Flowers From The Rainflorist - Sunrise FL

Love is in the Air at Flowers From The Rainflorist!

Cupid made a stop at Flowers From The Rainflorist to bring some love for our customers and staff and to help us gear up for the Big Day. Everybody needs some "LOVE", right?...even the overworked local florist. So to give some "love" back to our customers,  mention Cupid's Love when you place an order online, in person or on the phone and we'll send you a gift card for $10.00 off on your next order..... 

Today we had a preview of some gorgeous Freedom roses from Ecuador along with some nifty new colored roses as well. The traditional red rose remains the favorite on Valentines Day but newer trendier colors are starting to become more popular as well. . 

We had a gorgeous orange rose in today that was just stunning and as we opened the box to prepare them to be hydrated, a few customers at the counter asked if they were available for sale...now that's moving product hot off the presses! . 

Of course, my all time favorites are the hydrangea...or is it purple lizianthus blooms or maybe orchids....yes, I think orchids, especially the green cymbidium and when it is paired with red roses in a compact style...well that's romance at it's finest.. 

Speaking of styles...you don't have to stick with the traditional 12 roses arranged in a vase...be adventurous....look at our website...there are so many beautiful, modestly priced arrangements that can make the day special for your sweetheart...and ladies...guys like flowers also. 

Many new flowers are coming in during the week of Valentines Day...from tropicals to roses, orchids to daisies...we will have it all.

Come in.....stop and smell the flowers...it's only going to get lovelier ....

Ft Lauderdale Weddings, Congratulations Brian and Katie

Brian and Katie get Married At Ft. Lauderdale Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa

Weddings for the Floral Artisans at Flowers From The Rainflorist started with Katie and Brian’s which was held at the fabulous Marriott Resort & Spa. Once again we found ourselves working with a bride that was referred to us from the Catering Director, Delette Matheus who is the ultimate,  consummate Professional when it comes to making beautiful events happen. We have had the pleasure of creating several weddings at this venue during the year and it is always a pleasure working there.

Katie came to us with some very distinctive ideas and quite a bit of talent in decorating her own tall champagne glass vases…from local items, found on the beach and even her backyard. It added to the choice of flowers as you can see.

Weddings Ceremonies are very popular on Ft Lauderdale beach and nature provides a beautiful backdrop for the exchanging of vows. The breeze is beautiful and fresh and the guests don’t have to walk far to the cocktail area and then to the reception. The view at the Marriott Harbor Beach is one of the finest in the area.

Once vows were exchanged and cocktails enjoyed, guests found their seating cards and then joined the couple in the ball room where the ceilings were draped, the beautiful stitched linens were installed by Over The Top Linen and the champagne vases filled with flowers were waiting.

The head table had mini designs so that the couple was not obscured and each end of the table had matching designs to complete the rest of the décor.

The cake table was just beautiful to look at…draped in its own exotic sheer fabric, it was almost too beautiful to eat!

 We all had a wonderful time working with Katie on her Great Day and wish her and Brian all the best in their life together!

Fort Lauderdale Florist, Flowers From The Rainflorist plans New Years Eve Flowers

Now that Christmas Day is over and the crazy after the day shopping for bargains is winding down, Ft Lauderdale is preparing for an influx of visitors who come just to celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of a new.

It is expected that over 100,000 revelers will attend a free celebration in downtown Ft. Lauderdale around SW 5^th and SW 2^nd Street  hosted by the City and major sponsors that will feature activities for the whole family starting at 5pm and continuing until the ball drops and 2010 arrives. Make sure you are there early as they light the ball at 7pm. This is one of the largest New Year’s Eve Celebration’s in Florida and it’s FREE!

For those who want to celebrate without children, Hard Rock has an abundance of nightclubs that are offering excellent entertainment plus a side of gambling. Several of their on-site restaurants are known for superb dining and usually they have an awesome fireworks display. It’s one of the the places “to be” on New Years Eve.

Downtown Ft Lauderdale is known for it’s many great restaurants ranging from French, Italian, Chinese, Mexican, American Cuisine and Steak Houses all within walking distance of each other…Flowers From The Rainflorist works closely with them and can arrange New Year's flowers to be placed on your table to add to the ambiance of the evening. How beautiful is that! Our Floral Artisans have the same passion, creativity and attention to fine detail as do the wonderful Chef’s that call Ft. Lauderdale their home town.

