Canadian Florist - September 2016 by Strider Media

Sept/Oct 2016

canadianfloristmag.com

Identifying Allies How to Network Strategically

Got Confidence? Tips to Boost Your Self-Esteem

Inside: Pricing 101 How to Write About Your Shop

PM40065710

CanadianFlorist_Sept2016_Final.indd 1

Care & Handling Tips for Awesome Autumn Blooms

2016-08-17 3:29 PM

the web host with the most.

eFlorist provides the most comprehensive web-hosting services including expert support. It reaches more customers across multiple devices and languages to increase online sales.

ÂŠ2015 Teleflora EF4216M

To find out more ways we can grow your business, visit us at eFlorist4me.com or call 800.668.5770.

CanadianFlorist_Sept2016_Final.indd 2

2016-08-17 3:29 PM

Vol. 111 No. 5 • Sept/Oct 2016

18 features Successful 40+ year Montreal florist seeking retail worker with floral design experience for training as Managerial Associate. Problem solving and people management skills are essential. Duties will include purchasing, scheduling, and customer relations. This is an opportunity for a career position with profit sharing and equity.

Contact Mr. Joseph at 514-895-0210.

Many of us hate going to a “networking event,” especially when it’s called just that. To me, it’s like being invited to a “drinking event” at a bar. Networking should be organic and comfortable, not like some sort of business version of speed dating or a competition to see who can collect the most business cards! - Neville MacKay

CanadianFlorist_Sept2016_Final.indd 3

Get By With Some Help From Your Friends

How to Boost Your Confidence

08 departments 10

Florist Spotlight

The Social Florist

By Design

Tech Tips

Rising to the Occasion

Care and Handling

Ask the SEO

On the Level with Neville

How to network strategically

Easy exercises to make you feel smarter, funnier and more polished

Five Fun Ways to Mingle With Customers This Fall

Seasonal ideas to increase foot traﬃc

Pricing Success

The secret behind an eﬀective discount

online Subscription Expiring Soon?

Renew your subscription quickly, securely, and easily - and enjoy our lowest subscription rates - online at canadianfloristmag.com/subscribe/

Sept/Oct 2016 | CANADIAN Florist 3

2016-08-17 3:29 PM

www.canadianfloristmag.com

mag.com

WWW.

Vol. 111 No. 5 Editor Katie Hendrick khendrick@CanadianFloristMag. com 800-314-8895 ext 106 Advertising Manager advertising@CanadianFloristMag. com Publisher Ryan Freeman ryan@CanadianFloristMag.com Media Designer Martin Whelan Publication Mail Agreement #42919543 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO Strider Media, 6-6150 Highway 7, Suite 400, Woodbridge, ON L4H 0R6 distribution@CanadianFloristMag.com

by Katie Hendrick

@CanadianFlorist

Printed in Canada ISSN 1700-5043

This time last year, I was reveling in a two-week vacation all around Greece. I toured the ancient ruins in Athens, Delphi, Olympia and Mycennae, where I learned about the civilization that created mathematics, philosophy, democracy and the Olympic Games. I visited monasteries perched on cliffs in Meteora, perused the polka-dotted streets of Mykonos and hiked a volcano off the coast of Santorini. The perfect blend of sightseeing, education and leisure, that vacation ranks among my all-time favorites. I paid for my trip entirely from a project I picked up from a friend at my tennis club. Through our shared hobby, we got to know each other pretty well. She works for a company that prepares educational materials for realtors. Buried by deadlines, she asked if I could lighten her load by writing chapters of a workbook if she provided an outline of key material. That’s just one example of how I’ve earned business by getting out in my community. At a happy hour for my alumni organization, I met a woman with a marketing agency who has contracted me to write copy for her clients’ websites and brochures. Attending a luncheon and participating in a charity walk put me in contact with first-time authors who hired me to edit their novels. I am living proof: you never know where you might meet new clients and it pays to make friends and acquaintances. With that philosophy in mind, we’ve dedicated this issue to all things networking. We’ve included strategic ways to align yourself with different groups in your community (p. 8), techniques to alleviate anxiety so you’ll feel more confident before meeting strangers (p. 14), specific ideas for mingling with customers this fall (p. 18) and, as always, amusing anecdotes from columnist Neville MacKay, CAFA, PFCI, WFC (p. 30). In between those pages, you’ll find advice on creating online videos (p. 12), using location-based coupons (p. 20), pricing your products and services (p. 22) and more.

