A lesson from Einstein

[Tom Carlson]

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting
different results." --Albert Einstein

That begs the question, "What is the level of intelligence within the retail florist community?"

Retail florists have within their power the ability to quickly remove the vicious elements that are eating away at the core of our industry: rebates and commissions.

Why do retail florists ignore these cancers?

Tom Carlson

 

[12BucksFor2Dozon]

Oh jeez Tom...are *you* picking up the gauntlet???

 

[hcflorist]

That begs the question, "What is the level of intelligence within the retail florist community?"

For what it's worth, IMO that level of intelligence (as relates to an understanding of this industry and business in general), for somewhere around 90% of independent retail florists, ranges somewhere between that of a turnip and a cowpie. Which conclusively proves that you can "squeeze blood out of a turnip", by the way. Look at all of the scam artists that do it every day to clueless turniphead florists (thought I cleaned that up rather well).

Seriously, most florists are design oriented and lack the education, ability, and training to understand what's going on in their own operations. The only clue they've got as to how they're doing is their bank balance (for those that even look at that). And more than a few of them don't even accept that as any sort of business health indicator until there is just no more money or credit to blow on a lost cause and they're forced to close.

Given that reality, it's hopeless to think that those folks have any clue about what is happening to and within our industry right now. Nor do most of them care. So they're obviously going to remain a large part of the problem(s) rather than participate in any "fixes".

Perhaps the real question should be, "Does a cottage industry with 90% of its owners and operators being 100% clueless really have any future or hope of surviving in today's times"?

Maybe Bloomz has the right idea. Maybe bad times will thin them out enough to take the problems which they enable that are hurting us all with them and the stronger survivors can rebuild something worthwhile that does have a future.

 

[Mikey the Flower Guy]

Interesting "challenge".....

Oh jeez Tom...are *you* picking up the gauntlet???

12 BUCKS....I suppose YOU have the "answers"??

Tom has expressed a sentiment that WILL DESTROY our industry as we know it!!...it bears repeating every minute, of every day!!

 

[12BucksFor2Dozon]

Well I have *my* answers...but the point of my post was that I spent the whole of yesterday battling with FCers about WS shenanigans, and just when I "gave it up", Tom posted this!

I thought the timing "ironical"...and I couldn't agree more with Tom's assessment of the industry. Over and over I have posted the exact sentiment...

 

[Mikey the Flower Guy]

It's a COMICAL IRONY....

I thought the timing "ironical"...and I couldn't agree more with Tom's assessment of the industry. Over and over I have posted the exact sentiment...

whereby you feel that you must do "battle" with FCers at all!!...the source of the VERY PEOPLE that DO "get it"!!

 

[Dazeal]

Tom I used to get all upset about this too. The answer is very simple. The florist who knows of this cancer only hangs on because they value, in some way, the WS. And in most cases value = profit. That or the florist is into S&M. lol

If I were a FTD shop and made enough money each month to cover payroll, even though I knew FTD was scum/cancer and all of the above, would I still use FTD? If I were a big FTD shop making nice profits and knew FTD was going to go all E-commerce and get rid of all their florists in 1 year, would I still use them? Sure. Ride that gravy train as far as you can is the mind set. Do all of the above even though you know it is bad for the mom-pop shops and the real florist industry? Business is business and when you support capitalism, we have to learn to play by the rules.

If I were a big FTD and just broke even or even lost some money and got rid of it, I might lose 20% of my customer base to the other FTD member in town. This is a real fear most of the florists here are locked into.

It is easy for me a 12ducks to bash WS, but I wonder what we'd be typing right now if we made enough money off the WS to pay our mortgage or pay the single mother employee with 3 kids?

I find myself not mad at the WS for their evolving model, but for their deceit to their members.

 

[bloomz]

Perhaps the real question should be, "Does a cottage industry with 90% of its owners and operators being 100% clueless really have any future or hope of surviving in today's times"?

Maybe Bloomz has the right idea. Maybe bad times will thin them out enough to take the problems which they enable that are hurting us all with them and the stronger survivors can rebuild something worthwhile that does have a future.

Natural selection plays a part here, but it takes too damm long.

The one that went out of business 2 months ago now had been the incoming shop in town. Bloomnet was keeping them busy - "no time to talk we are slammed with 800Z orders". Then bloomnet finally came to town and recruited 2 new members and the tap dried up and they folded. This has taken 5+ years to progress to this point. The whole time we have been eating their lunch on local and outgoing wire business as they chased incoming wires, kewl by me.

This is strange twilight zone I know, but last weekend I had a dream that the other big shop in town was empty so I drove by on Monday and it was bare walls. Our end of town now we're the only one.

I may be dreaming but ain't it gonna be great when we get to call all the shots? I have long thought Charlie B to be one of the best minds on here, caustic tho he may be, at watching his own butt and minding his own store.

side note: Now I wish the one empty store they would get the frikking cooler out of before some nimrod loves flowers Doctor's wife says "oh honey would you open me a store there?" (Maybe it would be worth it to go buy the cooler just to dump it?)

​

We're gonna get stronger. Last year we finally had a great year after 2 "are we gonna make it?", feed the business years. Business up with numbers looking good. In spite of you know who's economic failures, we have succeeded. I think we are over the hump. Let's just have some more natural selection and we'll be the last man standing with the power to call the shots.

And the future do be looking bright. I'm glad to be in this business with a business mind. I freaking love it. I'm getting me some sunglasses, dammit.

 

[BOSS]

That begs the question, "What is the level of intelligence within the retail florist community?"

Tom Carlson

I'd say it's pretty high and in a diverse set of areas.

Many (most?) retail florists are "Artists" or *Right Brained*, creative, artistic people. Some (not enuf?) are *Left Brained*, logical, analytical people, and some have parts of both.

The creative ones have a hard time looking at numbers and realizing what they mean, the number crunchers often have a hard time making a bud vase, and then there are those that can do a extreme high style arrangement while at the same time analyizing their holiday numbers in their heads.

Part of the problem I see is that we are still too *fractured* with remnants of the TFTD division of old, coupled with anymosity grown out of personal technology choices, WS afilliations, business models, who talks to whom, and who's trying to do what.

Personally I have little problem with anyones choices, as I assume they are doing what they feel is in their businesses best interest until something better to lift them out of their current condition becomes viable.