news of the day

[Kristine]

well I am sure our British florists are all chatting about the royal wedding to come.

this little tidbit came from flower web news. They talk about the flowers for the wedding and then......
promote their own do it your self wedding flowers classes. talk about thumbs down (for the rest of us)

read it here: http://www.flowerweb.com/?TXT_ID=20101119_103526758_058894


and

another one bites the dust here in Michigan

http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/grand_rapids/Molesta-Floral-is-closing


have a good weekend.

 

[Mikey the Flower Guy]

Kristine, what is YOUR take on such an old and established florist closing??

 

[BOSS]

Hmmm... sad and happy news all in one. I know both shops. Molesta has been a staple since I was a kid, and Bing is one heck of a "on top of everything" guy. I served with him on the Michigan Floral Assoc Board a few years back...

Why Mikey?...too many florists with not enuf biz to spread around I would guess, just like in many many other locales. This biz has always been tough, but it's gotten a lot tougher in the last 2-3 years. It's going to get tougher yet....

 

[KABERS]

There is a similar company in this area that closed their wholesale operation a few years ago just to survive. The utility exp. made it impossible to compete with imports. The retail op. is hanging on but because they have so much property, their property tax is over 20,000.
While they are my competition - I think that really stinks!

 

[Mikey the Flower Guy]

Why Mikey?...too many florists with not enuf biz to spread around I would guess, just like in many many other locales. This biz has always been tough, but it's gotten a lot tougher in the last 2-3 years. It's going to get tougher yet....

Mark, MY "take" on this , is that once a shop "runs out of" inspiration, or bloodline, or young people to "take over" it's done. The "floral industry" is fine, it COULD be way better, if it WASN'T "prostituted" by the wire services.
YOU, yourself, are in a somewhat unique position, you "know" you need to step aside a little, and you KNOW, that you have family that is gonna run the place, and you "know" that you have a better chance at keeping YOUR place going, BUT, many of us DO NOT, and through discussions with MANY current shop owners, most feel the same way!
So, it "appears" on the surface, that it's gonna get "worse", as you say, HOWEVER, I wanted someone ELSE S "take" on what THEY "see".
It's going to get tougher for almost ALL businesses, but, as a business owner, your plans are "different" IF you must think medium to long term about "succession" or "closure" once YOU are done!

 

[Kristine]

Kristine, what is YOUR take on such an old and established florist closing??

well couple things. they lost a big contract in their greenhouse division leaving 4 acres of newly renovated (within the last 5-7 years) empty. They did lease it out for a time, but I heard that that company declined to continue for the upcoming growing season. I loved their grower (was a friend) but in the greenhouse biz around here you have to bring your A+++ game to the table.

Too top heavy in family management

The residential and retail area has undergone a radical change in the area. Commercial biz has really declined in that area and the homes have turned to lower middle class. A lot of industrial business just south of them has disappeared including a huge Steelcase complex (office furniture). Hence less traffic and probably biz.

Grand rapids has several cutting edge florists and lots of middle of the road florists - I am sure competition has been fierce especially in this Michigan economy.

Bing (Eastern floral) bought the customer list and phone number. None of the equipment or inventory.

 

[Johan]

On the lighter note of the subject of our Royal Wedding - Kate's Grandparent got married at a Church about 7 miles from my shop in the North Leeds suburb of Adel. I know the church like the back of my hand - it is a wonderful small Norman church. My best friend got married there two years ago. The Church of England changed the rules on which church you could married in a few years ago so if either your parents or grandparents married in a church you want to get married in, then you can do so. So if the happy couple decide that our little church is better than Westminister or St Paul's Catherdral then just maybe our beautiful little church maybe the choice. (Wishful thinking). And I was thinking that since I worked at the nearest florists about half a mile away for the first ten years of my career and I have done the flowers there 100's of times - I should be the florist of choice! Still wishful thinking. (I must say it would be my choice of church - it may not be grand but I love it.)



This is the Adel Church and this is the original door handle on the main door. The door handle was stolen a few years ago and a replica had to be made. I must admit I was so upset when I found out. David and I have to really old postcards that we found at an antiques fare of the Church and the door handle. It would be wonderful even if they came to look at it. It is a really piece of history built in the 1100's. I'm quite excided about it all.

 

[Palms]

I am happy for the couple, William is lovely and deserves some happiness after losing his mum so tragically. She seems really nice and comes from humble beginnings which is also nice to see.

I just hope the paps leave her alone and dont do to her what they did to diana, although the fact that she will be a royal will probably stop them.

Hey Jo, if they choose your church, if you need anyone to come and clean your buckets etc, mop the floor - Can i have first dibs??? I will do it for free (well a bit of royal food lol)..

 

[BOSS]

It's going to get tougher for almost ALL businesses, but, as a business owner, your plans are "different" IF you must think medium to long term about "succession" or "closure" once YOU are done!

Agree'd Mikey... with all you said....

Yes, it is going to get tougher on all businesses, but it's going to get toughest on the consumer. The family with 2 parents, 3 kids, 3 jobs, a home they are upside down in, food bills that are going through the roof, gas that you can't afford to drive too far on, utility costs that are going to rise fast after January and an overall disappearance in discretionary dollars limiting frills like trips to the dentist and such.

Not a fear mongering... just being realistic.... Probably won't happen in Canada, but here in the US, we will see people in the streets. And I'm not talking about the hundreds of thousand homeless we have. I'm talking about those that are sick and tired of the "good ole boy" system, and that are willing to take up arms against their government. We saw it this week already when colleges wanted to raise tuition AGAIN...without offering more for the money.

The lunacy has to stop.