Floral Design – Page 25 – Real Flower Business

How do you handle rejection?

Florists must deal with rejection from time to time as creative business people.

Yet, one of the toughest things every floralpreneur® must face is rejection.

It’s simply a fact of life. You take the good, you take the bad, you take ’em both and there you have…wait, where was I? Oh yeah, rejection.

I bet every floral designer can relate to today’s video. I hope it provides some perspective the next time you get re-jected.

Thanks for taking a few minutes to watch!

Oh, and make sure you scroll down to grab a free e-mail template below!

Click to watch:

Save $30 Off Wedding Templates Here

Sometimes it’s good to get rejected.

If losing a wedding or not booking a client leaves you feeling blue, remember that sometimes rejection is actually a GOOD thing! Yes, I mean it.

Pro tip: If you don’t book a job, don’t sweat it. However, don’t sit back and “do nothing” either. If you REALLY want to know why someone didn’t choose to work with you, Ask them why they did not book you!

FREE BONUS: Grab my FREE E-mail Template HERE to see “how I ask clients why they did not pick me!”

We can gain valuable insights as to why clients“didn’t get to a yes“, if we’re brave enough to ask. 

Testimonial:

“Alison, Your email templates came at just the right time! I have referenced them 3 times and have already booked a new event!

I have never taken a client from initial consult to contract/payment received so fast!! Thanks!”

-Jessie

Templates=Time

I bring you behind the scenes of my business in my downloadable templates for florists.

In Proposals That Sell I teach florists how I spend less time typing proposals, so that I’m not giving away too much information and the turnaround time on bookings is faster.
In E-mail Templates for Florists I show you how I choreograph the customer service experience & handle difficult conversations with 2 sets of templates.

Save $30 Off Wedding Templates Here

If you’re ready to spend less time typing and worrying what to say, I’ve got you covered.

Thanks for your questions & feedback.

Please feel free to be in touch if you ever have any questions for me. info@floralartvt.com

With love from me to you,

Alison

P.S. I received a request for this video in my Facebook group. Click HERE to join my FREE group!

Find a full list of course offerings HERE.

By Alison Ellis Leave a Comment

Want to take a quick tour of my studio?

I’m known for bringing floral designers behind the scenes of my business, so when I was asked to share a look at my studio this summer I headed straight out to record a quick tour.

This isn’t some “picture perfect” version of my studio space. It’s not a staged scene to show you how shiny clean and unbelievably rad my workspace happens to be.

No, that’s not how I roll….because I know YOU’RE A REAL FLORAL DESIGNER….and you’d know if I was fibbing. My studio isn’t “Instagram perfect”.

Because what I do is dirty. And I always wish I had more space.

I have stems deep in my apron pockets and corners of my workspace I never even see.

I stack about a dozen flower boxes to reuse for delivery and currently have more dirty vases on my counter than I care to admit.

I’m in awe of florists with picture perfect workshops without even a trash can or anti-fatigue mat in sight. In fact, I sometimes wonder do they actually do work here?!

I didn’t invite you to my blog to share a fake version of myself or my business.

Real flower business is what I care about. This is how I roll…

Come inside my home-studio and see where I work.

My work space is cute, and not very large, but I always make it work!

Even when I had my “big” wedding in June, I made it work.

And when I only had a tiny kitchen in my upstairs apartment, I made that work, too.

Because that’s what florists do.

I appreciate you taking a few minutes to watch.

IN FACEBOOK NEWS (wait, is that a thing?…)
I’ve been inviting floralpreneurs to join my Facebook group, Real Flower Business with Alison Ellis. Click HERE to ask to join.

Another Facebook group, you ask!? Why, oh why???

Truth? I was reluctant to start a group…because a group seemed like a lot to manage….but I’m trying it and so far I really, really like it. I love to interact with florists on a more intimate level about our unique business goals.

I’m always interested in what other florists are curious about. If you’re on Facebook and have a few floral designer friends in a forum you know that we share a lot of similarities.

Floral designers really are the coolest.

