2012 june floriology

June 2012

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

OWNER’S CORNEROWNER’S CORNERJAMES LOWE, , SAW AN

OPPORTUNITY IN THE MIDST OF CRISIS

BACK TO BASICSBACK TO BASICSSUMMER TABLESCAPES WITH

CELEBRATIONS EXPERTSHAWN RABIDEAU

OPERATIONSOPERATIONSDELIVERY TIME AND MONEY

SAVERS FROM SKIP PAAL

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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 Sullivan

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 2012. 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 InfoFresh Forum will cultivate new ideas.

5 By the StatsFloral sales increase at many shops across the country.

6 Out & AboutBloomNet’s market area consultants were out spreading the BloomNet lovewith Donut visits during Mother’s Day week.

7 OperationsDelivery time and money savers.

8 design center: On the EdgeKevin Smoak wins Floriology Institute competition at AIFD Southern Chapter.

10 Owner’s CornerLowe’s Floral and Garden Center bounces back after a devastating flood.

12 design center: Back to BasicsCelebrations.com Expert Shawn Rabideau brings clever party ideas to the table.

14 Consumer ReportsWhat to look for in a new delivery vehicle.

15 BusinessCredit scores can either help or hurt your business.

15 DIYMaking flower inspired napkin rings.

16 Neighborhood CornerThe former owners of Flowers Gifts N More say farewell.

WHAT’S INSIDEV O L . 3 N O . 8 | J U N E 2 0 1 2

>>>Cover image courtesy ofotis and james photography

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UP FRONT

ADDING HORSEPOWERTO YOUR BRANDI have always been a car nut since high school, when I saved every pennyto buy my very first used car, a 1962 Corvair Monza Spyder. It was GrandPrix White with crimson interior and was so much fun until the engine letgo on the way to school one day, making me late and enabling me to learnmy first valuable lesson about buying used cars: do not ignore the needfor dependable transportation. Back then, being late to school brought,in some cases, capital punishment and a close encounter with the “FlyingDutchman.” I paid a rather high price that day, other than the cost of thecar. There’s much more to the story, but I won’t bother you with the details.

The other big discovery was you definitely were what you drove—inother words, your vehicle and the way it looked played a key role in your personal “branding.”The kind of car and the car’s appearance were everything and in fact established your recog-nizable “coolness” factor. Superficial, I know, but remember this was high school.

Have things really changed?I don’t think so, especially in corporate America pertaining to home delivery. Think of the ex-

amples: UPS and their specially painted trucks in their own big brown colors with uniform drivers;FedEx and their white trucks with logos to match the type of delivery; the United States PostalService and their red, white and blue colors emblazoned on strange little box-type delivery trucks.What’s more, there are the delivery vehicles for newspapers, grocery stores, pizza shops...the listgoes on and they all have the same thing in common: a recognizable brand. The vehicles are easilydiscernible and it’s important too that they are almost always new and clean. From a consumer’sstandpoint, it builds confidence in the company and trust that your delivery will arrive as expected.

I remember a dear florist friend once telling me that the most beautiful and thoughtfullydesigned arrangement will never be fully appreciated by a customer if the delivery person andthe vehicle are not clean and attractive, representing the florist in the best light. McShan’s (tojust name one) in Dallas gets this. Their trucks are all painted exactly the same in their cor-porate color scheme, with the shop’s name, phone number and Web address clearly visible.And, their drivers always are in company logo-wear and look very professional. The flowers areamazing, the delivery spectacular.

This month in floriology we are excited to bring you information on some of the newestdelivery vehicles. They are more efficient, better suited to our industry, look good and whenprepared properly are amazing billboards for you and your flower shop. Full vehicle wraps arethe latest tool in giving your delivery vehicle that totally unique appearance for your particularshop, increasing the brand recognition of your business every time you make a delivery. Talkabout differentiating yourself!

Mark Nance, AAF | President

THE COFFEE POT

WHAT’S ON TAP

● SAF Retail GrowthSolutionsJune 19-20Philadelphia

● Dallas Total Home& Gift MarketJune 20-26Dallas, Texas

● Utah Annual FloristConventionJune 23-24Salt Lake City

● Independence DayJuly 4

● AIFD NationalSymposiumJuly 12-16Miami

● Ohio Florist Assoc.Short CourseJuly 14-17Columbus, Ohio

● Floral StrategiesProfessional CustomerService SkillsJuly 17

● Texas State Florists’98th Annual ConventionJuly 21-22Fredericksburg, Texas

● BloomNet/NAPCOFresh Forum*July 28Jacksonville

● South CarolinaAnnual ConventionJuly 27-29Columbia, S.C.

● Oklahoma StateFlorists Assoc.Summer ConferenceJuly 28-29Tulsa, Okla.

● Floriology Institute5-Day AdvancedWedding / Party& Events*July 30-Aug. 3Jacksonville

❋ Go to MyBloomnet.netfor more info!

