Mother’s Day sales were ap-proximately double compared to last year.

Blooming Beginnings, a new retail florist locatedin Easley, S.C., had only been in business for threeweeks prior to Mother’s Day. And sales for the holi-day were brisk, with owner Christine Smith reportingthat several items were completely sold out.

As another indication that after nearly three yearsof recession consumers are more willing to open theirwallets, BloomNet set a new record for order send-ing, making it one of the floral industry’s largest ordersending networks. Mother’s Day 2011 joins Valentine’sDay 2011 as BloomNet’s best-volume holidays ever.

Terri Robinson, owner of Ambrosia Floral Boutiquein Chandler, Ariz., feels that the Mother’s Day holidaywas a reflection of positive trends for the future.“This year has really picked up. We can see that theeconomy is beginning to turn around; people arespending more, ordering more.”

p

A

BloomNet Market AreaConsultant Jackie Harrelland Bronson Englebert.


creo

June2011

|floriology

5

TOP-SELLING VANS BY THE STATS

by Mike Pucci

WHEELSin MotionPutting the

CHOOSING THE RIGHT DELIVERY VAN

Top-Selling VansFuel Economy

Vehicle Name MSRP (base) City/Highway Cargo Capacity

❋ Ford E-150 $26,175 13/17 mpg 236.5 cu. ft.

❋ Ford Transit Connect XL $21,290 21/26 mpg 135.3 cu. ft.

❋ GMC Savana 1500 $24,985 15/20 mpg 270.4 cu. ft.

❋ Chevrolet Express $24,985 15/20 mpg 270.4 cu. ft.

❋ Nissan NV (pictured above) $24,590 n/a 234.1 cu. ft.

❋ Mercedes-Benz Sprinter $35,995 n/a 318.0 cu. ft.

Looking for a new vehicle to make deliveries? Or perhapsa small fleet? As a way of helping you compare, we did someresearch on six of the top-selling cargo vans on the market today.Each model offers its own scope of features and of course yourdealer can give you all the details.

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS

■ Price. Probably the first thing any van purchaser looks at is theprice of the vehicle. Keep in mind that the number you seeis a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP), whichmeans the dealer is likely to go lower if you’re willingto haggle a bit.

■ Fuel efficiency. Prices for regular gaso-line have been hovering at or above$4 per gallon for some time now.The further your van can go ona gallon, the better your bot-tom line can look. Dependingon how many deliveries youmake, a difference of oneor two miles per gallon infuel economy ratings canresult in significant annualsavings in gasoline costs.

■ Leasing versus buying.If you expect to use thevan for many years, buy-ing is your best choice,bringing the strongest re-turn on investment whenyou amortize the purchasecost over the long term.On the other hand, if you lease you can get a new vehicle every threeyears or so...minimizing regular maintenance expenses and sidestep-ping potential big repairs that often accompany older vehicles.

■ Make it your own. The vans we list in this article are priced asbase models with few options added. Many “extras” are availablewith each van, from leather seating to alloy wheels, to Bluetoothand OnStar connectivity and much more. Also a consideration:Adding your shop’s brand identity via customized vehicle wrapsfeaturing colorful graphics (see article about vehicle wraps, pg. 14).

REVIEWS OF 6 POPULAR CARGO VANS

■ Ford E-150 | Ford’s E-series vans have been staples in the deliv-ery van category for many years. The E-150 is a bit lacking when itcomes to gas mileage. However, E-series van owners have notedthe van’s reliability, year after year, in all kinds of weather.

■ Ford Transit Connect | Boasting an impressive 26 miles per gal-lon on the highway, this smaller and highly maneuverable van iseasy to drive and can save you money at the pump. Also, at justover $21,000 for the base model, it’s a solid value.

■ GMC Savana | With its 270+ cubicfeet of cargo area, the Savanacan handle most floral deliveryrequirements with ease. Ofparticular note, this van offers anoptionally available compressed-natural-gas (CNG) engine forgreen-minded owners.

■ Chevrolet Express |Like the Savana, theExpress offers morethan 270 cubic feetof cargo space. As anoption, the swing-outdriver side door couldmake getting in and outof the van significantlymore convenient.

■ Nissan NV | A newmodel, the NV (whichstands for Nissan Van)

offers more spacious footwells than other big vans, increasingthe cargo load capability. What’s more, a high-roof option isavailable, enabling people up to 6 foot 3 inches tall to standinside the van.

