“Fleurtyng” with Innovation
by Troy Marcyes - February 10, 2010
In an economy where flowers have become a luxury and in an industry that many consider traditional, a small floral design boutique has Silicon Valley buzzing. Fleurty has found fame not only with its distinctive floral designs, but also in its innovative approach to the floral business. In fact, one of its owners, Kosei Yamazaki, shared his insights into how small businesses can survive and thrive in the rough economy at a recent Intuit Small Business Town Hall.
We’ll let the business speak for itself.
Business name: Fleurty
Owners: Sachi and Kosei Yamazaki
Location: Mountain View, CA
Industry: Floral design studio
Street rep: Edgy twists on modern floral designs for every occasion
Innovation in design: Their arrangement names - like “crystal and ice,” “truelips,” the “twilight,” and “sunburst” - are as creative and fresh as the flowers they use.
Innovation in business: Key social levers that have catapulted Fleurty to local notoriety include Facebook, Twitter, Yelp and a company blog, where the owners share design inspirations, their creative thought processes and customer stories. The company ’s online presence represents its marketing muscle and has served a crucial role in sustaining Fleurty’s growth during the downturn, liberating them from a reliance on walk-ins.
“We do a lot of customized designs for people and it’s a challenge to have a standard floral shopping cart on a website when working with seasonal materials that may only be available for a month,” said Sachi Yamazaki. “Luckily we have gained a lot of trust from our customers and they know that we strive to exceed their expectations every time. We email or text images of the exact designs ordered because we are proud of our designs and all the feedback is so valuable to our business.”
Giving back: The strongest business-community relationships are symbiotic: local residents buy from local businesses and local businesses reinvest in the community. Fleurty is a good example of this type of relationship. Sachi and Kosei volunteered at the PAWS, Art and Wine! Holiday Faire last December to raise money for Furry Friends Rescue, an organization that saves abandoned dogs and cats. Fleurty offered event attendees a special promotion on its arrangements.
Tip to thrive: “We don’t think of the social media outlets as advertising, since advertising traditionally means a one way form of communication,” said Yamazaki. ”It’s more like an extension of small town customer relations. We are able to learn more about our customers and they learn more about us. Flowers are often purchased for milestones in people’s lives, so it is to our benefit to build a relationship with that seventeen year old kid who comes to us for a prom corsage and maintain their communications for future events, such as a graduation or maybe a wedding and possibly a first baby.”
Contact:
2320 Central ExpresswayMountain View, CA 94043
info@fleurty.com1.800.fleurty
Posted using ShareThis
by Troy Marcyes - February 10, 2010
In an economy where flowers have become a luxury and in an industry that many consider traditional, a small floral design boutique has Silicon Valley buzzing. Fleurty has found fame not only with its distinctive floral designs, but also in its innovative approach to the floral business. In fact, one of its owners, Kosei Yamazaki, shared his insights into how small businesses can survive and thrive in the rough economy at a recent Intuit Small Business Town Hall.
We’ll let the business speak for itself.
Business name: FleurtyOwners: Sachi and Kosei Yamazaki
Location: Mountain View, CA
Industry: Floral design studio
Street rep: Edgy twists on modern floral designs for every occasion
Innovation in design: Their arrangement names - like “crystal and ice,” “truelips,” the “twilight,” and “sunburst” - are as creative and fresh as the flowers they use.
Innovation in business: Key social levers that have catapulted Fleurty to local notoriety include Facebook, Twitter, Yelp and a company blog, where the owners share design inspirations, their creative thought processes and customer stories. The company ’s online presence represents its marketing muscle and has served a crucial role in sustaining Fleurty’s growth during the downturn, liberating them from a reliance on walk-ins.
“We do a lot of customized designs for people and it’s a challenge to have a standard floral shopping cart on a website when working with seasonal materials that may only be available for a month,” said Sachi Yamazaki. “Luckily we have gained a lot of trust from our customers and they know that we strive to exceed their expectations every time. We email or text images of the exact designs ordered because we are proud of our designs and all the feedback is so valuable to our business.”
Giving back: The strongest business-community relationships are symbiotic: local residents buy from local businesses and local businesses reinvest in the community. Fleurty is a good example of this type of relationship. Sachi and Kosei volunteered at the PAWS, Art and Wine! Holiday Faire last December to raise money for Furry Friends Rescue, an organization that saves abandoned dogs and cats. Fleurty offered event attendees a special promotion on its arrangements.Tip to thrive: “We don’t think of the social media outlets as advertising, since advertising traditionally means a one way form of communication,” said Yamazaki. ”It’s more like an extension of small town customer relations. We are able to learn more about our customers and they learn more about us. Flowers are often purchased for milestones in people’s lives, so it is to our benefit to build a relationship with that seventeen year old kid who comes to us for a prom corsage and maintain their communications for future events, such as a graduation or maybe a wedding and possibly a first baby.”
Contact:
2320 Central ExpresswayMountain View, CA 94043
info@fleurty.com1.800.fleurty
Posted using ShareThis
The Corsage: 
The Boutonniere:
Time for the Big Night!
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