Scholarships Management 101 - Allied Florists of Houston

March 2010
A publication of the Allied Florists of Houston
Focus On Design
By Alex Torres AIFD CFD
TMF pg. 8
Scholarships
Have you applied? pg. 4
Back to the Basics
Refining our skills pg. 14
Management 101
Taking care of Business pg. 10
The Allied Florist
c/o Taylor Wholesale
1601 W 21st Street
Houston, TX 77008
Address Service
Requested
The Allied Florist
I would like to apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused you. Listed below are any revisions I
have encountered to the 2010 membership directory. Please understand that this is a volunteer organization and that we are trying to do our very best. Please let me know if you have any changes to your
information and we will gladly send out a correction. Thank you for your understanding.
Retail Members:
Dec It Out
Leshia N. Ortiz
Event Planning & Floral Design
409 E. Main Street, Tomball, TX 77375
281.255.9401
We would love to hear from you...
President:
Lana Scarborough TMFA
Phone: 281-701-1554
[email protected]
1st Vice President:
Lucas Chavez
LC Floral Designs
Phone: 281-342-8839
[email protected]
2nd Vice President:
Courtney Stewart-Thomas
High's Flowers
Phone: 281-999-0890
[email protected]
Retail Directors:
Robin Martinez—TMF AAF
Flowers of Kingwood
Phone: 281-360-1364
[email protected]
Karen Williams
Rainforest Flowers
Phone: 281-367-0436
[email protected]
Jason Holguin
All That Blooms
Phone: 281-538-0702
[email protected]
Employee Director:
Kimberly Larson TMF
Bloomers Florist
Phone: 281-351-7151
[email protected]
Treasurer:
Keith Taylor
Taylor Wholesale
Phone: 800-725-0707
[email protected]
Billing Inquiries to:
[email protected]
Past President:
Kathy Green—TMFA
Olive Tree Florist
Phone: 281-345-1166
[email protected]
Secretary/ Editor:
Frances Egbert—TMF
The Blooming Idea
Phone: 281-795-9981
[email protected]
The Allied Florist 2
~ Lana
Lana Scarborough—TMFA
The Allied Florists of Houston Presents
A Wedding to Remember
Join us for a night full of beautiful design that’s sure to keep
you on the cutting edge of wedding trends.
Sponsored by
Smithers Oasis
Featuring
Jeff Corban
March 9th 2010 At Greenleaf Wholesale
6-7 Networking, 7:00 Dinner, 7:30 Presentation
Ticket Prices: $25—Members $40—Non-Members
Please RSVP to Courtney Stewart-Thomas at: 281-999-0890
The Allied Florist 3
It’s that time of year again when we are recovering from Valentines and are ready to launch our business and our skills to a whole new level. As education sometimes can be extremely expensive we encourage you to use the resources available to you and apply for scholarships! Allied Florists of Houston
donates funds to the Texas State Floral Endowment Association to provide scholarships to those in
our profession who have a desire to excel, learn and grow. This years scholarship deadline is April 16th
2010. To give you a head start we thought we’d share the information here. Please visit www.tsfa.org
for more details. Good Luck!
SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE TEXAS FLORAL ENDOWMENT
The Texas Floral Endowment Board of Directors selects awardees for the scholarships listed below.
Application forms can be obtained from the Texas Floral Endowment office at 6300 La Calma, Suite 510,
Austin, TX, PO Box 140255, Austin, TX 78714 and must be completed and received no later than April 16th.
Awardees are announced during the Endowment presentation each year in July at the Texas State
Florists’ Association Annual Convention.
The Texas Floral Endowment has a strong commitment to the principles of diversity in all areas of the
floral industry. In that spirit, the applications for scholarships are open to all qualified individuals based
on the specific criteria of each scholarship.
The amount of each scholarship is listed with the criteria and is received once proper documentation is
AFH Scholarship in Memory of Wayne and Mabel
Fisher: The year 2010 Allied Florists of Houston
Scholarship in memory of Wayne and Mabel Fisher
Scholarship has been established in the amount of
$500.00. This scholarship may be used at any accredited floral design school, state association
credentialed class, community, junior college, university level of attendance at a regional, state or
national floral industry convention. Priority will be
given to applicants entering TSFA’s TMF/TMFA program.
