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Cry for help!!
This is a discussion on Cry for help!! within the The Florist Shop forums, part of the Public Forums category; wow tracey, thanks and not my thread......
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20-03-2008, 04:48 PM
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wow tracey, thanks and not my thread...
   
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20-03-2008, 05:02 PM
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It can be hard work. How do i get another hundred customers. Think of it as 'one at a time'. Someone comes into your shop, you smile, you give them what they want, you send them away happy. Next customer comes in........
In can be a long winded process and take years to build a successful business. You can't do it with the 'Harrod's sale' approach. All those people only shop there once a year. How you get people through your door is another thing. Not easy unless you're offering something they can't get anywhere else. Make yourself a list of all the different sources of new business. i.e. contracts, weddings, funerals, walk ins etc. Look at each one of those and write down all the different ways you could target those customers. Then start working through your list and aim for just one new customer from each of those sources. When you've got the first one, review your approach and go for the second one. Sounds tedious and probably is just my idle rambling but hey...you gotta start somewhere.
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20-03-2008, 06:35 PM
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I look back and i was dead for the first year. Apparantly it takes most new businesses 2 years to see a clear profit. I too am in a heavily residential area, no shops around me though im on my own in a corner position. Make friends with your residents. Send flyers, cards etc to all nearby doors... maybe promote an open evening and invite them all !! get them through the door, to show them what you can do !!and how different you are from Tesco !! At the moment you could promote a "spring special " or put a cut out 10% discount on the flyers... Also, invest in a website, if you havent already !! you can do this cheaply with a basic package !! by the way, the trade in general always goes abit quite after mothersday... so dont despair
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20-03-2008, 07:00 PM
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Ahhh you poor thing...I feel just like that at least once a year and get really down about it...This business is SO up and down. Im in business 4yrs now and its only now I get a weekly wages.. The other years I was happy just being able to pay all bill, incl childminding, and 1 part-time staff, and pay for a holiday in may....
It has paid off, so why am I moving to a shop dobble the rent?? Well I have so many plans and need more space..And if I dont do it, Ill regret it..And im prepared not to get a desend wage for a year or two again. You could call it the love for flowers. My motto was always: always smile, never say a bad word about yr competition, keep yr head down and keep busy, and try to be one step ahead. In the summer it is weddings and bedding plants that carries me. Now this yr im not so busy with wedding so im going to put my energy into making silk stuff for graves. Im also going to do demonstrations in shop hours..You never know, you might draw 1 or 2. And the next time u might draw 4 and so on....I never give up... I also never have sales on, to try to get people in... The more colour u have in window or outside door the better.. Word of mouth is the best advetising but god it takes time.. If you dont already sell bedding plant, try to get a few in and see if it draws attention..
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20-03-2008, 07:40 PM
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hi there, keep you chin up and hang in there. First yr of business is always hard and easy to get demotivated. Look on the bright side, you have a few wedding bookings. I have been open 3.5 yrs and in my first year i had 15 weddings and now 50 - 60 a year and what got them started was a wedding window!! Very simple but really effective. Weddings are my bread and butter, i know there may be people with more than that per year but i am happy at mo and if you maximise on each one then it can show a good profit. Networking is essential and i make myself know to every man and his dog. I also get posters done which are not expensive and ask local business to put them up for me. Also. get in touch with your local paper and poss run a competition, i did one where the most romantic proposal won a brides bouquet and groom buttonhole (as long as you get whole order). It worked and loads of people tell me they always see me in the paper. It just takes time so stick at it and listen to traceyw as she talks the sense
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20-03-2008, 08:55 PM
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I've Done Loads Wrong And The Occasional Right.
Quote:
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seldom rong!!!! 
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20-03-2008, 10:11 PM
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Love the competition idea tulips!!!
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20-03-2008, 10:16 PM
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Quote:
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20-03-2008, 11:16 PM
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Quote:
__________________
 Wendie I never fail ~ just keep practising There's nothing PLASTIC about me except my till Who have you made SMILE today????????????
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