Wednesday, January 30, 2008

January is kind of ridiculous.

Well, here we are: first post of the New Year, however belated it may be. I have not kept up with the blog, mostly because there's absolutely nothing to say. January is a death month. Nothing happens. Sometimes I go home at night and I remember nothing of my day. I'm glad it's nearly over.

Murray was at the FTD conference and CGTA gift show in Toronto this past weekend, and returned full of ideas and motivation. It's encouraging. The market is changing in so many ways, and florists have to work harder than ever to remain competitive. The big-box stores are perceived to be such a threat, and in a way they are, but I firmly believe that retail florists are very much needed. Look at it this way: lots of people do their own renovations, but interior decorators and contractors are thriving because, let's face it, nothing beats professional work. So even though anybody can just pick up a crap bouquet at a grocery store, it can't hold a candle to a lush, expertly-arranged floral presentation. And furthermore, nothing beats an arrangement from Edgewood. But you knew that, right?

So Friday will bring February, and February will bring the first major holiday of 2008: Valentine's Day. We've been brainstorming in small ways through the January muck, and ideas are now starting to poke through. I hope to be able to take some sample photos over the next couple of days so that our website will be ready for your online purchases by the weekend. Fingers crossed.

Anyway, maybe I'll talk Murray into sharing his gift show experiences with everyone in cyberspace. Or not. He's kind of busy. We'll see.