#29 RadEO with Ryan Bacher the MD of NetFlorist

In this episode of RadEO, Ross talks to Ryan Bacher, MD of NetFlorist. They talk e-commerce in 1999 versus 2019 and the hiccups in learning a new industry. Ryan shares how he has kept partnerships alive for 12 years and his tips in making crucial brand decisions when expanding your company. Subscribe on iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/radeo/id1250841955) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/5FhWL8wjR13nuU1gI7dUkY) More about NetFlorist’s MD, Ryan Bacher - Ryan studied and completed a Bachelor of Arts and Law Degree at Wits in 1994. He then went to work for the Club Med Group in the Caribbean. Following Club Med, he returned to SA where he worked in the Internet industry for 2 years and thereafter, co-founded NetFlorist. As Managing Director, Ryan is responsible for all day-to-day operations and strategy of the company. He sits on the board of the South African chapter of the Entrepreneurs Organization. NetFlorist started life in 1999 as one of SA’s 1st and has become the largest floral and gifting service in South Africa (on and offline). It has 5 warehouses and 200 franchises and delivers same day, country-wide. NetFlorist is recognized as one of SA’s leading ecommerce companies and has won many awards over the last 10 years in the ecommerce and floral space. NetFlorist - www.netflorist.co.za Show notes - 00.54 - Ryan’s back story 04.05 - How was it like setting NetFlorist up? 08.15 - The hiccups in learning a whole new industry 16.00 - Personalisation in the products 20.20 - Pulling the plug on side-line projects 24.56 - Is NetFlorist an internet company or a retailer? 27.38 - Understanding the customers 29.45 - Producing flowers 33.15 - Keeping a partnership alive for 12 years 37.05 - Coming up with NetFlorist brand 41.47 - Cross-selling and expanding the brand 45.30 - Ryan Gibs Course – RadEO is a podcast for Entrepreneurs by Entrepreneurs. It is hosted by Ross Drakes and Rich Mulholland and produced by the Entrepreneurs Organisation in South Africa. Tune in every 2 weeks to hear conversations with business owners who will share their experiences and stories of what they have learnt building their business and what drives them to keep going. If you have a business and want more information on EO, get in touch or visit our website eonetwork.org