Would you Screw Your Neighbour?

Our customers aren't numbers. They're real people. They're neighbours, friends, people that like us...and we like them. It's called a relationship!

A relationship that is built by being part of our customers' lives from birth, celebration, sickness, and in passing.

So why would you screw your neighbour, when your business depends on trust, honesty, & integrity?

Why would you deliver less than your best? Why would you promise something, and then it doesn't happen? Why would you do this time after time after time....to hundreds & thousands of customers?

Would you be happy if these sympathy flowers were sent to a funeral service?

This product was NOT delivered by a florist, but by a huge company that ships overnight in a box...to the funeral home.

But unfortunately, the flower industry is dominated by huge public companies, that have millions of customers.

Every year, late orders are accepted by these companies at the very end of major flower holidays like Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Mother's Day.

These huge companies know that florists are operating at their maximum. Towards the end of a flower holiday, there simply aren't the designers, the drivers, or even the flowers available.

Yet flower orders are still accepted, knowing there isn't a snowball's chance in hell of delivery happening.

So what if these orders are delivered a day or two, or three days late.

For some reason, these big companies find it acceptable. I call it screwing your neighbour.

But I don't think screwing your neighbour is a good business model in the long-term.

A good friend of mine named Fred Sarkari posted this quote on linkedin earlier today. I've received Fred's permission to re-print the quote, because it is SO true.

"Be kind to everyone you meet, it will strengthen bonds between friends and family and it will also drive your enemies crazy."

Given the above statement, hopefully Simon Says Roses is driving our enemies/competitors crazy (in a kind way)!

Christmas Shopping Nightmares!

I just received the following email from a customer, and it was like a lightbulb went off!

Now here was a way to avoid Christmas shopping nightmares (thanks Maria).

First though, here's the email:

"Frank, as per our conversation and according with the list that I am attaching, please quote for us the gourmet- Christmas baskets for our customers in South America. Thank you once again this year!!!

Maria J."

Attached was a list of corporations, the names of the individuals, addresses, phone numbers, greeting card messages, and the Product Order Codes for the gift baskets that Maria wanted to send.

What was neat was the destinations:

• Chile
• Argentina (2)
• Ecuador (2)
• Peru
• Uruguay
• Venezuela
• Costa Rica, and
• Mexico

Ten different recipients, in 8 different countries.

What was really efficient was in one simple email with an attached spreadsheet, Maria's Christmas shopping nightmares were avoided.

No long phone calls.

No cumbersome online order forms.

No searching for a florist in each and every city, hoping that they do quality work.

Just a simple email to simonsaysroses at shaw.ca

And once the prices are confirmed, all we have to do is phone Maria for her credit card details.

Sweet, simple, and very, very efficient.

And now her shopping was out of the way.

This is something that many of our customers might consider, for multiple destinations around town, Christmas flowers across Canada, or even in Maria's case...around the world!

 Now I just need to promote the service! ;)

Did We Forget to Ask?

Please, I really do want your business.

There, I said it!

Did I offend anyone?

We go to mixers, meetups, and network like crazy. We volunteer with the local Chamber of Commerce and with Rotary.

We share information with anyone that's interested in the flower business through Social Media.

But it seems with all the niceties in Social Media with "liking", "linking", and "following" we've forgotten the most important thing about being in business.

We've forgotten to simply ask "please, can we do business together"?

It's not that tough, but it's something we so often forget in trying not to offend.

So please, check out my Social Media platforms and website:

• Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/SimonSaysRoses
• Twitter:   https://twitter.com/SimonSaysRoses
• Blog:   http://www.flower-delivery-in-canada.blogspot.ca/
• LinkedIn:   http://www.linkedin.com/in/simonsaysrosesflorists
• Google+:   https://plus.google.com/104638910184933637960/posts
• YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/user/SimonSaysRoses/videos 
• And of course our website:   http://www.simonsaysroses.com/ 

"Ask, and Thou shalt receive". Conversely if we don't ask, we won't get any business.

So thanks in advance for doing business with Simon Says Roses Florists.

We sure do appreciate it!

Just Leave it at the Door!

We've heard it so many times.

Just leave the flowers at the door, somebody will be home.

Sure...O.K.

But I vividly remember the elderly gentleman calling from Whitehorse wanting something sent to Grand Forks.