Greenleaf Wholesale Florist of Texas Scholarship:
The 2010 Greenleaf Wholesale Florist of Texas
scholarship has been established in the amount of
$500.00. this scholarship to attend a community,
junior college or university has been created to
assist 1)a retail florist’s family member or 2) a
graduating high school student pursuing a career
in the floral industry.
Lewis “Peanuts” Rushing Memorial Scholarship: The
2010 Lewis “Peanuts” Rushing Memorial Scholarship
has been established in the amount of $500 annuAFH Scholarship honoring Lavon Bankhead: The year ally to be given by “Peanuts” wife, Frankie Rushing
2010 Allied Florists of Houston Scholarship in honor and daughter, Shari Sandlin. The scholarship may
of LaVon Bankhead AAF AIFD PFCI TMFA has been
be used for Texas State Florists’ Association’s
established in the amount of $500.00. The scholar- Texas Certified Florist Program or to obtain an
ship may only be used to attend the PFCI Commen- Advanced TMF Certification.
tating Class. Should a qualified applicant not apply
to pursue PFCI credentials and applicant pursuing
National Designer of the Year Scholarship: The year
AIFD credentials or Texas Master Florists Creden2010 NAFA Designer of the Year Competition Scholtials may be considered.
arship has been established annually by Texas Floral Endowment to reward the Texas State Florists’
Floral Industry Certificate: The year 2010 Teleflora Association Texas Cup Winner. This $650.00 scholEducation Center Tuition Scholarship has been es- arship, to be applied toward expenses, was estabtablished in the amount of $500.00. This certificate lished because of Texas Floral Endowment Board’s
is to attend the Teleflora Education Center in Okla- belief in an individual’s pursuit of their creative talhoma City, OK. The applicant must be a Teleflora
ent. The NAFA Designer of the Year Competition is
retail flower shop owner or employee and have a
a national design competition that honors the naminimum of two years design experience, in addi- tion’s most talented floral designers. The 2010
Texas Cup Winner must utilize this scholarship at
tion be affiliated with a Teleflora shop.
the 2010 NAFA Designer of the Year Competition.
The Allied Florist 4
Seymour Carren Memorial Scholarship: The 2010
Seymour Carren Memorial Scholarship has been
established in the amount of $500.00 to be given
annually by Teleflora. It was established as a tribute to the late Mr. Seymour Carren of Carren’s
Flowers in Dallas, Texas in celebration of the importance that Mr. Carren placed on educating
young people and developing their interest in the
floral industry. The purpose of the scholarship is
as a tribute to the late Mr. Seymour Carren and to
support a deserving high school student who is
interested in entering the field of floral design
school, state association credentialed class or at a
community, junior college or to the university level.
SAFD Scholarship: The 2010 Society for the Advancement of Floral Designs Scholarship has been
established in the amount of $750.00 to be
awarded in the year 2010. This scholarship may be
used at a 2 or 4 year accredited school with a major in horticulture, landscaping, or floriculture and
may be used only for books, tuition or board. The
applicant must be a graduating high school senior
with a 2.5 grade average (with a transcript) and
must provide two references and write a paragraph explaining why they want/need the scholarship.
need the scholarship and show floral related
awards.
SAFD TSFA Convention Scholarship: The 2010 Society
for the Advancement of Floral Designs Scholarship
has been established in the amount of $500 to be
awarded in the year 2010. This scholarship is to
attend the Texas State Florists’ Association Convention and may be used to defray the costs of
travel, hotel and classes.
SAFD Floral Career Scholarship: The 2010 Society for
the Advancement of Floral Designs Scholarship has
been established in the amount of $500 to be
awarded in the year 2010. This scholarship is to
attend the Texas Certified Florist Program. The
applicant must want further certification and
have a talent or passion for flowers.
