Each month, Yvonne and Dave get together for their Mornings with Mayesh show to discuss the world of flowers. From general flower availability and flower care to marketing for your flower business and everything in between, you don't want to miss this month's replay! Keep on scrolling down for the show notes that contains all of the quesitons, answers and resources for your reference!
Post your questions or topics for the July's show in the comments below and don't forget to save your seat! See you on July 18th at 7 am PST / 10 am EST
SHOW NOTES
FLOWER QUESTIONS
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE WORLD OF FLOWERS?:
- Big thank you to Billy in our Los Angeles purchasing hub for putting together our flower 411 list posted now on the Mayesh blog.
- Some items are ending such as, bearded iris, columbine, Hellebores, lilac, blooming jasmine vine and spirea.
- Some items are very limited like chamomile, cafe dahlias, lupine, mock orange & most protea varieties excluding pincushions.
- Here are a few locally grown summer blooms available right now, blooming artichokes grown in Arizona, Coral Sunset Peonies (a relative of Coral Charm), Snowmound Spirea. These are all in stock right now but won’t be around for long!
- For a full list of what’s coming and what’s going, check out our blog.
- Also, I wanted to mention the product featured in this month’s design video, Southern Smilax, as we have been receiving a bunch of questions about it.
- It is available year round with the exception of the following months
- April – spotty availability
- May and June – absolutely not available
- July – spotty availability
- It is available year round with the exception of the following months
- From Adona: Do all Mayesh centers carry a large variety of flowers? I'm in California and I am relatively close to 3 branches but don't know if one would have more in stock than others…
- We have an awesome group of individuals in our central purchasing team that finds all the unique flowers and greens that we carry, and we source them from all over the world. Each branch also has it’s own purchasing agent on site to merchandise their location with the things that make the most sense to their client base. Every branch has the ability to special order just about anything you need so if you aren't seeing what you want in inventory, just ask your sales rep to order it for you.
- From Amanda: is there any way to see pricing on different garlands without having to call in or email?
- With logistics playing a large role in flower pricing, it is really hard to post these on a national level. Always consult with a sales rep about any pricing questions. If you’re planning on shipping from one of our national shipping hubs, they can give you a landed cost, that is your flower price including the freight to transport it to your destination.
- Which breed of roses lasts the longest and how can you prolong their life to make your arrangements last longer?
- Most hybrid tea roses have been genetically modified to eliminate fragrance which in turn extends their lifespan. The more fragrant a flower is, the shorter its lifespan. This is true with all flowers. To get the longest life out of your roses, we have posted a care and handling guide for you on our blog.
- http://www.mayesh.com/roses-preparation-care-and-handling/
- Raynelle Mcneil: Ordering flowers can be a bit tricky when you need specific color and variety. Where is the best source to select both color hue and variety for ordering flowers?
- Mayesh has an extensive online flower library to help you select the perfect choices for your event. It's always nice to have a photo to refer to when talking about color. Another method is to bring in a fabric color swatch, or email your inspiration board to your sales rep.
- This type of question comes up often and we did a blog post about it a long time ago so long that I can’t find it, but I remember the key point to the article was to use fruits and vegetables, something that is universal and constant to help describe color and to ensure that who you are trying to communicate to understands the color that you are looking for.
- Heidi: How do you handle quality control of your flowers for events? Is there one person who takes charge of this?
- Our entire staff is trained in this process. First of all, your pre-book flower have all been special ordered in fresh, just for your event. We inspect all flowers at the time we receive them looking for blemishes or other problems. Each rep is responsible for quality checking their assembled orders before they are packed. This includes checking that the colors work well together and no items are missing. We never use old product! We condition all of our flowers in a commercial grade low sugar holding solution to start hydrating but not opening the blooms. fragile flowers are individually wrapped and stored in buckets in our cooler until you pick them up or we deliver them to you.
MARKETING NEWS
- Instagram news: just broke over 700 million followers about a month ago with 100 million coming on just within the last 4 months! Much of the growth can be attributed to IG Stories. The 100 million that just came on only knows IG with IG Stories. There are 3 places that marketers need to focus on:
- the feed
- IG Live
- IG Stories - have fun with filters, add personality & style, and sometimes branding.
- Can add clickable hashtags and location!
- If you have a public page, your stories are now searchable by hashtags and locations.
- If you do stories, you can show in who can be suggested based on the activity of your followers.
- More ways people can find you and bring more people to see your IG page.
- p.s. if you want more people to follow you double check that your business page is public, not private.