Give Flowers From The Rainflorist a call or shop online at www.flowersfromtherainflorist.com . Let us deliver a table design for that extra touch for a wonderful evening. And Happy New Year to you all! 

Local Ft Lauderdale-Sunrise Florist Receives Google Recognition As A "My Favorite Places"

Flowers From The Rainflorist has been recognized by Google as a Favorite Place In Ft Lauderdale-Sunrise Florida and we are one happy Flower Shop.

After all of our angst with Google misplacing our Flower Shop and relocating it across the State several months ago and having the help of a Real Google Guru, Mike Blumenthal to help us make it better… Flowers From The Rainflorist has really exciting news! Actually Blumenthal  blogged a bit back about Google coming out with this new exciting promotion  but we did not think we were Big Enough to get the certificate…after all we are small and family operated…so who knew ? 

So last week, I got the mail and there was an envelope from Google…thought it was just an advertisement flyer and so I waited until we were finished with an event to sit down and open the mail. What a pleasant surprise! We have been recognized as a Favorite Place in the Fort Lauderdale area on Google and we have received a special packet with a sticker to place on our door congratulating us for being a favorite place that folks search for!

Google identified over 100,000 businesses in the U.S.A. as a “Favorite Places on Google which was based on Google user’s interactions with local business listings…. and you, the customer chose us! This selection represents less than 1% of the 28 million U.S. businesses so we are pretty psyched. Google stated that it “believes that our standards for selecting businesses are as selective or more selective than other companies which have run similar initiatives”. Flowers From The Rainflorist isn’t going to argue that point!

So, a special thanks to all of our customers who took the time to write reviews or searched for directions to find us or just wanted more information about us …we thank you over and over for taking your time to do that!

As a real local florist in Ft Lauderdale/Sunrise, who actually designs and delivers on the same day, we are so excited and this is a Grand Congratulations from Google. Thank You Google for this honor.

We have our sticker going up on the window on Monday…have to wait for a bit of rain to pass and then you will be able to scan the bar code with your phones to get more information about our Flower Shop.

We have worked very hard to be the best in our area and our customers have helped us along the way so we’d like you to come in, or drive by and scan the code…and we do have a free Holiday gift for you. So pop in if you can…we’d like to thank you in person.

Ft Lauderdale Florist, Flowers From The Rainflorist Adds More Staff

Flowers From The Rainflorist has been so busy that we have not had time to tell you about one of the newest additions to our Staff of Floral Artisans!  

Alan Pandorf joined us as a transplant from New Jersey and is here to stay. Something about the weather being nicer but in deference to our Jersey friends, we won’t talk about snow, freezing weather, slipping and sliding while we come to work in sandals, convertible tops down and the tips of our noses getting a slight suntan.

As a teenager, he and his three brothers grew up in the family business of kitchen and bath design which has given him an eye for details that complement florals for the home. Our customers are thrilled to have this bubbly young man who is like a whirlwind of enthusiasm and energy. 

Alan has years of floral experience and brings to the eclectic nature of our staff, a unique, trendy style of design that is comfortable with even our most die hard fans of traditional Florals. He started working in the floral industry back in the 90’s and attended design schools while working as an assistant to a major Flower Shop in the North East. During that time he honed his skills by creating designs for parties, weddings, home décor and holiday theme designs.

We are fortunate and excited to have him join our family and so are our customers who have already written emails thanking him for his kindness in helping them chose just the right flowers to send.

Come in and introduce yourself to Alan and have him design your next party, wedding or special christmas gift with Flowers From The Rainflorist.  He has a free gift for each person who comes in the month of December…..don’t be left out!

Ft. Lauderdale Florist, Flowers From The Rainflorist Loses it's Matriarch

Google Smoogle Finds Sunrise Florida and Flowers From The Rainflorist

With the able bodied assistance of Mike Blumenthal, a well respected SEO champion and web guru, our Flowers From The Rainflorist  shop has been “found “ by Google once again in the City of Sunrise.

Now we were never really “lost”..they just replaced us with florists located in Sarasota, Fl…as well as replacing every other  Sunrise business too. Even the Sunrise Chamber of Commerce, the City Manager and the City Departments  were missing and when we discussed it with them, they had a case of drop jaw as well.