Texas Floral Endowment Memorial Scholarship: The
2010 Floral Endowment Memorial Scholarship has
been established in the amount of $500 and will be
offered in 2010 in memory of those who dedicated
their lives to the Texas State Florists’ Association
and the floral industry.
TSFA Past Presidents Scholarship: The Texas State
Florists’ Association Past Presidents have estabSAFD Scholarship: The 2010 Society for the Advancement of Floral Designs Scholarship has been lished one $500.00 scholarship to be awarded in
the year 2010. Any floral industry person may apestablished in the amount of $500.00 to be
awarded in the year 2010. This scholarship may be ply for the scholarship to attend the Texas State
Florists’ Association Texas Certified Florists Proused at a 2 year accredited Texas Community
College or Floral Design School with a major in horti- gram providing he/she meets the criteria established by the Texas Certified Florist Program.
culture, landscaping, or floriculture and may be
used only for books, tuition or board. The applicant
must be a graduating high school senior or college TSFA Convention Tuition Scholarship: The 2010
student pursuing a career in the floricultural, agri- Texas State Florists’ Association Convention Tuition Scholarship has been established by the Texas
cultural or horticultural industry. They must proFloral Endowment in the amount of $300. This cervide a transcript to show a grade average of 2.5
and provide two references and write a paragraph tificate is to attend the Texas State Florists’ Association convention. In addition to the certificate,
explaining why they want/need the scholarship.
the recipient will be presented $200 for travel reimbursement.
SAFD Floral Industry Scholarship: The 2010 Society
for the Advancement of Floral Designs Scholarship
has been established in the amount of $500.00 to
be awarded in the year 2010. This scholarship may
be used at a 2 year accredited Texas Community
College or Floral Design School with a major in horticulture, landscaping, or floriculture and may be
used only for books, tuition or board. The scholarship will be awarded to an adult changing careers
or a student wanting to complete their Texas
Master Florist Certification in order to pursue a
career in the floricultural, agricultural or horticultural industry. They must provide two references
and write a paragraph explaining why they want/
Texas Agscience HS Teachers Scholarship: Two,
2010 Texas Agriculture Science Teacher’s Scholarships have been established through a grant provided by The Meinders Foundation, in the amount
of $1,000 each. The scholarships must be used to
obtain the Texas Master Florist Designation
through the Texas State Florists’ Association. Any
Texas Agriculture Science Teacher may apply for
the scholarship to attend the Texas State Florists’
Association Texas Master Florist Program providing he/she meets the criteria established by the
Texas Certified Florist Program.
The Allied Florist 5
Have you always wanted to get involved?
Do you want to be part of the “behind the
scenes” planning and set up for events
and programs? Do you have great ideas
for growth, expansion, and change? Do
you want to work with some of the very
best designers in the country?
If you answered yes to any of the questions listed above then you should consider running for the 2010—2011 Allied Florist of Houston Board of Directors!
Allied is looking for people who want to
jump right in and devote any time they
have to the building up and continuing of
this great organization.
We encourage you to use your talents
and volunteer. Every member of Allied
brings unique gifts to this wonderful
organization. Share your talents and volunteer!
The 2010-2011 Board of directors is tentatively looking for:
President
2nd Vice President
3 Retail Directors
Employee Director
2 Wholesale Directors
If you are curious to know WHAT the responsibilities of each of these board
members IS please contact them by
phone or email. They will gladly share their
enthusiasm for their service and let you
know how you can GET INVOLOVED!
The Allied Florist 6
With the turn of a new decade Allied Florists of Houston is proud to announce that we
are currently in the process of re-designing and re-vamping our website! Our current
site receives hundreds of thousands of hits from it’s members and from potential
customers looking for florists in the Houston area. In order to make sure you get the
greatest amount of exposure we encourage you to keep your membership current,
encourage your employees to join, and to think about the advertising possibilities our
new site will make available to you. We expect our new site to go live at the end of
April . Here is a preview of what the new site will look like:
The new site will have invaluable information for our members and
potential customers, including:
Brief Allied History
Membership information and applications
Gallery of pictures from recent events
Full membership list with contact information
Board of Directors contact information
Calendar of Events
And much, much more…
Do you have pictures from recent events that you would like us to include on the
new site? Do you need to update your membership information? Would you be interested in advertising on the new site? If so, please email all suggestions, comments,
pictures and inquiries to [email protected]
The Allied Florist 7
by Alex Torres AIFD CFD TMF
Welcome readers to this month’s installment of our illustrious column. We hope
that this issue finds you basking in the
afterglow of what we hope was your
most successful Valentine’s Day yet.