- There is a new REWIND video feature that you can add to your stories
- A really cool eraser feature - take a photo, overlays a solid color over the entire photo, tap on the writing tool
- 1.2 billion use Messenger every month; there are 100,000 active bots;
- FB launches click to messenger ads on Instagram!
- “Send Message”
- Pinterest
- Pinterest ads or promoted pins are going to show up if someone clicks on the show me more circle on the pin, you will see promoted pins. You don’t have to do anything, they will show up if your image is visually similar.
- Be careful with your images. Lifestyle images may convert better, for Pinterest thought it might be better to have a picture of just your product and is very good quality.
- Pinterest is doing something similar when you click on a Pin and the images that show below that are “more like this” will also include promoted pins.
- Metrics - you can see metrics on individual pins by click on the graph button - you’ll see total engagement, closeups, click to a website and saves.
- Pinterest ads or promoted pins are going to show up if someone clicks on the show me more circle on the pin, you will see promoted pins. You don’t have to do anything, they will show up if your image is visually similar.
- Google Lens in your camera
- You can just open up your camera, point it at a business, and Google lens knows the name of the business and will tell you the rating for it and sometimes even purchase items from the business. No need to open up any other app. This is just your camera. Groundbreaking stuff.
- Google Photos - you can tell what pictures to share with who automatically. If there are pictures of flowers, you can share with co-workers, but photos of your baby you can set up to share with your family member.
- Facebook
- You can see the number of saves on your posts (someone can save to read or reference later). And for Facebook ads, you can create an audience based on people who have saved your posts or your page.
- You can choose 5 featured pictures for your business page soon.
FLOWER BUSINESS
- From Tanya Costigan Events: I'm new to floral and Mayesh (registered with you after attending the Intrigued Conference) and pricing for my clients is something I need guidance on. How do I figure what pricing to pass along to my clients? (flowers, markup, design, etc.)
- The industry average is 3 to 3-½ times markup on fresh product with 15-20% labor. Wedding, corsage, and any handwork is usually a 5 times markup and hardgood costs are usually doubled after your freight has been added.
- From Courtlynn Noack: I'm new to the industry + pretty young. How long after being in business should I wait to raise my prices?
- Being competitive with pricing is important but you should set standards that make sense with your own business model. For instance, artists working out of their homes have far less overhead costs and can translate that to savings for their clients but you want to “pay yourself” for all that creative labor involved. Network with other florists and ask what works for them or take some small business management classes or seminars to put things into perspective.
- From Shelby: I'm familiar with the normal industry standard of marking up product but I'm curious about Labor. For instance, setting a price as a freelance designer. How do you figure out your worth/how much to charge per hour?
- In most cases, they are going to tell you what they can afford to pay you, but it opens up a dialogue for you to negotiation with them. From years of talking with florists and making recommendations, I can tell you that if they like your work ethic, they are going to pay you well enough to keep you on their roster.
- Our Miami branch often sources freelance designers for destination events and the branch manger said that the average rate is $25 per hour. I also found a post on Flirty Fleurs and the people who answered the question said usually between $15 and $25.
- From Hannah Hunt: New to wedding floral business. I have been getting inquiries via my website where the bride asks for prices. Once I suggest a face to face or phone consultation to determine specifics so I can give them a quote, they do not respond. Is this normal? Are price seekers to be expected? How do florists handle this step?
- Timely response is always key to any inquiry. Most brides are already shopping your competition to find the best value but may commit to the speediest most confident responses. It’s a double edge sword if you post pricing online. You could put pre-packaged pricing on your website that would appeal to some brides but that could limit your options for larger more interesting events or scare away smaller unique clients.
- Here's what our Floral Forum designers had to say that relates to this topic: http://www.mayesh.com/floral-forum-educating-our-clients-on-pricing/
FLOWER DESIGN
- Katalin Green: Random .. almost off topic... who did Beyoncé flower piece for your baby shoot?
- ***This is still Unconfirmed*** Awol Erizku is a multimedia Artist and possibly the photographer & floral set designer.
- From Carie Youngers: How do you make a graduation podium piece not look like a funeral spray?
- Stay away from the funeral palm leaves! Try using large tropical leaves like monstera as your base. Create the illusion of size with branches and fill in with fun seasonal flowers.
- From @tylerawolf - I'm having a hard time knowing what greenery to choose. could you talk about that
- First, I’d pop into a Mayesh branch and check out the seasonal availability. You can also snoop the internet for creative inspiration. Designing is really about setting yourself apart from the other guy by developing your own brand. Don't be afraid to experiment a little, there are tons of fascinating ways to create your own style.