■ Mercedes-Benz Sprinter | Formerly the Dodge Sprinter, thisvan is certainly a bit pricey at nearly $36,000. Yet, with its 318 cu-bic foot cargo capacity, high-roof option and Mercedes’ reputa-tion for lasting quality, the newly designed Sprinter can meet themost demanding delivery needs.

SOURCE:Edmunds.com


creo

florio

logy

|Ju

ne20

11

6

OUT AND ABOUT BLOOMNET TAKES TO THE ROAD

Tina Memos from the1-800-FLOWERS.COM retailstore in Syosset, N.Y., did a step-by-step presentation on how tocreate a perfect centerpiece atthe 37th annual Flower Showheld each spring at Macy’s inManhattan.

On Mother’s Day, the “Tide Girls” helped Bloom-Net employees pass out flowers in area sheltersto all the moms that were afflicted by the terribletornadoes in Alabama this spring. Second fromthe left is Sarah Morrison, owner of TuscaloosaFlower Shop in Tuscaloosa, and on the far rightis Emily Pruett from Linda’s Flowers, Gifts andHome Décor in Northport. For more informationon BloomNet’s relief efforts, turn to page 4 of thisissue of floriology.

Netherlands’ world-renowned floral designerPieter M. Landman and Lourdes Reyes of Ball SB(www.ballsb.com) visited BloomNet headquar-ters and presented their line of new varieties andother products. Be on the lookout for more fromthe very talented designer in an upcoming issueof floriology.

1-800-FLOWERS.COM CEO and Chariman JimMcCann and floriology instructor and Celebra-tions.com expert Jackie Lacey, , , onthe Set of “I Do Over.” For more information onthe premiere, please turn to page 14!

Recently the Carle Place, N.Y.,1-800-FLOWERS.COM retailstore hosted a tour partyfor up-and-coming singersCody Simpson (left) andGreyson Chance (right).Many fans, including KristenParadine (center), daugh-ter of 1-800-FLOWERS.COMSenior Vice President of HumanResources Maureen Paradine,had the unique opportunity tomeet and ask the Hollywoodstars about their music. However,it was Maureen that asked thequestion all the girls wantedto know: “Do you guys havegirlfriends?”

MOTHER’S DAY


creo

June2011

|floriology

7

POS SYSTEMS TECH TALK

by Megan Sullivan

To theRESCUEPOS SYSTEMS SAVE SHOP OWNERS TIME AND LABOR

Saving time and labor givesyou the freedom to providebetter customer service. Torun your shop more efficiently,a good POS system is worth

investing in. “I think that technology forflorists today is an essential part of theirbusiness, especially to get them aheadof others in the industry,” says Amira Ala-geel, business analyst for BloomNet.

When using a POS system, floristsneed not worry about losing paperorders since they can all be inputtedand easily accessed in one location.

It not only saves time, Amira says,but it also cuts down on customerservice issues and having to refundsomeone because of a lost order. Youalso can avoid hiring part-time em-ployees to write messages on cards ortrack orders during the holiday rush; aPOS system can do all this for you.

The BloomNet Management System(BMS) offers easy order entry, main-tains customer data, tracks orders,reports numbers, and has super ticketprinting that prints card messages fororders. It’s also integrated with theBloomLink system and makes deliveryconfirmations easy.

The browser-based BMS, which isaccessed through Internet Explorer,

has automatic periodic updates atno cost. BloomNet has had a lot ofpositive feedback from its florists,Amira says. The system is user friendly,training is minimal and tech support isincluded in the license fee, so there’sno additional charge. No matter howmany terminals a shop has, the licens-ing fee remains the same. All that’sneeded is basic, high-speed Internetconnection and purchase of the neces-sary equipment to run the system.

Rebecca Cross at Earth Art Floristsays the time saving aspect of theBMS is profitable in the long run.Valuable features her shop usesinclude website management, prod-uct orders, wire-outs, shop-to-shopcommunication, order notes history,house account payments, quicksales, cash sales, credit card process-ing, enclosure cards and more.

The Granbury, Texas-shop has twoterminals running. When repeat cus-tomers want to send their “usual” ar-rangements, employees can type in thecustomer name and all of the detailsare right at their fingertips. Once youhave customer e-mails in the system,receipts are sent after each order.

