October 6, 2011 Stacia Nemeth
Blog
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is postponing to January 31, 2012 the start date for requiring employers to notify employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).
The California Chamber of Commerce had asked the NLRB to delay implementation of the notice requirement to at least January 2012. The NLRB’s original deadline for posting the notice was November 14, 2011.
The NLRB said it decided to postpone the date to allow for enhanced education and outreach to employers, especially small and medium-sized businesses.
Employers should assume they will be required to comply with the posting requirement and post the notice on January 31, 2012. The Palmdale Chamber of Commerce will have a compliance product in time for employers to distribute it to their employees before the new January 31, 2012, deadline.
Name: Chris Spicher
Business: Antelope Valley Florist
Title: Owner and President
Age: 60
Member Since: 1989
Q: How has being a Chamber benefited your business?
A: It helps me become known, improves my credibility and makes me a part of the community. Being involved is important, you get what you put into it.
Q: How has this economy affected your business?
A: I’m not sure it’s the economy, the age we live in, or the particular retail business I’m in but I think all the above affect what we do. The last time the economy did this back in the early 90′s I had dropped my membership to the Chambers of Commerce. I thought if I could save some money it would help me but what I realized is that not being a chamber member was a bad move. Being involved in the business community is so important to your business. It’s like Mom, apple pie, and join the Chamber.
Q: How do you plan to overcome the economic difficulties?
A: I was brought up with the mindset that the way I was going to make money is with my imagination, my creativity. I think building relationships with people is important because it’s a people business. We are heavily involved in social networking. People are getting to know me through these venues and deciding that they might like me or understand me and that’s where they want to spend their money. We go back to the basics of meeting people, knowing people, being involved in the community, and in social networking. Even though we’ve been in the same location for 50 years it’s having a presence in the community.
Q: Do you think being involved in social networking helps you to make those connections?
A: Part of what it does is keep me excited. So instead of going home and being depressed I go home and think of new promotions. Which is what I used to do when I was 25-30. The sky was the limit, I’d run like crazy all the time, thinking of fun ideas and staying up late. It was so much excitement but after you’ve been doing it for a while you have this feeling of entitlement. Then you have realize that you are only as good as your last arrangement. You continually have to thank people for being your customer.
Q: Is there anyone who inspired you to choose this career?
A: I enjoyed working with my dad and he was a hard worker and he had great people skills before that was a term that people understood. I liked the business of making people happy and taking care of people. I met many great florist, and in those days, we had a relationship with the growers.
Q: Do you feel like the internet and price are affecting your business?
A: I think people have always thought of flowers as expensive but at least we got past the need for only two occasions; funerals and weddings. If I had to wait for funerals and weddings to sell what we sell I would be in big trouble. Flowers are every day now, they are still built around holidays but now it’s about what’s the cheapest. People will go online to save 12 cents but that’s not the customers problem. That’s the problem of the proprietor and so we have to offer them something that they can’t get anywhere else.
We received an order and the card read, “I know it’s not Friday but it’s the 13th, have a nice day.” What kind of occasion is that? It touched her and she’ll never forget it. That’s what it’s about! What did you have for dinner three weeks ago? You don’t remember? You spent money on it. You might remember last night. What do you have that you’ve spent money on that you still have today? There are few things we spend money on today that we will keep forever but an emotion or a feeling, that will last. Especially, if it’s done at the right time and the right reason they will never forget it.
Q: Do you offer a rewards program?
A: I have a Club 150 for the person who’s in here a lot, on the 12th purchase they get $50 off. Most of the time they just take a $50 arrangement but then again, it becomes a to-do card. Pretty soon you’ll have 12 of these cards from various people. That’s why we have to figure out how to put it on the smartphone so you don’t have to carry around a thick wallet.
Q: Who inspired me to choose my career path?
A: I had many talks with my dad about going to school and ended up getting a Bachelors degree. You can go to school but when you get out, you still got to work. Being a florist was a business where you could set your own hours, your own pay, it had benefits and it’s a very active business. I’m 60 and I’m still able to move around.
Q: Did you start this business?
A: My parents bought the business, it was started in the 1940′s. My mom and dad saw an ad in the paper and moved up here from Los Angeles because it was the land of opportunity. This was a place where they could get in on the ground floor. They were young adults with all the original people who developed this valley.
Q: Why did you choose this career over others?
A: I was traveling in a van after college and I decided that it was time to get to work and I know how to do this and I know the community. Every young person never looks to make this decision for their whole life but down the road you look back and you realize you did. I looked around other flower shops and no one was hiring, and I was qualified!
Q: What do you like most about your business?
A: It changes every week, there’s always a new product released. I enjoy meeting new people. The challenges we face every week is exciting. This weekend we have three weddings and a corporate event, there’s never a dull moment. I love the constant activity.
Q: What’s a typical day like?
A: I come in at 7:30 because the flowers come in early, we make sure everything is in water. This is an “AM” business, meaning that everyone wants their stuff when they open their office or before she leaves the house. Between 9 and 10 o’clock is when we do the bulk of our deliveries. We then take phone orders and fix flowers up for spec for the store. Then the day is busy planning for future events and deliveries. Sometimes throughout the day we are a resource for customers, such as what’s the meaning of purple flowers.
