Dec. 16, 2009 Search Floral Industry Supply Guide >  E-Brief Links >   Past Issues    SAF Market    Industry Events Calendar    Contact Us                                Follow SAF on:
View all stories on a single page. TOP NEWS SAF Survey: Half Report Drop in Thanksgiving Sales By Ira Silvergleit About twice as many shops (52 percent) said their Thanksgiving sales were down this year, compared to those who said sales were about the same as last year or had increased, according to SAF’s post-holiday survey of florists. Read more Floral TV Ads Go for ‘Warm’ Glow of Holidays By Amanda Long This holiday season, one major online flower seller is going for the cute, while another is going to the dogs. With a fuzzy white ball of a mascot, 1-800-Flowers.com is urging consumers to share the "warm fuzzy" feeling of giving and getting flowers in its holiday commercials, while Teleflora's spot shows a Dalmatian peeing on a unopened flower box that’s been drop-shipped on someone's front step. Read more Make Sure You Count: Answer USDA Census By Brian Gamberini The health care debate can get wonky, wild and hard to follow, but as some SAF members found out this week, hearing it directly from two key senators can help sort things out. Read more Mr. Ardle Goes to Washington — How about You? By Brian Gamberini Bill Ardle of Schneider’s Florist in Springfield, Ohio, who attended SAF Congressional Action Days for the first time last March, realized “it only took one time to start building a relationship with our representative,” and decided to share the lesson with his grandchildren. Read more Banks Get Behind Small-Biz Lending Push From The Street Now that the mortgage modification program is off to a running start, big banks have begun funneling credit to small businesses — another sweet spot for lending in the economic recovery. This week, President Obama met with top bank executives to prod them further, as the Small Business Administration seeks additional lending incentives with Congress. Read more HOLIDAY NOTEBOOK Treat Holiday-Dazed Customers to Flower Therapy By Bonnie Wilkening After an exhausting day of shopping and fighting the holiday crowds, encourage your customers to soothe their nerves and treat themselves to an arrangement in peaches and creamy whites or soft blues and greens. Highlight the Flower Therapy release to health or lifestyle reporters and feature the information and photography on your Web site. Read more Brag about Those Local Holiday Plants If you’re fortunate enough to be near local production of poinsettias, Christmas cactus, cyclamen and other holiday plants, don’t let that fact get lost on customers. It’s a great tidbit to include in your customer newsletter and e-mails. Local editors seeking new angles for their holiday shopping coverage this and next week will appreciate the tip. Pitch a “how to buy local for the holidays” story and cite yourself as a source (and check out these tips when preparing for an interview with the media). Free Delivery is Typical Thinking about offering free delivery? Your competitors are. Read more    Send Holiday Orders Across the Country with    Local Flower Shop Looking for flower delivery in your area? Using a local florist saves you both time and money. From Chicago flowers to San Diego flowers, only a local florist can insure a smooth floral delivery. Search our nationwide directory of local florists to contact a local flower shop to assist you with your order. More info Advertisement BUSINESS BUILDERS Small Biz Puts Bigger Stake in E-mail Marketing By Amanda Long More small businesses are relying on e-mail marketing, and even more will be one year from now. Those are just a few of the “what-are-you-waiting-for?” findings of a survey by Small Biz Trends and Hurwitz. Read more NEWSMAKERS Magazines Recruit Florists for Holiday History-Making in D.C. By Amanda Long Magazine editors and federal employees aren’t exactly known for their arts and crafts skills (believe us – we arrange words, not flowers), so when we heard the U.S. State Department has partnered with the magazine industry to deck the halls of the president’s guest house, we hoped they’d get some professional help — from floral designers. Read more    Product Showcase: DESIGN MASTER Looking for a touch of ol’ Jack Frost in your winter displays? DESIGN MASTER Crystal Frost replicates the unique patterns of frost crystals on glass or non-porous surfaces. Spray this fast-drying embellishment on window displays, mirrors, vases, hurricane globes, etc. and instantly feel a nip in the air! Apply Crystal Frost to the inside of a lidded jar for a unique display of glass ornaments. Easy soap and water clean-up. Learn more at dmcolor.com Advertisement GREEN YOUR BUSINESS Tis Better to Rent Your Tree, Says Scottish Florist From the Deadline Press & Picture Agency An enterprising florist in Scotland made living trees available – for rent. The move should prove a hit with eco-friendly shoppers during the hectic holiday season, as the trees can re-planted after use. Read more LIFE AT WORK Nine Bold Tips to Be Happy at Work By Amanda Long Here’s a thought: Instead of using the holidays as excuse to complain about being super-stressed, frazzled and busy, let’s this year count our blessings and resolve to be happy at work. Read more Who’s Giving Raises? From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram If you’re not giving raises or bonuses, you’re in the same company as the majority of small businesses, according to a recent survey. Read more TECHNOLOGY Five Ways to Make Money on Twitter From Inc. What, in 140 characters or fewer, is Twitter? Well, it's a money-losing Web site made up of very short messages where your kids (and C-list celebrities) waste time. It's also a popular new medium — tens of millions of users and counting — that businesses use to build brands (and sometimes destroy them). All this you know. Or you should. But Twitter isn't just about buzz: Some companies have figured out how to use it for old-fashioned things. Like, you know, making money. Read more MARK YOUR CALENDAR On the Horizon REGISTER ONLINE NOW 26th Annual Pest and Production Management Conference Presented by SAF and Greenhouse Grower Magazine Feb. 25-27, 2010 Hyatt Regency Orlando Airport Orlando, Fla. REGISTER ONLINE NOW SAF Congressional Action Days March 8-9, 2010 Fairmont Hotel, Washington, D.C. 25th Annual Seeley Conference June 26 – 29, 2010 Cornell University Ithaca, N.Y. SAF Orlando 2010 126th Annual Convention Sept. 22-25 Orlando, Fla. WEEKLY FEATURES E-Brief Top Five Missed an issue? Catch up on stories readers clicked most last week. SAF’s Myth-Busters Spread Facts, Cheer about Poinsettia’s Safety Make Sure Google Stops By for the Holidays GOP Florist's Letter to Obama is Ticket to White House Dealing with the Disgruntled Major News Sites Echo SAF’s Holiday Hero Message Product Spotlight: Year-End Payroll Made Simple — With Paychex! You work hard to keep your business running smoothly, but remembering all the payroll steps at year's end can be mind-boggling. Why not make one thing easier, with Paychex? SAF members save 15 percent off basic payroll processing — and for all new clients, Paychex audits the year's payroll activity regardless of when they start using the service — so sign up now! Read more New Online On the Capitol Letters blog, Brian Gamberini talks about a health care conference call with Sens. John Kyle (R-Ariz.) and John Thune (R-S.D.), hosted by SAF and other associations. Want more info on the health care debate? Read all about it here. The Energy of Flowers, the SAF/FPO video about how to decorate with flowers for energy and wellness, has been seen more than 5,200 times on SAF’s MyFlowerChannel on YouTube. Why not put a link to it on your Web site?

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