- Don’t be afraid to talk to your rep about your needs. Let them know the look you are going for and they can help steer you in the right direction. If you are a bit like me and don’t really want to have a conversation with someone until you do a little research, then check out our foliages in our Flower Library.
- From @obcessedwithflowers - How do you make a cost effective flower wall?
- First, you need to determine if you are going to salvage it after the event or dumpster it. Using a base of moss or branches that can be reused is a good first step. You can spread the initial cost of the fabrication across every subsequent “rental”. Buying bulk from www.mayesheshmarket.com is another way to save money on all of your large purchases.
- We did a flower wall video with Beth O’Reilly a couple of years ago that used minimal flowers to help with cost.
- From Raynelle McNeil: What the best technique to do a floral wall with flowers or greenery. Is it water tubes or oasis backing with chicken wire?
- There are a few ways to do it. Oasis makes a product called floral foam tiles https://oasisfloralproducts.com that are lighter and have shallower dimension to keep weight down. If you are loading your wall with heavier flowers you may want to add chicken wire for added stability. Water tubing is also a great way to fabricate a wall. You can go as crazy as you want and mix various methods as needed.
- We did a flower wall challenge at our branches around the same time and we used Oasis floral foam tiles and we have pictures and materials that we used to build the wall. Check it out:
- HYDRANGEA:
- From Phyllis: I have to make a hand tied hydrangea bouquet, which I have never done. I have heard the flowers don’t hold up well. Any suggestions?
- It’s true, hydrangeas can be fussy. They don’t like the heat of summer or being out of water for long periods. When selecting your hydrangea, check that the blooms feel firm and slightly leathery to the touch. The mini green variety holds up well, they are cut at a slightly “prematurely” stage and very hardy. Antique varieties also hold up very well and can be dried and still retain much of their color. The key with any flower is to properly hydrate and use the right floral food. Pampered flowers always perform better!
- From Phyllis: I have to make a hand tied hydrangea bouquet, which I have never done. I have heard the flowers don’t hold up well. Any suggestions?
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- From Lynn Cioffi: How do I keep a hydrangea wedding bouquet perfect for the day of the wedding?
- Keep it in water as long as possible before your install. If you can, re-cut the stems and put the bouquet back in water between photo shoots, ceremony, and reception That will help add some longevity. Always have a few extra stems handy in the event you get a floral malfunction. Some florists will build a “backup” bouquet and switch it out mid-event. You can also use an “eco sponge wrap” from Eco Fresh Bouquet to keep the stems hydrated.
- From Lynn Cioffi: How do I keep a hydrangea wedding bouquet perfect for the day of the wedding?
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- From Trista Rose Miller: How do you keep hydrangeas looking fresh in tall centerpiece designs? I typically have some heads start to fade in flower foam within 18 or so hours, even with proper conditioning, good use of the foam, finishing products (Crowning Glory), etc. Would water tube picks be a better choice?
- Yes! Floral foam is great for a lot of uses but it can slow the uptake of water in hydrangeas and they drink a lot of water! You can keep them happy by creating a 1 to 2-inch void under the foam making sure the stems go all the way through to the unobstructed water source. Water tubing is good short term, but still need frequent refilling.
- Yes! Floral foam is great for a lot of uses but it can slow the uptake of water in hydrangeas and they drink a lot of water! You can keep them happy by creating a 1 to 2-inch void under the foam making sure the stems go all the way through to the unobstructed water source. Water tubing is good short term, but still need frequent refilling.
- From Trista Rose Miller: How do you keep hydrangeas looking fresh in tall centerpiece designs? I typically have some heads start to fade in flower foam within 18 or so hours, even with proper conditioning, good use of the foam, finishing products (Crowning Glory), etc. Would water tube picks be a better choice?
- From Rebecca Butler: How do you do the mechanics of flowers on this arch? To secure them?? https://www.pinterest.com/pin/75998312441257397/
- This look can be constructed using two Oasis foam cages, wired or taped onto the floral arch. Flowers are inserted to extend from each focal point and wrapped around the armature. Additional blooms are given the illusion of floating by being hung using monofilament fishing line.
- From Shelby: Dusty Miller in bouquets! More often than not, the product comes in super short. What are some tips and tricks for using in bridal bouquets?
- We import beautiful long stem dusty miller from South America and it is available pretty much all year round. Ask your local Mayesh branch to special order it in for your next event!
- Speaking of extra long or extra anything … be sure to talk to your rep about our Mayesh Luxe Blooms - this is the high-end product that we are able to source for you. We can carry some of it in our everyday inventory, but often product needs to be special ordered. You can get more information on our website: