Hello from Monarchs Alive!

The upcoming butterfly season will be our 15th, having started Monarchs Alive! in 1995. While we are one of the older butterfly services in the country, we are by no means the largest. Being "small" allows us to offer clients personal attention that larger companies can't match. We pride ourselves on that.

We would like to inform you of some changes that are taking place this year.

Our butterfly prices have not changed in the past 12 years. They will not change this year, either. We will still charge $90/dozen for monarch butterflies and $60/dozen for painted ladies.

My full-time job is with a non-profit agency, so I am sensitive to non-profit budgets. In the past we have extended quantity discounts up to 20 percent on large non-profit organization orders as well as large wedding orders. From a business standpoint, we can no longer do that.

In 2009, we will offer a discount level of 5% on orders of 72-350 butterflies. On larger orders we will offer a 10% discount. We also are requiring that orders be placed one month in advance of the event date. We simply can not guarantee butterflies on a notice of less than 30 days.

Our deposit policy is changing as well. We will be requiring a deposit of 50% of the total cost of the order, including shipping, with a VISA or MasterCard, upon placing the order. If you are paying by check, the 50% deposit will be due 10 days after the order is placed. The balance of payment will be due no less than 30 days before the event. In the case of orders placed the minimum of 30 days before the event date, payment must be made in full upon placing the order.

Delivery costs and other costs related to this business go up every year, regardless with whom you deal. We chose FedEx as our delivery service several years ago after trying everyone else. FedEx offers prompt delivery in every part of the country, which is crucial when working with live butterflies. However, the flat rate of $40 per package we extended to clients in 2008 did not cover our costs. High fuel prices and multiple delivery surcharges left us with very high delivery costs. FedEx already has announced a 4.95% increase for 2009 deliveries. So, while we are retaining FedEx as our delivery service, we are restructuring our delivery charges in order to keep pace with our escalating costs.

In 2009, orders of 1-3 dozen butterflies will carry a $45 delivery/handling fee. Shipments of 4-6 dozen butterflies will cost $65. Shipping on orders above 6 dozen will be individually quoted based on container size, container weight and delivery destination.

Personal deliveries by Monarchs Alive! will still be $40 within a 50-miles radius of Hellertown, PA. Orders will be shipped outside a 50-mile radius. Clients in the Lehigh Valley, PA, area may, of course, pick up their orders at Monarchs Alive! in Hellertown, PA

We will be changing our website to reflect the differences in shipping and discounts. We are offering you, our valued customers, time to incorporate these changes into your 2009 budget.

Thank you for working with us in the past. We hope to retain your business this year and the future. We promise you the same personal attention we have always extended. If you have questions, please e-mail us or call in the evening at 610-838-8689.

Sincerely,

Dennis Scholl
Monarchs Alive!