The Referral Network System Blog

Flowers Can Make a Statement About Your Business

I think every business owner I know sends flowers as gifts, at least on occasion. But there is a huge disparity among florists and the quality of floral arrangements they deliver. And since the gifts you send are a direct reflection of you, its important to find a florist to use that can create spectacular, well-designed, lush and elegant floral arrangements.

The best florist I've found in the Los Angeles area is Fleurs du Jour, a Santa Monica florist that is known for its award-winning floral design team. I received a floral centerpiece from Fleurs du Jour (see photo) for Thanksgiving that was stunning. I can't remember the last time I jumped up and down and screamed for joy when flowers were delivered. Not only was the design elegant and rich-looking, but the flowers in the arrangement were of such high quality, you'd have thought Donald Trump ordered it. Fleurs du Jour serves five-star hotels and celebrities, but its pricing is competitive enough that those of us who don't live in mansions yet can afford them. Next time you want to wow a client, check out Fleurs du Jour.

Denise Kotula

Giving the Perfect Client Appreciation Gift

I love giving gifts to clients. I want them to know that I appreciate their business, and that their relationship is important to me. Gifts are a perfect way of demonstrating that appreciation. I especially like to give a gift when it is an unexpected surprise. But I also want to give a gift that is perfect for them. I want the WOW! factor.

Lash Fary, the Hollywood gift guru who creates the spectacular gifts bags for the Oscars, the Emmys and the GRAMMYs, says that the cornerstone of giving the perfect present is to "know your audience."

In his hot new book, Fabulous Gifts: Hollywood's Gift Guru Reveals the Secrets to Giving the Perfect Present," Lash says that "knowing the personality of the recipient, their interests, hobbies, favorite colors and idiosyncrasies is crucial to successful gifting." In the book, Lash provides a simple yet profound system for coming up with the perfect gift for every person for whom you buy gifts.

The Cure for This Headache: A 2-Cent Stamp

The beginning of January is, for most of us, much needed downtime. The holidays are over and tax season isn't quite upon us yet. But this January, the U.S. Postal Service is throwing a headache into our decompression. It plans to raise the cost of sending a first-class letter by two cents - to 39 cents. And, that means most of us will be standing in long lines at the post office to buy a sheet of 2-cent stamps to cover the rate increase so we can mail in our credit card bills and other important mail on time.

A wonderful (and simple and inexpensive) gift you can give your clients this holiday season that will be greatly appreciated is a strip of 2-cent stamps.