It's done.....

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Luc

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Nov 1, 2002
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Elliot Lake
www.a1florists.com
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Ontario
Today I sent my resignation to FTD effective May 1, 2004.

There been lots of things happening to me since last year and I had to make hard choices to keep what I have worked so hard for. I am hoping by Mother's Day that things will be back to a normal shop and will be more in a financial stable position. It's hard sometime to make those decision that you really don't want to. But you have to when you are getting close to the end of your rope. I am glad that I have good friends in the biz, helping me, guiding me and also A bank manager that is there to guide you also. I am not out of this black tunnel, but I hope by Mother's day I will see the light.
What a hard lesson to learn but I am determine to make it. SOmeday it sure doesnt feel like it....
Working toward a brighter future....
Luc
P.S. For those who wonder why , teleflora versus FTD, basically it is because of my POS system with teleflora and credit card program with them.
 
Luc,
Good luck to you and to your business. It can be painful to make the hard decisions but we must do what is best for our businesses. We're doing the opposite here as far as wire services go: we are leaving Teleflora at the end of April but staying in FTD.
By "black tunnel", do you mean a financial black tunnel or something else?

Frank
 
Financial Black Tunnel.
After I finish my renovation seem everything I had decided to break down. My book keeper is helping me gain the upper hand.
Luc
 
*hugs* Congratulations Luc on making a decision that is right for you.

V
 
Ditto

Originally posted by Frank
Luc,
Good luck to you and to your business. It can be painful to make the hard decisions but we must do what is best for our businesses. We're doing the opposite here as far as wire services go: we are leaving Teleflora at the end of April but staying in FTD.
By "black tunnel", do you mean a financial black tunnel or something else?

Frank
Click to expand...

Same with us. We're going back to FTD and dropping TF. Like I said, I'm not loyal to one over the other. They are both pretty much about the same in my book. Still not ready to get out altogether though. Our last day with FTD last year was April 30th and our first day back this year will be May 1st. Gone one year exactly.

Very glad I got rid of the FTD symbol on my sign and FTD website. I got rid of using FTD for credit cards a long time ago. If I had to say one thing I learned the most it is that the wire services have to work FOR us and not us for them. I will never be as loyal to FTD as we were for over 20 years. That type of loyalty is history.

Life goes on.....
 
Ooooo bebe....I can't wait. ;)

V
 
of COURSE...

we KNOW how difficult it is, to make such decisions!
Of course, MY personal preferences, after reviewing EVERYTHING, was to STAY with FTD, and of course, I was "hoping" that just because you had Daisy, it wouldn't influence your decision making, BUT, it's DEFINITELY a great decision to make for you and your business.
Oh boy, the way you've described your "black tunnel" sends shivers up my spine...I remember our own black tunnels very well, and WILL NEVER forget, the lessons we learned, during those dark days in our lives.
Everything went wrong...EVERYTHING broke down, our relationship was strained to the limits, and when we looked UP, the light, was just a dot.
Nobody would help, our long time bank (which we said bye to) decided to call a line of credit, because our business was "doomed", and unsustainable, after the "city" moved in and ripped up the entire street that our shop sits on, with NO PRIOR WARNING from Dec 04/88 to July 22/89, and our total sales fell 61%.
THEN, we had a major summer storm, during that same time, the storm creek got plugged up, and we were flooded out...all our equipment, records, and stock, in our basement was lost, and we DIDN'T have flood coverage insurance!
Sandie and I could write a book on hitting brick walls.....
When you are done, and back on your feet, YOU'LL be able to write that book as well!!
Mike and Sandie.
 