“Just wanted to drop a line to let you know how much I enjoy your magazine. It’s wonderful howyou mix the art of our industry with the business side and toss in a bit of advertising, marketingand social media for good measure. Fresh ideas taken from a variety of shops around the coun-try really keep the reading interesting and on point. Kudos to you all!”

❋ Georgianne Vinicombe ~ Monday Morning Flower and Balloon Co., Princeton, N.J.


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INDUSTRY INFO AWARDS, SHOWS, ADVOCACY

EDUCATION

CREATIVEJUICESFresh Forum can re-invigoratedesign skills, cultivate new ideas.

What inspires you? Nature? Art? How about sharingimaginative ideas with a hundred other florists,including many of the industry’s most creativedesigners?

On July 28, florists from California to New York and everywherein between will descend on Florida for the Summer Fresh Forum.The one-day event will take place at the Napco Showroom inJacksonville.

In addition to an exchange of valuable insights along withextensive networking, the event will feature the first “Fresh ForumBloomNet Florist Design Competition” with cash prizes, awards

and spotlights in this magazine await-ing the winners. Attendees can also take advantage of showroomspecials on new products. What’s more, the Fresh Forum will befollowed by a five-day Wedding, Party & Events course at TheFloriology Institute.

“Fresh Forum is an opportunity to bring florists together, to rein-force community, and to provide the latest information, education,product innovations and trend-forward design approaches,” saysLisa Carmichael, BloomNet vice president, marketing and newbusiness development. “Our last Fresh Forum this past winter wascompletely sold out and florists who attended that event told ushow much they enjoyed the give-and-take atmosphere, the chanceto exchange ideas first-hand with other florists from throughoutthe country, and the re-energized creative inspirations they wereable to take back to their shops.”

DESIGN ON THE CUTTING EDGE

A highlight of the Fresh Forum on July 28 will be a 2013 Spring &Garden Trends floral design program presented by Jackie Lacey,AIFD, PFCI, CFD. Jackie frequently travels the world gaining exper-tise about the newest floral design trends, from today’s hottestPantone colors, to the new shapes and textures, to the most in-demand containers.

During the program, Jackie will share all of that with attendees,demonstrating specific floral design tips, tricks and techniques, coor-dinating new trends with new containers, and explaining how floristscan incorporate each of those ideas into their shops to best targettheir customers and differentiate themselves from their competition.

Jackie will also present another program, titled “Let’s Get ThisParty Started!” The program will deliver key insights about howflorists can optimize the extensive sales potential available in theparty and special events marketplace.

Showcased in the program will be the new Napco party andevent glassware line featuring unique shapes and designs. Of par-ticular note is the fact that these products have re-useable packag-ing ideal for transporting oversized glassware from event to event

and for storage.

STRATEGIES TO GROW YOUR WEDDING BUSINESS

Another focal point of the July 28 Fresh Forum willbe a program called “Here Comes the Bride, Do NotMiss Her,” presented by Jo Buttram, AAF, AMF, PCF.

Jo owns Shirley’s Flowers & Gifts in Rogers, Ark.—ashop representing three generations of successfulretailing. Recently, Jo also opened a second shop,called Shirley’s Flower Studio, in Bentonville, Ark.

Her informative program will provide florists withstrategies for catering to the needs of today’s brides,including ways to engage them more effectively...

and turn them into customers forlife. The use of social media, suchas Facebook and Twitter, will bediscussed as well as ideas for maxi-mizing Pinterest, a social networking

destination with a user base of 80percent women, many of them brides-

to-be. Pinterest is an increasingly popular site that according to Ex-perian Marketing Services (www.experian.com/marketing-services)has grown its number of visitors by 50 percent since January.

RECOGNIZING EXCEPTIONAL CREATIVITY

The first “Fresh Forum BloomNet Florist Design Competition” atthe July 28 Fresh Forum in Jacksonville promises to be an event notto be missed. Besides challenging themselves and furthering theirdesign skills, participants in the competition will have an opportunityto present their designs during the Fresh Forum stage programs.

“We’ve seen amazing floral design talent come through TheFloriology Institute, and we’re providing a forum for talented flo-rists to share their creations with other fellow florists and gain therecognition they truly deserve,” states Lisa.

SPACE IS LIMITED for the Fresh Forum July 28,so register as soon as possible by [email protected] or calling800-322-2421, ext. 553


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SALES BY THE STATS

by Mike Pucci

Mother’s Day 2012:Positive SignsFLORAL SALES INCREASE AT MANYSHOPS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

❋How was your Mother’s Day 2012?Email us at [email protected].

❋ $54.40. Average amount spent onMother’s Day flowers in 2012 marketwide,a 28% increase versus 2011.

❋ $86.20. Average floral spend at retail florists.