Circulation

e-mail: distribution@CanadianFloristMag.com Tel: 800-314-8895 ext 2 Fax: 800-755-7032 Mail: 6-6150 Highway 7, Suite 400 Woodbridge, ON L4H 0R6

Subscription Rates Canada - 1 Year $25.20 (includes GST) $27.12 (includes HST/QST) (HST - #840509202 RT0001) U.S.A. - 1 Year $ 40.00 Cdn

Friends and FROM THE Acquaintances Can Send EDITOR You Unexpected Places

Occasionally, Canadian Florist will mail information on behalf of industry-related groups whose products and services we believe may be of interest to you. If you prefer not to receive this information, please contact our circulation department in any of the four ways listed above. No part of the editorial content of this publication may be reprinted without the publisher’s written permission. ©2015 Strider Media. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the editor or the publisher. No liability is assumed for errors or omissions. All advertising is subject to the publisher’s approval. Such approval does not imply any endorsement of the products or services advertised. Publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising that does not meet the standards of the publication.

Dedicated to the memory of Bill Martin, and all those who gave of their time and resources to build up our industry.

www.canadianfloristmag.com

We hope our articles inspire you to go out in the world and find new friends —whose lives can be made brighter with your flowers.

4 CANADIAN Florist | Sept/Oct 2016

CanadianFlorist_Sept2016_Final.indd 4

2016-08-17 3:29 PM

14SMO

Creating unique designs is my paradise.

At a destination wedding, every detail should either capture the location’s special allure or the bride’s unique taste. The most inspiring pieces accomplish both. Here, my design features tropical blooms and textures to match an oceanside venue. I also use bold colors to represent the bride’s vivacious personality and a carefully tufted satin handle to accentuate her elegant style. Travel to new creative heights and get inspired at oasisfloralproducts.com/inspire.

Inspire florists worldwide! Life’s a beach when you’re as creative as floral designer Karen McIntosh from Monroe, WA, who inspired this design. Enter our Inspire Design Showcase on Facebook for the chance to have your design featured! Sept/Oct 2016 | CANADIAN Florist 5

14SMO001_CanadianFlorist_Wedding2.indd 1 CanadianFlorist_Sept2016_Final.indd 5

5/13/16 3:29 2:54PM PM 2016-08-17

bloomin’

biz

Saskatchewan florist Poppy Parsons, AIFD, CAFA, poses with a model showing off her floral headdress she made for the AIFD symposium.

Canadian Florists Make Splash in Anaheim

Poppy Parsons, AIFD, CAFA, owner of Smart Flowers in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, and Dawn Block, AIFD, CAFA, owner of Willow Lane Flowers in Oakbank, Manitoba, appeared on the main stage at the American Institute of Floral Designers’ annual symposium in Anaheim, California, in July. The women worked alongside some of the world’s most prestigious floral designers. They had the honour of assisting Gerry Gregg, AIFD, in his program, “Three Points of View.”

Chinese Floral Industry Joining Hands With Tourism

In an effort to alleviate poverty and achieve environmental protection, the Chinese government has proposed a five-year plan to build 6,000 villages in a concept called “Beautiful Countrysides.” Mae Law, show manager for garden machinery and flower exhibition for the Guangdong Grandeur International Exhibition Group, reports that local governments have responded by embarking on floral tourism. For example, Guangzhou is about to build 30 attractions for flower admiration, in an attempt to live up to its reputation as China’s “Flower City.” By the end of 2020, Guangzhou expects to have more than 30 neighbourhoods with flowers at their forefront.

Why Canadians Should Care About What Happens in the U.S. Presidential Election By Jonathan Rumley, CBC News

The U.S. election can seem like a tiresome process that has little to do with Canada, but whomever the Americans vote for as their next president will impact people in Waterloo Region, says one political researcher. “We’re sleeping next to an elephant, so when they shift in bed, we feel it,” research associate Simon Palamar said in July on CBC Radio’s The Morning Edition. Palamar works in global security and politics at Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo. While he admits the U.S. electoral process can seem long and gruelling, he told host Craig Norris that whatever happens on Nov. 8 will be felt in Canada. “We do too much business with them [for it not to],” Palamar said. “It’s very much a region that’s dependent on business with the outside world,” Palamar said, calling U.S. politics a “pocketbook issue” for many residents. “A lot of businesses in Waterloo Region rely on that steady, predictable trade with the United States.” Not only is the U.S. Canada’s biggest trading partner, it’s the largest economy in the world. And in a part of Canada that is so heavily dependent on technology and innovation that relies on trade relationships to reach its full potential, American leadership is especially important for those who live or work in Waterloo Region, according to the researcher. (continued, next page)