For delivery, Rebecca says the POSconfigures a route and prints a driver’smap and directions. “It’s amazing onthe holidays,” she says. “It’s like anextra employee in the computer.”

In a testimonial, Jaime Castellanosof Conroy’s Flowers North Hollywoodalso offers positive feedback on thetrip routing capabilities of the POSsystem. “The delivery trip sheetsare a lot more organized and we donot have to spend so much time onrouting and confirming trip sheetsanymore,” he says. “I was able to getall my drivers on there and can easilytrack the trips. Once they come backto the store, it is now a lot easierto find the trip number and confirmthem a lot faster than before.”

Rebecca also is thankful for sales taxreports that automatically provide thenumbers from orders taken; you just

have to file online regularly.“It’s great,” she says. “It

saves a lot of late nightstyping and addingthings for sure.”


creo

W

florio

logy

|Ju

ne20

11

8

DESIGN CENTER ON THE EDGE

by Len Vermillion

Maxine Cutts-Alcott, cfd, findsinspiration right outside her door,and puts her surroundings to use.

Working in Highlands Ranch, Colo., Maxine Cutts-Alcott, proprietor of Abloom, has a vast and bounti-ful canvas of nature at her disposal. And, it showsin many of her designs, as she receives a number ofrequests for natural components in her floral arrange-ments. “Colorado is a destination. People are comingfrom places like New York, Texas, and California, andthey’re having events and weddings up in the moun-tains,” explains Maxine. “These are some real citypeople so they want to have an elegance to their event,but they want it to have a ‘mountain casual’ feel.”

That leaves Maxine often contemplatingjust the right mixture of elegance and na-

ture. That experience paid off recentlywhen she did a project for a corporateclient—an annual awards dinner thatshe does every spring. But this yearwas a little different, and access tonature definitely came in handy.

“This year they had completelyrebranded themselves—starting with

the name of the organization downto all of their graphics and colors.” she

says. “Everything was new.”When the organization approached Maxine,

representatives told her they wanted to complementthe new look. That meant Maxine was charged withcoordinating her designs to match the color schemeand image of the new corporate identity. “Their newcolors are green and brown, and they wanted thearrangements to very cleanly reflect the new image.They wanted everything from the table-cloths to the décor to blend into the newimagery,” Maxine says.

The organization wanted the designsto contain a lot of branches and to notbe overly floral. It also wanted a lot of

Designer:Maxine Cutts-Alcott, CFD

Location:Highlands Ranch, Colo.

Experience:26 years

Colorado product. “Myhusband and I have 160acres in the foothills so for thisevent we collected the branches. It wasspring and everything was starting to bud out,” Max-ine says. “We did Lichen branches and Equisetum,which we collected by our creek. We just used a lot ofColorado indigenous plants.”

Maxine combined the arrangements in coveredcontainers from Accent Décor.

Maxine says her inspiration for this project camefrom the client request, as she says she does with allevents. “I just wanted to find a lot of indigenous plantsand complement them with green flowers,” she says.“I went to nature, looked at what was happening innature at that time. Everything was still low; a fewthings had just started to come out. That was reallythe inspiration for this piece. I tried to bring spring intothese designs.”

Maxine has been working as a floral designer for 26years. In general, she says she gets her inspirationsfrom symposiums and collaborations with other de-signers. “I look online to see what designers are doingaround the world,” she says.

She says that for her specifically, inspiration contin-ues to come from nature. “I live in the foothills. I hikea lot,” she explains. “It’s not always the nature that’sstaring you in the face. Something that I find myselflooking at a lot is the negative space that is createdin nature. I get a lot of inspiration from that.”

NatureCalling

yThat lea

just theture

whclswn

rebthe

to all osays. “Eve

duct. “MyI have 160

oothills so for thisected the branches It was

❋“I just wanted to find a lot ofindigenous plants and complementthem with green flowers.”


creo

June2011

|floriology

9


florio

logy

|Ju

ne20

11

10

WAfter trading a career in telecommunications to runthe family business, Randy Wooten hopped on the fasttrack to success as a forth generation florist.

