Real Flower Business

Education and Business Training for Floral Designers.

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Why Florists Cannot Compete On Price

realflowerbusiness.com, floral design, floristry, business of flowers

Have you ever been pressured to lower your prices in order to book a job?

Today, a floralpreneur® in my Facebook group shared that a client slashed her prices in half and re-sent the new pricing back to the florist!…..needless to say, the comments on that one made for some good reading!

As a business owner and floral artist, it’s important to recognize that you don’t want every customer. You want the customers that want YOU…and are willing to pay your for your work!

Business guru and genius marketer, Seth Godin, talks about Competing On Price as a “race to the bottom”. As Mr. Godin puts it, what do you do when you win?…ie. when you’ve succeeded and you’re “at the bottom”!

The idea of “winning” based on undercutting, is a misconception. You cannot “win” if the only reason someone picked you is because you’re cheap-er.

The real reason you don’t want to compete on price….

A florist cannot lower prices and exceed expectations at the same time!….not unless you’re giving up your profit margin.

And if you’re going to sustain your business, you must respect your profit margin.

I don’t want to win at the game of “cheapness”.

I want to win at the game of quality work and amazing customer service.

Click to watch this quick video, “Why you cannot compete on price”:

 

 

What is your goal?…

Do you want to be the cheapest?

Or do you want to be better than the cheapest?

I hope you’ll choose option #2 above!

Don’t compete on price!…so you can keep doing beautiful work!

With love from me to you,

Alison

P.S. In today’s video I mention my Flower Math course, which is designed to help florists price with confidence and maximize profit margins! (click here for details on the course!)

More FREE Tips from the Blog:

You down with O.P.P? (Other People’s Proposals) Click HERE to read.

How much should florists charge for rentals? Click HERE to read.

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What do florists charge for delivery?

real flower business, tips for floral designers, floral business, floral design school

What should florists charge for delivery & set-up?

On weddings and events you might call it “delivery” or “day of labor” or “set-up fee”…..

I call it the :Delivery & Set-up fee” and it includes my time from the minute I start to load my van to the minute I’m done unloading it after an event.

Your time is valuable and you should be paid for delivery and set-up.

A delivery fee can be:

  • related to the radius from your flower shop, like a straight up delivery fee for any arrangement that leaves your door…
  • a percentage of the total order…
  • a starting rate of X with a mileage fee on top…

Delivery is more of a choose your own adventure aspect of pricing in your business.

For example:

  • Delivery starts at $150,
  • We don’t leave the door for less than $500 on a Saturday,
  • We charge 15% of the total order,
  • How much does it cost per van, per employee, per hour?
  • Add a PITA charge=pain in the (you know what!) for holidays, inconvenient locations and overall hassle-factors.

People expect to pay for delivery & installation (or set-up).

A delivery fee is different from a design fee.

The design fee is what you charge per design….it pays for your time and expertise in floristry.

Delivery fee pays for your vehicles, labor, time spent waiting….

I used to be really nervous to increase my delivery fee. It took me years to realize what I needed to take into account to make it worth my while to deliver.

Click below to watch: Price Talk Live! A replay from my Facebook group On Delivery & Set-up Fees!

In this video I’m fresh off the heels of a Chapel Designer Workshop where I taught at Hope Flower Farm in May. Going to live workshops is invigorating and can leave me vibing for weeks. Connecting with people who share our passion is an amazing gift.

I share a bit about who was at Hope and what we did there in this live chat, but you can skip ahead to the delivery & set-up tips if you fast forward to 4:25 minutes in!

I charge based on what it costs to “do this job”….

I calculate this on a per hour basis and also consider the mileage, number of helpers, number of vehicles, whether I have to climb a ladder and whether I have to come back or stay on call to move things between the ceremony & reception.

My delivery fee isn’t related to how much my client spends, it’s based on how much I need to make that entire day work seamlessly so that I meet their expectations and also cover the time I invest.

The bigger the event, the bigger the delivery and set up fee.

 

Consider the following when determining your delivery rate:

  • Some florists charge 10-20% of the total order,
  • Breakdown is additional (if it’s another trip, that’s separate!),
  • Administration fees (to coordinate delivery with other vendors, etc.),
  • Conceptualization fees (it takes time to make a set-up plan sometimes),
  • Give-up-my-Saturday fee,
  • Per van cost,
  • Per employee/hour,
  • What’s your “replace me fee” (if you’re sick or unable to go to the wedding, what will that cost you?)

Delivery may sound simple, but theres a level of care, expertise and professionalism that comes with the job.

Making money in your business should not be a mystery. Florists must have clarity on pricing.

Move forward pricing well, making a profit, and give yourself a pay increase with a small bump in your delivery fee.

Keep doing beautiful work, floralpreneur®!

And, by the way, as I mention in the video above, there’s a monthly payment plan on Flower Math for $49 per month for 1 year (click here).

You get the entire course right away and you can take 1-year to pay. If you need Flower Math, I’m happy to extend this payment plan option to make it more accessible.

Don’t hesitate to be in touch with any question for me.

With love from me to you,

Alison

Click here to join me in my Facebook group for future livestreams!