Some people may think as to why we post some intimate details like what I am doing. Sometime it is from pure frustration, sometime itis to unload and maybe it will help others inthe same situation, that we are in or even get wise help from member that have been through what I am experiencing.
I know that somedays I just want to pack it all in and give up, but then I want to continue to fight for what I have worked so hard for. I have put myself in this position and no one else is to blame. I am now putting myself back into the driving seat to come out of this tunnel. There is still days that I am feilding phone calls about a pass due account, but I am glad some suppliers are helping with arrangements, THey also don't want to see their $$$$$ go down the drain. Like I said, it will be a long road to recovery, but one little step at a time, it will be done, even if we get more setbacks.
I thank you all for listening...
Luc
 
Luc,

Congrats on making a choice that will suit YOUR business well. It's the first big step toward climbing out of a pit I'm sure most shop owners here have experienced at one point or another.
It's also a step towards growing your business and making Luc & Debbie some $$$!

Ryan
 
Luc, buddy, we all have days like that - remember when we had the break in, the big accident with the van and the compressor for the cooler within that month? Somedays are diamond, somedays are stone.

One of the things I love about message boards and mailing lists is the ability to share both the good stuff and the bad stuff. We all learn from it.

Hope that everything smooths out for you soon.
Audra
 
Hang in there Luc,
Also don't get talked into 3 months free membership..........It takes longer than that to get things back under control and besides that free ain't free because you still have certain expenses such as mercury and directory fees etc.
 
Luc, I am so much in the same boat (almost) as you are. I need to make huge decisions. FTD is "cheaper per month" except for the darned computer lease. BUT Telefloras containers and advertising works. There is one other shop here with Teleflora, the other two...goodness let's see...one craft who decided it was cool to sell cheap roses and now offers "full service". The other sold 3 times in 4 years now has a slogan of "Unique and different" and she really hits that on the head. Never seen anything like it come out of a real shop. BUT price commands here in these towns where the largest employer only now employs 1/10th of what they did over 1 year ago.
My rent so far has stayed the same...everything else? up and up.
Luckily my husband is my refrigeration man......
I have about 3 more days to decide. Took my credit cards away from FTD and have completed the change to Paymentech...(through BankOne)...best move so far (thanks Toto)..
now which service to lose? No one else here is FTD but that won't stop them from signing up either of the other three, quality doesn't count anymore, no matter members pay that QA fee.
My savings is now gone just trying to hold on.
I wish you the best. I've been in it 30 years in Oct...through two mill strikes..bad times/good times. Now the mill closings are really taking it's tolls on all the businesses here in this town.
It may be both of them going away before the deadlines.
 
As I am blessed in many other ways with that I can still salvage what I have worked so hard for, I still feel your pain in what you are describing. I really think this is where the QA MONEY should go for. FOR SHOPS that supported FTD and that needs Help to keep going. I don't mean them to hand over a check every month, but they can say for the next 6 months, we are waiving membership fee, mercury fee, QA fee, etc etc. As long as you pay for your incoming and outgoing orders and products you get from FTD then you are still with them. They can have guidelines for them to make this decision
Thruthfully, I am little bit disappointed at TEleflora. I called to make arrangements with them, and seem they are so scare to loose all their money they could not understand the extra pressure financially they have put me under. But for now I MUST PLAY WITH THEM as they have the ball in their court, but one day it will be in mine and we will see what will happen. I can't wait for April to give me little bit more lea way and then Mother's day to give me little bit of my sanity back.
I truly hope that things will turn around for you....
Hugs and special blessing your way....
Luc
 
Luc, hang in there buddy.. I know you, and know you will survive...

These be difficult times for many.... But I do see the light at the end of the tunnel, and know it's not a train coming to run US over....
 
We hope and pray everyday for a turnaround in this industry. We too have cut out all the liability with both wire services.
We found better affordable health insurance thru the National Association of the Self Employed trimmed back employees hours worked, making us the owners work around the clock just so if we do go under we only have ourselves to blame.
We took that money we are saving and are now on a direct local marketing blitz, went with a new hosting company for our website, introduced new hardgood products which the supermarkets would never dream of to sell.

Going direct is a challange for us after all the years we relied on a service to do that, but it has not been a headache in fact our outbounds are still averaging about 2 a day and ofcourse no discounted incoming.

We seem to be in the same situation as everyone who has commented here in this tread.....God bless all of US BEES!
 
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