 I guess it is one of those “opps” kind of things that happened when Google changed it’s mapping program but it does give a business owner a near heart attack to realize that flower buyers, brides and businesses cannot find you to purchase flowers….no phone number, no address, just time to watch your sales plummet…it is just like you don’t exist. Of course you still receive mail that has bills etc…hmmm...don’t we all wish we could make those disappear!

The problem with these kind of issues is that many small businesses like myself,  do not know what to do beyond filling out the forms on Google and getting back a mechanical answer. We were fortunate to have a good friend refer us to Mike and “problem solved

So a well deserved personal shout out to Mike at Blumenthal’s and his very well read blog for getting what was mechanically responded by Google to as “we might be able to fix this in 30 days”, to getting it fixed in less than ten days. Yea for Blumenthal’s! You Rock!

Sher

Flowers From The Rainflorist…still located in the Beautiful City of Sunrise, Fl

Google Smoogle Strikes Again At Flowers From The Rainflorist

This blog is about business and the frustrations of running and depending on a major search engine to be what it extols itself to be…

The joys of the internet are awesome and offer experiences that we might not ever be aware of or be able to see. It takes us to different parts of the world daily, keeps us informed and allows us new opportunities to meet new customers, find lost friends and share new experiences. We are a world that has become dependant on the accuracy and the service of major search engines.

As a small business owner, I need Google and it’s search ability to keep my business alive. My potential customers are not always within walking or driving distance of my shop. Many have never met us, but like what they hear about our creative designs and customer service, or are looking for a flower delivery in a family member’s town. So like many they go to Google and they “google” “florists in Sunrise , Fl…..up until a few weeks ago, this worked like a charm…they reached us and we made a new customer, kept people employed, paid taxes...the usual things businesses do and everything worked out just fine.

Unfortunately, Google’s search is currently not working particularly (SEE MAP BELOW) if you use it to find something generic in our city…for whatever reason, Google changed it’s map program and since then, if you google “florists in Sunrise, Fl” , you are directed to florists in Sarasota …Only about a five hour drive across the Everglades and on the opposite side of the State…can you imagine the delivery charge for that one! Kind of like having a bad GPS working for you.

I mean really, how hard can it be for a major search engine to show the businesses in the correct city? Oh and did I mention that it affects every category from plumbers, electricians… even the City Manager’s Office…we’ve all been replaced by businesses in Sarasota. None of the Sunrise, Fl businesses are to be found on a search for them using our City. Kind of scary…will I be able to prove I don’t exist and not have top pay the upcoming Occupational License by showing them Google’s search result?…I think not.

Google….the amazing search engine can find a gnat’s pahtootie in Mozambique but can’t keep two cities in Florida, located on opposite sides of the State and spelled differently in their right location.

As of the 16th of this month, on their own Google blog “ Information access is the core of Google mission” or the one on the 9th that says they “have improved the interface for local information in web search”…well I say the mission and the interface are in need of repair, fixing, or a do over cause it is broken guys…..

I don’t know about you, but I am a novice at these things....all I know is that I want a search engine to show where my business is, I want it to be accurate and I want to be able to talk, email, reach out or send up a smoke signal somehow, some way to Google when it doesn’t and in this department, they are sadly lacking. Now if you are a webmaster or host or a major blogger like, Mike Blumenthal you probably know where to look. But if you are a small business owner switching hats from one minute to the next…..all you want is a simple way to let them know something needs fixing. It currently does not exist….anywhere that is easy to find.

And when you do have a map issue like this one…well, just try and find a phone number, an email address, some place to send a smoke signal for help …ANYTHING that lets you talk to a “human being”. They don’t exist. You can go to “maps” and report a “problem” with the caveat that it might be fixed in thirty days…30 DAYS! …..that’s warm and fuzzy…in thirty days I will lose valuable revenues, my customers will think I am out of business and I can forget about having new customers find me. The happy customers that want to write a review won’t have that chance either, so we are not happy with Google right now and the result is this blog. Maybe someone there reads blogs…

And if you think that this problem is a new one…it happened in December of 2007 as well so this makes it even more frustrating as you would think that they would have “fixed” the problem back then so it never happened again. So if you can read this, Flowers From The Rainflorist is really located in Sunrise Fl, has been for 19 years, and we are a Real Sunrise Florist making same day deliveries in Sunrise, Ft. Lauderdale and all of Broward County. We’d love to hear from you if you can just find us!

