Florist News

Just wanted to share some stuff with your guys, two weeks into owning our own shop. We inherited a wedding book (great) with orders in it (even better), with the brides all wanting to stay with us, and the first one TOMORROW! After a shaky start (our white orchids came in as pink!!!) we seem to have pulled it off. Think i said before the bride is a bit (a lot, actually) pernickerty, and we tried to contact her for 3 days to discuss this with her. Today, after 3 sleepless nights, we get in touch with her and she says whatever we want to do is fine with her, no problem Feel really stupid for stressing so much!!!! Will try and post pics when we're done. Just the table decs and bride's BQ to do tomorra a.m. In the meantime, a wee girl (8 months) was killed in a car smash and the family came to us. Truly heart-breaking. We did 14 different tributes, inclduing pillow, open heart, solids, sprays, rings of different sizes, letters, teddy etc etc. All in pinks. We felt guilty for being pleased with how well they turned out, as our first big funeral, but the circumstances really took the gloss off. The father was at the kirk the night before when we placed them, and insisted on helping us. What a brave man. Want to cry just thinking about it. Anyway, it's been quite and eventful fortnight and there's more to come - another wedding next Saturday. Oh, and we also did a silk wedding this week, with pink and burgundy flowers, silver poppy heads and silver eucalyptus. Truly... erm... original...

ally congrats on your 2nd week sounds like your doing really well i am 2 yrs and 8 months into mine, your doing fantastic and to cope with the funeral of someone so young well done girl!
i wish you many more stressful days and nightsits all worth it every minute.

love potty

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Congrats on your first two weeks may you have many more Yeh well done on the funeral must have been heart breaking.

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well done ally, i am doing ok as well not as busy as you though as it is a new shop. still, ticking along and going in the right direction.
keep up the good work, yey you

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Never say never.

Well, unless your sure.

I AM REALLY PLEASED FOR YOU - YOUR SHOP SEEMS TO BE LIKE A LITTLE GOLD MINE!!

UPSETTING TO LOSE ANYONE IN SUCH TRADGIC CIRC'S, ESPECIALLY BABIES. MY FIRST BORN, ROBERT, WAS STILL BORN - SO ANYTHING TO DO WITH LITTLE BABIES PASSING OVER I FIND VERY UPSETTING.

I AM STILL TRYING TO GAIN EXPERINCE IN MY PLACEMENT AND THEY HAVE ASKED ME TO COME IN BEFORE THE CHRISTMAS RUN UP FOR EXTRA HELP (THEY ARE PAYING ME FOR THIS), SO EVERY LITTLE HELPS.

I HAVE GOT A FEW ORDERS FROM WORK AND WORD OF MOUTH FOR XMAS WREATHS AND TABLE CENTRE PIECES AND I WILL BE STARTING TO DO THESE NEXT WEEK.

I HAVE BEEN LOOKING IN THE LOCAL PAPERS AND INTERNET SITES FOR SMALL FLORAL SHOPS FOR SALE - BUT DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO GO ABOUT THIS. ONE WAS A SMALL SHOP (A GOOD ONE TO START OFF WITH), DIDN'T HAVE INTERFLORA OR FLORIST2FLORIST SO COULD INTRODUCE THIS AND WAS ALSO A CARD AND BALLOON SHOP. THEY WERE ASKING FOR 17,000 AND THE RENT WAS 85 P/W AND THE RATES APPROX 250.00 PER MONTH BUT WOULD QUALIFY FOR SMALL BUSINESS RELIEF.

WHAT QUESTION SHOULD I BE ASKING APART FROM THE OBVIOUS WHY ARE YOU SELLING? DO THEY GIVE ME A COPY OF THEIR ACCOUNTS TO CHECK OVER, HOW DO THE LEASES WORK WITH THE OWNER OF THE SHOP AND DO I NEGIOATE ON THE PRICE?

PLEASE COULD ANY OF YOU GIVE ME SOME ADVICE ON THE PITFALLS OR WHAT I SHOULD BE LOOKING OUT FOR AND CONSIDERING - AS THIS IS THE NEXT BIG THIN REALLY (LIKE BUYING A HOUSE).

IF I WORKED FROM HOME - WHICH IS WHAT I AM SORT OF DOING NOW - HOW DO I GET MYSELF OUT THERE TO BROADEN MY CUSTOMERS.

TA LULU

happy for you ally that all is going well! I'm celebrating my second christmas in my own shop this year and when i average out the ups and downs...things are goin' good! I found it veryhard to do my first baby funeral too...its never nice to have to go thro that..but I keep telling myself that the flower tributes we make may just lessen the burden for the family..even if its just a little. A nice old lady came in after we did flowers for her husbands funeral and brought us a box of chocolates and hugged me and said "when i saw the flowers on my husbands casket i knew he'd go down smiling..." I was half laughing and half teary as i hugged her back! She went on to tell me that it filled her with memories to see his favourite flowers (tulips and freesias) on his grave (in a wreath) and now she comes in 1nce a month to buy a bq or just a few stems to put on his grave...itstimes like that when I don't think about the money we're making-I am just happy that she's dealing with her husbands death so well. (They were married for 65 yrs!)

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~success is a lousy teacher...it seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose~

pleased its going so well for you, hows it going louise4? how long you been open now?

just finnished 3nd week and all is well, well apart from my brain

how are things with you lisa?

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Never say never.

Well, unless your sure.

Well done Ally what a brilliant start to your businsess! Ally can I have your bride please - wish all were that easy.
And Louise 4 Good luck sweetheart. Ally has made a tremendously good start. Especially taking over the wedding bookings. It doesn't mean that you are not doing well.
GOOD LUCK TO BOTH OF YOU

Lulu and Mapletree, I agree with you both, I have never been able to get totally professional about baby funerals. I do my best to make all my funeral work top quality, but I must admit I always go that extra bit further when it's for a baby. For me it's very simple - your children should not die before you. Childrens funeral work make me feel terribly sad.

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Rainbow

Quote of the day : To keep the heart unwrinkled, to be hopeful, kindly, cheerful, reverent that is to triumph over old age.
Amos Bronson Alcott