With all the letters following his name you would thinkRandy Wooten AIFD, CFD, GMF, PFCI, owner of Delorice’s Floristin Douglas, Ga., had been in the industry for the last 50years and started his career straight out of school. Contraryto both, Randy bought his flower shop just eight yearsago and spent the first 10 years of his careerat a telecommunications company asdirector of operations.

Though a fourth generationflorist, Randy never reallywanted a part of the industryand was reluctant when thisgrandmother called to of-fer him the family businessin 2003. When he diddecide to purchase theshop, Randy jumped inwith two feet and hasn’tstopped going since. “Ibelieve if you’re going todo something you shouldbe the best,” Randy says.

“It was really out of left fieldfor me, I knew nothing about theindustry or the first thing about mak-ing an arrangement,” he adds. “Witheight shops in our town, the first thing I saidwas ‘how can I set myself apart,’ and the sales andmarketing side of me went to work.”

The biggest thing he did right off the bat was reinstatewedding work into the business. “It was something my

grandmother had stopped doing because she just didn’t havethe manpower anymore, so I had to re-establish myself in themarket as a wedding provider.” Randy did a “dream wedding”contest promoted through local media outlets that offered

complimentary flowers for the bride and groom who sub-mitted the best essay on why they should win.

Randy booked nine weddings that year,and this spring Delorice’s has already

done 17 weddings. The businesscontinues the promotion to

establish itself as a full servicefloral wedding provider.

Once he instituted a busi-ness and marketing plan,Randy needed to get intouch with his creative sideand learn how to design.He did that by engross-ing himself in the Georgia

State Florist Association andstarted networking with his

peers. He attributes much ofhis success with his involvement

to the association and throughAIFD. Through the Georgia State

Florist Association and through SouthernRetail, Randy went to all the design presenta-

tions and started entering the design competitions. By2006, only three years after getting into the industry, he wonthe Georgia State Florist Designer of the Year award.

Randy’s business saw an increase in sales every year and

Full SpeedAHEAD

OWNER’S CORNER CAREER PATH

by Fred Russell

shop just eight yearsf his careery as

trys

eldut the

bout mak-dds. “Withe first thing I said

t ’ d th l d

complimentary flowers for the bmitted the best essay

Randy booked nand this sprin

done 17 wcontinu

estabflora

OneRtoaHin

Stastar

peerhis suc

to the assAIFD. Throu

Florist AssociatiRetail, Randy went to

ti d t t d t i th


creo

June2011

|floriology

11

kept climbing until the economy shifted a couple of yearsago. “We had to change the way we did things and not beafraid to negotiate,” Randy says. “The shops that are goingto still be standing are going to be the ones with the smarterbusiness people.” Randy admits they never really askedabout price before, but now they research for the best dealswithout compromising quantity. The shop also started trad-ing out flowers for local newspaper and radio advertising.

Now, eight years immersed into this business, Randy hasa philosophy that we need to change our mindset. “We’renot selling flowers anymore. Walmart sells flowers, grocerystores sell flowers—we need to sell customer service. Weneed to offer something that they can’t get anywhere else.”You can’t offer something out of a box and you have to beunique, he suggests. Florists are creative people and needto showcase their talents.

Another critical piece to Randy’s success is having agood Point of Sale system. “Before I took over the store,my grandmother didn’t even have a computer,” he recalls.Randy invested in a POS system early on and it has helped

with inventory and marketing among other things. “Thebiggest advantage a POS system will give you is the abilityto track inventory using product codes,” Randy says. Healways knew his sympathy business was big, but didn’t knowit was 40 percent and blooming plants were his biggestseller, so he knew where to put his dollars. Randy has builta strong e-mail database so he can send e-mail blasts andreminders to his customers. It’s also helped with deliveryrouting and sending deliver confirmations. Of the eightshops in business in 2003, only three remain and Randy’s isthe only one with a POS system.

Just a few years after being the student, Randy findspleasure in teaching and is a big proponent of education.In the early years the Associations were Randy’s supportgroup and hotline and now he wants to reciprocate. Afterone of his classes, Randy said someone came up to him andsaid he shouldn’t give out all his secrets. “They’re not mysecrets, I learned them from somebody and I believe by allof us sharing our knowledge we will educate the consumersand strengthen our industry.”

Owner:Randy Wooten,AIFD, CFD, GMF, PFCI

Shop:Delorice’s FloristDouglas, Ga.