We were told to simply leave it at the door. Don't call first. Somebody will surely be home.

Leaving something at the door is not something a florist wants to do. After all, we're dealing with flowers which are perishable. Out of water, they die.

It's not like Canada Post or UPS that simply drop off a package.

We like making arrangements with the recipient to find out when THEY want the flowers delivered.

It's the personal touch that florists are known for.

But sometimes the sender doesn't want to ruin the surprise, so we follow instructions.

In the case of the flowers in Grand Forks?

The recipient went on a holiday for two weeks, and came home to...

The sender had no idea that she was out of the country, and neither did we.

This was not good...not good at all.

And regardless of what the sender wanted, it's a really poor reflection on the florist, don't you think?

Even though in this case, it was no fault of our own...*sigh*...

Why Floral Holidays Suck!

So here's my rant.

Thanksgiving, Christmas, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day.

All major holidays.

Sure it's these special times when we florists make the most money.

But after 20 years of selling flowers in Canada, it's taking its toll.

These so-called "floral holidays" are a time when most people are surrounded by friends, family, & loved ones.

Not florists, and especially not me.

Outside of immediate family, most of my family lives either one or even two provinces away.

I never see them at Christmas or Thanksgiving, unless they come and see me. And that's rare.

Because these floral holidays are when we work the hardest.

Our customers want to celebrate, and we have to be there for them.

When everyone else is relaxing, having a great meal, and taking it easy, florists are running off their feet making flower arrangements, constructing fruit baskets, and getting delivery drivers organized.

No time off for us.

And when we're finished, we're so exhausted that we can't enjoy the holiday.

Yes, it's my choice to be a florist, but I still think floral holidays suck.

Now I can get off my soap box and get back to work...

And the Winner of the Business Integrity Award is...

in·teg·ri·ty/inˈtegritē/

Noun:

The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.

Simon Says Roses was recently nominated for a WestShore Chamber of Commerce Community Award for Business Integrity. 

We didn't have high expectations.

Our fellow nominees were excellent candidates, operating very reputable businesses.

To be blunt, we didn't think we had a "snow balls chance in hell"!

But the award ceremonies were held last Friday night, and...

We won!

Shocked, humbled, thrilled, amazed...Dale & I felt all of these emotions & more.

To think that our flower & gift customers felt motivated to nominate us. For the Selection Committee to pick our business. To receive the award in front of over 220 fellow business people.

Wow.

It certainly feels good.

It lets us know that after 20 years of business that we're still on the right path.

And for that we only have one word.

Thanks.

Google search for Toronto florists is useless!

Looking for Toronto florists on Google? How about Vancouver florists? Montreal florists?

You end up with very similar results. Hundreds of possibilities and too much information!

When you are far away, how do you know the best flower shop in Canada? Would you know the best place for flower delivery in Toronto? Do you know the brand name of a Montreal florist? Do you limit your search to the closest Vancouver florist to the recipient's address? That's no guarantee of quality!

That's the problem when do don't have a relationship with florists in Canada.

Chances are you really don't know the best florist for your order. It's a crap shoot.

But at Simon Says Roses, we know the best...and we're not bragging.

From our shop, we send thousands of orders for flowers in Canada every year.

Some shops in major cities get hundreds of orders from us.

We've developed a relationship with florists. It's not just a one shot order. It's a series of orders over many years.

And they're not going to screw it up, because they may lose these orders if problems persist.

That's not to say that problems don't occur, because they do. It's what the shop is willing to do when problems happen that separates good flower shops from bad ones. Shops that phone every day when a customer is not home, to ensure hand delivery. Shops that simply won't leave something at the door with talking to the recipient. Shops that may send out the wrong product, but immediately send the correct product...at no charge.

That's the quality florists in Canada that we deal with every day.

It's what are customers have come to expect...and they should!

What does a live 24/7 order desk REALLY mean?

Do we really answer the phone 24/7 at Simon Says Roses Florists?

Really??

Yup, actually we do.

We created our website in August of 1998. We didn't have a shopping cart to begin with, so our customers couldn't order online. They had to phone to place a flower order.

But we want our customers to have access to us any time, day or night. We want to be TOTALLY dedicated to customer service. The customer decides when they want to place an order, so we better be there.