6 CANADIAN Florist | Sept/Oct 2016

CanadianFlorist_Sept2016_Final.indd 6

2016-08-17 3:29 PM

coast to

COAST

COMING

EVENTS

Not your typical race

But this year’s U.S. electoral campaign has been anything but predictable, at least with the Republican Party. Billionaire businessman Donald Trump has become the party’s presidential nominee, which is making things interesting for those who follow politics. “He’s very entertaining, he’s a bolt out of the blue. Whether you like him or not, he’s a departure from the norm in American politics,” Palamar said. “There’s excitement, anger, anxiety, fear about Donald Trump, but I think there’s a lot of ambivalence,” he added. As a trusted ally and neighbour, Canada will have to be ready and responsible to however the U.S. chooses to move forward, and not just in terms of the economy. Palamar said U.S. leadership will affect Canadian foreign policy, as well. “When we go to war, when we send troops to dangerous places, we almost always go alongside the Americans,” he said. If the Americans choose Hillary Clinton as their next president Palmater said he expects the course will remain largely the same for Canadians as a continuation of the policies put forward by incumbent President Barack Obama. But uncertainty prevails, with Trump in the ring of contenders. He’s a man with no political background who has talked about getting rid of the North America Free Trade Agreement, a move that directly impact a huge swath of Canadians. “No one knows,” Palamar said of what Trump may do if elected. “And that’s the real wildcard.”

SEPTEMBER 18: Florists Supply Winnipeg Design Show with Neville MacKay, CAFA, PFCI, WFC floristssupply.com 18: Florists Supply Edmonton Design Show with Donald Yim, AIFD, CPFD floristssupply.com 19: Florists Supply Winnipeg Hands on Seminar with Neville MacKay, CAFA, PFCI, WFC floristssupply.com

19: Florists Supply Edmonton Hands on Seminar with Donald Yim, AIFD, CPFD floristssupply.com 21: Florists Supply Calgary Hands on Seminar with Neville MacKay, CAFA, PFCI, WFC floristssupply.com 21-24: Society of American Florists’ 132nd Annual Convention Maui, Hawaii

safnow.org/events-education/annual-convention/ 25: Florists Supply Saskatoon Design Show with Neville MacKay, CAFA, PFCI, WFC floristssupply.com 25: Florists Supply Kelowna Design Show with Tracy Bell, CPFDA floristssupply.com 26: Florists Supply Saskatoon Hands on Seminar with Neville MacKay, CAFA, PFCI, WFC floristssupply.com 26: Florists Supply Kelowna Hands on Seminar with Tracy Bell, CPFDA floristssupply.com 28-29: CanWest Horticultural Expo Abbotsford, British Columbia

canwesthortshow.com/ OCTOBER 5-6: Canadian Greenhouse Conference Niagara Falls, Ontario

canadiangreenhouseconference.com/ 5-7: Agriflor Quito, Ecuador

hppexhibitions.com/floriculture/2016/ecuador/ 19-21: WFFSA Floral Distribution Conference Miami, Florida

wffsa.org/aws/WFFSA/pt/sp/floraconference

A FULL EVENTS LISTING IS UPDATED REGULARLY AT www.canadianfloristmag.com.

CanadianFlorist_Sept2016_Final.indd 7

2016-08-17 3:29 PM

Get By With Some Help From Your Friends

by Michelle Brisebois

It’s 6:30pm. So far, today, you have dealt with customers, your banker, assorted suppliers, and the repairperson you called to fix the coolers. You’re tired and suddenly you remember… “Oh yeah, tonight is that networking event I’m supposed to go to.” Excited?! Probably not. If networking feels like a chore, then perhaps it’s time to change your approach. Networking randomly means making small talk. Networking strategically involves a savvy direct marketing plan. Done right, according to Harvard Business Review, networking provides “a fabric of personal contacts who will provide support, feedback, insight, resources, and information.” Cocktail parties can yield some great contacts but they’re not necessarily the most efficient way to fill your Rolodex. Time is the most precious commodity for most business owners, so the more purposeful you can be about your networking strategy, the less time it will take. First you’ll need to establish what aspect of your business you want to grow the most. You may wish to develop more corporate clients or focus on events. There may be two or three areas of your business you want to develop, but keep the list focused on the aspects that will give you the greatest bang for your buck. Think of areas that will give your business growth and profitability. Once you’ve identified your goal, consider networking around the following themes.

