Farmgirl Flowers Turns Over New (Digital) Leaf with Docusign: San Francisco startup saves time, money, and alleviates stress with eSignature technology

Who doesn't enjoy receiving a bouquet of flowers? Whether they say "Congratulations," "I love you," or -- ahem -- "I messed up," they've been a beloved gesture for centuries.

However, one fast-growing startup, Farmgirl Flowers, decided that the status quo in the flower industry just wasn’t cutting it. The company supports U.S. farmers and minimizes environmental impact by providing natively grown flowers at a reasonable price. They also emphasize quality over quantity: Rather than providing a plethora of so-so arrangements, they design a single flower arrangement each day. This cuts down on the huge amount of waste typical of the flower industry.

Leading the innovative path for the industry, Farmgirl Flowers have  ditched the ol' pen-and-paper for a more efficient and tree-friendly method: Docusign.

Today, we chit-chat with the farmgirl herself -- AKA Founder & CEO of Farmgirl Flowers, Christina Stembel, about just how Docusign allows her company to save  large amounts of time and money.

The Problem:

Prior to implementing Docusign, Farmgirl Flowers relied on paper processes. This method was not only tedious, it was costly--both in time and money: "Going to Kinkos to send ink signatures on all of the forms took at least 15 hours of my team's time that month, if not more, which is completely inefficient and costly for a small business – not to mention frustrating," says Stembel.

"What was really telling to me was when working with a bank last month to finalize a revised line of credit. The bank wouldn't allow any electronic signatures, and the only allowable format to receive was in ink via fax or in person. The fax had to be an old school one, not one that uses your phone to take a picture."

The Solution:

Farmgirl Flowers now efficiently and securely manages contracts, vendor agreements, and any other transactions requiring a signature on-the-go with Docusign. Docusign can be used hundreds of ways at small businesses, and Farmgirl Flowers leverages the technology for  insurance paperwork, workers comp, auto, personal property, flower farms, artisan food makers, beauty and packaging companies, press contracts and more.

"As a small business we have limited resources, which means I am often the head of facilities, HR, Finance, Marketing, Sales, BD, and more. In order to keep business moving quickly and stay competitive it is critical to have solutions that enable us to do business from anywhere and on any device. We have remote employees, locations, vendors, etc…and we need to be able to transact business on the go," says Stembel.

The Results:

Simply put, Docusign provides Farmgirl Flowers with more freedom: Monetarily, logistically, emotionally.

“Docusign allows us to operate in the most efficient way possible, saving us our most valuable asset – time," says Stembel. "I actually think twice about using vendors and partners who don't accept Docusign now because I know it's going to require much more time, which is something I just don't have. I count Docusign as one of my most valued business tools.”

On paper, Farmgirl Flowers saves 10 hours and $500 per month in paper, ink, postage, and time with Docusign.

But total savings? Priceless amounts of peace of mind, and more time to do what they do best: Inspiring people with beautiful flower arrangements.

Are you a small or medium business looking to free up more time and reduce costs? Give Docusign a try for 30 days -- the bill’s on us.