❋ 70. Percentage of gifts bought for one’smother (mothers-in-law: 24%; wives: 23%)

SOURCE: SAF consumer poll conducted by Ipsos Synovate

Here’s to Mom

According to a poll of more than 1,000 consumers conductedby Ipsos Synovate for the Society of American Florists, 38 percentof Americans bought fresh flowers and plants for Mother’s Day thisyear, compared to 35 percent in 2011. More good news: the 38percent is close to pre-recession levels in 2007 and 2008 when 37percent of American consumers bought flowers and plants for theMother’s Day holiday in each of those years.

“EXTREMELY BUSY”

Those are the words of Michelle Daniels,owner of Flowers from the Heart in WinterHaven, Fla., in describing how Mother’s Day2012 was for her shop. “It was awesome,we went like the Energizer bunny,” sheexclaims.

Concurring with those thoughts is JeffGrasso, owner of 1-800-Flowers GrassoFlorist in Omaha, Neb. “It was a terrificMother’s Day; orders went way overwhat our projections were,” states Jeff.

“Business trended up from lastyear,” adds Debbie Bussard, ownerof Blooms Florist in Edgewater, Md.Coming from a different prospectiveis Mette Owen, manager of In FullBloom in Salt Lake City, Utah, a shopowned by Roxanne Becker Wortham.“It was our first Mother’s Day, so wedidn’t really know what to expect, andit was busy,” says Mette. Interestingly,Mette indicates that as of the middleof May 2012, In Full Bloom had already doubled the shop’s salesnumbers compared to the entire month of May 2011.

WHO WAS BUYING?

Findings from the Society of American Florists poll showed thatthe consumers most prone to purchase flowers and plants forthe 2012 Mother’s Day holiday were males (43 percent comparedto 34 percent of females). In terms of age, 48 percent of flower/plant buyers were 18 to 34 while 39 percent were 35 to 54 and 27percent were 55 and older.

Forty-four percent of flower and plant purchasers were thosewith children living in their household and 36 percent did not have

children at home. People with full-time employment made up 46percent of the buyers compared to 32 percent for unemployedpersons. Forty-seven percent of purchasers were Northeasternersand between 35 percent and 38 percent were from other regionsof the country.

WHAT WERE THEY BUYING?

According to SAF’s poll, of those consumers buying flowers andplants for Mother’s Day 2012, 72 percent chose fresh flowers.

Thirty-eight percent bought flowering houseplants,37 percent purchased outdoor bedding or garden

plants, and 23 percent bought green house-plants.

Most of the florists floriology spoke with under-scored the findings above. Debbie explains that

fresh cut flowers in many different varieties werestrong sellers at her shop. Says Mette: “A lot of

tulips” and “bunches and bunches of multi-color roses.” And Michelle points out that

in addition to fresh flower arrangements,customers were buying plants in big num-

bers at her shop.

HOW DID FLORISTS PREPARE?

To help offset the last-minute rushthat always seems to be associatedwith Mother’s Day, Debbie sent outemails and also placed a sign outsideher shop reminding customers of theholiday well ahead of time. And Jeffstates: “We did a lot of advancedplanning, hiring extra designers anddrivers in anticipation.”

Jeff, who is affectionately called“The Human Garmin” by the staff athis shop, also utilized his extensive

familiarity with the streets and neighborhoods in and around theOmaha metropolitan area. “I know by looking at an address whatpart of town it is and where it is in relation to other parts...so be-fore orders had to go, I sorted the orders into sections of town sowhen our drivers were going out we didn’t have multiple driverswasting time going past each other.”


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OUT AND ABOUT BLOOMNET TAKES TO THE ROADTHE ROAD

MOTHER’S DAY

BloomNet’s Market Area Consultants were busy during Mother’sDay Week doing “doughnut” visits to area shops to give a muchneeded “sugar rush” to keep the juices going!

Northern Florida Market Area Consultant DougCrescimanno and Brenda from Hagan Ace Florist inJacksonville are all smiles during Mother’s Day Week.

BloomNet veteran Bill Jacobson, market areaconsultant, covers the Carolinas and has done a

few doughnut visits in his time. Here he visits thestaff at Owen’s Bordeaux in Fayetteville, N.C.

Perry Winslow, market area consultant forArizona, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah, pro-cessed a dozen boxes of flowers and sent ordersout on the BloomNet Directory for Fresh Bloom-ers Flowers & Gifts in Mesa, Ariz. Pictured (fromleft) are Robin, designer; Perry; Debbie Deleso,owner; and Shirley.

Southern Florida BloomNet Market AreaConsultant Russell Belshe delivers smilesand doughnuts to Sunshine at VillageGreenery in Palm Coast, Fla.

Flowers of Las Colinas in Irving, Texas,received a “bagel” visit from Northern TexasBloomNet Market Area Consultant DaneLove to spread the Mother’s Day cheer. Pic-tured (from left) are Cindy, Barbara,Jean, Christy and Dane.


