Tuesday Q&A for Florists

Floral designers have a lot of questions when you’re running a small business, and for over a decade I’ve been happy to help answer as many as I can. That’s why I’m bringing back Tuesday Q&As on YouTube! View my channel and subscribe here so you don’t miss any of the livestreams.

So far this month I’ve answered questions on:

Minimum orders and what to do when a customer falls below it
Charging for mockups for events
How to get started in as a floral designer if you don’t have experience yet
How much florists get paid
When to consider an “exclusivity clause”

The reason I’m doing this live each week is because, frankly, there’s a lot of bad information out there for florists lately!

“Newbies” who are teaching a skill they obviously just learned last week.

“Floral educators” who haven’t booked a customer since before the pandemic, but claim to have the business strategies you need today.

“Panderers” who seem to go viral on social media for an ego stroke that claims florists are basically the hardest working people on the planet (sorry, EMTs, pediatric oncologists and construction workers–get in line!).

I’ve been a floral designer for over 30 years because I love what I do. So while I understand what we do can be difficult at times, I’m not here to try to grab your attention with a click bait social media post.

I’m just looking to provide some truth out here about how to run your business with honestly and nuance. Because there isn’t only 1 right way to run your business!

Watch the most recent episodes of my Tuesday Q&A below!

And don’t forget to tune in on Tuesday, June 16th for the next live Q&A for florists! I’d love to see you there.

FYI if you’d like to help support these livestreams, become a member of my Patreon Community! You can get access to additional behind-the-scenes tips and lessons, as well as small group coaching every month!

xo. -Alison Ellis

By Alison Ellis

Business Owner or Influencer

There’s a difference between showing up on social media as a small business owner vs. behaving like an influencer.

It may sound obvious, but if you’re trying to keep up with the daily demands of social media, it can be difficult to spend the proper time focused on tasks that really bring money and customers into your business.

The fact is, if you’re investing time and energy on posts, reels, or anything it takes to appease the algorithm, understanding the intention of your engagement is critical to both your time management and your overall marketing strategy.

Posting and vying for attention every day is simply not a plan.

I’m a small business owner, and being a “social media influencer” has never been on my resume.

Although I’ve been using social media as a marketing tool for many years, I try to be diligent about not allowing it to run my life and set my agenda.

Today, I’m sharing a few thoughts on why it’s better to show up as a business owner than to attempt to outsmart an algorithm. Click to watch and make sure to check out the full Playlist on YouTube below.

Want to grab the next video in this playlist? I have a few tips on the difference between branding and marketing in your business. You can watch now!

What do your customers say about your brand after they work with you?

How do you share the voice of your brand in a way that represents your business, but doesn’t burn you out?

If you have questions for me, get in touch or book a call to chat!

xo. -Alison Ellis

See Playlist on YouTube Here!

By Alison Ellis

How To Book A Wedding

Consultations and sales skills are crucial areas of the floral design business that can take some time to figure out.

The first thing I learned in my business was how to price flowers, but the next most important part of my business success that I had to work on was booking new clients (even though my business was brand new!) and closing sales (without feeling too pushy or salesy).

I trained in several flower shops in my teens and early 20’s so I developed some sales skills along the way, but the truth is that most of the shops I worked in did not do weddings.

In fact, my first wedding experience presented itself in 2001 and I can tell you that I was hooked right away!

After 24 years, I still love the details and precision of wedding work.

From that very first wedding I became obsessed with the delivery and set-up schedule so we can make everything come together in perfect timing.

And I can still remember learning how to make my very first classic spiral bouquet!

What I discovered is that the steps that come before all of the design and delivery work require some more expertise and guidance.

The fact is consultations and sales take practice!

When you lead a consultation, what do you even ask?

When it’s time to write a wedding proposal or quote, what should that really look like? How much detail do you share?

I know that when I was starting my own business I certainly had zero confidence about leading clients through the sales process.

I was winging it and embracing the “fake it ’til you make it” mentality!

The good news is that all of the above can be learned and over the next several years I figured it out!

And one day, a florist friend suggested that I should share my steps, my exact wording and my booking process by selling templates and I got to work on my Wedding Templates for Florists! You can grab them now and put them to work in your business today!

