Real Flower Business

Education and Business Training for Floral Designers.

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Should florists use floral foam?

Should florists use floral foam?

Is floral foam biodegradeable?

I mean, is it “really that bad” for the environment that you should join the #nofloralfoam movement?…

The truth is, it’s complicated! Florists say, “but Oasis is biodegradable!”….but there are some very specific conditions required for foam to biodegrade in a landfill, and most landfills don’t meet those environmental conditions!….and even the company itself doesn’t purport to be “eco-friendly now” so much as they’re letting us know they’re “still working on it”….

I started my wedding season on June 1st and while I was cleaning out my studio in prep for the big start, I found a partial box of floral foam and I thought to myself, “What am I going to do with this?….” So I hopped into my Facebook group to share my thoughts on how to handle the floral foam in my possession!

Click to watch:

Here are a few foam free designs from the weekend that I shared on Instagram (make sure to scroll the images!):

And here’s a look as we were breaking down the next day (scroll again!):

 

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The morning after… I got a few questions on the #nofloralfoam ceremony piece from yesterday so here’s another look at it about 24 hours later!…we used no floral foam, but chicken wire and bricks are the main mechanics here!….we water tubed the hydrangea and spirea….the only things things that wilted were the hydrangea and spirea!….larkspur, snapdragons and cremones still look good even without a water source. (Though it rained last night and while we were breaking down!) ☔️ These were 2 pieces put together and as you can tell they’re lightweight! 💪 You’ll see the back of the arrangement and it’s morning-after condition as ya flip through! 😉 We covered the bricks with moss and tied them onto the wire with bind wire. #nofloralfoam #floralpreneur #weddingflorist #floraldesign #realflowerbusiness

A post shared by Alison Ellis (@realflowerbusiness) on

The moral of the story is simple: Do your best! Be mindful. Be eco-friendly as much as you can in your life AND in your business!

The floral industry is not “eco-friendly” as a general rule, but there’s nothing that says we shouldn’t try!

As always, keep doing beautiful work, floralpreneur®!

With love from me to you,

Alison

Learn more about Alison here!

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Do You Have Extra Flowers?

Will you have extra flowers for the caterer?

I honestly can’t imagine there’s a florist alive who hasn’t been asked this question and I think this is an important conversation because there are different points of views on whether it’s “pushing too far” or “no big deal” when people ask for free “extra” flowers.

If you need a little help “politely declining” a request for free “extras”, click here to get a free e-mail template: “Do you have any extra flowers” (free download)

It’s not always easy to say “no” to a client or fellow wedding vendor…especially when it seems like it should be “so easy to say yes”!

When customers ask if you can “throw in some extra flowers for the food tables”, the request may seem simple enough, but if you’re ordering based on what you need to fill your recipes, there’s a good chance you won’t have “that many extras”….so promising a “yes” to extras that you can’t guarantee can lead to disappointment.

You set the rules in your business! (And hopefully my template can help you out!)

With love from me to you,

Alison

Got E-Mail Templates?

I help florists type less and flower more with templates:

You can access these pdf’s as soon as you purchase.

(Floralpreneurs often tell me they use my templates the same day they buy them.)

realflowerbusiness.com, online courses for florists

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3-Day Website Bootcamp

realflowerbusiness.com Website Bootcamp

Your website is your #1 sales tool.

As a florist, you know it’s essential that you keep your tools sharp!

Whether you updated your website last week or last year, NOW is the time to get your website in shape so that you can attract the very best clients who are eager to work with you….

So, to help you in this effort, I’m hosting a 3-day Website Bootcamp and you are invited to join me!

This course will show you how to put your BEST foot forward and get more clients to click on your contact form!

Here are the details…

When: May 14, 15, 16 @12pm EST/ 9am PST/ 5pm London

Where: In a closed Facebook group for paid members only

You can watch a replay any time AND I’ll e-mail you the training as well!

Cost: $79 if you register before April 30th at 5pm

Price increases to $89 thru May 7th deadline.

Bonus: The first 5 people to register will receive a FREE website review! This will be a recorded video of your website with tweaks, changes and updates to help you improve engagement and increase your bookings! You can make these changes yourself or share them with your website designer! ($150 value)

Click here to enroll and save your seat!

Click here to enroll and before the doors close!

Tell me more….

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10 Questions Every Florist Should Answer

10 Questions Every Florist Should Answer, realflowerbusiness.com

It’s Q2. Yes, it’s officially the second quarter of the year already. So…what did you accomplish in Q1?

Time flies by in business (and life!) sometimes….like for instance, the fact that we’re already 3 months into the year…

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The Worst Business Advice I Ever Took

realflowerbusiness.com, courses for florists, how to write proposals that sell and book more weddings more quickly, #floralpreneur

I want to tell you about the worst business advice I ever took.

It was early in my career as a solo-business owner and even though I’d spent 8 years working in flower shops, I was eager to get new business tips….I was impressionable.

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