Click here to watch: 3 Numbers Florist Need To Know!

Video notes:

You can read an article I wrote for Florists’ Review Magazine about the Floral & Fauna Fashion Show and flowers with purpose, click here: floristsreview.com/flora-fauna-fashion-show

The teacher lineup at Hope included: Holly Chapple, Gregor Lersch, Hitomi Gilliam, Francoise Weeks, Passionflower Sue (Susan McLeary), and I was invited to speak about business (specifically pricing & website stuff!).

It was a honor to be on the roster with these legends and incredible floral pros.

Questions for me? Feel free to be in touch @ floralartvt@gmail.com

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Should you book more luxury weddings?

realflowerbusiness.com, real flower business courses, florist training, floral design

If you want to have a successful floral design business do you have to focus on luxury weddings?

I’ve seen ads that claim to teach florists how to “book more luxury events” and “make a six-figure income”, but the truth is that most florists don’t service luxury events (or pay themselves a 6-figure salary!).

In fact, many florists aren’t fully equipped to do luxury events (staffing, space constraints, rental inventory on deck, etc.) so if you don’t do “luxury weddings”, you’re actually totally normal!

As I learned in my youth, “Mo money, mo problems”; that can certainly apply to luxury floral gigs, too.

Luxury events of the scale and scope that generate “a six figure income” require a few things:

  • High-end clientele that trusts you…
  • Unbelievable customer service…
  • Organizational systems…
  • A Team of pros (your floral army)…
  • Room to spread out and do your work…
  • Ladders…
  • Extra vehicles…
  • Multiple meetings…
  • The entire weekend thru Sunday afternoon….
  • Nerves of steel!

The sheer quantity of work involved in creating lush centerpieces for 200+ guests and hanging installations and an elaborate arbor or chuppah can be more than just a bit overwhelming for any floralpreneur®.

For example, if you don’t have a “go-to team” you can count on, then pulling off a large-scale event may be particularly difficult to execute.

You need a reliable team of professionals on deck who understand your expectations in order to flawlessly deliver a ton of details in a short amount of time. Without extra hands you can trust to help lift and schlep and climb ladders, “luxury weddings” can make you feel like you’re in over your head.

Pro Tip: Find your sweet spot!

To have a “successful business”, your work should not only make you money, but it should make you happy & fulfilled, too….in other words, you shouldn’t dwell in a constant state of overwhelm or aim for goals that aren’t truly in your heart.

Most of my weddings are in my “sweet spot” which is anywhere from $3,500-$6,500 range. They’re “big enough” to make it worth my while to block off my time and spend days designing for their event, yet I don’t need a floral army to meet my obligations and I can probably fit it all in my minivan for delivery without renting a larger vehicle.

I can appreciate the thrill and challenge of a larger event, but luxury weddings aren’t my bread and butter.

Once I involve multiple vehicles, multiple helpers, multiple hours of on-site installation over multiple days, the commitment from me goes up and the commitment from the client goes up as well (both financially and in regards to overall expectations).

If you’re intimidated by five-figure floral budgets and high-expectation clients or you’re simply not interested in providing extra time and attention and multiple on-site meetings to high-end clients, then “luxury” events may not be your dream gig. And that’s OK. Determine the price points that work best for your business goals so you’re working in your sweet spot.

 

Floral design is not a get-rich-quick scheme…

You won’t find a florist on this planet who’ll deny that what we do is hard work, so while turning a profit in your business is a necessity (and you should know your profit margin on every event!), your love of flowers and floral design is also an important ingredient for sustained success.

I’m not actually looking to grow a large scale floral design company. I like the work I do now.

I love floral design and specifically, I love my small, home-studio that focuses on wedding flowers. I consider myself a successful business owner; I’m happy with what I’ve built and continue to grow.

If you don’t LOVE floral design in your heart, you’re going to have a lot of very long days at work.

 

Flower Math, online pricing course for floral designers, florist pricing guide

Let’s talk profit margins in your flower biz.

As a solo-business owner, who only hires occasional freelancers and weekend delivery & set-up assistance, there are some limitations on the amount of work I can take (and that creates an income cap!). For example, I’ve done 4 weddings in a holiday weekend before….and it was hell…..so I learned to never do that again!

So with limited weekends for events, how do florists create a financially viable business?  Click here to check out some real floral industry stats and watch my live chat: How much does a florist make?…

The moral of the story is this:

You don’t have to book luxury weddings to be a successful floral designer.

Do what you love! Deliver what you promise. And keep doing beautiful work!

xo. -Alison

Additional resources:

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Pricing For Florists: Flower Math Payment Plans

Flower Math is the Florist’s Guide to Pricing & Profitability.

Did you know that there are 3 payment options for Flower Math?….well, here they are:

  1. Make 1 payment of $499 and SAVE $100 Off the full retail price! Click HERE.
  2. Choose 2 interest free payments of $249.50 (Still saving you $100 off retail!). Click HERE.
  3. Take advantage of the 12 month payment plan at $49 per month Click HERE.

Pick the payment plan that works for you and I’ll see you inside the course!