So we promoted a live 24/7 order desk on every single web page, on our letterhead, and of course on our business cards. And we have the catchy phone number of 1-800-705-ROSE(7673) which is great to have as a florist.

But we didn't realize what 24/7 meant in the internet age.We thought the majority of orders would come between the hours of 9:00 am and 5:00 pm Pacific Time. But that didn't always happen.

The internet is global. So when our customer wants to place an order going at 4:00 pm on Friday from Singapore going to Toronto, it's actually 1:00 in the morning my time. Germany going to Vancouver? They're 9 hours ahead. When it's 5:00 in the afternoon in Berlin, it's 2:00 in the morning for me.

The problem was without any answering service, 24/7 meant me!

For years, calls were forwarded to my cell phone. I had a "mini-desk" next to the bed, which had the phone, pen, order pad, and lap-top.

When the phone rang I had three rings to wake up, give my head a shake, and sound halfways intelligent in the middle of the night.

When I went to the washroom, the phone, pad & pen went with me. The plastic garbage can made a great desk.


I did that for the first seven years, until we finally decided the online shopping cart had to be implemented.

Although the cart did take some pressure off of early morning calls, there were many customers who still preferred a live body to an online order form.

I can remember watching my daughter's softball game. I tethered my smartphone to my laptop for instant wi-fi. Taking calls AND processing orders from the stands. Other parents thought I was nuts.


It was only two years ago that we hired an answering service for "off-peak" times. The lack of sleep was literally killing me, having a heart attack at 43.

I just couldn't do it any more.

So we schedule some down time. Dale & I want to Las Vegas for a week at the end of August. Although the answering service was available to take calls and orders, we still have to process credit cards and verify addresses & card messages.

Up at 7:00 in the morning, process until noon. Only then was there time to relax at the pool.

 Are we still customer responsive? You bet!

But at least now I get a solid six hours of sleep every night, even in Vegas...

3 Ways Oil Prices Affect Flower Delivery

The price of oil seems to go up & down like a yo-yo.

But the TREND with oil prices is on an upward slope.

The Canadian economy, the Middle East, the US economy, and now even the economy in China all impact on prices.

It's a global marketplace in today's world.

But the bottom line is that we're dealing with a finite resource. Prices will continue to increase over time regardless of short term economies.

So oil prices down the road will impact florists in Canada in 3 ways:

1. 85% of flowers consumed in Canada come from South America, mainly Colombia and Ecuador. It takes a lot of gas to fly flowers to Miami, haul them up north in reefer trucks, and then have them delivered by a wholesaler. 
2. The few types of flowers that are still grown in Canada are field crops, and oil prices would have minimal impact. But those flowers that are grown in greenhouses require heat, and that heat is supplied by oil or gas.
3. Those local delivery vehicles don't run on air! "Free delivery" won't be free when the price of a litre of gas hits $1.50.

It would be a simple solution to simply grow more flowers locally. But that requires planning. Two to three years from planting to first harvest. And not every flower can grow in a field here in Canada.

So just like buying food at the grocery store, prices aren't going down.

I guess the price of flowers and flower delivery aren't likely to be decreasing either...

Helium shortage kills balloon industry?

As florists in Canada, we are having trouble getting helium to fill balloons.

Apparently there is a worldwide shortage.

With a limited supply, medical requirements are taking priority.

You see, liquid helium is used to cool MRI scanners. Clinical trials rely on helium as well. It is dispensed into the lungs and tracked on a monitor, allowing researchers to directly measure the impact of different treatments for the first time.

Which means that helium isn't available to florists or party planners for balloons.

So what happened?

Until recently, helium was easy to get a hold of.

Helium is a by-product of drilling for natural gas. Once the drill hits the gas field, the top layer in the field is helium with the natural gas lying below.

It was easy to extract the helium first, and then suck out the natural gas.

But the old ways of natural gas extraction have virtually come to an end.

The new way of natural gas extraction is fracking. It's the technique which involves the injection of millions of litres of water and thousands of litres of unidentified chemicals underground at very high pressure. This process creates fractures in the underlying shale rock formations and they can then extract the natural gas below the surface. 

But using this process dissipates the helium.

It can no longer be captured.

We have to rely on previously extracted helium which is currently stored in underground caverns.