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DELIVERY OPERATIONS

by Skip Paal

Power HourDELIVERY TIME AND MONEY SAVERS

Power Hour is a monthly tip, idea, or trend designed tomake your business run more profitably and efficiently,while taking only an hour each month to implement. Thismonth, we explore ideas to make the delivery portion ofyour business a boost to your bottom line.

Begin by having the mindset that delivery is a service. Serviceshave a value and as retailers, we need to charge for that value. Lookaround the country and you will find local delivery charges rangingfrom $3 to $18.95—and that’s just for local delivery! As a general rule,add up your total delivery expenses—truck payments, insurance, fuel,maintenance and drivers’ payroll. Take your total delivery expensesfrom last year, and divide by the number of deliveries you made. Ifyou are like most retailers, your cost is probably somewhere between$7 and $10 per delivery. Now take a 50percent markup on that cost and yourdelivery charge should be some-where between $10.50 and $15.That is what you need to becharging.

I can hear you nowsaying, “There’s no waymy customers will everpay that for delivery.” Iused to feel the sameway. Several years ago,our delivery charge was$6. We increased it to $9.95and then to $12.95. Duringour first year after the increases,just two customers complainedabout the increase. The thousands ofdollars in extra revenue more than madeup for those two upset customers. Remember, if a customer ordersflowers from an online retailer, they are charged a “shipping” or“delivery” fee of $14.95 (or more). Your $12.95 delivery charge will bea bargain to them.

Once you have your regular delivery charge in place, look at howyou can make extra money from special deliveries. Timed deliveries(except funeral homes) are a service that you can, and should, chargefor. Look at the example of FedEx or UPS. These carriers offer op-tions for how fast you want a package delivered and they charge forthose options. If you want delivery tomorrow by 10:30 a.m., you willpay more than if you want it by 5 p.m. If a time guarantee is impor-tant, you will pay for it. So will your customers. Offer your customer a

“special delivery” that’s guaranteed to arrive before noon for an extra$5. We did that at Valentine’s Day this year and put an extra $500 inthe bank.

Now that you are increasing your delivery income, let’s look at waysto reduce your delivery expenses. The best way is to make your drivetime more efficient with effective use of technology. Some Point OfSale systems have delivery routing and mapping features built in. Ifyou want a free way to route your deliveries, visit an online service,such as www.mapquest.com or maps.google.com. These servicesallow you to find the fastest way to route your deliveries and will giveexpected travel time so you know how long your driver will be gone.Many drivers also benefit by using GPS in the delivery van. You canbuy a GPS unit for around $99 from any office supply or consumerelectronics store. When we installed GPS in our delivery vans, we saw

our drivers finish deliveries 30 minutes earlier each day. That’s over150 payroll hours saved every year. Just fill in your drivers’ hourly

rate and do the math for yourself.Finally, there are ways to increase efficiency in

packing your vehicles. Delivery boxes cost an average of $.50each, so eliminating the need to box all items can save you big.

There are two products available at a reasonable price that can helphold deliveries in your vehicle. Seminole Products (www.seminoleds.com) offers a plastic grid-based system with adjustable plastic pegsto fit anything from a bud vase to a casket spray. The Transporter 10,offered by MAC Technologies (www.arrivealiveproducts.com), is amolded holder designed to fit specific sizes of vases. Both productsare simple to use, easily transportable between vehicles and there’salmost no tipping over of deliveries.

Take one hour this month and look at your delivery efficiency andprofitability. Making a few small changes can make a big difference toyour bottom line.

Skip Paal is the owner of Rutland Beard Floral Group, with retail loca-tions in Maryland and New Jersey.

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“When we installed GPS inour delivery vans, we saw ourdrivers finish deliveries30 minutes earlier each day.”


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DESIGN CENTER ON THE EDGE

by Mike Pucci

“I love to design! I can’t imaginemyself doing anything else...it issuch a huge part of who I am,” saysKevin Smoak, head floral designerat Cheryl’s Distinctive Creations inOrlando, Fla.

Kevin is the winner of the FloriologyInstitute student competition, heldApril 13 and hosted by BloomNet atthe AIFD Southern Chapter Confer-ence in Orlando. Fourteen designersparticipated in the competition, witheach receiving a surprise black boxfilled with flowers, supplies and a newlyintroduced Napco urban container.

Using what was in the box, each con-testant was given one hour to completean “urban delight” centerpiece withfour judges scoring each design. Moreon Kevin’s winning arrangement in amoment, but first a little background.

SEVERAL CAREER PATHS, AND ALIFELONG LOVE OF FLOWERS

Kevin has worked in afactory, and also at

Walmart, and in thetelecommunicationsindustry. Yet, as var-

SEVERAL CARELIFELONG

Kevinfacto

Watein

ied as his career experience has been, his appreciation of all thingsfloral has been with him since childhood.

“My love for flowers started at a very early age. My parents havetold me that I was always picking flowers and arranging themfor my mom,” explains Kevin. “I currently work in commercial atCheryl’s Distinctive Creations and love it.” Commercial design forKevin involves everything from creating lobby arrangements forhotels and law offices, to designing for corporate events.

