Fit to be tied!

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LORRIE

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Jan 6, 2004
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HOLLYWOOD,FLA
flowersforyouhollywood
State / Prov
florida
Just went outside to drive home and saw a sign from the city saying they are CLOSING THE STREET FEB 13-17 in front of my place!!! Have all the flowers odered through Fb so can't cancel them everyone hired, stock in the store- now to find out you can't get in here V-day without a detour that will take em by 2 other shops and a super market and a target--
I' m nearly crazed!
 
Lor - I'd get on the horn to your local politician and see what can be done. If its local gov. work, you may have a chance on getting it pushed back. If it is State work...well....

We had the SAME thing happed two weeks before Christmas - it this was to go on - THRU MAY!!!! Ahhhh!!!

BUT...with some help with the local politicials, we got things moved back until after C-mas. The street was still closed all those months, and nearly killed that store, but we made it! We advertised like HECK and offered tons of specials...we got through...

Best of luck,

- Herb
 
Lorrie.....

just like Herb, we TOO, lost over 50 % of our year's sales when local gov authorized that our road be torn up for reconstruction, 3 weeks before Christmas, in '89, and remained virtually impassable through to July!!
No amount of sales incentives brought people to our place when they literally had to climb and negotiate barriers, broken sidewalks, elevated walkways of boards, and dust...terrible dust!!
We SHOULD have walked away, pulled the plug...would have SAVED us 15, almost 16 years of loan payments, and 2nd mortgages/credit cards!!
IF I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't, BUT, I'm glad we didn't throw in the towel!!
To this very day, certain suppliers, that stuck with us through thick and thin, have become friends, and those that wrote us off, are begging for our business...too bad our memories are so long!!
 
This also happened to us one winter. We didn't have the dust, but we had horrible mud, red clay slippery mud. It was horrible!

This is happening right now to a florist in our area, and he has posted signs (bright yellow with bold lettering) on the Road Closed signs that say, "Follow the detour signs to Danny's Flowers" or "Follow the signs to Danny's Flowers." I don't know how he's managing.
 
I've spent the morning on the phone to the mayors office, regional transportation authority and small business office. Everyone is very nice but it will depend on the state if they can put it off a few days. Turns out we were supposed to be notified 2 weeks in advance and no one in this area was.
I am commited to several thousand in flowers I ordered plus all the stock so this will be a real disaster for us if they can't postpone a few days. I am sick with worry as it is to late to do much to avoid this nightmare.
 
Thank you Gilliland- It was a pleasure speaking with you and I really appreciate your efforts on my behalf. I'll let you know what happens next. Spoke again this afternoon with the city small business advocate who promised to call back before end of business. I've got 30 boxes of flowers coming in Friday morning so I'm hoping for the best and preparing for the worst! Who knows, maybe I'll have a career as a street corner salesgirl!
 
Lorrie,

My thoughts are with you and I pray for the best outcome with your dilemma. Just a thought-if you lose product due to the construction-check your insurance policy for business interruption-it may be covered. In 1987 my shop burned to the ground on January 27th. It was the worst experience of my life. Fortunately I had excellent insurance coverage and our flowers had of course not arrived at the time of the fire. Crazy me...I could have actually been off that Valentine's Day, but instead went to help another florist! I hope all works out well for you. Please keep us posted.
 
Lorrie,
I would consider taking it public. Local TV Radio Papers etc.
Be nice but firm if you are interviewed.

Hoping for the best for you.
 
Lorrie...what a mess. Welcome to Broward county and the street screwups...is there any unused store nearby that you perhaps pull a reefer up too and rent the shell for a few days? Is there anything we can do for you? Could you snag a refirg POD? I am at a loss as to what to advise you...what do the county talking heads have to say? What about contacting HElp me Howard or one of the reproters that we only like when we need them????There has to be a way to get this out to the media...what about calling Nicki Grossman...she has pull and a mouth...Let me know if we can help ar all...
Sher
 
The city is trying to help with the regional transportation authority as they are fixing the railroad tracks and that is what is causeing the problem. The RTA told the city that they "notified" all the merchant on 2/2 but NO ONE in this strip got a notice. Gilliand has some contacts higher up he has contacted for us(Thank You, Thank You!)
I hadn't thought of "Howard"- but I met him before and we have some mutual interests so I think I'll follow up on that tomorrow. There is also a reporter that did a story about the shops theraputic program that I trying to contact.

The problem is that our LOCAL customers will have a hard time getting into the store- we will be able to get out with deliveries- albeit not as directly as we wish. We have done so much work to build our local following and pull away from the ws that it just kills me that we may have to concenrate on the ws segment at a much lower profit. Keep your fingers crossed !
 
You need a bus like Jeremiah has...advertise that you will met them every hour or half hour and drive them to the store! That should get someones attention..tough spot you are in...go after the TV stations and Sunsentinel...there has to be an answer...
 
call call call

call your city admistrator, the Mayor, your street department, and anyone you can. The City is not in the business of harming the businesses that provide them tax dollars to fix that road. Don't STOP!
 
A very Big Thank You

to Rod/Gilliland who made some calls for us yesterday! I just got off the phone with the Florida State Department of Transportation-(who already knew my name and problem when I called)-and they are postponing the closing of our street til the 15th-HUGE sigh of relief! Thank you , thank you, thank you! Many thanks to those who brainstormed as well there were some great leads. We made about 35 phone calls but now can get back to the business of being a florist!
 
Great News! Gilliland, you got any pull with Anaheim Code Enforcment? They won't even let us put out a small sidewalk sign promoting the holiday. :rolleyes:

All kidding aside, glad Lorrie didn't have to fight this all alone and got much-needed assistance from a fellow boardie (about a Florida issue from a Kentuckian, no less) . :)
 
Well done and congratulations for winning the skirmish. :) Have a wildly successful Valentines day. I'm really happy for you.

V
 
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