And that supply is limited.

Unless things change, the death of the balloon industry may be coming soon.

And that wouldn't be fun at all...

 

The "joy" of international flower delivery

At Simon Says Roses, we co-ordinate hundreds of international flower delivery orders every year.

Sure we can deliver to 160 countries worldwide, but some countries are easier to deliver to than others.

Case in point was a recent order going to St. Maarten or Sint Maarten, as the locals would say.

Thanks to worldatlas.com, it's that tiny island between Puerto Rico and Antigua, in the middle of the Caribbean. The island is actually two countries, split in half. The north is French speaking St. Martin and the south is the Dutch speaking St. Maarten.
The total population of St. Maarten is slightly over 37,000 people.

So far so good, but the "joy" starts now with various issues:

1.  The language spoken in St. Maarten is Dutch. Our international department is based out of Chicago. They don't speak Dutch is Chicago. So the order must be sent through Interflora Holland for translation & processing. Result is a day lost.
2. The order is relayed to the florist in St. Maarten, but the recipient is a patient in the hospital. We request a Delivery Confirmation but in the interim, the patient has been discharged. The hospital will NOT provide a forwarding address.
3. We inform the sender in Tampa, Florida of this situation, and find out that the person is now staying at a hotel awaiting test results. Further, the last name was spelled incorrectly. We forward this information back through the international department, to Holland, and back to St. Maarten. Another day goes by.
4. We request a Delivery Confirmation
5. We get the reply that the patient is not at the hotel.
6. We ask that they check the hospital once again.
7. They confirm the patient is back in hospital, and will be delivered later today.
8. We ask that a Delivery Confirmation be provided.

The original delivery date was for September 1st and it apparently will be delivered today, September 11th.

Bottom line is that we just wouldn't quit. We could have said to he** with it & refund our customer, but that's not in our nature. Sure, some orders are easier than others, but it doesn't matter.

Thankfully it works out in the end, and eventually we'll get it done!

UPDATE: The recipient was discharged once again from the hospital. Knowing the delivery was coming however, she contacted the filling shop and arranged for delivery to her home. It was finally delivered yesterday!!

I have a bad case of flower envy...

I have to admit I'm a floral nerd.

Most people go to Vegas for the shows, the gambling, the pools, and of course the summer heat. Generally, Vegas is known for its glitz & glamour.

But in my mind, I prefer the style & class on display at the Bellagio Hotel.

 I always go to the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, because their flower displays blow me away every time I go. It may be flower envy, but I prefer to think of it as my inspiration as a florist.

It's not only one of the largest hotels in Vegas with over 3900 rooms, it also has the famous hourly fountain display, home to the world's largest chocolate fountain, and the largest of the Cirque du Soleil shows, with "O" seating 1800 people for each performance.

So you get the idea. The hotel is large, famous, and classy.

But from a florist's perspective, what really makes the Bellagio stand out are the flower and plant displays.

Where else can you go to to see a framed living flower mural, looking like a 3-D picture?

And one of my favourites, this gorgeous display of Asiatic lilies, roses, and calla lilies randomly displayed on a table in a sitting area.

Even the plant display is fabulous. I looked hard, but could not find a single dead bloom on any plant!

The displays are totally changed for the Holidays, Chinese New Year, spring, summer, and fall. And according to their website at http://www.bellagio.com/attractions/botanical-garden.aspx  they employ 140 horticulturists to maintain these immaculate displays throughout the year.

Now that I've had my dose of inspiration, it's time to incorporate these ideas into our displays of flowers in Canada at Simon Says Roses Florists & Gifts!

4 Reasons I Love, & Everyone Else Hates Carnations

Talk about a bad reputation!

Everyone has a favourite flower. Some like lilies, tulips, even daisies.

And of course almost everyone loves roses.

But the most misunderstood flower of all is the carnation.

I've heard all the reasons why people hate carnations:

• they're common, grocery store flowers
• they look ugly
• the petals look deformed

Always the contrarian,  as a florist I love carnations because:

1. The darn things last forever. It's not uncommon for a carnation to last 2 to 3 weeks in a vase.
2. They come in a huge variety of colours. Red, white, yellow, hot pink, soft pink, lavender, mauve, dyed green, dyed blue just to name a few.
3. The carnation still has scent. With all the cross-breeding done to increase the life of flowers, most have lost their scent in the process. In particular, roses have become subject to this phenomenon. In trying to increase longevity and colour, the scent has disappeared with most roses. The carnation still has that spicy scent which I love!
4. Preparation. Simply remove the leaves that would be below the water line in a vase, cut the bottom of the stem on an angle, and voila...the carnation is ready to use.