The Wedding Templates Bundle includes:

5 Steps To Book Weddings More Quickly

How To Write Proposals That Sell

Contract for Florists

Wedding Workflow: 16 Steps to Client Management

E-mail Templates for Florists

And Bonus lessons!

Get Wedding Templates Here!

Naturally, I learned through trial and error.

I can still remember the first time I had a consultation on my own and how I bravely acted like I’d done this before…no big deal! But in reality, it was a big deal and that was just the start of hundreds of consultations to come.

I learned something after every consultation I conducted, but it took years before I truly felt comfortable taking the lead in a consultation.

And after the consultation…

When it came to writing proposals, I got some bad advice early on that I quickly learned to ignore!

Running a business means overcoming doubts and other obstacles on a near constant basis.

Even after decades in business, there’s more to learn, improve and refine on your business path.

Because trends come and go, and our customers are always evolving so we must evolve, too!

No matter how long you’ve been in business, if you’d like a shortcut for proposals, contracts, the most frequent email communications with clients and every step to follow to book wedding clients, you’ll find a bundle of my Wedding Templates Here!

Even if you just pick up 1 great tip or strategy to help book a new client, these templates are worth their weight in gold.

Need more help? Any questions for me? Reach out anytime! info[at]realflowerbusiness.com

By Alison Ellis

What I Bring To Every Wedding

What tools should a floral designer have on hand for a wedding day set-up?

For my entire career as a wedding florist, I’ve been working to streamline my day-of delivery and set-up process. I don’t want to lug around anything I don’t need, but I was brought up with the saying, “better to have and not need than to need and not have.” So I’ve definitely been guilty of bringing things that I don’t really need! (And I almost always have an umbrella.)

One thing that hasn’t changed much over the last 24 wedding seasons is my bag, which I lovingly refer to as my “bag of tricks” (because let’s face it, we are making some magic on the wedding day after all!).

While you won’t see me pull a rabbit outta there, I do have a few key tricks to share with you if you’d like to see what’s in my bag. Take a few moments to watch now!

After you watch, I’d love to hear from you, so feel free to share a comment on this video to let me know what you bring to your wedding set up and installations as well.

And if you’d like to come deeper behind the scenes of my business and join me for monthly Q&A calls to ask me anything, you’ll find a ton of my best tips and trainings as a member of my Patreon Community.

In fact, last month on Patreon, I recorded my wedding design workflow for 2 events and broke that down into 4 videos that are a little over an hour in total. Everyone who joins at the Flourishing Floralpreneur® membership level has access to all 4 parts.

Membership on Patreon ranges from totally free to $29 per month and there is no commitment! So if your business needs a boost, you can hop into my vault of trainings specifically for floral designers, take any tips that you need and edit or cancel your membership anytime.

As always, if you have a question, don’t hesitate to ask. We can even book a one-on-one call if you’d like to talk about your specific business goals or struggles. You can learn more about booking a 1:1 call with me HERE.

Keep doing beautiful work!

xo. -Alison Ellis

By Alison Ellis

CEO Mindset In Your Floral Business

How important is it to have a CEO mindset in your floral business?

Today, I have a few tips on how getting into a CEO mindset will help you to EASE into the new year–without adding anything to your to-do list!

Because when you run a business and you do “all the things”, it can be hard to zoom out to see the big picture and set next-level goals.

It takes intentional strategy and practice to get yourself into a CEO mindset that can chart your course and steer the ship (instead of just rowing the boat)!

Whether you work alone (like me!) or you lead a team, the most important thing is that you know where you want to go and what you need to let go of! Take a few moments to watch.

Things to consider now…

Do you work ON your business as much as you work IN your business?

Are your customer service systems seamless and effective?

Is your brand mission and message clear?

What are you paying attention to?

Are you spending your time wisely?

What is your next best step to get closer to your own unique goals?

How are you investing in your future growth?…

If you know it’s time to enter your CEO era, consider joining me in January for my 4-Week Training with Live Support, The Art of Good Business!

Learn More & Enroll Here!

And if you missed the Marketing Workshop for Florists, you can catch the limited time replay for just $37!

Get The Replay Now!

I’m rooting for you and your business as you move through this season and into the next! If I can be of any help to you in reaching your goals, please get in touch!

You can also find a full list of courses for florists HERE!

Keep doing beautiful work!

xo. -Alison Ellis