It is our sincerest hope that you all exceeded your projections exponentially.
Now would be the time to breathe and
literally stop and smell the
roses, if you have any left.
Give yourself and your
staff a pat on the back.
You deserve it !!.
shop? Are you personally responsible for
global warming? Are you really doing all
you can possibly do to help our planet be
able to sustain our children and their children, etc., etc. ? In short you should ask
yourself, are you practicing the 3 R’s ?
REDUCE, REUSE, & RECYCLE
I can not stress how important it is for us all to make
the effort and try to improve our respect for this
planet that has given us so
much. After all, where do
you think your gorgeous
flowers come from silly?
Look, I know that it takes a
long time to undo years of
bad habits, but I assure you,
even the smallest changes
will make a difference. Think
of it as the legacy you will leave for your
children to inherit. After all it’s their world
too.
Reduce
Remember, Administrative
Proffessional’s week,
Easter, and Mother’s day
are practically back to
back this year. So enjoy
your few days of calm before the storm.
Reuse
Recycle
Lately there has been a lot of talk about
the impact that everyone is inflicting on
our planet. It seems that we are all at
least a little bit guilty of practices that are
quite honestly not practiced with the
planet’s best interest at heart. We all
seem to take and take and not really give
back or at least try to lessen our improper ways. Just how GREEN is your
How can you be a part of the solution you
ask ? Well. there are so many small steps
we can take to achieve this. The following
are merely suggestions or a starting
point. Think about ways to help, and
The Allied Florist 8
please, share with everyone. Every little
bit helps. Let’s all go GREEN !!
A few great ideas and examples follow:
- Consider “Roadsidia” or found materials
to showcase the bounty of nature and to
introduce new exciting elements. Added
bonus? Its all
profit ,since you did find
it on the roadside.
Every little
Processing - Try to use less water
in your buckets. Excessive water is wasteful
and even rots some
types of stems. Especially fleshy ones. Good
examples are tulips and
calla lillies.
- Use floral preservatives when adequate to
increase flower life.
- Use silks and permanent botanicals as well
as preserved florals to
offer
your customers stylish
yet earth friendly and
long lasting design elements.
Emphasize their longevity as a selling point by
also telling them how
they will spend less in
the long run. Try ww.verdissimousa.com .
bit helps.
Let’s all go
GREEN!
- Opt for flowers that have great vase life
and use all stages of the flower from the - Seek out organic florals and greens that
bud to the bloom. Don’t waste anything !! are grown using less if any pesticides and
harsh chemicals that damage the earth.
- If you are using STS, explore responsible The extra cost is well worth the reduced
discarding techniques
impact and besides ORGANIC is really hot right
now.
Designing-
Passion for
- Opt for recycled containers whenever possible. There are many
product lines that make
fashionable containers
with pulp or paper
preservation
Granted, these are only
a few suggestions but
like I said, it’s just a
starting point.
Share this information
with your customers
and let them know about your GREEN efmache’ and even con- forts they will undoubtedly be very imtainers that may
pressed by your PASSION FOR PRESERVAhave been recycled or TION. After all, the planet you save may
used in your shop be- be your own.
fore. This provides the
extra benefit of
Questions? Kudos? Comments ? Comlower COGs as well.
plaints ?? [email protected]
Try to make it about
the flowers and minimize hard goods.
