"But in my experience, the gift of longevity is the result of something less visible and harder to measure: the quality of the relationships built along the way. This factor was apparent to me when I opened my first flower shop on April 1, 1976, and it only grew stronger as that little business blossomed into 1-800-Flowers.com. When we stayed focused on our relationships, we moved forward. When we lost sight of them, we stumbled."
"Both jobs showed me how our lives are shaped by relationships and how difficult it can be to express what we feel when the stakes are high. When the opportunity arose to buy the small flower shop across the street from the bar where I worked, I took it. In both jobs, I had seen people searching for ways to connect. If words sometimes fell short-and alcohol helped loosen them-why couldn't flowers do their own kind of work?"
About 20% of companies fail in their first year; roughly half close by year five, and nearly 70% don't survive a decade. Longevity depends not only on capital and strategy but on the quality of relationships built over time. Strong relationships with customers, florists, growers, makers, partners, and employees generate trust, care, and commitment that sustain a business. A flower shop started in 1976 grew into a major company when attention remained on relationships. When the company stayed focused on relationships it advanced; when it lost sight of them it stumbled.
Read at Fast Company
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