Image: Annandale florist Jodie McGregor Flowers won a $10,000 grant, offered by Commonwealth Bank. Photo: Google Maps.
By EVA BAXTER
Annandale local since 1999 Jodie McGregor Flowers has won a $10,000 grant from Commonwealth Bank (CBA).
CBA offered merchants the chance to win $10,000 as part of the company’s recent campaign supporting small businesses to resurge after the impacts of the pandemic through the introduction of StepPay.
StepPay, similar in many ways to other Buy Now Pay Later models such as AfterPay, is cheaper for merchants. Merchants will pay the normal credit card processing fee at around 1.5% of the cost of goods, which is less than the average 4% charged by AfterPay.
Stu White, Director of Jodie McGregor Flowers told City Hub, “what’s great about StepPay is that for merchants or the business, there’s no additional costs, which is really cool.
“It’s the same as accepting MasterCard or VISA card, as a merchant, you don’t pay any more but for the consumer, they still get the benefits of the six weeks to repay the purchase.”
Corsages over COVID
Stu said his flower business was impacted by COVID with the cancellation of weddings, funerals and office functions, but fortunately, “people were still wanting to send flowers, because they couldn’t necessarily see people, so in that sense we were really lucky there was still business for florists.
“Where it was a little bit tricky for us was losing a number of our florists who either went home to New Zealand for example or who couldn’t work through COVID.”
He said COVID’s impact on the business wasn’t the reason they entered the competition, “it’s a fun thing to do within the shop. It’s good for morale and good to challenge ourselves to try and win something like this.
“We will definitely do something with the team in the shop to celebrate, because it’s a really good thing to win.”
Jodie McGregor Flowers will use the $10,000 grant from CBA to spruce up their local shop.
“We thought it was a good time with lockdown ending to refresh things, so we might paint the shop. We’ve also got an old Kombi so maybe we’ll brand that up,” he said.
Jodie McGregor Flowers won the competition with the following entry:
Whatever the reason Whenever the season Have the flowers today 4 instalments and 6 weeks to pay It’s interest free Bloomin’ beautiful, you’ll see!
