In this COVID-19 (semi) lockdown early February 2022 as we
receive Christmas card notes of greetings and good wishes that were sent
in early December, we have been thinking. Based on the slowdown in the
U.S. mail service maybe it is not too early, despite the snowfall, to
think about flowers and Valentine’s Day
Always a big part of Valentine’s Day, now less than
two weeks away, we are wondering if space demand for floral shipments
that always cube out before they weigh out will be severely impacted by
demands to move vaccines and other stuff?
Any air cargo force worth its salt would be loathe to cast
away the flower markets anytime now as junk cargo.
Think of all those reefers in MIA and elsewhere, masquerading
as air cargo terminals.
SAF Petal To The Metal
“When
it comes to planning for a profitable Valentine’s Day, “there
are no secrets,” said Paul Goodman, MBA, PFCI, a longtime floral
industry financial professional associated with the Society of American
Florists (SAF).
SAF based in Alexandria, Va. knows only too well the uncertainty
facing florists as they struggle through the double whammy of both supply
and demand after that group (joined everybody else) cancelling events
including their much vaunted Annual in 2020 due to COVID.
Now that group has set September 6-8 for its next Annual at
Hilton Orlando.
But back to looking to extend a helping hand and reassure
the faithful, Goodman a well-respected money guy which as we all know
is what it comes down to, has hosted SAF Webinars covering among other
subjects including Financial Strategies For The Holidays meaning Valentine’s
Day, often referred to as VDay by flower people.
But SAF is also rich in member-related support for each other.
“There are those rare people who tackle their taxes
the first week of January … and then there are the rest of us,”
SAF said.
“Valentine’s Day follows a similar pattern; without
prompting, most retailers wait to order—an action that causes unnecessary
stress and hurts your profit potential.
“To minimize the last-minute-order blues,” Illinois
retailer Eileen Weber, AAF, proactively calls past clients with a pitch
that conveys “confidence and outstanding service.”
To that we add, from an air cargo perspective observing how
our shippers are going about their business right now can be educational
and motivating.
As example, with COVID-19 many florists have had to cancel
their very profitable in store floral events with many pivoting to virtual
happenings. Heather Waits of Bloomtastic Florist in Columbus, Ohio, who
also teaches business strategies says keep beauty in focus.
“As shippers of flowers we might want to share our love
of flowers by also understanding motivation of flower shippers.
“I don’t recall the very first time I heard the
expression ‘Don’t forget to stop and smell the flowers,’”
Heather confides.
Through A Lens
“I have always loved flowers and blooms, their myriad
colors and forms … and scents.
“My love of flowers has stayed constant while the way
I look at them changes constantly.”
Geoffrey Dunn a professional photographer based in Canberra,
Australia has flowers in the picture all the time.
That is his picture of a rain drop on an orange bud.
Geoffrey (who spells his name right) has many years of photographic
experience, has held numerous solo photographic and joint collaborative
art exhibitions and won awards for his work. Geoffrey learned about flowers
as genetic markers, indicators of weed species, the passing of seasons,
their rarity and their basic commonality.
“The sound of bees in trees in Springtime,” Geoffrey
said, and “carpets of riotous color beneath flowering camellia.
“I learned their smells … I’d like to retire
somewhere where I can smell the scent of frangipani blossoms … the
heady scents of Spring and warm breezes.
“Native Australian flowers whose scents pass into honey,
bulbs, trees, bushes dripped with rain or dew.
“And then I started to take photographs of them.
“And sometimes I don’t see them, or smell them,
or sense them … I’m busy doing something else, preoccupied.
“Sometimes I sit and just watch them and think as I’m
doing now about all the different ways I see them.
“The day I saw my children learning to sniff their first
flower nearly made me cry.
My advice . . . don’t forget to stop and smell the flowers.”
To that we add that sometimes smelling the flowers is all
there is.
Geoffrey
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