Next time you order your flowers, please give the carnation a second chance.

It needs your love...and like a puppy...gives you unconditional love in return!

3 Best Long Lasting Flowers

You want flowers that last a long time.

Once cut, spring flowers like tulips, iris, and daffodils have a short lifespan.

Roses need to be re-cut every day or two, and kept as cool as possible. If your house is at 34 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit or 2 to 4 degrees Celsius, that can work. Now add in 87% humidity, and your roses could last forever!

After 20 years in the industry, you have told us that the following three flower types are THE best choice for long lasting flowers:

Alstromeria

Spray or mini-carnations

Standard Carnations

A floral arrangement of carnations, mini-carnations, and alstromeria can last from 14-21 days.

This mix provides you with excellent value, in a wide range of colour themes.

For my video on what goes into a long-lasting flower mix...

To order a long-lasting floral mix, please call Simon Says Roses Florists & Gifts at 1-800-705-ROSE(7673) for Canada wide delivery.

3 How to Videos on Buying Flowers

For your viewing enjoyment, I've created three "How To" videos about buying flowers.

They address some of your major concerns as flower buyers, including:

1. How to save money buying flowers in Canada,
2. How to get long lasting flowers, and
3. How flowers suck, which is always popular.

Any comments you leave on YouTube will be answered, so please feel free to contribute!

6 Ways to Save When Ordering Flowers in Canada

It seems everyone wants to save a buck these days...and I'm one of them!

It's no different when ordering flowers in Canada.

I've compiled a list of the 6 best ways to save money when ordering flowers and gifts across the country:

1. Look for online discounts. It's faster for us to process an order online than it is by phone. At Simon Says Roses, we pass on these savings on certain items when using our online order form.
2. Order flowers that are in season. Tulips are cheaper in the spring when there is an abundant supply. They're not so cheap in December, when the only supply available may have to be shipped from Holland.
3. Order for more than one person, in different locations. Something for your wife in Toronto, your Mom in Vancouver, and you're in Victoria? We offer discounts when ordering for two or more recipients across the country.
4. Look for Promotion Codes. Although they're not always available, Social Media forums are a great place to search for discounts. Google Places, Facebook, or Twitter are great places to see if price reductions are available.
5. Send two or more items to the same location, or try sending Flowers of the Month for a year, or flowers each week for a month. Multiple purchases get discounted!
6. Send just flowers, with no vase or basket. Great for the do-it-yourself person that likes to arrange her own flowers in her own special vase. All the money goes into the flowers themselves, instead of the container.

If you have other suggestions, please leave a comment. Your suggestions may become part of a future blog post!

Mother's Day Flowers Are Not the Same Any More

Flowers at Mother's Day have a special meaning for me.

It was almost 14 years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday.

You see my Mom used to live with us.

And every year, she got the leftover Mother's Day flowers at the end of day on Mother's Day.

Not that the flowers were bad.

Dale always made a very nice floral arrangement of flowers that didn't sell at our shop Simon Says Roses.

And not that Mom didn't appreciate the gesture...she was very thankful.

But 14 years ago, she took the time to point something out to me.

Every year we always arranged for my wife's Mother to receive a flower arrangement in Edmonton....BEFORE Mother's Day.

My Mom mentioned that one year....just one year...it would be nice to get fresh flowers a few days ahead.

The pick of the crop...the nicest blooms...with enough time to enjoy them THROUGH the special day.

So that year, I had my best floral designer make the most beautiful arrangement.

I took it home with me on the Wednesday before Mother's Day Sunday.

My Mom was speechless, thrilled, & exhilarated all in one!

I'll never forget it.

And I've never forgotten it since.

Because I took my Mom for granted.

She was the one raising my two daughters while Dale & I were working in the flower shop. She made the meals. Did the laundry.

And I never really thanked her...until that year.

I'm so glad I took the time.