Established: 1968

Employees: 5

FAST FACTS

Randy (seated) and staff, from left:Delora Music (mother), Joey Farrington,, dog Josie and Hollie Cothern, .Meet Randy at the floriology FreshForum July 30th in Jacksonville, Fla.


creo

florio

logy

|Ju

ne20

11

12

T

DESIGN CENTER BACK TO BASICS

by Jackie Lacey aifd, cfd, pfci

Color can make or break a design.

This month wraps up the floriology serieson the Principles and Elements of Design aswe focus on color. The importance of colorcannot be denied and can help you achieveharmony in your arrangement.

Color originates as the brain’s perception oflight energy reflected to the eye from a pig-mented surface. Color has no physical qualities.It is visible light energy. When you understand itin this way it is easy to see why it is as importantas an element of design and creativity. It quiteliterally can make or break a design.

The names of colors are the hues. A toolthat has become a standard to most artistsand is used extensively to look at the rela-tionships between hues is the color wheel,invented by Louis Prang. The color wheelbegan with the primary colors of red, yellowand blue, and the secondary colors of orange,green and purple that are created by mixingthese colors together in pairs. All other huesare different variations of one or more huesbased on the values used in its creation.

One of the biggest mistakes in under-standing how color works in a floral designis focusing on only making sure the colorscoordinate together. It is equally as importantto make sure the color distribution and place-ment is accurate. When using warm and coolhues together it is important not to make thedesign too heavy with darker tones groupedtoo high or too low or centered with lightertones that pull the color out of darker hues. Astudy of the various color harmonies, such asanalogous, complementary, monochromaticand triadic, will help the designer understand

how effective use of color can evoke differentemotional responses from each viewer basedon experience, memory and personal prefer-ences. This being the case, it is hard to view adesign without emotional interpretationbased on your personal response tocertain colors.

❋ One person might see pinkas unforgettable and anotheras love.

❋ One may see red as passion andanother as energy.

❋ One may see yellow as sunshineand another as happiness.

We must look at the element of color andadapt our thinking to the basic outline ofwhat it is, how it works—alone and togeth-er—and remove our own personal feelingstoward the various hues to truly understandthe rights and wrongs of color within adesign. Because we are such visual beings,color is often the first thing a viewer notices.This makes it so important to understand itsuse as it applies to balance, proportion, unity,rhythm and contrast. Keep in mind that coloris affected by everything within the designand the environment that is around it. Use itwisely and have a winner. Neglect to take intoconsideration one aspect within the designand even an exceptional floral design can fal-ter in its outcome. Most importantly, enjoy itto the fullest—one color alone, varying tonesor the proper mix of many colors. Color feedsthe brain and is music to the eyes.

Designer:Jackie Lacey,AIFD, CFD. PFCI

Experience:Over 27 years

Exposure/Achievements:Formally ownedretail flower shopsin Tennessee, Texas,and South Carolina

Education special-ist for FloriologyInstitute and AIFDNational MembershipCommittee Co-Chair

Award winner innumerous competitivefloral designcompetitions

to view ation

lor and

HarmonyHUES IN


creo

June2011

|floriology

13

1

1} BN13-117 Can be viewed as double-complementaryor tetradic grouping. Both are groupings of fourcomplementary colors.

2} BN5-21J Traditional complementary color harmony ofred and green. Hues directly opposite from each other.

3} BN1-11J Analogous color group of red, orangeand yellow with a natural complementary contrastof green.

4} BN21-11J Polychromatic color grouping.A multicolored grouping of many hues thatmay otherwise be unrelated.

3

2

4


creo

florio

logy

|Ju

ne20

11

14

PREMIERE

WEDDING AND EVENT PLANNERDIANN VALENTINE STARS IN WE tv’s‘I DO OVER,’ COLLABORATES WITH1-800-FLOWERS.COM

Diann Valentine has been turning fantasiesinto reality with imaginative creativity and anenergetic personality fit for a national televisionshow. And it just so happens Diann is on the

heels of hosting and co-executive producing her new show,“I Do Over,” premiering July 24 on WE tv. The premise ofthe show is to give couples a second chance on a disastrousfirst wedding. To create the perfect wedding Diann turns to1-800-Flowers.com Chairman and CEO and Celebrations.comfounder Jim McCann. Diann works with him to complete hervision by collaborating with a Celebrations.com expert to takethe wedding to a whole new level.