Although he has been designing for 22 years, Kevin was slightlyintimidated by the competition at the AIFD event. “My firstthought was, I did not want to do this,” he recalls. “I had to reas-sure myself that I am a great designer and get into game mode.”

Helping with that reassurance was Kevin’s boss, Cheryl Andrews,FSMD, who reminded Kevin of just how good he is. “She told methat you will be your own toughest competitor,” he comments.

CREATIVE INTERPRETATION,BROUGHT TO FULL BLOOM

For the competition at AIFD Southern Chapter, in keeping withthe urban theme, Kevin’s centerpiece was designed to evoke a“gentleman living in an urban loft apartment.”

Floral varieties included three white roses, three white anthuri-ums, two stems of green dendrobium orchids, two stems of okoono, three stems of equisitem, two stems of salal, and two stemsof fatsia. Hard goods used were a silver 6x6 container from Nap-co, and Smithers-Oasis items, including one roll of apple greenflat wire, one roll of standard silver wire, one roll of apple greenbeaded wire, several pieces of green milliandino sticks, a yard ofaspercore, a foot of floral glue tape, two 1/3 pieces of foam and a

Designer: Kevin Smoak Experience: 22 years freelance design

Exposure/Achievements: Winner of Floriology Institute’s Student Competition; Kevin will beattending the 5-Day Wedding Course at Floriology Institute on July 30.

URBANCHIC Kevin Smoak wins Floriology

Institute competition atAIFD Southern Chapter.

The Essence of


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Kevin’s winning centerpiece was designedto evoke the feeling of a gentleman living inan urban loft apartment.

❋“I love to design. I can’t imaginemyself doing anything else...it issuch a huge part of who I am.”

couple feet of black plastic.Kevin placed one piece of foam

on its side and stood the other pieceupright on it, in the corner of thecontainer. He then made springs ofthe flat wire to put tension on thefoam, and covered the foam withmoss. Next, he placed the white rosesin a row halfway inside the container,then used the fatsia leaves as shelter.Between the leaves went the greendendrobiums in linear fashion.

To keep the line, Kevin groupedand sheltered two of the white an-thuriums over the white roses. Thethird white anthuriums was extendedto keep balance. The equisitem wasthen cut into three equal bundles,and green flat wire bands wereplaced around the ends of the bun-dles to keep them tight, with severallayers of sheltering then added. Tobalance out the green dendrobium,Kevin made loops of the green mil-liandino sticks and made bands withthe green beaded wire.

Lastly, to tie into the silver con-tainer, he constructed silver wire orbs,providing the final touch to create hiswinning interpretation of an urbanloft apartment centerpiece.

As the winner of the competition,Kevin received a full-expense-paidscholarship to The FloriologyInstitute to continue his passion forfloral design and competition.


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CLowe’s Floral and Garden Centerbounces back after the devastatingSouris River flood of 2011.

Come hell or high water, Lowe’s Floral andGarden Center in Minot, N.D., will weather thestorm. Having already survived two historic floods,the third-generation family business is determinedto thrive for years to come.

James Lowe, AIFD, CFD, floral division manager,says his grandparents started the business in 1929as a truck garden opera-tion, growing vegetablesand pick-your-own berries.Eventually, they added bed-ding plants to their productmix. James’ parents tookover in 1975, and expandedby adding a flower shop, alandscape nursery division,and 15 pop-up, parking lotgreenhouse locations acrossthe state of North Dakota.“We grow everything we canat our primary location, andhave a trucking fleet we moveproduct out to our satellitelocations with,” says James,who has been at the designbench for nearly 20 years.

The reputable, long-stand-ing business is bouncing backwith finesse after the SourisRiver flood last year. On May 31, 2011, approximately10,000 Minot residents faced a mandatory evacuationto avoid the rising river, while crews built secondarydikes. The water held, and residents moved back in,but a second flood threat came shortly thereafter.During a press conference the evening of June 20,Minot’s mayor told residents that floodwaters wouldovertake their homes and businesses, and it would

OWNER’S CORNER SURVIVAL

by Megan Sullivan

SweatandTearsFLOODexceed the levels of the historic flood of 1969, which James’ grand-parents took a hit from. By June 22, around noon, the sirens beganto wail as the Souris River breached the local levees.

Everything from shoulder height down in the store and ware-house—such as hard goods, garden art, and lawn and gardenchemicals—had to be quickly removed. Plant material was sacri-ficed, but the team pulled out enough perennials and trees for theseason without having to interrupt their landscaping crew. Friendslent office space so the business could continue with billing andother administrative tasks.

By June 22, Lowe’s Floral and Garden Center was underwater.The Lowes and their team canoed in for the first time on July 15,

and discovered that the water line on theshowroom floor was about 4 feet high.About an inch of mud caked the floor. Oneof the greenhouses, situated on lower rangeground, was completely underwater. A flatof petunias had floated up to the ceilingrafters. “It was devastating,” James recalls.

