I wonder if any of us feel somewhat ashamed of this type of thread??
All these years, and we are STILL hashing the wire service business, and for all the same reasons.
Toto needs to write a book, as a reminder of the past, Bloomz needs to write a book, on the floral business of the future (he knows things), and the rest of us have got to get a grip.......
Wire service is NOT for everyone, never was, but, when it WAS cheap, many of us felt compelled to have as many wire services as possible...it was good business, when membership was the cost of a magazine subscription.
As everyone's costs rose, many of us dropped all but one or two ws's and aligned ourselves with the one that gives/gave us the best bang for our buck....as in do the math, make the decision.
Why is it so hard for most of you drop a ws??...why do others have to explain why they stay??..I don't get it???
. A wire service is like a tailored suit...it either fits, or it doesn't, and you CERTAINLY wouldn't pay a lot of money for something that doesn't "fit" so why DO YOU???...once you BUY that suit, you want the BEST for your money, yet, you're willing to pay sticker price for WS membership and tools, when you "haggle" over the cost of a bunch of flowers, that a local vendor, WITH truck, and overhead expenses, brings RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR.
Which one is more important to YOUR business??
Florists are their own worst enemies....doing the same things over and over again....there's a "description" OR "prescription" for that!!
Florists "trade" orders amongst themselves, as a service to their clients....DON'T need a wire service for that...florists buy and sell flowers and plants...don't need a wire service for that!!...florists work hard and long hours, DON'T need a wire service for THAT......there' plenty of credit card processors out there...DON'T need a wire service for that...way too often florists can get great deals at nickel and dime product brokers, that often sell off job lots of wire service containers...don't need a wire service for that!!
And yet, "some" of us still "NEED" a wire service, and there's a cost involved, and we "accept" that, 'cause" it's negotiable...it's ALWAYS negotiable, and IF you cannot negotiate a neutral or surplus cash flow, with a wire service, then you DO NOT NEED, a wire service...if you're a good shop, MOST of us will "find" you!!
ON a positive note, this recession/depression/downturn is a real eye opener for ALL people in business, and WILL TEACH life long lessons, about the "values" of your life......and which decisions are most important!!
Always remember...FAMILY FIRST...leave a little room for GOD!!...neither grow on trees!!