Because later that year...14 years ago in November...my Mom passed away from cancer.

And that's why Mother's Day flowers are not the same any more.

What's with Secretary's Day?

It started in 1952.

It was a way to acknowledge the hard work done by secretaries worldwide, and was called National Secretaries Week.

Apparently that title wasn't good enough, so in 1981 it was changed to Professional Secretaries Week.

By 2000, this name was deemed politically incorrect, so the name was changed once again to Administrative Professionals Day, celebrated on the last Wednesday in April.

In my mind, this new name means absolutely nothing to most people.

I can see the results when customers are searching for flowers on the internet. There are far more people looking for Secretary's Day flowers then these other contrived phrases.

And what are we really celebrating any way?

As employers/bosses/managers, all we are trying to say thanks.

A simple "thank you" to everyone that works for us.

So why not simply call it Employee Appreciation Day?

At least most people would understand the name!

The Miracle of Same Day Flower Delivery in Canada

It seems easy enough, but it's actually a miracle.

FedEx can't do it. UPS can't do it. Not even Canada Post can do it.

Same day delivery across the country.

Let's say you are in Montreal, and you want to send a gift across the country.


You Google "flowers in Vancouver", hoping for same day flower delivery in Canada as you've ordered before noon Vancouver time.

Up pops a number of websites to choose from so you click on Simon Says Roses with a whole range of flower images.

You select a flower arrangement with red roses and stargazer lilies, knowing she will love the colour and scent of the display.

And that's where the miracle begins!

The arrangements are not simply sitting on a shelf.

Somebody has to take the order.

Somebody has to construct the arrangement.

Somebody has to deliver the flowers.

All within about a four hour window.

Here's what has to happen:

1. The staff member takes your order, including product order code, greeting card message, recipient's information, your information, and the payment method.
2. The order is printed, and an Order Confirmation Invoice is sent to you by email with full details (except credit card information) for your order.
3. A copy of this Invoice is given to the flower designer.
4. The recipient is called, to ensure someone will be at the residence to accept your gift. 
5. The designer then chooses the flowers, the vase, and then must construct the arrangement, coming as close as possible to the picture. As no two flowers are identical, no two arrangements are identical, but a close replication of your choice will be made.
6. Most delivery services have a morning and afternoon pick-up, usually at 10:00 and 2:00. Orders placed the previous day or before hit the morning run while orders received that day make the afternoon run. Each driver usually loads from 10 to15 orders on each run.
7. The delivery driver must plot his delivery run to ensure the most efficient route is taken in terms of time and mileage.
8. Voila! The delivery is made. When the drivers return, they provide their delivery logs. Your order is marked delivered, and you are emailed a Delivery Confirmation.

A custom manufactured product, ordered and delivered across the country on the same day.

Now that's a miracle!

Be Careful Where You Put Your Tu Lips!

Welcome to the season for spring flowers!

Tulips, iris, lilies, daffodils, hyacinths...it's truly nature's bounty for florists like Simon Says Roses.

Tulips however, pose a particular problem in an arrangement.

Have you ever noticed that tulips in your garden open during the day, and close at night?

It is because they are part of a group of flowers which are photosensitive, or responsive to light.

The same thing happens to tulips when they are used as cut flowers as well.

Put a vase of tulips in front of a window, and within a few hours the entire group bends towards the light source!

Not very attractive and especially frustrating, when designers have spent the time positioning the flowers for optimum viewing.

One other thing to note in this picture is how one tulip sticks out from the others. It didn't start out that way.

This is because tulips do NOT stop growing once they are cut!

The solution?

The proven method to ensure that tulips remain upright is to insert a pin through the stem of the tulip, just below the bloom.

This will stop "tulip bend", and ensure your flowers are displayed beautifully throughout there life.

And now you know!

Flower Taxes are Inevitable, but THIS is Ridiculous!

It leaves business owners shaking their heads, and staff screaming in frustration (well almost).

Try to explain to people why there are all those different tax rates on flower delivery in Canada.

It's a nightmare.

You can't make this stuff up. Well maybe accountants can...that's what keeps them employed.

Every day at Simon Says Roses, we arrange for flower delivery across the country.