“I’m so excited about the show because it gives me an op-portunity to help people and turn a negative into a positive—it’s very rewarding,” Diann says, adding that it was veryrewarding working with the Celebrations.com team.

Between filming and living beyond her wildest dreams, Diannis an internationally acclaimed wedding, event and interior

designer who planned weddings for Usher,Toni Braxton and many other Hollywood stars.

Fortunately for floriology readers, Diann was ableto take time out of her busy schedule to talk for a

few moments.Diann offers advice for florists who want to build

their wedding and event business. “I think oneof the biggest challenges for a florist is to stepout of tradition, and I think if they do they will besurprised,” Diann says. She suggests steppingoutside the box, being imaginative and infusing a

piece of yourself in the flowers. “Most people arevisual people and only know what they see. And if

they like what they see out of you they will embraceit. Plus when you show them something they like you

should show them 50 percent more.” It’s a great wayto sell without badgering your customers; just showthem what they want to see. Diann also doesn’t believein showing pictures or doing PowerPoint presentations.“Everything is live so they can touch and feel—the bestform of advertising is your work.”

Diann considers her style modern, eclectic andedgy and finds inspiration everywhere. Whether itis architecture or fashion she’s constantly lookingfor the next revelation. “I look at different culturesaround the world and anything from Europe is ahuge influence.” She also avoids looking at the bridalmagazines. “I want my ideas to come from me,” andnot something recycled out of a magazine.

Be sure to follow Diann on Twitter @diannvalentineand “like” her on Facebook facebook.com/DiannVal-

entine. Look for more information on “I Do Over.”

Vehicle wraps brand your shop andprovide marketing on the go. Re-search shows that vehicle signage

garners about 8.4 million impressions in anurban market over a 12-month period.

Through a nationwide partnershipwith The Color Spot, BloomNet offers itsflorists the opportunity to cost-effectively

install custom vehicle wraps.Color Spot Graphics Consultant David

Wysong says to effectively convey yourmessage, the shop’s website and phonenumber must be available to drivers inunder two seconds. “It’s the most effectiveform of advertising available…it’s by farthe best RIO you can get,” he says.

Color Spot offers BloomNet floriststhree templates to choose from—Rose,Tulip and Gerber—and can apply them to21 vehicle types. Daniel Jacobs of Green-brook Flowers in Jackson, Miss., opted fora custom design (above).

Dreams aMaking

REALITY

Celebrity event designerDiann Valentine

by Fred Russell

MARKETING

TRAVELING BILLBOARDSA cost effective marketing tool that covers a lot of ground.


creo

BELIEVING

Ever thought of using You-Tube as a customer ser-vice tool? Well, this is oneinnovative way Will Cross

uses technology to make his custom-ers sleep better at night. Will and hiswife, Rebecca, own Earth Art Floristin Granbury, Texas.

“We struggled with our out-of-town customers not being com-fortable in placing some of theirorders,” Will says. “So, we startedtexting pictures of the arrangementto make them feel better about whatthey were sending.” The shop firstopened in October 2009 and thoughWill knew the quality of his prod-uct was first class, he needed helpconvincing his new customers. “Ourcustomers really appreciate it.”

Will has taken this service to a wholenew level with the help emerging technology and video-sharingwebsites like YouTube. “For special orders we’ll video timelinesomeone’s order from beginning to end.” The customers feel likethey’re getting what they paid for and feel more involved in theprocess. Once the video is complete Will e-mails the customer alink. By capturing the customer’s e-mail address, the shop can addit to its POS system for further marketing efforts.

Recently a television news station got wind of what Earth ArtFlorist was doing, and the local anchor approached Will.

“We are currently working on a weekly series that willinclude instructional videos like recycling programs

and a lot more.” Those videos will be posted onYouTube and on Facebook, which is another

tool Will uses to market his shop and show-case arrangements. Earth Art is also gettingready to host a Facebook Fan Party; once ithits its target, the shop will throw a big eventfor all its fans.

As Innovator of the Month, Earth Art Floristwill receive a $250 check, a designer’s kit and

plaque. They will also be eligible for Innovatorof the Year and could win a Luxury Included®

vacation at a Sandals resort. Send ideas [email protected] today!

