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I am very interested in doing some research about the floristry industry and I'd appreciate some assistance with directions and or suggestions where my research would best be placed.
I am a floristry student in Newcastle. I have a long work history in adult education and community development. Left this to complete my horticulture and to start floristry study. I have Cert 2.
This research has nothing, absolutley nothing to do with any TAFE study, like an assignment etc. All I want to do is get a 'grip' the industry, do the research and possibly help the industry. This request might sound really strange to you. As a consumer, with insights gained from being a student, I have found over the past 2 years, that florists all compete against each other for the dollar and local market share etc.
Fair enough, but, something is a little bit 'in error' about this, I feel. I live in a small outer Newcastle community and the majority of people in my community and wider, often say they don't buy flowers because they are too expensive. There is very little understanding of what skills a florist has to have to create. Others I have met are accessing supermarket flowers as a quick and convenient way to celebrate events. Now this is fine as well.
I just think florists get so focussed on the product and selling (obviously), they often don't see other 'things' they could be engaging with. In some ways that has led to some florists shops looking more like teddy bear shops. I remember when a florist was a local identity, with lots of community engagement, wealthy and poorer, ordinary people, like a green grocer. I just think the time is right for that kind of approach to be regenerated. And I am not trying to be sentimental.
If I have confused you, bored you or you think I'm nutty, please just refer me on. Bron
Hi Bron 9th May 2011, My apologies in replying to you, but as I am still operating my own Local Florist Shop I do not seem to have any spare time as it has become more and more difficult in the last 2 decades. Largely due to the impersonal dumb black box called a computer. It has absolutely no respect, no feeling, no emotion and certainly less intellegence than a 2 months old baby. Time is money and the florist of the day spends more cash and time answering the call of the computer with fraudulent orders accepted by people who are NOT florists and have NO clue of the operation of a GOOD OLD FASHION LOCAL FLORIST SHOP.
Bron, the Florist Shop does NOT belong to the Retail Industry, Florists are a personal SERVICE INDUSTRY and eFlowersAlive and our Snap-e-FlorA Florists operate under the banner of "Service the Emotion.... Supply the Flowers ...Satisfy the Soul" How can anyone put a Retail Price on Flowers as they are the most important link to LIFE in Nature.
Please read my features in this forum and place comments to entice the New Generation Florist back into the Role of the glory days of flowers turning scowls into smiles. Heavens above, if ever this earth needs flowers, it is right now.
Stop and listen to the Flowers.......Cheers....... The Wise old Owl Ron
Email me on support@eflowersalive.com.au
Hi Ron I just read an old post from 2008 on costing plans/CD..Was anything ever released on this? Is there anywhere I can find this information? 4th year in business, 2nd location (2 shopfits has knocked us around) business is growing already after being here for 6 months but want to really sit down & look at a costing plan, not sure where to start. any advice would be wonderful. Many thanks Natalie
Natalie, Thanks for your inquiry. I am afraid I have been a naughty boy as it is still in the pipe-line. It was completed and ready to go but due to the dramatic changes in the Industry with the intrusion of the ordergatherers, non-florists and the rules changing of the Relays it has been a nightmare to explain all the different systems sending the Industry to the wall.
We do have one resource which is working extremely well, that being the 'Snap-e-FlorA' Florist Management Program. A Customer Database recording the customers and recipients details, orders, products, prices, messages etc and prints out work dockets, invoices, statements, reminders, promotion letters,etc. etc. In our shop we have a record of every sale, both sender and recipient dating back to 2002.A Rewards Program and Search facility is included.
Included in the Program in the background at the moment is the florists own relay program for the future when we have enough Florists join up. This will all be connected to a website under construction to lead Customers DIRECT to the nearest Florist to the point of delivery. So every order will be a LOCAL ORDER with 100% payment in the bank before delivery. We need every Real Florists help.
We welcome Florists with a Bio like yours. You can contact us by email support@eflowersalive.com.au with information as to where we can contact you Direct. Cheers from the Wise Old Owl at eFlowersAlive ... Ron
HI Ron,
You met me at Linn Wiggins Bush Flower Training level 2. Great to find you online! I am studying floristry now and really enjoying playing round with all the things I find in my backyard. Warm regards, Cacey
Hey Ron,
The College address is 401 Canterbury Road Surrey Hills, 3127, Vic. The costings stuff sounds great, send that too if you can! Hope all is well great to talk to you.
James
Hi Ron,
I can recall having a long chat with you on the phone a few months back. It was great to share some of life's memories. I thought 'now here's a bloke i'd love to have a few beers with!'
Hi, Fly2hi, Thank you for your comments and drawing my attention to the conversation we had. I am sorry I did not associate you with the conversation as I have had many very strong veiws put to me over the phone concerning the declining state of the Floristry in Australia. Having had 39years exprience, I have been very concerned as most of the comments which have been levelled at a new developing industry linked to the "cold, impersonal machine called a computer" being used by "NON FLORISTS", "GHOST FLORIST SHOPS" "ORDERGATHERERS" and "RELAY ORGANISATIONS".All of which are ruining the Integrety of the hard working genuine real florist who is struggling to keep this Industry ALIVE We virtually no longer have any control over our WONDERFUL INDUSTRY. To this cause we at EFLOWERSALIVE have produced "THE SNAPPY FLORIST PROGRAM", written entirely in florist language for the florist and their customers. Other products based on "FLOWERS DIRECT...THE ORIGINAL WAY" by REAL LIVE INDEPENDENT FLORISTS are well under way. We would welcome another conversation and\or contact. I assume you have witnessed Floristdetective.com There is enough evidence in Australia to substitute Aussie names for American names in this website to make it a com.au site. This I am sure puts Australia in a worse position than America population wise. Sad but true but we do have the only and best product in the world to win back our loyal customers ie FLOWERS. BUT, to allow the flowers to do their natural therapy we need to reintroduce "THAT GOOD OLD FASHION PERSONAL SERVICE" back into the LOCAL FLORIST SHOP.
Looking forward to your comments. EFlowersAlive..........Ron
Dear Ron,
Thank-you for becoming a member of flowergoss.com. It is good to see that even the more mature florist is getting on board. Please put up many comments and share your vast experience with the (mostly) young members. We have met before but I think I was probably four or five years old. I was the little red head from the Milner clan. You know my father, Greg Milner and you knew my grandmother, Marjorie. My father was very pleased to read your posting. He sends his very best regards. I am currently working at the College (marjorie milner) after completing my Bachelor of Arts and a bachelor of Education. All the best
James