From West to East here's the breakdown as to the different tax rates we have to charge on flowers:

• British Columbia - 12% HST
• Alberta - 5% GST
• Saskatchewan - 5% GST
• Manitoba - 5% GST
• Ontario - 13% HST
• Quebec - 5% GST
• New Brunswick - 13% HST
• Prince Edward Island - 5% GST
• Nova Scotia - 15% HST
• Newfoundland and Labrador - 13% HST
• Yukon Territory - 5% GST
• Northwest Territories - 5% GST

And soon B.C. will be rolling back their HST, going back to a combination of the PST & GST.

Confused yet?

Florists Say NO to Valentines flower deliveries

It's a weird feeling.

As florists, we normally say YES to customer requests.

But there's the key word.

Normally.

Valentine's Day for florists in Canada is the single busiest flower delivery day of the year.

We call it "crazy busy"...busier than Mother's Day or Christmas which are more spread out.

Valentine's Day is an 8 to 10 times normal delivery day for florists.

That means a shop that normally delivers 20 orders a day is now doing between 160 & 200 deliveries.

50 orders a day now becomes 400 to 500.

And that's where the problems begin. 

Staff, delivery people, and flowers...times 10!

To meet the volume, delivery vans are on the road by 8:00 on the morning of Valentine's Day. They may get back by 2:00 or 3:00 in the afternoon.

Then they have to stock their vans for the late afternoon run. But sometimes we run out of flowers. Sometimes the designers simply can't create any more flower arrangements.

So if your sweetheart leaves work at 4:00 and your order wasn't in at least a day early, guess what?

We have to say NO, because we can't guarantee delivery!

Delivery request for 10:00 sharp...no. Delivery request for morning delivery guaranteed...no.

Delivery after 6:00 at night....maybe...if there is still a driver around and the order comes in soon enough.

Here's a few guidelines to consider for delivery times, if the order is received before Valentines' Day:

• schools will be delivered before 3:00
• businesses before 4:00
• to a a residence, before 6:00, or until the drivers are finished.

There is a way to avoid all of this, however.

Why not have your flowers delivered the day before Valentine's Day?

Attach a card message that reads "I couldn't wait to say I love you."

Now that will leave an impression!

It shows you put some thought into it, and didn't leave it until the last minute.

And of course it will guarantee that your gift will be delivered on time!

To place your Valentine's Day flower order for delivery across Canada, check out our Valentine's roses
or call us at 1-800-705-ROSE(7673).

Happy Valentine's Day to all!

5 Great Ways to Save on Valentine's Day Flowers

It happens every year.

Every year in the 20 years I've been in the flower business.

Prices go up.

Big time.

Costs go up right from the farmer to the wholesaler to the retailer, and ultimately to our customers.

To help our customers, I've come up with 5 ways to save money on Valentine's Day flowers:

1. Avoid red roses. Go with pink roses or yellow roses instead. The price increase will not be nearly as high.
2. Avoid red "anything". Red roses, red carnations, red gerbera daisies...everything red goes up drastically.
3. Send a mixed flower arrangement. Maybe a couple of red roses, together with fragrant lilies, asters and greenery results in a stunning visual arrangement at a lower cost.
4. Order online. I encourage customers to order online, and even provide a price break on online flower orders of $5.00 to $10.00. It's much faster for us to process an online order compared to a phone order. We pass the labour savings on to you.
5. Order early. Valentine's Day flower deliveries are 5 to 6 times that of a regular business day.. There are only so many flowers, designers, and delivery drivers available. I've had last minute customers offer $50 for delivery if we could just get something delivered. But that's hard to do, when there are no flowers left.

For Canada wide savings on Valentine's Day flowers, please check out our Simon Says Roses Florists YouTube video below.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

For your Valentines Day flowers, order online at Simon Says Roses or call us at 1-800-705-ROSE(7673).

Are Your Roses Sending the Wrong Message?

Roses convey a message, when your words cannot.

With Valentine's Day roses high on the list for many guys, roses say a lot about your intentions and feelings towards the recipient.

Get it right, and you will be a hero!

Inadvertently or on purpose, what message are you sending?

We've compiled a list of meanings for different colours of roses and combinations:

• Red - love, resepect, and courage
• White - innocence and purity
• Pink - gratitude, admiration
• Yellow - slighted love
• Deep pink/coral - desire
• Red & white together - unity
• Red & yellow together - happiness

Are you a believer in the meaning of flowers?