The Allied Florist 9
In
today’s market we need
to re-evaluate some business strategies to maintain our integrity and reputation.
ity and your reputation. You you stay motivated? There
reflect your business.
are five key factors that
Too many managers tend will stimulate employees to
to neglect the human side of work harder and more eftheir operation. A success- fectively. They are:
It’s never a bad time to
take a step back and examine our management
skills and practices with
customers and with our
employees. It doesn’t matter if you are the owner,
manager, sales representative, designer, secretary,
or driver, we all need to
make sure we have our
best foot forward and that
we are communicating effectively.
ful business is made up of
individual personalities who
need thoughtful treatment
if they are to increase the
level of company profits
and production.
Employee relations is a two
-way street. The must be
positive employeremployee interaction. How
do you do this in a successful manner? First you must
outline your expectations
for your employees. Make
So you may be asking,
it known what you expect.
what do we need to look
Tell them what you want,
at? Where do I start? I
don’t expect them to be
know there needs to be a
able to read your mind and
change but how? Or some know what you are
of you may be wondering, “fishing” for or what you
I’m just a driver, what can I wish they would just do.
do? Or I just sell the flowers Chances are they will gladly
how can I make an impact? do what you ask, but you
But the ironic thing is that it need to remember to ask.
all starts with you. You
Secondly, you must create
must have a desire to do
an inviting environment for
your very best. You must
your staff.
take initiative and do the
So once you’ve outlined rethings that may be hard,
sponsibilities, or have an
nearly impossible, or tediunderstanding of what is
ous. You have to take con- expected of you, how do
trol and insure your stabil-
1. Achievement
2. Recognition
3. The work itself
4. Responsibility
5. Advancement
Praise, encouragement, responsibility, and the knowledge that you appreciate
them are often more important than the paycheck.
Talk to your employees. Do
not place blame, or ask
“fishing” questions where
you expect certain answers. It takes talent and
effort to have an open
ended conversation with
employees. But your sincere efforts will be well
worth it.
The next area that demands attention is customer relations. It is critically important that we
treat our customers in
such a way that they will
want and need to stay with
us. Research indicates that
the number one key ingre-
The Allied Florist 10
dient in operating a successful business is providing positively outrageous
customer service!
You must take great pride
in how you interact with
your customers. Remember that to some people
this is a very comfortable
and natural thing to do. It
may be very easy for
some of your employees
to up-sell customers who
you never got an extra
penny out of, but it may be
very difficult for others.
How do you bridge this
gap? It may seem easy to
simply put your best sales
people on the phone all the
time but if they are also a
driver or designer than
they are not able to meet
all their responsibilities.
Take time to train your employees. Make resources
available to them. Encourage them to study differ-
ent personality types. Being able to recognize different traits is key in learning
how to up sell and customize orders for every customer!
Many of us do most of our
business on the phone.
Telephone etiquette is an
acquired art and it takes
practice. There are a few
qualities that are essential
Having a monthly or weekly when talking on the phone:
meeting is a great way to
1. Alertness
cover material that needs
2. Pleasantness
to be addressed in a posi3. Naturalness
tive way and to teach new
skills and techniques.
4. Distinctness
Remember that Customer
relations isn’t just about
smiling when the customer
walks through the door. It’s
about service, quality, atmosphere, and the price
value relationship. Customers are looking for:
1. Product Quality
2. Accessible Merchandise
3. Visible Pricing
4. Knowledgeable Staff
5. Personal Service
5. Expressiveness
If you can portray that you
are genuinely interested,
happy to be on the phone,
and comfortable your customers will feel more relaxed and at ease.
Take the time to teach,
learn, and reinforce good
healthy business practices.
Your employees and your
customers will notice and
take great pride in their loyalty to you and your establishment.
For more networking opportunities
Check us out on Facebook and Twitter.