Clean up began July 16 and by the 18ththey were able to drive trucks across theroads, still high with 18 inches of water. Afull crew, wearing muck boots, heavy rubbergloves and respirators, began demolitionand sterilization of the building. Employeesand their families worked tirelessly get theshop back up and running.

Rather than throw up their hands and giveup, the Lowes saw the positive in the midstof the muck. “Out of that we have takenthe opportunity to change the layout of theshowroom,” James says. “With the newlayout of the design center, we were able toinclude a doorway that makes it a straight

shot for product carts from the design center directly out to thedelivery garage. It’s more efficient that way.

“We got a new front counter out of the deal, which was nice,” headds. “We saw it as an opportunity.”

The store was officially back open Nov. 1, and they held a “Flood,Sweat and Tears” grand re-opening party at the end of April. “Atsome point,” James says, “you need to have a sense of humorabout it.”


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Lowe’s has been serving theMinot community with freshflowers, green and bloomingplants, trees, shrubs, and locallygrown vegetable and beddingplants for over 80 years.

Shop: Lowe’s Floraland Garden Center

Owner: Philip Lowe

Manager: James Lowe

Established: 1929

Employees:Floral shop: 5;Whole operation: 175(including satellites)

FAST FACTS

otis and james photography


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DESIGN CENTER BACK TO BASICS

by Megan Sullivan

Summer is jam-packed with barbecuepicnics, poolside soirees, al frescodinner parties, and special occa-sions. Florists can capitalize on all thefestivities by making recommenda-tions for the design and look of theirclients’ parties.

Celebrations.com Expert ShawnRabideau says it’s important to getto know the client better and ask theright questions. Find out what type ofoccasion your client is having, whereit’s taking place, and whether the cli-

ent has any favorite blooms.Shawn recommends us-

ing elements besidesflowers, such as

herbs, succulentsand other organicmaterials, to cre-ate a unique and

SummerSOIREES

one-of-a-kind arrangement. “Think of juxtaposing crystal or milkglass with modern blooms and succulents,” he says. “Additionally,avoid using lots of filler and use larger blooms that have impact.”

Currently, color blocking is a major trend that is taken rightfrom the runway. “Staying current with fashion and interior decortrends can make you stand out from other florists in your area,”Shawn says.

Florists can advise clients to use multiple containers and mixand match items they already have at home. Keeping it simplewill alleviate the stress of DIY arrangements, Shawn says. Makesure they buy their floral stems from you for their personalizedcreations.

To attract more customers, florists should strive to createunique arrangements that can’t be found anywhere else. “Makeyourself a commodity in your floral community and your custom-ers will come to you because they think you are the only one whocan do what you do well,” Shawn advises.

On Celebrations.com, Shawn shares an “Everyday SummerTablescape Idea” (see facing page) that florists can pass along tocustomers. Don’t forget to offer your floral expertise! Be sure tocheck Celebrations.com for more ideas.

Celebrations Expert Shawn Rabideaubrings clever party ideas to the table.

Designer: Shawn Rabideau Location: New York City

Achievements/Accomplishments: Founder of Shawn Rabideau Events & Design;.He has been featured on Bravo TV’s hit reality series Bethenny Ever After, ABC’s

Good Morning America, and the Style Network’s Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

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This summer tablescape is a greateveryday setup whether it be an ordi-nary get together or a special family

gathering outside. It is also an ideal setupfor a buffet or dessert table. Don’t be afraidto add lots of color—color blocking is a bigtrend right now and it is a great way to incor-porate bright elements to the party.

Choose different varieties of flowers andgreens to bring dimension to the table. Iused mercury vases for some of the arrange-ments, which bring a metallic look to theparty. Don’t be afraid to get funky and usedifferent textures and materials to hold theflowers in place of an ordinary vase.

Recommend to your clients that they servea signature drink that guests will really love. Isuggest a fruity champagne cocktail for sum-mer parties. They can dress it up easily byplacing decorative paper over a plain whiteserving tray and buying a few striped straws.Printable flag toppers are also a fun way todress up cocktails.

If your customers are going to serve littlebites, a fun way to add some height to thetable is to take two candlesticks and place alevel serving plate on top. I’ve placed little box-es of popcorn atop my tray, but cake pops orcupcakes would make a great addition as well.

Hang a fun DIY banner across the buffetand the table is complete!

InterestingTidbit❋

Through the past de-cade, Shawn has been

involved with and overseenthe production and designof numerous private eventsfor such clients as KennethCole, Paige Davis, BethennyFrankel, Jennifer Lopez,Star Jones and BarbaraWalters.

Table TipsTable Tips


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CONSUMER REPORTS DELIVERY VEHICLES

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A NEWDELIVERY VEHICLE.

