He would dream of himself living on the streets, sleeping on subways, trying to sell flowers to passing pedestrians dressed in elegant clothes, but to no avail.

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Send a romantic e-card, for instance, and someone will try to sell you flowers.

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To do business, to sell palm oil or flowers or coffee, African small firms need money to buy seeds, fertilizer, tractors and trucks.

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Start-up 8thBridge has been helping companies like Delta Airlines, 1-800-Flowers, HauteLook and Brooks Brothers sell on Facebook.

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Many day spas and beauty salons offer beauty treatments and up-dos for the brides, and there are even bakeries that sell same-day wedding cakes and fresh flowers.

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Then he made millions in the 1970s importing flowers from South America, employing young people to sell them on street corners across the United States.

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The pilot program is limited to delivering a maximum of 200 packages per day to customers of 1-800-Flowers.com's sister brands, which sell popcorn, cookies, chocolate and gift baskets.

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People now sell cartloads of strawberries and lychees that are rushed up from the south, or flowers that are grown under cover outside the city.

ECONOMIST: China