Update: Real world business

by divorced one like Bush

Time for an update on real world business. I posted back in 12/08 about the costs of a flower shop being in a wire service. The costs should matter, as it is what happens when one buys on line from a non-real florist. It is also a lesson as to what a real small business is dealing with. Sales are off 25% for the year on top of 8% for last year.

This morning my sweetie stated that “they” are screwing up health care for us. Her concern was that we would now have to be offering insurance for our employees. I informed her that the cut off was 25 employees. We are safe regarding this issue. Unfortunately, nothing proposed will help with our health care costs (currently $7800for insurance and $4028 out of pocket with an additional $3500 still owed to the hospital and the need for cataract surgery and about $1500 in dental for the daughter).

So, here is what has happened regarding the wire service aspect of our business.
June’s Teleflora statement.
Total value of in and out orders: $974.78

Processing costs (membership, Dove, Quality program, Sending fee): $301.15
Advertising (directory, Co-op): $206.00
Publications: $3.75
Commissions due (orders in 27%, orders out 80%): $455.46
Total paid to Teleflora: $966.36

Balance of order value – costs: $8.42

Total value of orders to be filled: $614.78 That is, I had $8.42 to work with to fill orders that valued $614.78. In a nutshell, this is how it is that bigger business have via financialization, sucked money up hill from the smaller business.

Percent of order value out to orders in 59% June 09. (Year to date: 50%, Last year to date: 60%)
Compared last year to date incoming value down 14%, outgoing value down 42%.

I can’t convince the sweetie to drop at least one of the wire services as she sees it as work and thus a cash flow perspective verses an accrual. Overall regarding our net profit as of the end of the first half of the year, (you know, money in the pocket) on a cash flow basis, we are off 43.9% on an accrual basis we are off 88.1. Far cry from Goldman Sachs No?

And, we are now in the slow period of the flower business cycle.