Comments appreciated!

Order Flowers Online - Pain Free

Same day flower delivery across Canada by Simon Says Roses is a service that we are really proud of.

Place your order before noon in the recipient's time zone, and your flowers can be hand delivered by a florist on the other side of the country before the end of the business day.

Order flowers in Toronto at noon, with delivery of your flowers in Vancouver Island later that day.

Not something an overnight courier can offer!

While our phone lines are open 24/7, 365 at 1-800-705-ROSE(7673), there are times when phones are busy during floral holidays, or you would simply like to order online instead of by phone.

I have compiled a video on "How to Order Flowers Online" to make the process easier, and relatively pain free.

Simply click on the "play" button below, and then click on the bottom right hand corner of the video for a full screen version.

Your comments are appreciated, and any suggestions for the content of future videos are welcome!

6 Ways I Prepare Flowers and Save You Money

So your Colombian roses have made the long trip from South America, through Miami, and have landed at the doors of Simon Says Roses.

But here's the problem.

The roses arrive in a box.

A box of 10 bundles of 25 stems.

And they're not in water.

A dry rose is a dead rose.

Here are 6 ways that I properly prepare flowers for retail sale, and save you money because your flowers will last MUCH longer:

1. First, each stem is re-cut. I take off about 1/4". I cut on an angle, otherwise the stem sits flush in the bottom of a pail, and can't absorb liquid. Cutting is like removing a scab. It creates an opening, for water to be absorbed.
2. The bundles of 25 roses are then placed in a hydration solution for 24 hours. Remember, the roses have been shipped in a refrigerated, dark truck. They are basically asleep. The hydration solution is a chemical mix that allows the roses to "wake-up", and start absorbing liquid up the stem to nourish the blooms.
3.  I then put the rose pails into our flower cooler. The cooler is specially designed to maintain a temperature of 34-38 degrees Celsius, with 85% humidity. It's key to remember that roses stored in a floral cooler will last 6 times longer than roses stored at room temperature.
4. Now that the roses are awake, they are moved from the hydration pail into a flower food pail. The flower food is a mix of ph enhancer to change the water acidity, an anti-bacterial agent to kill off unwanted organisms, and a nutrient to literally "feed" the bloom.
5. It's now time to actually prepare the roses for sale. As each bundle of roses is opened, there will be 2 or 3 "protective petals" which look worn and discoloured. These petals have protected the bloom as it was growing. They have taken the brunt of wind and rain over time, but they really don't look very good. And we do want good-looking roses, so off they come!
6. Some florists (and I'm not one of them), prefer do de-thorn a rose so the customer won't get pricked. The solution is...simply be careful. Aesthetics are one thing, but removing a thorn too close to the stem will injure the rose. And to cure an injury, a scab is formed. And roses can't absorb water through a scab...leading to premature death.

Now your roses are ready for presentation. Whether they are simply wrapped in cellophane, gift-boxed for easy transport, or elegantly designed in a vase, your roses leave the store in their BEST possible condition to last a long time.

And in the end, you receive the value of long-lasting flowers which saves you money!

To view our rose arrangements, please check out our rose catalogue.

"This arrangement sounds even better than the regular Kelowna florist I use"

Customer testimonials are golden.

Thank you to Mrs. Holland, who posted this customer review on Jan. 3/12:

"Absolutely stunning arrangement (Medium sized w/candle) and delivered on time, when my Mother was home to arrange a delivery that suited her) just before Xmas !! Thank-you so much.. 

This arrangement sounds even better than the regular Kelowna florist I use for my other parents.. Wonder if the Westbank florist delivers to Kelowna.. will have to find out !! 

.. .. and for the same amount of money.. it's hard to know how a Florist will do when you've never used them before and you are ordering out of faith on-line from another Province.. (Calgary to BC)..

The Westbank, BC (West Kelowna) Florist did an amazing job!!!! ..and my Mother was so very happy and she says it's just so up-lifting to see the beauty everytime she comes home to them.. well worth the money .. 

Thank-you !!!!! Will have no hesitation to use Simon Says Roses again!!! 

Mrs Holland in Calgary (BC was our home)"

Thank you again, Mrs. Holland. You're the greatest!