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From the Publisher: October 2007 |
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Written by Sue Fredericks
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Don’t Walk the Floral Wire Without a Net!
If you and I were having a conversation and you were to
ask me about networking, I would probably grimace and say, “I am not
very good at it.” As the stack of unused business cards in my desk
drawer will attest, I have never enjoyed making small talk and
circulating at formal gatherings.
And yet, as Amanda was working on the article about networking for this issue of Canadian Florist (page 26), the two of us examined all of the different shapes and forms networking can take. It turns out that I am actually doing OK on the networking scene.
My networks have developed through volunteering to serve on an association board, from attending industry events and trade shows, from profiling people for the magazine, from sponsoring industry activities and most importantly, from our customers.
As the publisher of a business magazine, I was asked to join the board of an industry association, the Canadian Business Press. The board is made up of 16 other business publishers who meet six times a year to deal with everything and anything affecting the publishing industry. From this opportunity I have gained invaluable insight about my business, but more importantly I have a network of experienced publishing professionals I can call for references on prospective employees, tips on dealing with Canada Post, advice about online publishing and any other challenge I may face as a publisher.
Likewise, when we started our 2008 business plan, I was able to call on a network of floral professionals to help us sort out the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. We spent time with our advertisers, the wholesalers and distributors of the industry. They told us what they saw ahead for their businesses and how this would affect retail florists. They made suggestions about what content would be most beneficial for you, our readers.
From there we were also able to pull together a group of working florists who represent the design spectrum, the management and the owner perspective. They shared with us the frustrations of box stores carrying the same merchandise that they do. They also talked about the fickle consumer and how challenging it is to keep up with his or her needs. We talked about opportunities, and the importance of recognizing them. One florist was lamenting the declining number of flower shops in her neighbourhood and how that was a reflection of the direction the industry was headed, while at the same time acknowledging that, as the remaining shop, her business was picking up!
Of course, we also rely on our membership in Flowers Canada as part of our industry network. Talking to the board members or executive directors from all levels of the multi-tiered organization always provides great insight into this industry. People involved at the board level spend a lot of time looking at big picture challenges and quickly put day-to-day frustrations into perspective.
We were able to do all of this because we had a network. And now that we have re-established our network we will need to give some thought to how to use it more effectively. It’s hard to imagine that we often neglect talking to our customers and asking for free advice from other business people.
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