Real Flower Business

Education and Business Training for Floral Designers.

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What Sets Your Business Apart?

What sets you apart from the competition?

I was asked this question twice in two days : What sets you apart?

It’s ALWAYS a good question to ponder, but even better to actually put some real answers in writing…so today, I’m sharing some tips so that you can identify what sets YOU apart, too!

Click to watch a brief excerpt from a live chat I did inside my Members Only group for The Art Of Good Business:

Note: My Art of Good Business Program is designed to help you attract awesome clients who truly appreciate your talents AND create an authentic brand that represents your vision and passion as an artist! Click here to learn more about creating a business that sets you apart from the competition!

For example, I know that what sets me apart from other course creators is my real life experience.

I’m a real florist; not a luxury wedding designer; not a “6-figure” florist,

I do “regular weddings”–beautiful weddings–but with mostly REGULAR budgets,

I don’t have big-wig, high-end events every weekend,

I run a small, profitable floral business from my home,

and I’ve been doing so for over 17 years!

I focus on longevity.

My business is small, but successful because I define success in more than dollars–it’s about LOVING my biz and the work I produce–though I DO turn a profit and teach florists how to maximize your profit margin, too!

So what else sets me apart?

  • I fully support my courses and will happily answer questions via e-mail or even hop on the phone if you need a more personal response.
  • You can learn from ALL of my business tools (both free and paid) right from your computer without the added cost of travel for a workshop.
  • Everything I create is made with love from me to you!…and that’s why I price my courses as affordably as possible and I ALWAYS aim to deliver tremendous value to my students.
  • I offer a money back guarantee on my Flower Math course–you won’t find many floral courses that offer that!
  • I want to see florists succeed and my resources are available to you 24/7–no timed out offerings, no e-mails with countdown clocks–just real resources at your fingertips anytime you’re ready.
  • In fact, you can final ALL of my courses right HERE.

Now it’s your turn! What sets YOU apart?

Write. It. Down. And feel free to share it if you’d like!

Leave a comment or you can send me an e-mail at floralartvt@gmail.com

Learn more about Alison HERE.

photo credits: Bride and groom with bouquet by Magnolia Photographie. Photo of me by Taken By Sarah.

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Interview: Alison Ellis On The Slow Flowers Podcast

I am so excited to announce that I’m a guest on the Slow Flowers Podcast today!

Catch me on Slow Flowers With Debra Prinzing here!

Debra and I sat down a few weeks ago, here in Vermont, while we were both attending and teaching at The Floral Field Trip. It was such an honor be invited to be a guest and I hope you’ll take a some time out of your day to have a listen!

Click to Listen

From DebraPrinzing.com:

“I’ve known Alison mostly through social media over the years and I’ve watched how her business of teaching and education has really grown. We also share a fun connection through Florists’ Review, where I’m a contributing editor and Alison is a regular business columnist.

I couldn’t skip the opportunity to record an in-person conversation with Alison to share with you. Lately, I’ve been in conversation with many of you about the term “Sustainable,” and in addition to having sustainable practices in our businesses, I strongly believe the term also applies to ensuring florist and flower farmers are SUSTAINED by their businesses; that they are paid a living wage and compensated fairly for the beauty they bring to the world.

Alison is one of the people helping make that happen, especially as she coaches others how to build profitability into their flowers…”

Click to Listen

Here are a few photos from our experience on The Floral Field Trip in September…all photo credits to Taken By Sarah.

We made a foam free (#nofloralfoam) arbor with custom structures that Kelly had custom made by a welder, and added Holly Chapple pillows from Syndicate Sales as well as short black floral buckets and a few Eco Fresh Bouquet wraps for our design of all locally grown Vermont flowers and foliage from Mountain Flower Farm.

Kelly and Mary Kate picked a perfect time of year for a photoshoot in Vermont. We were lucky to have a real life couple for our models for the day….how beautiful was this day by the way?!

Knoll Farm was an absolutely awesome location. Check out their website here to get a sense of what this unique retreat is all about. They provided 3 meals a day for us and each one was fantastic!

For our farewell dinner we cut down our bouquets from the photoshoot to serve as centerpieces. Including flowers from The Floral Reserve, Mountain Flower Farm, Understory Farm, and Longfield Gardens.

This business retreat was a great opportunity to learn more about sourcing American Grown Flowers (the basis of the Slow Flowers movement!) and it was not only educational, but truly inspiring to connect with likeminded floral professionals. The future of floristry will be “locally sourced flowers” and more eco-friendly design mechanics….especially if we, the florists, do our part to help make it that way!

It was a pleasure to be invited to teach on The Floral Field Trip and a special bonus, and a genuine honor, that I got to connect with Debra for an interview on her #slowflowerspodcast, too!

Click to Listen

Vendor credits for the Floral Field Trip…

Photographer @takenbysarah
Flowers sourced from:
@mountainflowerfarm @understoryfarm @thefloralreserve @longfieldgardens
Dress @meagankellydesigns
Model @erin.benn
HMUA @finishingtouchvt
Supplies @syndicatesales
Ribbon @honeysilksco
Venue @knollfarmvt

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My Favorite Florist Tools

Florists often ask for recommendations on the best tools and for me, these ARS clippers are my favorite. I bought them in 4 colors AND saved the packaging because I didn’t want to forget which clippers I had when it’s time to replace them.

