New Member Introduction

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Excptnl

New Member
Nov 29, 2007
365
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Boca raton
State / Prov
Fl
Name: Exceptional Flowers & Gifts

Location: Boca raton, Fl

Type: Retail Florist

Im Josh and ive been in the flower business since i was 17 (just turned 38). Ive owned my shop since 1992.

Glad to meet you all, looking forward to sharing my ideas and opinions with you all. Must warn you though, i am a scorpio:wide:
 
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ooops, some more info

where to start

I have owned my business since the age of 22. Ive upgraded every aspect of my shop, including 2 point of sale systems ( tf daisy point of sale is up for sale) We have 6 ftd mercury pos computer stations. it took me less than 2 yrs to become top 176 in the country with ftd sending...we are 226 incoming.


Please contact me and i will help any and all the best i can.
 
Excptnl said:
Must warn you though, i am a scorpio:wide:
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Don't threaten us with a good time :) some of my best friends have those stingers!

Welcome to flowerchat!

tracy
 
Welcome to a fellow Scorpio!
 
CHR said:
Josh -

Let me give you a 'heads up' that your company and its order gathering methods (like using local addresses for cities where you don't own or run a flower shop in Yellow Page ads and in Yahoo Local listings) has been a topic of discussion here at FC.
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wow, hello to you too....let me give you a little insight first.

#1 I pay $60,000 per yr to advertise in markets that most shops are either too lazy or too dumb to market.

#2 My avg sent order is $70+

#3 I do not charge fees, dues or any other monies from the shops we send too.

#4 I am an actual brick and mortar shop, with an actual storefront

#5 You guys can @@@@@ and moan all you want. Things are never going to change. You have to adapt or be eaten alive. I'll give you the shops we use and they will all have rave reviews...why? simple...i ask nothing in return...all i do is give.

#6 Blame the shops that voted for FTD to be sold and go public. I always ask...hows that $200 working for ya?

#7 We got top 176 in the entire country in sending within 2 yrs...some shops in business cant do that in 100 yrs.

If your attitude is similar to most of the members on the board, please decline my application. I will not apologize for marketing my business....i spend a great deal of money that most florists wouldnt dream of spending....And believe me, in this economy, im losing money...Please do not judge me on something that you have limited information about. Id be happy to go into the chat room and answer any questions you or anyone else may have.
 
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Excptnl said:
#1 I pay $60,000 per yr to advertise in markets that most shops are either too lazy or too dumb to market.
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Agreed that a lot of florists need to work on marketing. It's a popular topic here. I prefer to think many of those owners as 'unskilled' or 'uninformed', however.

#2 My avg sent order is $70+
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Let's discuss incoming money in terms of real dollars, which nets out to $49.85 after commissions and fees.
#3 I do not charge fees, dues or any other monies from the shops we send too.
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So the delivering florist gets the entire $11.95 local delivery fee, too?
#4 I am an actual brick and mortar shop, with an actual storefront
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So are the FlowerChat members from Boston, Nashville and Tampa where you're using local addresses in your ads. (And I'll add that they're neither "lazy" nor" dumb".)
#5 You guys can @@@@@ and moan all you want. Things are never going to change. You have to adapt or be eaten alive. I'll give you the shops we use and they will all have rave reviews...why? simple...i ask nothing in return...all i do is give.
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Guess some of just adapt differently.
#6 Blame the shops that voted for FTD to be sold and go public. I always ask...hows that $200 working for ya?
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So nearly 14 years after the sale of FTD, a florist is successful my mastering the art of publishing ads claiming to be located in cities where they aren't? Meola has done that for years and it earned him a lawsuit from the Florida Attorney General.
#7 We got top 176 in the entire country in sending within 2 yrs...some shops in business cant do that in 100 yrs.
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Alif Somani and Urban Florist got to be one of FTD's Top 5 in under 3 years. Not a man or company most of us would want to emulate.
If your attitude is similar to most of the members on the board, please decline my application. I will not apologize for marketing my business....i spend a great deal of money that most florists wouldnt dream of spending....And believe me, in this economy, im losing money...Please do not judge me on something that you have limited information about. Id be happy to go into the chat room and answer any questions you or anyone else may have.
Click to expand...
Figured it would be easier to let you know that some FC members are already familiar with your company.
 
CHR said:
Agreed that a lot of florists need to work on marketing. It's a popular topic here. I prefer to think many of those owners as 'unskilled' or 'uninformed', however.

My apologies for the terminology

Let's discuss incoming money in terms of real dollars, which nets out to $49.85 after commissions and fees.

Do more volume and get your flowers for less money.. If you reject every order....by the end of the day, you'll have nothing. P.S. I have yet to send an order for $70 that is rejected.
So the delivering florist gets the entire $11.95 local delivery fee, too?

The $11.95 is the service fee, most often it is used to give a discount to the sender...I see that you didnt include the discount in your link....

So are the FlowerChat members from Boston, Nashville and Tampa where you're using local addresses in your ads. (And I'll add that they're neither "lazy" nor" dumb".)
Guess some of just adapt differently.

You can call them yourself and ask how they like me and what we do...You forget, I am a florist first. I do the day to day stuff just like the rest of you.


So nearly 14 years after the sale of FTD, a florist is successful my mastering the art of publishing ads claiming to be located in cities where they aren't?

Customers want to send flowers.....we can get them from point a to point b.....we dont limit ourselves to the little piece of the map in which we live....open your doors and windows....its a big world out there....
Meola has done that for years and it earned him a lawsuit from the Florida Attorney General.


I dont know who meola is and i can assure you, i am not doing anything illegal nor anything different than the wire services you pay to belong to.


Alif Somani and Urban Florist got to be one of FTD's Top 5 in under 3 years. Not a man or company most of us would want to emulate.


alif somani is nothing to me.....i have a perfect record with the BBB, can he say the same???? dont think so....We are in no way alike...He was kicked from ftd, i am embraced....


Figured it would be easier to let you know that some FC members are already familiar with your company.
Click to expand...
Really, who???? honestly, one of my goals was to get people to notice the name of my shop....what do they say???? seriously, would like to know....
 
Somebody please pass the popcorn?
 
Excptnl said:
Things are never going to change.
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I think you have this one wrong...

Things are going to change, and in fact are already. My database of florists is over 40,000 and every month fewer and fewer are members of the wires...(i know, I have ll the wire service membership lists merged into one).

Florists are getting smarter and smarter....

Don't be too proud of your FTD "ranking" of 176 for outgoing, I was for decades in the top 150...not a big deal, it's all based on order volume, and I did it without any order gathering or even marketing outside my local delivery area.

Yes, you have a B&M shop, but your still an OG...currently the industries biggest PROBLEM!
 
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