Shoutout to the shop owner who said wire service orders are a waste of time

I was at a local flower market in Phoenix last month and overheard a shop owner telling a new florist to skip wire services completely. She said they take too big a cut and the orders are never worth the hassle. I've actually built my whole business on them for the past two years. They bring in steady cash, especially for holidays, and I've gotten some of my best corporate clients from a simple sympathy arrangement sent through FTD. Has anyone else found wire services to be a solid part of their income, or am I the odd one out?

3 comments

3 Comments

carr.abby18d ago

Steady stream of orders" is exactly it. I used to avoid them for the same reasons, thinking the fees killed the profit. Then a funeral home sent a steady weekly order through one for months. That predictable income changed my whole view on them.

the_claire18d ago

But that steady order thing can be a trap though. You get locked into their schedule and pricing, and then they can just drop you with no warning. Seen it happen where a shop got too comfortable and then got totally screwed when the orders stopped.

the_emma19d ago

Actually, wire services saved my shop during the slow season last year. That steady stream of orders, even with the fee, kept the lights on. I treat them like any other order and just build the fee into my price. It's all about how you manage them.