The Allied Florist 11
This
New
Valentine’s Day, Couples Cut Quick Deal Company Blooms
Back on Gifts to Each Other, Ac- With Brees
cording to NRF Survey
If you’re thinking about buying flowers on Valentine’s Day, perhaps Drew Brees can now help conWashington, February 1, 2010 – As husbands and
vince you.Provide Commerce, owner of online
wives across America continue to focus on reining flower Web site ProFlowers, signed a deal this
in their spending, it seems couples this year plan
week that will give the company the rights to use
the New Orleans Saints quarterback’s image in its
to spend less on each other but more on their
digital advertising for a period of two weeks beginfamily, friends, co-workers…even their pets. Acning next Monday, Feb. 1.
cording to NRF’s 2010 Valentine’s Day Consumer
Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGreThe deal was made possible through Brand Affinity
search, couples will spend an average of $63.34 on Technologies or BAT.
gifts for their significant other or spouse, compared to $67.22 last year. The average person will The company aggregates the rights of athletes in
shell out $103.00 on traditional Valentine’s Day mer- advance and promises to be able to match them
up with interested parties within a couple of days.
chandise this year, similar to last year’s $102.50.
Deals like Brees’ ProFlowers contract are the easiTotal holiday spending is expected to reach $14.1
est since the quarterback won’t have any speakbillion.*
ing role, but the fact that a deal has been struck
since the Saints made it into the Super Bowl is a
With Americans cutting back on the amount they good sign for the company.
spend on their significant other, friends and coworkers can expect a little bit more this year. The BAT CEO Ryan Steelberg told me that his company
is ideal for athletes and companies looking to capiaverage person will spend $5.37 on friends, up
talize on something like the two-week marketing
from $4.74 last year; $4.29 on classmates and
window before the Super Bowl.
teachers, compared to $3.59 last year; and $2.84
on co-workers, slightly up from the $1.94 they
BAT has 22 Saints and 18 Colts on its roster of
spent in 2009. Family pets will also feel the love
players willing to hear proposals from companies.
this year with the average person spending $3.27
Steelberg suggests that savvy companies might
on their furry friends, up from $2.17 last year.
want to sign a player to a deal before the big game
Spending on family members will remain the same that extends beyond it.
($20.94 vs. $20.95 last year).
Pre
Relea
1-800-FLOWERS.COM and Patti
Stanger Play Matchmaker This
Valentine's
“While some may view Valentine’s Day as cliché,
many people still look forward to giving significant
others, friends, family and even pets something
special,” said Tracy Mullin, President and CEO, NRF.
“Rather than not give anything at all, consumers
the world's largest florist and online gift shop, 1will instead focus on small, thoughtful gifts for the 800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. (Nasdaq: FLWS), has joined
forces with elite Matchmaker, Patti Stanger, to
people who mean the most to them this year.”
guide consumers and romantic hopefuls on choosing the perfect gift for celebrating the most roAs in previous years, men will spend nearly twice
mantic holiday of the year. The collaboration bethe amount women spend on the holiday. The av- tween the online retailer and renowned relationerage man plans to shell out $135.35 to impress the ship guru introduces a signature "Patti Stanger"
people in his life while women only expect to spend bouquet and additional arrangements and gifts,
which create an exclusive "Matchmaker" collection,
$72.28.
The Allied Florist 12
ws &
all expertly designed to deliver the most memora- and "mums" for export to Japan, radio station
ble displays of love and affection.
Caracol reported on Monday.
"At 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, we pride ourselves on helping people to express themselves and connect
with the important people in their lives. It made
perfect sense for 1-800-FLOWERS.COM to team
with Patti, the expert for helping people find the
perfect partner," said Jim McCann, CEO and Founder of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM. "With the debut of the
"Matchmaker" collection," we are making it easier
than ever for our customers to find the appropriate gifts for their friends, family and loved ones."
Agricultural authorities authorized the import of
the reproductive parts of the flowers to Colombia,
and permitted the experimental planting of a line
of blue chrysanthemums.
"Picking the right Valentine's bouquet makes a
statement and sets the tone for the evening. A
great gift can go a long way in making sure both
partners get what they want for Valentine's Day,"
said Patti Stanger. "This year I am playing cupid
with 1-800-FLOWERS.COM. Together, we have introduced a beautiful collection of flowers and gifts
that will help people everywhere create their own
personal love story."
In Japan, a bouquet of blue roses can cost up to
US$500, while the unit cost is anywhere between
US$40 - 50. The company estimates that the blue
mums will be available for export in the next three
years.