Thinking about purchasing a delivery van, or perhaps invest-ing in a small fleet of vans? Our annual look at the newestmodels can help steer you in the right direction.

GETTING STARTED

Before you visit your dealer, review some of the more important con-siderations affecting not only your immediate purchase, but also howa van investment will perform for your business down the road.

❋ Price. Most likely, the MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price)will be a factor in just about any vehicle buying decision. The keyhere is the word suggested. If you’re willing to negotiate andhaggle even a little bit, chances are your dealer can offer you alower price than that shown on the sticker.

❋ Cargo capacity. How much room do you need? Look first at yourdelivery demands for peak holiday periods such as Valentine’sDay and Mother’s Day and go from there. If you allow enough car-go space for those holidays you’ll almost certainly have enoughfor other periodsthroughout the year.

❋ Lease or buy? Thesimple answer is: if youlike having a new ve-hicle every three yearsor so—with the comfortof knowing very littlemaintenance will beneeded—then leasingis for you. Conversely, ifyou prefer to keep thevan for many years, buy-ing is your most cost effective choice because over the long termyour return on investment can be optimized.

❋ Miles per gallon. With gasoline averaging near $4 per gallon,don’t ignore the city and highway estimates on vehicle stickers.

❋ Extra, extra. For each of the base-model vans described here, anextensive array of options can be ordered, including leather seat-ing, navigation devices, Bluetooth technology and Pandora radio.Another possibility involves customized vehicle wraps with colorfulgraphics designed to promote your shop’s branding.

Which is your favorite vehicle and why? Email us at [email protected].

RoadSignsby Mike Pucci 7Popular Cargo Van

REVIEWS2012 Ford Transit Connect VanMSRP (BASE): $22,035 | CITY/HWY: 21/27 mpgCARGO CAPACITY: 129.6 cu. ft.With just 129.6 cubic feet of cargo space, this van is notexactly made for large-scale deliveries. Yet, you cannotignore how nimble it is, easy to park and maneuverin tight spaces. Another plus: above average fueleconomy.

2012 Dodge Ram C/V Cargo VanMSRP (BASE): $22,420 | CITY/HWY: 17/25 mpgCARGO CAPACITY: 143.8 cu. ft.Dodge positions this vehicle as offering the func-tionality of a cargo van with the fuel efficiency of aminivan. Although leg-room for the driver has beendescribed as somewhat limited, the driver cockpit iswell equipped.

2012 Nissan NV 1500 VanMSRP (BASE): $25,050 | CITY/HWY: n/aCARGO CAPACITY: 234.1 cu. ft.A new model introduced last year, this van is availablewith a tall roof option that enables a full-grown adultto stand up in the vehicle. Cited by Edmunds.com asoffering a “strong value proposition.”

2012 Ford E-Series (E-150)MSRP (BASE): $26,630 | CITY/HWY: 13/17 mpgCARGO CAPACITY: 237.8 cu. ft.It seems like “E” vans have been around forever, butstill, this line remains a solid choice for reliability. Spa-cious interior and extensive customization optionscreate many possibilities.

2012 Chevrolet ExpressMSRP (BASE): $25,090 | CITY/HWY: 15/20mpgCARGO CAPACITY: 270.4 cu. ft.A driver-side access door option, multiple wheelbaseconfigurations, available all-wheel drive and powerfultowing capability can provide extensive versatility.

2012 GMC Savana 1500MSRP (BASE): $25,090 | CITY/HWY: 15/20 mpgCARGO CAPACITY: 270.4 cu. ft.Essentially the same van as the Express describedabove (both vans, as you probably know, are productsof General Motors). Which van you choose pretty muchcomes down to brand preference.

2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.MSRP (BASE): $36,290 | CITY/HWY: n/aCARGO CAPACITY: 318.0 cu. ft.Big sticker price, biggest cargo capacity in the catego-ry. And then there’s the renowned Mercedes craftsman-ship. If your budget allows, you can’t go wrong here.

SOURCE: EDMUNDS.COM


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Flowers are the essence of spring, even whenmade from fabric. Choose a couple thatmatch your color scheme, and attach themto a sweet ruffle napkin ring made from a

coordinating pattern. Display alongside a matchingphoto placecard.

❋ SUPPLIES1 | Fabric scraps in three

coordinating colors/patterns

2 | fabric scissors3 | colored felt4 | hot glue gun

❋ DIRECTIONS1 | Cut a strip of fabric

about 1-inch wide and 18-inches long.2 | Sew a long straight stitch down the center of

the fabric, and pull one string of thread at theends to create a ruffle.

3 | Wrap the ruffled fabric around a napkin and tiein the front.

4 | Make flowers from two coordinating piecesof fabric and attach.

❋ HOW TO MAKE EASY FABRIC FLOWERS1 | Cut six circles out of each fabric. We cut six

large circles from one and six smaller circlesfrom another fabric.

