Tuesday 26 April 2016

StreetFlower Explained



StreetFlower is an online directory for local shops and businesses built on a digital map.  Each business has its own digital shop window and is represented on the map by a custom petal. When other shops in an area join the petals cluster to form flowers. 


When you explore the map you will find some red dots around the London area. Zoom in and they will develop into to "flowers" and then "petals". By clicking on to the petals you access the digital shop window of the connected store.  Since launching StreetFlower in October last year businesses and shops around London have joined and helped test this concept. 


When you join StreetFlower you will get a customised petal pointing to your business's location on the map and directing  customers  to your premises. This petal opens to your own mobile friendly digital shop window which provides the following:

                       Your address and directions to find you,
                       Links to your website or online store and social media,
                       One touch telephone for users to contact you
                       Your opening hours information,
                       A message field for customers to email.

 To register and join StreetFlower shops simply email me to me with the following information and I set up their petal:

                       Your address and postcode,
                       Your phone number and email address,
                       Links to your social media accounts,
                       Your website,
                       Your opening times,
                       A description of your business,
                       And a photo or avatar for your digital shop window.

So if you have a small business or independent shop and would like to get your own custom petal on StreetFlower get in contact for you free listing.

Thursday 7 April 2016

Building StreetFlower

In recent months I have been working with shops and businesses in North London. I am hugely grateful to these early adopters, who have joined since we launched. Their participation has allowed me to test the concept and work towards further developing and commercialising  the StreetFlower along with discovering  a few issues which will need to be ironed out! For this I thank them for their patience.


Since StreetFlower works and it is of potential value to local business and independent shops it seems the next logical step in attempting to build a business into a network of flowers. 


So, until the end of June 2016 there is a special introductory subscription offer for new joiners.


You can subscribe to StreetFlower at a special discounted rate of £25.00 for six months – that’s less than a pound a week. Furthermore, 10% of all subscriptions will be donated to local charities. The full membership is £52.00 for six months. 

This will get you your own digital shop window containing :

Your address and directions to find you, 
Links to your website or online store and social media feeds,
One touch telephone for users to contact you, 
Your opening hours information,
A message field for customers to email.



Email us at hello@streetflower.net to join up and get your very own customised petal!

Wednesday 9 March 2016

StreetFlower Reaches Preston

The Preston based Dice and Donuts combines the concept of a board game space and a cafe. Their name on Twitter, D&D cafe first, caught my eye and transported me back to my teenage years spent sitting around with friends avoiding dragons and making rash decisions in sub-terrain dungeons. 

Dice and Donuts is the perfect example of an independent business to help test StreetFlower.


What is StreetFlower I hear you ask? 

StreetFlower is an online map for independent shops and small businesses to engage with customers and their locality. It offers businesses their own digital shop window.

Explore the map, find a red dot, zoom in and "flowers" will appear marking the localities of shops and businesses on the network.  To find out more about a business click on a “petal” to discover their digital shop window. 



Additionally StreetFlower, a start up which I launched in October, is why I have not managed to fit in a game or blog post since then!


So, to another early adopter, Dice & Donuts. who I am doubly pleased to welcome to StreetFlower. 

Anyway, please checkout StreetFlower and spread the word. If you find yourself in Preston drop by and treat yourself to a game in Dice & DonutsI am sure they would be delighted to see you. 

*This is a repost from a post on the Miniature Inspiration blog from January.


Friday 1 January 2016

StreetFlower’s Early Steps.



One of the very first things I did when I was planning StreetFlower was entering the idea for it into the Enfield Innovation competition of 2013. StreetFlower was lucky enough to be one of the twenty-five ideas shortlisted to go through to the Innovation Masterclass stage of the competition. This represented the high watermark in success as far as competition entries go!  Nevertheless, as a result of the shortlisting I was invited to attend thetwo day Enfield Innovation Masterclass which was held at the Dugdale Centre in Enfield town.


So imagine my delight when earlier this month I added a new petal for the Dugdale Centre on to the StreetFlower map. It was a special moment for me adding the location where the concept of StreetFlower the first discussed in a publicly.  As a result the Dugdale Centre marked one of the first steps on the journey that sees the development and growth of StreetFlower. So it is an immense pleasure for the Dugdale to have its own “petal” on StreetFlower. 


Image copyright  © Enfield Council 

Along with the Dugdale we added Enfield Council's other venues, the Millfield Theatre and Forty Hall. It is a pleasure to have Enfield’s important cultural hubs appearing on StreetFlower.  An additional connection you will notice is that the organic & natural wine bar Eco Vino Teatro which is based in the Dugdale Centre can also be contacted through StreetFlower.


The Enfield Innovation competition was sponsored by Enfield Council with Middlesex University’s RedLoop Design. So I wanted to finish the year with big thank you to Enfield Council for adding their venues to StreetFlower and helping to make a reality something which started with a sketchy idea in an innovation masterclass.  


Thursday 31 December 2015

New Year's Eve



Ever so briefly I wanted to take this opportunity to wish all you early adopters who have added your shops and businesses to StreetFlower a very, very Happy New Year. 
 

Thank you so much for your trust and faith. I hope 2016 brings all you wish for. To close, at this time of year I am reminded of the words of the renowned Chicago Sun-Times column Ask Ann Landers:


 “Let this coming year be better than all the others. Vow to do some of the things you've always wanted to do but couldn't find the time. Call up a forgotten friend. Drop an old grudge, and replace it with some pleasant memories. Vow not to make a promise you don't think you can keep. Walk tall, and smile more. You'll look ten years younger. Don't be afraid to say, 'I love you'. Say it again. They are the sweetest words in the world.”



Happy New Year.

Thursday 26 November 2015

Joiners , This is what you get...

…and it's all free, for the moment. 

Recently I've had a number of conversations with people about StreetFlower and what are the benefits for a shop or businesses get by registering?


In short, the nuts and bolts of it, you'll get the following:

When you register your business on StreetFlower you will select from one of eight categories and then choose an individual icon to customise your petal. This will help users  idenifiky the type of business you are. The petal will illustrate your business's location on the StreetFlower map. 
 When it is clicked on this petal opens to your own digital shop window. This offers the ability to upload an image to your digital shop window. 



The address will provides a link to directions to you. 
Links to your website and social media feeds can be added. 
Opening hours information. 
A message field for people to get in touch via email.



Friday 6 November 2015

Introducing StreetFlower Remix


While developing StreetFlower one of the central issues to be dealt with is how to help people understand the concept. Since it is early days and StreetFlower is just beginning to germinate and it is being seeded by early adopters. I was keen to create a short video to introduce the concept to potental users.



So here it is in all its glory.  the video is under a minute, it does not  require a huge time investment. Hopefully it will inspire some to not only explore StreetFlower but also add their own petal for their business.