Oh, Cheryl,

I'm sure others will come along any moment, with that oh, so important perspective--is it wrong for a newbie to buck up a less-newbie grower? I'm also trying to learn "market-timing" my flowers. Although I dearly love tulips, mine are in bloom even before the local farmer's market kicks off. Like you, I live in a rural area where summer tourists will surely play a big role in my market sales. Does that mean I give up tulips 'cause the Floridians don't come till late May? I don't know. I just know I love tulips, and want to find their market.

A number of the more experienced cut flower growers have suggested leaving bouquet samples with business proprietors for a trial run. Can anyone chime in on whether they tried moving the flowers right off, or leaving a sample, and why that sample may have led to a subscription commitment? Do shop clients make enough positive comments to swing a proprietor from "Oooh, lovely," to "Ooooh, I'd like to sign up for a weekly bouquet?"

Please, Cheryl, don't take it personally. It's surely not you, or your flowers. It's the economy--we're not exactly in those fantastic boom years of the '90's, but most of those shopkeepers remember that period, and are trying to minimize costs/maximize gains.... I personally believe we need the beauty of flowers more than ever.

Highest regards,

Valerie

Cheryl --- Hang in there. This is year number 4 and I think I might have real profit this year!!!! and I haven't sold a single flower yet.

First and foremost ..... most everyone hates the marketing aspect of the business. So don't market the business --- market yourself. Tell everyone you meet --- that you are a flower farmer. Tell them about the new lily you planted and the tulips that you had. If you are excited about what you do ... it is contagious and people want to be around that.

I deliver "thank you" bouquets to businesses (Now --I don't do subscriptions) Thank you for being so nice to me! I tie my business card on to the bouquet and leave them. First of all -- I get great service the next time I'm in there. Secondly, it has been a business builder for me. I suddenly have other people talking about my flowers and my business.
And I build great clientele from them. I do banks, retail stores, insurance agencies.... people that I deal with. Even local garden centers. Think of it as a random act of kindness.

Get out of the gloom and doom --- life is good, I'm doing great, business has never been better. The more you say it --- the more you believe and people want to be with a winner. My mother swears no one will drive out to my farm to buy flowers when gas prices are so high. Yesterday, a couple drove 55 miles to get to me and I don't have a flower!! (Obviously, Mom is not a good influence!!! In the past it has been the gravel road, too much money , and people don't need flowers!!)

Personally, I think mixed bouquets do better. I can't sell a tulip to save my soul. Usually because they have been whipped by wind, beaten by rain and totally destroyed before the bloom.

Don't give up -- try a different venue --try the same people again.

Hang in there -- you grow beautiful flowers -- you'll get there. And remember, rural can be an asset. I wear bibs, straw hats and aprons. I raise chickens, ducks and cats. I can tomatoes and hang my clothes out on the line. Think of Martha in bibs. And market right off of that!!! Its a far cry from the designer suits I wore and having my nails done every week. People are looking for simplicity and satisfaction in their lives -- and a flower farmer can be the perfect example.

Take care
Cathy

Cheryl - hang in there! There are days when all your best flowers just don't sell and others when you sell out...sometimes no logic at all.

With my subscription business, I did flyers in powerpoint and put them up on bulletin boards, talked with people, I barter with one jewelry store and one restaurant and leave business card at both. I am lucky in that half of my customers are here at my "regular full time job" and that makes it easy. But, as Cathy points out...talk about being a flower farmer (that's my title on my business cards), give them away, and slowly people will come to think of you first. Last year my "occasional bouquet sales" - i.e. those that were ...oh can you bring a bouquet for this event type - grew from subscription customers who were already paying for weekly deliveries. Can you leave bouquets with your gardening business customers?

Also, do you have small country markets that don't sell flowers? I take mine to 2 on a consignment basis...and that too has helped my subscriptions. Granted, I don't sell everything I take, but my name and the flowers are "out there!"

You, your cheery attitude, and your flowers will sell themselves, it just takes a bit for people to realize you are there with a fresh, unique, and local offering!
Hang in there!
Wendy

Cheryl,
My area is not rural so I don't know how useful my comments will be. I think with a subscription business the problem is that only a tiny fraction of the general population will be interested. So how do you find those people? Subscribers have to have some money, since flowers are a luxury, but not all people with money value flowers.

Last year I sent out 8x5 cards with a full color picture to a couple hundred houses in one of the nicest areas in town. I got 3 calls, two from people I already knew and one who was moving to the far side of town, too far to deliver. It was very discouraging.

I started 2004 with 6 subscribers and 3 were friends of mine. Since then I have slowly added more, mostly by word of mouth. I got a small write up in a local paper distributed free all over town and that led to about 5 subscriptions. I now have 38, which is about all I can handle as a part time job - maybe a little MORE than I can handle. :)

I mainly get new subscribers by people seeing the flowers somewhere and asking about them. I have gotten maybe 10 referrals from a single hair salon. I also accidently delivered to the wrong address one time and the woman who received the flowers by mistake decided she wanted to subscribe!

When I'm tired it is really easy for me to get discouraged, so get some rest and hang in there!
Kirk

You all are the greatest!! Thanks for all the sincere suggestions, and I appologize for the whining. Today was good!!! I went to deliver some plants and help out my garden club with their plant sale, then to pick up chicken feed. I had given ny friend who sells feed a bouquet of tulips yesterday. A man came in to deliver fresh clams to my friend, and I sold him the bouquet right off her table. (Yes, I'll give her more) Then went to the bank, and they informed me that they'd like to order a subscription, and did I have any more cards? Then it was off the the restaurant I'd taken a bouquet, to pick up my vase, and no, he wasn't interested, but a customer there eating, asked for a bouquet for his wife, said he's pick it up Monday. Holy Cow! What a difference a day or two makes. I do know this business takes time to build, and I'm usually not so easily discouraged, so I'm going tho blame that one on hormones, and the 9 days of rain we've had.
Kirk, congrats on all your subscriptions. I hope you have a great season. Cathy, that was excellant advise, and yes, life IS good. Wendy, there is a farmers market a half hour away, but has a 3 year waiting list to get in, and I believe they have at least 3 people selling cuts. (Not that I would be discouraged by that part)However, the town closer to me, 15 minutes away, has just as good potential, I just have to get the marketing figured out. Valerie, thanks for the encouragement, and I think the economy is exactly why the B&B's aren't biting right now. We lost one of our major ferries into the area from Portland Maine. Plus, our gas is almost $4.00 a gal., and then add the fact that our dollar is stronger, so the exchange isn't as good for tourists. Then there's those 9 DAYS OF RAIN. All I can say is, it sure is green here. Anyway, thanks again, and I am going to hang in there.
Cheryl