Behind the Scenes: Here today, but gone tomorrow?

It makes me sad that quite a number of friends in the industry have closed shop this year. A few took me by surprise while others were expected as I noticed their dwindling presence at the flower market.

About a year ago, I knew that 2009 and 2010 would not be kind to my fellow floral friends. Many have done the right thing and thrown in the towel despite great buzz and terrific portfolios. Many scaled down, moved out of the expensive Bay Area, and have started new career paths.

Regardless of how it happened or why they decided to leave the market, we are all left to wonder....

what went wrong?

Some might say that the economy hurt them, others would say that bad reviews and difficult clients drove them out, or some would assume that higher overhead drove them to close their business. We will never know the whys but as a floral designer who has seen hard times, I am learning that sometimes it's not a difficult client, economic woes, or a bad review that forces a business to reexamine their reasons for being. Some might have just given it away for too long and when the economy came to a sudden stop, the bills finally caught up.

So, my question is....

Are you giving it away?

As Sean Low wrote in an article recently,"they(the clients) need to know how you derived the cost of your goods and/or services and how it is that you will deliver them. You do not have to be the lowest cost provider or apologize for what you charge. ". To have integrity in this business doesn't mean you just hand it over to your client at the lowest cost or at wholesale if that doesn't work for your business. You should be willing to defend it. And more importantly, you need to show the benefits. If you don't get what you need, move on.

Yes, we still have to be transparent and acknowledge that our clients and other vendors can determine the cost of goods. That's fine. I accept that and you should to. But service beyond the cost of goods have a value that you can and should not give away.

For instance, if any wedding designer or floral designer goes to a market or online, they can find a box of 2 dozen, 3 inch votives for $15.00 at wholesale. Let's say you choose to sell them for $25.00 a box and your client disagrees. You could just say, " sorry, that's the price " and thus, the end the conversation. Or you could tell them, that you have to locate them, pick them up, open the box, check for stickers, repackage them, load them on the truck, place them on the table, and at the end of the night if you have to strike, you have to re box, and give them to the client. Now, that $25 for a box sounds like a great deal. No?

However, often I see that vendors cave in when they are challenge.

I have been guilty of this.

I'm equally ashamed of my own behavior and that's why I am writing about this.

Shame on me for not defending my position. Whether your client is a bride or vendor or venue, I say, if your clients or other vendors don't get it, let them do it themselves.

In this business, we have to do what is right for our long term goals, not just for the moment. It's our responsibility to ensure that our business is here for today, tomorrow, and the future. A small discounting or diminishing of our service or products today could mean that in the future, we might have to "throw in the towel". Don't work with clients or vendors who don't get the principle that your time is money and that your service is worth something. Move on and find people who will be team players, who will watch your back, and accept your worth. Find clients who will appreciate your talents, time, and creativity.

Bottom line: If you give it away today, you might not be around long enough for tomorrow.