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Who among us hasn’t dropped an F-bomb amongst friends?
Not to worry; Denver entrepreneur Molly McCoy isn’t going to judge. In fact, her latest startup, Flower Bombers, is hoping to F-bomb—that’s shorthand for “flower bomb”—hundreds of Denver sweethearts with fresh, fun arrangements this Valentine’s Day.
“The online flower industry is just so tired,” says McCoy. “And if there’s any industry that shouldn’t be that way, it’s flowers. The process of giving and receiving flowers should be amazing every step of the way.”
McCoy, a 20-year Denverite, had already founded four businesses here when, while preparing for a new hire at her HR staffing and consulting firm, she asked an assistant to order flowers for the employee’s first day. The staid arrangements and hidden costs they found, however, quickly frustrated McCoy. “We’ve all been online and you choose an arrangement for $65,” McCoy says, “and the next thing you know, your bill is creeping close to $100 with fees. It shouldn’t be this hard.”
So that weekend, when McCoy’s husband went out of town, she spent the next 48 hours creating a business plan. By the time those pricey flowers arrived on Monday morning, McCoy already had five domain names registered for her new project. The company launched in January 2016 with a local floral studio (orders are online-only so Flower Bombers doesn’t have to worry about running a brick-and-mortar retail shop) where a creative team called the Bomb Squad puts together Flower Bombers’ arrangements. Same-day delivery is included. And although Flower Bombers offers fewer options than many national florists, the designs are beautiful, whimsical, and modern: Think mason jars filled with ranunculi and roses. “I have forbidden carnations,” McCoy laughs.
Delivery—called F Bombing, of course—is captured with a photo, which is texted to the purchaser. “It’s fun to send flowers, and this way you get to see how happy the recipient is,” McCoy says. Social media plays a large part in Flower Bombers’ identity, as the company posts willing F Bomb recipients’ photos on Instagram.
Another of McCoy’s innovations pairs blooms with goodies from local companies. For example, a New Year’s offering delivered a fresh-pressed juice from Denver’s Pressed Juice Daily with a floral bouquet, and a Valentine’s Day special—available February 13 through 17—for your besties called My Funny Galantine ($40) includes a single serving of salted-caramel chocolate cake from Denver’s Little Bites Bakery.
“Who wouldn’t want to receive flowers and chocolate cake?” McCoy says. “And with lower price points, it’s easier to send a gift.”
The company currently delivers within the C-470 loop and hopes to perfect its concept here in Denver before expanding to other markets. (McCoy is working on building a new website that could ultimately scale with that growth.) “Our brand concept is strong, and this is the year we can address everything that didn’t go right in 2016,” McCoy says. “I promised myself I wouldn’t get ahead of myself with this business until we’ve nailed it here in Denver.”