According to Caracol Radio, this project is a result
of research conducted by the Australian company
Florigene, which is dedicated to the search for new
plants using biotechnology. The company is part of
the Japanese conglomorate Suntory.
ess
ases
Columbia to export blue roses
and chrysanthemums
Colombia is the world's second biggest exporter of
flowers after Holland, and the majority of these
products go to the U.S. and Europe.
In 2008, Colombia exported 223,000 tons of flowers, generating US$1.1 billion.
Colombian flower growers plan to grow blue roses
Allied Florists of Houston is bursting at the seems with opportunities for you to get
involved! One of the best ways to learn, grow, and stretch yourself is to give a little of
your time and help an amazing organization become even better. There are many different committees that would love to add your talents to their ranks:
AFH Magazine Committee
Community Service Committee
Education Committee
Houston Cup Committee
Membership Committee
Special Events Committee
Sunshine Committee
Telephone Committee
For more information on how you can get involved please email
[email protected], or call a member
of the board (contact information on page 2).
The Allied Florist 13
Breathe…I hope all of you have been ale to enjoy the doldrums of the post Valentines
Holiday. Because before we know it we will be gearing up for Mother’s Day, Easter,
and Prom.
Sometimes we may feel a little at a loss of what to do after an insanely busy holiday, but I have a few suggestions that will keep you
busy and will pay off in the long run!
1. Inventory—take a thorough inventory of all your hard goods.
Sort, clean, categorize, and price. Figure out what you sold during the
holiday in order to better anticipate what you will need for next year
and to help you know what you need to re-stock for the upcoming holidays and your daily orders.
Frances Egbert—TMF
2. Clean— take this opportunity when your shop is nearly empty
anyway to clean. Mr. Jim Johnson once told me, “customers can’t complaint about
what they don’t see.” I have found this advice to be true time and time again. Get out
the brooms, Windex, and vacuums and do a little spring cleaning!
Then after all that I highly encourage you to go get manicure! You deserve it! Congratulations on surviving yet another Valentines Day!
How do I pick the best flowers?
Although all flowers are different, the
rules for picking the best or freshest
flowers are the same. Always look for
bright green foliage. Foliage that is beginning to fade or turn yellow is not fresh. Be
aware of any discoloration or browning of
petals and stems. Any apparent mold or
mildew is A BAD SIGN! Buds should appear
swollen and the tissue of the flower and
stem should never show any signs of dehydration. Colors should be VIBRANT, RICH
and CLEAR. Check the stems that are in
the water to make sure that they are not
slimy and that the water is clean and free
of odor.
~Frances
What do I put my flowers in to hydrate them?
Hydration (sometimes called
“processing”) means re-cutting the
flower stems and placing the flower
stems into water so that the flower can
suck water up the stem. As the flower
sucks water up the stem the flower continues to hydrate, open and ultimately
blossom. Using a flower nutrient in the
water is extremely helpful in making your
flowers open, increase color and fragrance, and last the longest they possibly
can.
Www.ubloom.com
The Allied Florist 14
Keeping you updated...
March
9th—6:00 p.m. A wedding to Remember
Allied Meeting at Greenleaf sponsored by
Smithers Oasis, featuring Jeff Corban.
21st—Design Smart 2 class show taught
by Kristine Kratt AIFD at the Hilton Garden
Inn in Albeline TX. For more information
please visit www.tsfa.org
Southern Wholesale sponsored by FTD
featuring Ann Jordan.
May
11th—6:00 p.m. Allied General Meeting at
The Cadillac Bar featuring robin Martinez.
June
8th— 6:00p.m. Allied General Meeting at
Darryl &Co.
23rd—Wired and Ready to Go! Living Jewelry class taught by Pat Shirley Becker at July
Bill Doran Wholesale in Austin TX. For more
information please visit www.tsfa.org
23-25th—97th annual TSFA Convention in
San Marcos TX.
April
More details to come!
13th—6:00p.m. Allied General Meeting at
The Allied Florist 15
The Allied Florist 16