Flowers From The Rainflorist creates Flowers For Marriott Resort & Spa Beachside Wedding

There is nothing more beautiful than exchanging your wedding vows with the one you love than being in South Florida with the ocean as the background and being cooled with a sweet ocean breeze. In July, at the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort and Spa, Nita and John did exactly that with a list of guests that sounded like the United Nations. Guests traveled from as far away as India and as close to home as Fort Lauderdale. The Bride was exquisite in her custom gown and the groom made a dashing  figure in his white suit. There were jeweled sari's, basic cocktail dresses and henna painted hands . It truly was an international event.

As the guests walked as a family to the beach, the Bride had placed colored flip flops, fans and bubbles for the ceremony. What a thoughtful gesture.  

The Bride had ecletic ideas and did not want a traditional "wedding" look for her reception so she chose green cymbidium orchids, pool blue hydranga and bamboo in tall cyclinders with rich accents of pool blue ribbon. Even the place card table greeted the guests with unusual designs and accents of pool blue, seashells and gorgeous ribbon.

The staff at the Marriott Harbor Beach arranged awesome back lighting behind the sweetheart table, the ceiling, the cake table and spots around the room which all added to the rich look of the room. All the special touches made for a very romantic look to the room.

Each guest had a special favor wrapped and placed at their plate in the colors of the pool blue which matched the chair ties. All added to the total look of the wedding. It is always the small touches that pull together the feel of the wedding starting at the place card table which is the first thing the guest see before they walk into the reception and really sets the "tone" of the evening.

The cake table was well decorated by our staff as well and was a focus point in the room with the addition of lighting by the Harbor Beach Resort Staff. They are a wonderful group of Professionals to work with and the Resort is one that should be considered if you are planning a wedding in the Fort Lauderdale area where you want your guests to be able to enjoy all the aspects of South Florida.

The staff at Flowers From The Rainflorist had a wonderful time working with this lovely Bride and her family and the staff at Marriott Harbor Beach Resort and Spa. We wish them a wonderful honeymoon in Tahitti!

All Real Florists Are Invited To Join Flowerchat

Are you like many of us in the floral community, wondering where your business has gone, what to do about it or asking yourself "where can I turn for some answers?". For several years, I have been a member of Flowerchat and I cannot begin to tell you how many friends I have made, the improvements I have made to my company's bottom line, lessons I have learned and advice I have garnered...and all of it was FREE!

We are trying to increase our Flowerchat membership of Florists that are actively involved in the industry...do you have to have a brick and mortar shop...do you have to be a retail florist...no. Can you be an event florist..yes...join the ones that are already there. Must you be the owner of the business...no. Can you work out of your home studio...yes. It is easy to join but there are some critieria....  you do have to have a business license, pay business taxes and we'd like to see your website if you have one. And to know a little about you as well. So follow the link, get registered and let us meet you!

We as Florists, I own Flowers From the Rainflorist in Fort Lauderdale, Fl  are up against some of our very own vendors who compete against us...should we stay members of these Big Guys...take a look at some of the varied opinions.

Should we be certified by A.I.F.D.....do all of us know what that is? Will it help our business?

Should we be a member of S.A.F...what would my membership do to help me run my business better? Come to the chat and talk about it.

Should we try to "find" a National spokesperson? ...And who would that be?

What can we do to reduce some of our costs...is there a way to do bulk buying, want to learn about new floral sources, vase companies, ribbon specials, van decals, how to make solid insurance choices....what do I do with marketing in my small area...my large area...are gift cards valuable...what point of sale system would work for me...do I need one.?

And websites...maybe you have a Wire Service website that looks like everyone else's out there and is producing no revenue but costing you every month. Or you have been struggling with designing one of your own and find yourself overwhelmed...don't be...many of us are captains of our own ships and it is hard to do everything. But we have easy solutions to that as well. The founder of Flowerchat, Ryan Freeman , just happens to own Strider and specializes in easy to operate websites that stand out among all others and his SEO skills are awesome.

