As a floralpreneur® who’s been running my wedding-based business for over 19 years, I know that there isn’t 1 right way to become a successful florist and everyone’s road looks a little bit different. Running a floral business–or any business for that matter–isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s hard work. There’s risk and uncertainty. And owners are often overworked and underpaid when they’re just starting out. But business savvy florists build businesses they love.
I’ve worked hard over these last 2 decades to create a business that I love. It suits my life and allows me to feel creative and turn a profit. I enjoy my business and my life because I set my goals with intention and develop reliable steps that streamline my workflow.
I love my customers, I consistently turn a profit, and I design work I’m proud to deliver.
That’s how I measure success. What does success look like to you?
Here’s a breakdown of what it takes to run a successful floral design business (see infographic below):
It’s not easy to grow a business when you’re on your own.
That’s why I founded a free Facebook community, Real Flower Business with Alison Ellis, 5 years ago, so that I could share some of the systems I’ve created and the lessons I’ve learned to help encourage and reassure floralpreneurs who are on your own floral journey, still carving a niche and finding your leadership role.
When I realized it was the group’s 5th anniversary, it felt like something to celebrate! There’s no other group that nurtures florists’ success quite like this one. I’m so honored to be a part of this community that includes highly experienced florist, aspiring floral designers, wholesalers, farmer-florists and home-studio side-hustlers who are dedicated to lifelong learning and sharing with their peers.
It’s a privilege to be part of a community that’s been growing together for 5 years! If you’re not already a member of my free group, click here to join and make sure to answer the questions for speedy approval.
I Can Take You Further. Take Another Step With Me:
If you’re a florist who wants to book more weddings, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You can eliminate price shoppers and book customers more quickly by employing a few simple and proven strategies I teach in The 3 Keys to Booking Great Clients. You can get access to my tried-and-true booking shortcuts, as I walk through The 3 Keys to Booking Great Clients by joining me as a Patreon member (click here to join!).
I’ve been booking weddings for 19 years and I’ve been perfecting my booking systems all along the way. When you join me as a Patreon Member you get the most up-close-and-personal access to me and my booking process.
Plus you can “Ask Alison Anything”. I’ll answer your question and probably even turn it into a video lesson so that you can watch or rewatch anytime you want. You can send a private message so your questions remain confidential. This Patreon membership allows me to answer your specific questions in depth.
Seriously, it’s like an all-you-can-eat buffet of booking and branding tips starting at just $3!
Here’s just some of what you’ll unlock as soon as you become a Patreon Member:
- How I booked 3 new clients in 1 week
- Wedding Week Prep: See my entire week’s prep in 15 minutes
- How to Handle Price Increases and Flower Substitutions
- Foam Free Floral Arbor Recipe & Profit Breakdown
- How many revisions do you make to a proposal?
- Should Florists Charge for Proposals?
- Tips on Sending a Non-itemized Proposal
- Walk through a customer’s Inspiration board and then, see what I made in real life
- #1 Tip To Stop Writing Quotes For Clients Who Cannot Afford You
Join Real Flower Business as a Patreon Member today!
Patreon truly is like a buffet of booking and brand building tips, but you can choose the membership tier that works best for you.
Breakdown of Patreon Membership Levels:
- The most popular membership is the Marketing Maven Tier at $29. You get access to every single lesson ever posted, plus a Transcript of a Real Wedding Consultation so you can be a fly on the wall for an initial call, plus monthly blog and social media prompts to help you post with intention and attract the best clients. Marketing Mavens get 5 Blog and Instagram prompts on the first Monday of every month!
- Consultation Closer at the $19 Level get access to everything in the above tier, minus the monthly branding prompts.Patreon Members at this level can also access:
- A Transcript of a Wedding Consultation
- Over a dozen videos on the 3 Keys to Booking
- 5 Website & Branding Tips
- Build your dream into a business plan: LIVE session replay
- Blog Challenge (Days 1 & 2 PLUS Workbooks)
- Tips on Creativity & Discipline
- Replay: Live Chat on Setting Minimums
- Members in the Booking Basics Level at $9 can access over a dozen video lessons in The 3 Keys to Booking Great Clients Series, and access all new monthly lessons.
- For just $3 Floralpreneur® Foundation Subscribers can access the first 3 videos in The 3 Keys to Booking Great Clients Series, plus you get limited-time access to new monthly behind-the-scenes lessons.
- You can upgrade or downgrade your subscription at any time and there is no obligation, so you can cancel any time.
- New members are billed on the day you sign up and then on the first day of each month moving forward.
- When new lessons are posted, you’ll get an e-mail notification so you can click over to check it out and there’s even a mobile app for easy access to your Patreon feed from anywhere.
Whether you join me as a Patreon supporter or you continue to partake in my free resources here on my blog or over in my Facebook group, on YouTube or Instagram, thanks for being on this floral journey with me!
Keep doing beautiful work!