June2011

|floriology

15

STORE OPERATIONS

SEEING isGettingEquipped

USING TECHNOLOGYTO BUILD YOUR BUSINESSE

very little bit helps when it comes tostore operations. To run more efficient-ly, and profitably, investing in qualityequipment can go a long way.

�DESIGN TABLES | During a recent courseat the Floriology Institute in Jacksonville, Fla.,students raved about the stainless steel designtables at each workstation. Brian McGee, vicepresident of real estate and construction for1-800-Flowers, says the tables were sourcedthrough Aberdeen Contract Interiors, Inc.(aberdeen-inc.com) in Alsip, Ill. “You can cut righton them, no cutting board needed,” he says.

The custom-designed counters have built-in bucket holders, bringing flowers to designheight. The legs are made of poplar, which is ahard yet inexpensive wood. Large commercialcasters with rubber, lockable wheels allow forportability and will roll easily over flower stems.

�VAN COOLER | Another valuable operationsinitiative is to convert your regular shop van intoa refrigerated one. “Cooling is absolutely criticaland we are currently looking into several com-panies,” Brian says, adding that Thermo King(thermoking.com) offers a good package forinstalling a roof-mounted unit.

In hot markets, florists can’t wrap productsbecause it doesn’t get cool enough, even with rearair conditioning. Instead of buying a $35,000 refrig-erated vehicle, you can fully convert a van intoa refrigeration vehicle for about $7,800 throughThermo King, Brian says. A full insulation panel kitkeeps the driver warm and the product cool. “Itensures the product is protected and arrives safelyand looking fresh,” he says, “and also allows us tofully wrap items and keep them protected.”

�SIGNAGE | To improve signage, florists canswitch from neon to LED lighting, which isvirtually the same cost and uses one-fifth of thepower. “You consider that your sign generallyruns eight to 12 hours a day; you can reduceyour operating cost by 80 percent,” Brian says.LED has a longer lifespan, whereas a neon sign’sglow diminishes over time and its glass tubescan easily break. A sign with plastic componentsmade of Lexan instead of Plexiglas will alsoextend the life of your signage.

INNOVATORJUNE 2011


creo

florio

logy

|Ju

ne20

11

16

BLOOMNET IN THE COMMUNITY

PRESRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDRIPON, WI

PERMIT NO. 100

One Old Country RoadSuite 500Carle Place, NY 11514

NEI

GH

BO

RH

OO

DC

OR

NER

Twenty-five years running a successful flower shop is noeasy feat. Betsy Scott, owner of Flower Kiosk in Portsmouth,N.H., says she owes it all to her staff and community. That’swhy when planning the store’s 25th anniversary, the intentwasn’t to sell, but celebrate. “I would not be around today ifit wasn’t for my amazing, talented staff and if my communitydidn’t support me, so to celebrate we decided to throw a bigparty,” Betsy says.

She hosted the party on June 3 to take advantage of “artaround town,” a local art festival held annually in the smallseaside tourist town. “It was a great time to hold the eventsince the traffic flow was already there and people werealready in a state of excitement.” Betsy raffled off a prize forfree flowers for a year; once a month the winner will receivea free arrangement valued at $25 from Flower Kiosk.

“Overall the night was fantastic—like a Hollywood premierewith all the camera flashes and over 200 peoplecame through the store.” Betsy and her seam-stress designer friend, Marcia Hansen, created

three unique dresses made of aspidistra and aralia leaves andmonstera vine. It created such a stir the crowds were gatheredin the roads outside of the store to try and get a peek. Threemodels (Betsy’s two daughters and niece) wore the dressesand paraded around the area passing out Flower Kiosk post-cards. They also passed out free flowers and other giveaways.

Of course, you can’t have a party without food and bever-ages. “We had wine and drinks for the kids, plus cheeseand crackers and other simple hors d’oeuvres,” Betsy says.She also hired a local cellist to enhance the mood and pho-tographer to document the event.

When all was said and done, Betsy accumulated approxi-mately 150 new customer e-mail addresses and though shefocused on giving back to her community she did have avery high increase in sales.

How have you celebrated your anniversaries? Please e-mailfloriology at [email protected] and share your stories!

Grand Anniversary

>>>The main attractions at the Flower Kiosk’sanniversary party were models wearingdresses made with leaves and vines.

>>>Betsy’s staff surprised herwith T-shirts they worethe day of the event.

>>>>


creo