Real Flower Business

Education and Business Training for Floral Designers.

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Classes for Florists

Hello Floralpreneur®! I just wrapped up my 23rd wedding season and while I’d love to say that I’m about to kick back and relax or that I popped the cork on a bottle of bubbly and boasted of my successful season, that’s not the truth! Because this is actually the time of year when I kick into a different gear where I’m designing less, but I am teaching a lot more!

Here are 3 classes I have coming up for florists of all experience levels:

Nov. 11–Business Planning & Strategy Session

Consider this a 4th quarter Planning and Strategy Session to regroup and refocus your efforts for 2025 and beyond. All members of my Patreon Community are invited to join this private Zoom call at 12pm Eastern (or catch a replay later).

To join this training, become a Patreon supporter here. (You’ll also find a ton of great tips and trainings waiting for you inside the Patreon “vault” of lessons.)

Dec. 3-5–Marketing Workshop for Florists

Waitlist Open! This has been one of my most popular and well attended live-virtual trainings over the last several years. Registration will be open next week. You can get on the notification list here to be the first to know when doors are open! (There’s no obligation to buy, this is just an interest list!)

In the 3-Day training we’ll cover: 

  • 3 Marketing Mistakes Florists Are Making
  • Why A More Intentional Marketing Strategy Will Help You Work Smarter In Every Aspect of Your Business
  • 7 Tips To Refresh Your Website 
  • 4 Steps To Level-up Your Branding So You Can Close Sales More Easily With Ideal Clients
  • AND I’ll address your questions LIVE!

If you’re posting on social media without a plan or strategy, THIS live-virtual workshop is for you!

Jan. 7, 14, 21, 28–The Art of Good Business

I’ve been teaching this month-long program with live support since 2017 and there is no other business program like this for florists available. From the bones of your business plan to your ideal customer journey and your overall brand identity, we work together in a small group coaching environment to bring clarity and purpose to your business in the new year.

Doors open in early December! Details coming soon.

So if any of these classes are of interest to you, I’d be honored to have you join me for one or ALL of these trainings. They are intended to help you finish the year strong AND start out in the new year feeling focused and clear on where to put your efforts.

Because effort alone won’t get you to your goals! That’s where a good plan and strategy can help.

As always, if you ever have a question for me, just get in touch! I also offer 1:1 coaching if you need help with something specific in your business/life.

Keep doing beautiful work!

xo. -Alison Ellis

P.S. If you’d like to learn with me in person this April, CLICK HERE to learn about my Wedding Bootcamp!

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3 Top Tips for New Florists

Last week, I had the privilege of talking to a couple of florists in some 1:1 coaching calls and one new florist asked: What are your top 3 pieces of advice that you’d offer to a new florist?

There’s more than 1 way to answer this question, but I want to share with you what I shared with her! (And if you’ve been in business for a little while–or a long while!–these tips are for you, too!) Since we’re entering the 4th Quarter of the year, it’s the perfect time to share these 3 Tips with you, too! Listen below.

 

Top 3 Tips For Florists

1. Define what you want your business to provide.  How much income you’re looking to make in your business and what sort of lifestyle you’re trying to create?

(Note: Your sales goal will be higher than your income goal because all of your expenses come out of the total sales.)

 

2. Define all of the offers that you’re selling that will bring money into your business.

You can think of these like “buckets” or categories. For example, funerals, daily orders, walk-ins, weekly subscriptions, events.

Then, determine how much you need to sell in each category to meet the sales goal so that you can reach your income goal. (For example, $3,000 in funerals per month, $6,000 in daily orders and walk-ins, $2,000 in business accounts, $5,000 in weddings & events…)

 

3. Define who your customers are (and this may be a different customer for each of your buckets or categories) and get really obsessed with serving them well.

  • What do they need/want?
  • What would they love to buy from you?
  • What would they be excited to tell their friends about?

If you can answer these questions, you’re doing good work! And if you need to think about them a little bit, that’s good work, too!

 

FYI on Monday, Oct. 7th at 12pm ET I’m hosting an Opportunity Hour with Patreon members in the Marketing Mavens Tier as well as the new students in my Flower Math course!

This Opportunity Hour is a small group coaching session and any questions, struggles, or random things you want to bounce off of another florist are welcome!

I’ll send a Zoom invitation to Marketing Mavens along with the monthly blog posts for October.

Keep doing beautiful work and let me know if you have any questions or if I can be of help to you from here!

xo. -Alison Ellis

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2024 Pricing Chat for Florists

 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year–at least when it comes to pricing and profitability in your business! It’s almost fall which means it’s time for my Pricing Chat for Florists! Join me on Tuesday, September 17th, at 12pm ET/9am PT to walk through the 3 Most Important Numbers Florists Need To Know in your business.

It’s free and you can register now to get your Zoom invitation and I’ll send you a workbook before the chat as well.

Join the Pricing Chat

Pricing & profitability should not be a mystery in your business, which is why I’m hosting this live conversation on Sept. 17th.

I’ll also be kicking off my Flower Math Fall Sale, Sept. 17-19th, and you’ll be the first to know when the doors are open if you get on the list for the Pricing Chat!

I’m looking forward to seeing you there.

xo. -Alison Ellis

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Simple Social Media Tips for Florists

How can you be more consistent with blogging and social media so that you attract the best customers, but also follow a strategy that’s practical and simple?

I got this question from a member of my Patreon Community the other day, which was actually more like 8 or 9 questions, so I answered them live so I could really dig into details and answer in depth!

If you have questions after you watch, let me know!

Click to watch now:

In this livestream I answered questions on:

  • Content ideas for blogging and social media
  • Discipline ideas
  • Goals of how often to post
  • How do you measure its success
  • Post structure
  • How do I keep it simple
  • How do I post our values, beliefs and key brand points

 

If you need some help crafting your brand message and sharing your voice, you can get access to Monthly Blog & Social Media Prompts by becoming a Marketing Maven inside my Patreon Community here: www.patreon.com/realflowerbusiness

I know that as a business owner, it can be challenging to be consistent and authentic because there’s often a bit of a trade off between consistent and authentic.

Wash, rinse, repeat = consistent  

But it often takes a little bit of contemplation to find what you have to share with the world that’s actually authentic!

I hope the tips I shared today will inspire you to simplify your social media strategy and share your voice with more intention.

And if you’d like to check out this month’s Social Media Prompts on Patreon, I’d be honored to have you join me there!

xo. -Alison

 

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