I got these at Jamali Garden in NYC several years ago and they’re still going strong. What I like best about them is that the locking and unlocking is more intuitive than other clippers. Makes using them safe and easy.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Alison Ellis (@realflowerbusiness) on

After a few scrubs with a Brillo pad they’re clean and ready to go! Plus they come in fun colors. I have red, lavender, teal and yellow. So if you’re looking for a great clipper, this is my pick!

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How Do Florists Calculate Profit Margins?

I just wrapped up Week 3 of my September Pricing Series with 3 Steps to calculate your profit margins and you can watch a replay right here!

Today I answer the question: “How do you calculate your profit margins?

  • There are 3 Easy Steps to follow to calculate your profit margin, which I cover in my video below…..

I also answered THIS QUESTION FROM A FLORAL DESIGNER:

“How do you set the right markup so you make money but people don’t feel like they’re being “overcharged”?

My Flower Math Fall Sale is LIVE NOW thru Sept. 25th at 5pm ET! SAVE $150 OFF RETAIL TODAY!

Click HERE to Save!

Do you calculate your profit margins? Should you? The answer is Heck Yes!

You might think “I didn’t lose money on this order, so I obviously turned a profit”….

But in reality IF YOU DON’T KNOW YOUR NUMBERS, YOU DON’T KNOW YOUR BUSINESS!

This is why it’s so important to run the numbers on every event; every order; every week!

In fact, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING you can do for your business is to track your profitability!

Now, I can’t tell you what your “final profit” should be…

that depends on your total overhead, labor costs and expenses…

But I can tell you that you CAN make a 70% profit on the cost of your flowers and supplies…

AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT I TEACH FLORISTS TO DO IN FLOWER MATH.

Click here to get it NOW & Save $150 OFF!

Whether you’re a wedding florist or you do daily orders in a shop, you can achieve margins of 70% or MORE on every single arrangement you make!

Here’s the truth, I’ve been doing this consistently for the last 17 years in my home-studio business and I know lots of florist who reach these margins, too!

And you know who reports these margins? MY FLOWER MATH STUDENTS!

Yes, it’s true, my students report increased confidence AND increased profits on the very first order they place after taking the course.

Some florists say they make back the entire cost of the course in just 1 wedding, REALLY.

Click HERE to Save!

In my Flower math course I share:

  • 6 REAL weddings,
  • real profits, COGS, & wholesale orders,
  • a full list of itemized invoices on 6 weddings ranging from $1500-$10K, 
  • a behind the scenes look at how I send an initial quote to a client,
  • a step by step on pricing formulas,
  • how I write recipes that help me keep my wholesale orders tight and right,
  • PLUS a list of all of my starting prices over the last 16 years!

I also cover: 

  • how to charge for rentals,
  • tips for flower farmers;
  • I share recipes for floral table runners and hanging chandeliers,
  • Plus I offer a money-back guarantee on the course!

Click HERE to Save!

My Flower Math course answers all of your questions on markups, design fees, how to calculate delivery and rentals, and if you ever have a question for me, before, during or after signing up for a course, just get in touch via e-mail at floralartvt@gmail.com and I’ll get right back to ya!…we can even arrange a time to talk on the phone.

REMEMBER: IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT YOU CHARGE IF YOU OVERBUY!

I hope you enjoyed today’s video and I hope you’ll be tracking your profit margins and pricing like a boss!

Here’s that link to my Flower Math Sale one more time> CLICK HERE! 

xo. -Alison

 

 

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How Do You Price A Wedding?-Free Pricing Series For Florists

Are you 100% confident in pricing your floral designs?

If your answer is “I think so…” or “not really…”, then I have an invitation for you!…

What are you doing every Wednesday in September?…you’re invited to join me LIVE at 1:00pm EST every Wednesday in September for pricing and profitability tips! They’re 100% FREE and you can sign up by clicking here! 

Watch my video invitation below for more details:

Click to sign up!

Here’s the topic lineup, which is subject to change as questions are submitted:

September 4th–How much do your brides spend on flowers?

September 11th–What should I charge for this bouquet/arbor/centerpiece?

September 18th–How do you calculate your profit margins?

September 25th–How can you make more money in 2020?

Remember, if you want to make sure you DON’T MISS A LIVE CHAT, click here to sign up and get a replay of Week 1 in your inbox ASAP.

September is a good month to focus on making money…

because you’re about to enter the 4th quarter of the year…

and that’s the final stretch of your business year…

a perfect time to check in (and cash as many checks as possible!) before the end of 2019!

NOW IS THE TIME TO FOCUS ON THE FUTURE.

Join me live in my FREE Facebook group and ask a question during the chat…

AND if you want to MAKE SURE YOU GET THE REPLAYS SENT TO YOUR INBOX…

Click HERE to sign up for the replays my September Livestreams AND get notified of a special Fall Sale on Flower Math: The Florist’s Guide To Pricing & Profitability.

I look forward to seeing you LIVE EVERY WEDNESDAY IN SEPTEMBER and answering your pricing questions! 

With love from me to you,

Alison