Flower Math, online pricing course for florists, real flower business

It’s my belief that every florist should turn a profit in their business, which is why I designed this course in the first place a little over 3 years ago! Read more about Flower Math here.

With love from me to you,

Alison

Flower Math

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5 Actions To Take When Business Seems Uncertain

Business Truth: Your business will face uncertainty.

As a small business owner who focuses on fresh flowers for weddings and events, you may experience a lot of uncertainty!…for example…

Kim asked in my Facebook group (to florists who’ve been in business for many years):

“Do you have “off” seasons where your booking rates are down? Is this a marathon not a sprint?”

The short answer is yes! Business ownership is a long game…and the path to success isn’t a straight line…

So what do successful business owners do when it’s an “off” year?

Here are 5 ways to Take Action when you’re not sure what to do:

#1. Streamline your “Systems”. A “System” is essentially a process for how you accomplish a task in your business. Typically you document your systems in writing (ie your operating procedures), and use them to identify inefficiencies or opportunities for automation in your business.

Systems are critical for a successful business, because they allow for you to:

  • generate income with way less effort
  • reply faster and more effectively with less stress
  • automate and streamline to get more done in less time

I have a system for client communication (and you should too), and I’ve chosen to share my E-mail Reply Templates to help give you a shortcut and you can find there HERE! 

 

#2. Assess your SWOTs. What are your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats?

If you only do 1 thing in an attempt to troubleshoot or plan ahead in your biz, I want to challenge you to take a few minutes to list out your SWOTs. (List as many as you can think of, but 2-5 per category is a good goal for a quick planning exercise.) What are you doing really well?…Which areas “need improvement”?

Now ask yourself:

  • How can you address one weakness?
  • And…What can you do to accentuate your strengths?

When things feel “off”, it’s essential to take an honest look at what’s going right and what threats or weaknesses you can address. You cannot improve what you do not measure!

 

#3. Update your website. I say this ALL THE TIME, but that’s only because it’s truly effective.

Here’s where to focus your website efforts before the end of the year:

  • If you have your most recent pictures on Instagram, but they’re not on your website yet, make updating your gallery a priority!
  • Does your About Page have a photo of you and/or your team? If not, then do that TODAY! I don’t care if it’s a professional headshot or a selfie of you in your studio or at your desk….just let me see your face! Your customers are hiring YOU….don’t be afraid to show your face.
  • Improve your sales copy. This can be the trickiest aspect of website “stuff” for many florists, but the words you choose to use on your About Page, Weddings Page, Contact Page, etc. should be clear, concise and speak directly to your ideal customers. You’re not talking to “everybody”; you’re talking to the people who are most interested in what you do!
  • Blog. Yup. Still this. Blogging. It’s STILL how you optimize organic SEO, develop the voice of your brand and share your most recent happenings with your fans and followers.

If you need some tricks to make your website more engaging, you can get my BEST website secrets HERE.

 

#4. Connect with other vendors. Perhaps it’s the mutual referrals that you’ll gain….or perhaps it’s simply a sense of friendship and camaraderie that benefits you both…but “seeking to get” cannot be the motivation. Seeking to connect should be the motive!

You can choose to seek out a new relationship or simply check in with an established connection (perhaps someone whose work you respect, but you haven’t worked with much lately). Fellow florists, photographers, caterers, venues, you name it….if they serve the clients you wish to serve, they have the potential to be a good connection…but make sure it’s a two-way street.

People can sense when you “want something”….we ALL can tell when someone is reaching out to “get something from us”, but your fellow wedding vendors should be connections that you value and nurture…it’s not about what “they can do for you”, but about how you can help each other.

 

#5. Shorten the turnaround time on proposals. If bookings are slow, it’s important to turn proposals around in a timely manner. The quicker you send it out, the quicker you book it, so don’t drag your feet on proposal writing! The trick is to give enough detail that the client can trust you, but not give away so much detail that it takes 5 hours to write and send a quote to a client who isn’t under contract yet.

You can get my shortcut for writing proposals in less time here: How To Write Proposals That Sell and Book More Weddings More Quickly!

Take some action in your business to plan for the future!…so you can keep doing beautiful work!

Remember: “Insight without action is worthless.” -Marie Forleo

how to start a floral design business, how to become a florist, floristry

After 17 seasons of running my home-studio business the reality of this is inescapable–at some point, every year, there is no “guaranteed” business for the next year. It may be a GREAT year in business this year, but next year’s success is still yet to be determined.

When you design wedding work, but you don’t have a brick & mortar flower shop, the idea of “repeat business” tends to be out of reach because someone planning a wedding this year, isn’t going to be back again next year!

And if you do run a brick & mortar shop, you have the ability to capture repeat business, but there’s daily stock & inventory to manage, employees you need to pay whether it’s a “good month” or a “bad month” and let’s face it, that’s a lot of pressure, too!

So no matter how you slice it, a business venture brings uncertainty, stress and responsibility….

BUT it also brings freedom, control and choice!…

I hope you’ll take action in your business TODAY to keep reaching for your goals.

xo. -Alison

Additional resources:

Click to read 4 Actions To Grow A Business