Oh, and lest I forget, our membership is from around the world...the UK, Mexico, South America, Australia, India, New Zealand, Hawaii, USA and Canada....there is something to offer everyone and to share and learn from all parts of the world. So, join us simply by clicking on the link and registering...be patient as we are getting tons of new members each day and often it takes us a bit to respond to you...but we want you to join..we know you have ideas that we might never know about...and maybe we have some for you. http://www.flowerchat.com/forums/register.php?referrerid=15
Come on...join us...let's take back our business and industry together!

Sher

Flowers From The Rainflorist Attends NFL Emerging Business Trade Showcase

                                                 

Superbowl News at Flowers From The Rainflorist

                                                                                 

                                                                                 

Flowers from the Rainflorist is Celebrating Nurses Day May 6

                                                                                   

Send Mother's Day Flowers from Flowers From The Rainflorist with a Twist

From fixing boo boo's with a bandaid to fixing a broken heart with a hug, Moms across the world have the stongest yet often the most quiet influence on us. Daughters and sons all have Moms who  balance so many roles and do it all with a smile. Sometimes we tend to forget that being a Mom is really being an executive, a liason, a chef, a writer,a hugger, sports coach, mediator, personal shopper, banker and a ton of other things. And this is often in addition to working outside the home. Wow....makes them more of a miracle worker. This coming week starts the beginning of one of the busiest flower holidays in the year. Did you know it is bigger than Valentines? Well, it is...everyone has a Mom..not everyone has a Valentine.

So for Mothers Day, Flowers From The Rainflorist is participating in a contest for Mothers Day but unlike others, ours has a twist...you send flowers to Mom , she gets to see what a wonderful kid you are...hey, you'll always be her kid at any age...but here is the twist.  

When you send her flowers, you automatically get entered into a contest that will send you on a trip...Isn't that a cool twist! The winner gets treated to a fabulous trip for two to the Gaylord Opryland Resort ....While Mom adores the beautiful flowers you sent her, you can can relax on your vacation. You'll  start with premium accomodations for two at the famous Gaylord Opryland Resort. While you're taking in the resort's breathtaking gardens, great dining and shopping, you'll also enjoy two complementary tickets to the Delta Riverboat ride, breakfast buffet for two at Cascades Restaurant and spa treatment for two at Relache Spa. So wonderful, you won't want to leave the resort! To make the trip easier, we'll even provide a gift card for airfare. So take a look at some of the awesome Mother's Day Flower arrangements you can choose from for Mothers Day and pull those suitcases down and air them out! Don't forget to get entered.  
 

Flowers From The Rainflorist Supports " Shopping Local and Saving the Economy Three Stores at a Time".

Flowers From The Rainflorist has always been a proponent of "shop local" and many of the items that we carry in our store and on our website are created locally by other independant business. We have found over the years that the service we receive from these independants is much more caring, efficient and better quality than what is often offered at the Big Boxes and we felt it kept local money in our local community.

So now, we have discovered, thanks to the efforts of Cinda Baxter, Retail Speaks and other independant retailers as well that we were ahead of our time. New statistics provided by the Department of Labor and Retail Speaks, show that a simple formula of supporting even three independant shops during the course of a month with a purchase of $ 50.00 can keep the economy on track. Saving the Brick and Mortar Shops that our Economy is built on with the 350 project.net breaks the stats down as follows:

Pick 3 independant shops you would miss if they closed tomorrow. Stop in and say hello. Make a small purchase if you find something you like and get to know the retailer. It is your small purchase that keeps this company going.

50%:  If only half of the employed people in the country spent $ 50.00 each month in three independantly owned businesses, their purchases would generate 42,629,700,000 in revenue....what would happen if 75% did this! 

$68:  For every $ 100 dollars spent in an independant store...$ 68.00 is returned to the community through payroll, taxes and other expenditures. If you spend that in a National chain store, only $ 43.00 stays in the community. Now, for all you online shoppers....guess what? Shopping online brings  $ 0.00  back into your community...yes zero! Think of the times you buy flowers from a large order gather or middleman service...now more than ever you have a reason to establish a good relationship with your local hometown florist. And using a local flowers shop's website, still keeps money in your community. 

So all it takes to help your local economy is to pick three shops you want to spend money in...that's all it takes. Seems to make sense and all it takes is to spend $ 50.00  a month in these independantly owned local shops  to improve your local economy! Flowers From The Rainflorist will continue to shop locally....please join us in our efforts and feel free to check out even more information at www.the350project.net  . We found a wealth of information  so we hope you enjoy the articles as much as we did.