How many people did you fire?

[Eric S]

Well now that I have my head on correct.

My answer to the poll was 0.

When we left FTD and 800flowers we did not have to cut back on labor. I think it was 5 months later that we hired another designer and it has gone on since. 2007 we expanded another 1000 sqft and as of this year we have 4 designers, 2 drivers Linh and myself.

We just pushed the website forward, worked on better products for our customers, and stopped marketing the wire service products.

 

[Joe Mioux]

Well now that I have my head on correct.

My answer to the poll was 0.

When we left FTD and 800flowers we did not have to cut back on labor. I think it was 5 months later that we hired another designer and it has gone on since. 2007 we expanded another 1000 sqft and as of this year we have 4 designers, 2 drivers Linh and myself.

We just pushed the website forward, worked on better products for our customers, and stopped marketing the wire service products.

Excellent and congrats on your local marketing efforts and your website marketing.

However, those efforts don't negate WS affiliation.

The two activities are independent of one another. Yes/No?

Joe

 

[bloomz]

Wouldn't the ideal be to do all of the above Eric mentioned in addition to the wire business?

Yes/no?

 

[dlnfloral]

Answer to your question - 0.
Didn't see a drop in sales,actually increased sales by 3%.

 

[Eric S]

I don't know how to answer that joe.

In my opion we just did better with selling our own products versus the wire service products.

 

[NPFloral]

Wow... Joe, you consider discounted-to-near-the-point-of-loss incoming wire items, SALES?
Interesting.... I consider them cement loafers. <glub glub> ;-)

Tim - North Port Floral-W/S free for 2 years and still here!!

 

[roysecityfloristand gifts]

Darlene,
There are some here who will not be able to accept that your business increased after leaving WS's. But mine did as well.

There is a difference in filling 39.99 all day and making little for your time and money, when you can market and sell a more profitable item to your customers. I've upped our folks who would have wanted the 39.99 to our best sellers at 55.00 and 65.00 when they are given the choice. So almost twice the $$ for half the work.

Joe what you say is absolutely true, those WS orders will go to the competition, BUT are they making any real money filling them.

It's about your bottom line, not just staying busy, requiring lots of employees filling junk orders. That is what I think a lot of newer owners think success is. Being busy.

You and others are in a very different positon being a grower and a larger operation, from the average shop owner so your experiences may skew the comparisons.

My answer to the question is no, did not let anyone go when we left the WSs. In fact need help, but for some reason it is near impossible to find qualified help here. Everyone wants a job and paycheck, but when they start trying to pick the spore off the back of LL, sorry but they gotta go.

 

[alisonm1215]

It depends on your costs.

I only used not the words "not necessarily" because I am sure some will say their net profits actually increased and there are some good valid reasons for that to actually happen

For Example a small shop not receiving enough incoming business.

I'm the example. I didn't have enough incoming orders with TF to offset the fees, so I was loosing money. I'm was released on December 31st. So far this week, I've hired a freelancer to help me with my events and weddings. Here's to a more profitable year!

 

[bloomz]

Wow... Joe, you consider discounted-to-near-the-point-of-loss incoming wire items, SALES?
Interesting.... I consider them cement loafers. <glub glub> ;-)

Tim -

Interesting Tim...I see why you did quit them then.:headbang:

I consider turning my back on a contribution margin of 20-30% especially in these times as cement loafers...

rock on...:bangles:

 

[Joe Mioux]

I'm the example. I didn't have enough incoming orders with TF to offset the fees, so I was loosing money. I'm was released on December 31st. So far this week, I've hired a freelancer to help me with my events and weddings. Here's to a more profitable year!

and this is a very good reason why you shouldn't be in the WS business.

My point has always been, to honestly evaluate one's own costs and not rely on the conventional wisdom of others with a bias or some other anti-WS agenda.

 

[Joe Mioux]

Wow... Joe, you consider discounted-to-near-the-point-of-loss incoming wire items, SALES?
Interesting.... I consider them cement loafers. <glub glub> ;-)

Tim - North Port Floral-W/S free for 2 years and still here!!

I have no idea what you are saying but Bloomzie apparently knows.

Darlene,
There are some here who will not be able to accept that your business increased after leaving WS's. But mine did as well.

There is a difference in filling 39.99 all day and making little for your time and money, when you can market and sell a more profitable item to your customers. I've upped our folks who would have wanted the 39.99 to our best sellers at 55.00 and 65.00 when they are given the choice. So almost twice the $$ for half the work.

Joe what you say is absolutely true, those WS orders will go to the competition, BUT are they making any real money filling them.

It's about your bottom line, not just staying busy, requiring lots of employees filling junk orders. That is what I think a lot of newer owners think success is. Being busy.

You and others are in a very different positon being a grower and a larger operation, from the average shop owner so your experiences may skew the comparisons.

My answer to the question is no, did not let anyone go when we left the WSs. In fact need help, but for some reason it is near impossible to find qualified help here. Everyone wants a job and paycheck, but when they start trying to pick the spore off the back of LL, sorry but they gotta go.

Having a greenhouse definitely helps me with certain wire orders.

However, I am just a small flower shop owner with two stores, who tries to buy flowers as inexpensively as possible and then arrange them as quickly and as cheaply as possible.