Operational Synergies

Operational synergies occur when companies leverage each other’s assets, combining forces so they grow faster than they would on their own. When the local chapter of Weight Watchers rents a church basement on a Tuesday morning for its meetings, that’s an example of operational synergy. The church gets revenue for a space that would otherwise be idle and Weight Watchers gets a meeting venue without having to lease a space permanently. Delivery is one opportunity where you can cover some of your costs by partnering with another business. Think about other businesses in your community that handle deliveries that could work with you. A bakery or chocolatier would be a great candidate to network with on that topic. If your delivery zone overlaps with theirs, perhaps you could negotiate a small fee in return for taking on some of their deliveries. Your van is in the area anyway; the extra gas and time will likely be minimal and the fee you could collect would go a long way covering your typical costs. The chocolatier also wins because he or she doesn’t have to pay for a van. Look out for potential operational synergies at bylaw meetings and wedding industry conferences. Speak to your suppliers, insurance agent or commercial banker — they may know other local businesses with complementary needs and goals.

8 CANADIAN Florist | Sept/Oct 2016

CanadianFlorist_Sept2016_Final.indd 8

2016-08-17 3:29 PM

The Wedding Dream Team

Lachlan McGurk, of Bern’s Flowers and Gifts in Alliston, Ontario, has taken networking to a very effective and strategic level by belonging to a local consortium of businesses. Dubbed the “Wedding Dream Team,” the group includes a jeweller, event space company, photographer, hair stylist, and florist. The businesses share a website (theweddingdreamteam.ca), a marketing budget (allowing them to purchase more expensive and powerful advertisements), and a like-minded vision. Each team member trains the staff of the other team members, so they understand their product lines and services and can offer referrals with confidence and finesse.

Geographical Synergies

When construction or some other event (a sinkhole, flooding, snow, etc.) cuts off traffic to your store, it impacts the other businesses around you too. Your neighbours are an important group of allies because you share concerns in terms of zoning bylaws, weather, and other environmental conditions. There is strength in numbers; when a group of business owners voices its grievances to local decision makers, it’s hard to ignore the coalition. Introduce yourself and make sure to join any associations that represent your retail area. Many downtown cores have associations to represent their membership’s interests. Find out if the association maintains a Facebook page, as social networks are one of the most efficient ways to network for business purposes. Best of all, your neighbours can provide word of mouth referrals. If you give some of your neighbouring businesses lovely arrangements to display, you provide them a natural conversation starter with their customers. (“Where did you get those beautiful flowers?” “Why, from our friends, right around the corner…”)

Philosophical Synergies

Likeminded partners can help your business express the values it embodies. If sustainability and green business practices are parts of your philosophy, connecting with a business that can recycle some of your botanical material or hardware would be a great networking move. The assisted living facility that uses flowers as part of its occupational therapy will welcome those repurposed arrangements. You’ll want to network with occupational therapists and the public health adult healthcare division of your community to develop this connection. There are also charities such as “Project Prom” dedicated to helping young women and men find prom attire when finances don’t allow for such an extravagance. Consider networking with organizations such as this to offer assistance with corsages and boutonnieres.

Psychographical Synergies

Allign yourself with businesses whose customers share a similar “state of mind” as do yours. The hair salon shares prom and wedding customers with you. The funeral home shares grieving customers with you. The event planner can be your connection to the corporate sector. If any of these areas is where you wish to focus on business growth, then figure out who has a solid reputation and reach out to them for a cup of coffee. Demonstrate an appreciation for their branding and business focus, and look for ways that your approach complements theirs. Refer your customers and ask that they mention you sent them, so your connections will know you are nurturing the alliance. Once you have your networking goals established, think beyond the cocktail party and leverage technology to be effective and efficient. Look for Facebook groups whose members include businesses with whom you’d like to connect. Anyone eager to demonstrate leadership should be active on LinkedIn, the leader in professional, digital networking, say Herminia Ibarra and Mark Lee Hunter, authors of “How Leaders Create and Use Networks,” a 2007 Harvard Business Review article. “What differentiates a leader from a manager, research tells us, is the ability to figure out where to go and to enlist the people and groups necessary to get there,” they say. “Recruiting stakeholders, lining up allies and sympathizers, diagnosing the political landscape, and brokering conversations among unconnected parties are all part of a leader’s job.” Networking isn’t just about getting to know people — it’s about harnessing the power of the “hive mind” and going further together rather than faster alone. Michelle Brisebois specializes in retail strategies with experience in luxury goods, restaurants, financial services, and ecommerce. She currently manages Trius Winery and Direct to Consumer for Andrew Peller Limited in Niagara on the Lake, Ontario.

Sept/Oct 2016 | CANADIAN Florist 9

CanadianFlorist_Sept2016_Final.indd 9

2016-08-17 3:29 PM