SAF Wednesday E-Brief - 07/23/2008  (Plain Text Version)

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In this issue:
HEADLINES
•  Web Site Stops Felling Flowers to Sell Trees
•  House Committee Approves Credit Card Fair Fee Bill
•  Oklahoma Florists' Program Gets an Upgrade
•  Newly Added Creativity Educational Session at SAF Palm Beach 2008
•  Boesen the Florist Co-Owner Ed Boesen Dies
BUSINESS BUILDERS
•  Wholesaler Offers Annual Scholarship to Aspiring Florists
GREEN house
•  New Texas Greenhouse Dedicated to Pest Management
TRENDWATCH
•  No Drop, No Shop: Rising Fuel Prices Rein In Spending
LIFE AT WORK
•  Staff Infection: Sick Time for Small Businesses
BELIEVE IT OR NOT
•  Ex-Employee Guzzles Big Bucks in Gas Heist
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
•  SAF Palm Beach Deadlines
•  On the Horizon
REGULAR FEATURES
•  E-Brief Top Five: Wedding Info Tops the List
•  Reader Feedback: California Florist Has Choice Words for Internet Directory Scams
•  Product Spotlight: Ultimate Floral Industry Supply Guide
•  On the Discussion Boards
•  Rising Cost of Health Care Diagnosed as 'Excruciating'
•  Survey Says: Few Florists Charge for Re-deliveries

Web Site Stops Felling Flowers to Sell Trees

Top: Treesinstead.com's original home page. Bottom: Treesinstead.com's new and improved home page after talking with SAF.

A company that sells trees to commemorate special events has removed negative floral references from its Web site after being contacted by SAF.

SAF e-mailed Treesinstead.com July 14 about the company's prominent tagline, "MEMORY TREES - - Instead of Flowers." The company sells "memory trees" to mark special occasions such as birthdays and weddings. The site also offers "sympathy trees" that can be planted in memory of loved ones.

In the e-mail, SAF pointed out that member florists were concerned about being singled out in the tagline and asked that the negative reference be removed. A representative for the Web site called SAF 20 minutes after receiving the e-mail. He agreed to remove the "Instead of Flowers" language from the Memory Trees section of the site.

Treesinstead.com also removed negative phrases from its FAQ page, including "Why trees instead of flowers? Flowers die at the moment the stem is cut from the root producing waste while decomposing; on the other hand, planting a tree will preserve the environment."

"We want to work with florists," the company representative told SAF, "not compete against them."

Alert SAF to negative floral references by faxing (703) 836-8705, e-mailing jstromann@safnow.org or calling (800) 336-4743.

 --Morgan Schimminger
mschimminger@safnow.org