When Kristina
Dyrr's mother founded Cactus Flower Florists in 1972 in
Scottsdale, the field was pretty open.
Competitors weren't prevalent, but neither were customers.
The store opened in what was considered the "boonies"
at the time.
"In 1972, that was crazy talk," said Dyrr, 46.
"What's at Scottsdale (Road) and Shea (Boulevard)?
Nothing!"
As the Valley grew, so did Cactus Flower. Dyrr (pronounced
durr) now is vice president over six stores and about 145
employees, depending on the season.
With flowers now sold in almost every grocery store and
strip mall, Dyrr, who has a marketing degree from Arizona
State University, keeps the business raking in the green
by focusing on customer service, online sales and special
events.
Cactus Flower tries to build relationships with customers
for life.
"We got flowers to the hospital when they were born,
their prom corsages, weddings and now their babies, so it's
come full circle," Dyrr said.
Cactus Flower has built a strong Web presence, allowing
it to compete locally with online retailers such as ProFlowers
and 1-800-FLOWERS.
Dyrr also delivers flowers ready to display instead of in
boxes, which require the customer to cut and arrange them.
The company's events team, Studio at Cactus Flower, is dedicated
to weddings, corporate parties and the like. The stores
also bring in customers with a half-off "happy hour"
from 4 to 6 p.m. Fridays and "tinsel training,"
classes offering decorating tips for the holidays.
Florists have the challenge of a perishable product, which
is why organization and timing are key, Dyrr said. But her
No. 1 business tip is simple: Hire the right people. Dyrr
calls it "aces in their places."
For example, people answering phones know flowers and can
help guide people.
"You can't just pull someone off the street and say,
'Ta-da! You're a designer,' " Dyrr said.
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