2 | Fold each circle in half.3 | Then, fold in half again.4 | Cut a circle out of felt.5 | Glue the fabric petals to the felt circle in a

clockwise direction, and glue a smaller feltcircle in the center.

6 | Glue the smaller flower to the bottom of thelarge one. Glue both to the center of theruffle napkin ring.

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BUSINESS CREDIT

RUFFLESKnow the Score

MAKE YOUR OWNFLOWER INSPIREDNAPKIN RINGSby Karen Perkins, Celebrations.com contributorG

regg Canigiani, senior manager of credit forBloomNet, explains why maintaining good creditis important to running a successful businesses.

Building Success | Maintaining a good creditscore is an important part of a successfulbusiness. “Maintaining an excellent creditcan lower your borrowing costs, quickenyour credit approval process and obtainfavorable terms of credit which will fostersuccessful business to business relation-ships,” Gregg says.

Setting up Shop | Florists need capital topurchase expensive equipment, such as refrigeratedcoolers and delivery vehicles, and set up accounts with floraldistributors. If florists don’t have good credit, a distributor mayrequire the florist to pay upon delivery or pre-pay. “It’s harderfor a business to manage if you have to pay that way,” Greggsays. “To better operate, you need good credit history.”Florists with bad credit may still get approved to make a bigpurchase, but the interest rate will be higher.

Maintaining Operations | It’s important to have the propercredit limits in order to take advantage of the variety of costsaving and revenue enhancing products, programs and ser-vices that a wire service like BloomNet offers its florists.

Keeping Score | Major credit reporting agencies, such as Ex-perian, Equifax and Transunion, keep track of credit histories.Keep long-standing credit accounts open to show you are reli-able over time. Gregg advises florists not to over apply for toomany loans at the same time. “Credit reporting agencies seethat as a person or company that is desperate for money,” hesays. “It could have an adverse affect on your score.”

Room for Improvement | Improving a bad credit score takestime, but it can be done with a few simple steps, “like payingon time and don’t max out your credit cards,” Gregg says.“Everyone gets busy and the last thing you want to do is sitdown and pay your bills, but it can either have a detrimentalor advantageous effect so make it a priority.” If you have apoor credit score, Gregg suggests setting up an account witha credit reporting agency so you can monitor your score. Ifimprovements are being made, your score will increase.

TABLESCAPE DIY

CREDIT SCORES CANEITHER HELP OR HURTYOUR BUSINESS

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BLOOMNET IN THE COMMUNITY

PRESRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDRIPON, WI

PERMIT NO. 100

One Old Country RoadSuite 500Carle Place, NY 11514

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Sejad and Fata Pintol, former owners of Flowers Gifts N More in Houston, Texas, first came to the UnitedStates 11 years ago from Bosnia, as refugees from the Bosnian War. The couple had worked as grocery storemanagers in Bosnia and could not speak any English when they arrived. Sejad’s brother lived in Houston, ina house right across the street from a flower shop. Although the shop wasn’t hiring, Fata decided to apply toother flower shops in the area.

Eventually, she was hired in the floral department at an H-E-B grocery store. She worked there for fouryears and was promoted into the H-E-B management program for the floral department.

During a Valentine’s Day holiday about six years ago, a friend asked Fata if she could help out with the holi-day rush in a local flower shop. Fata would finish her shift at H-E-B and then work at the flower shop. Fata’shusband, who was a pizza delivery man at the time, was also hired as an extra delivery driver for the holi-day. The flower shop ended up hiring Fata and Sejad full time.

On April 15, 2006, Sejad and Fata bought the flower shop theyworked in, Flowers Gifts N More. During their first month in busi-ness, they delivered 325 orders. In May 2011, the shop deliverednearly 3,500 orders, in one of its biggest months.

Sejad and Fata recently sold the shop to Wayne and Pat Go-ettsche, and worked alongside them through Mother’s Day duringthe transitional period. The Pintols have since returned to Bosniato take care of their family members. “We couldn’t have done itwithout the wonderful employees we have,” Fata said. “They arelike a family…we built a family.

The staff includes nine designers, six drivers, two owners,and three part-time employees. At peak holiday times, the staffgrows to between 40 and 50 people.

“I will miss everyone but know that I am leaving them in verygood hands with Wayne and Pat,” Sejad said. “They really care a lot aboutthe business as well as the employees, just like we do.”

Wayne, the new owner, calls himself a real “numbers” person. He hasowned 20 different companies throughout his career. His wife, Pat, handlesmarketing aspects and has also owned her own company in the past. “Se-jad has really instilled such a good work ethic in all the employees,” Patsays. “The thing I like about the staff the most is that they are all such happypeople and they have fun with all the work they do.”

“We could never have built this business the way it is now,” Wayne added,“but we will be great second owners. We are ready to take this business to thenext level.”

Building a Family

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Documents

design center

high school

new ideas

published material

owners of flowers gifts

garden center bounces

clever party ideas

mothers day week