Thanks as always for reading and watching…and joining me on Facebook.

Keep
doing
beautiful
work.

With love from me to you,
Alison

Speaking of being in my studio… In the first print edition of Flirty Fleurs Magazine you see a shot of me in my studio. I hired photographer, Daria Bishop, to come out and snap a few pics while I was working on a wedding. This photo is more “staged”, but it’s still a real look at real work.

Issue #3 of Flirty Fleurs Magazine will be out soon! Check out the first two issues of the magazine here: http://flirtyfleurs.com/flirty-fleurs-magazine/

Check out a list of my course offerings here.

By Alison Ellis Leave a Comment

Transform your work into art.

Dear Floralpreneur,

Last week I told you about a note on my desk that reads: “If you went out of business would people notice?“

(I want the answer to this question to be “Yes!” Without a doubt. I want people to notice.)

Another note I wrote down years ago says: “Transform your work into art”.

As a floral designer I think transforming your work into art is easy to take literally. I named my business Floral Artistry, I mean, it’s kind of obvious, right? I transform my work (ie my flowers) into art (ie my arrangements).

But what I really think drives this idea for me, transforming work into art, is how to apply this concept to the business aspects of our creative business.

I try to turn the mundane, the necessary, the client management, the thankless, into art.

I practice being artful at running the business-side of my business.

The goal to “transform your work into art” can transcend the floral aspect of your business to encompass everything about your business; e-mails, proposals, meetings, phone calls, quotes, contracts, website design, you name it…because every single thing your customers experience defines your brand.

At their core, each of my courses is designed to help embrace the business-side of our work…but I’m going to take it a few steps further…

I’m going to walk you through exactly what I’ve done over the past 15 years as a small business owner to transform my work into an ideal customer experience in my newest course, The Art of Good Business, which starts January 9th-Feb. 6th.

You’ve heard me mention it before, but you can find details on my new course here!

Now’s the perfect time to invest in your business and focus on attracting more customers who don’t need convincing…because ideal customers already love you.

Why Act Now?

Registration closes Jan. 7th and payment plans are available until tonight, Monday Dec. 19th at midnight EST.

That’s just 1 day left to take advantage of the 2-payment plan option!

As a BONUS I am also including a free one-on-one strategy session with the first 10 floralpreneurs who register for the course.

Talking with floral designers is a true pleasure for me and I look forward to connecting with 10 floralpreneurs and learning more about your businesses.

Will You Join Me Live?

Join me on Facebook Live today at noon, EST. The topic is: How to get more rave reviews from your customers.

Great customer reviews are an integral part of attracting ideal clients and building your brand.

(Speaking of which, if you’re thinking of taking one of my courses read some of my testimonials and customer reviews here: http://realflowerbusiness.com/testimonials)

Take a minute and ask to join my facebook group! It’s a great way for us to connect and it’s my new favorite way to talk with floralpreneurs!

I’m livestreaming Monday, Dec. 19th at 12:00pm EST.

You can watch all of my livestreams on a replay any time in my Facebook group here.

I hope to see you LIVE in my group soon! If you’ve asked to join and have not yet been approved you may e-mail me at info@floralartvt.com to help speed things along. If it’s unclear whether you’re a floral designer it does take longer for an approval.

Thanks for tuning in and taking the time to read my e-mails. I know your time is valuable and I appreciate you making some time for me!

As always…

Keep

doing

beautiful

work.

With love from me to you,

Alison

Check out my course offerings HERE for details on all of my courses, including 2 FREE COURSES, Flower Boss and 4 Pricing Mistakes Florists Make.

P.S. If you’re a floral designer who’s digging my content and/or my courses, please share the Floral Artistry love via e-mail, Facebook, Instagram, sky writing, what-have-you with a florist you know and love. (I truly appreciate your support in cultivating other floral pros.)

Are you watching your profit margins? Check out Flower Math, The Florist’s Guide To Pricing & Profitability. Click HERE to read all the details and save 10% Off today.

Are you ready to make 2017 your most profitable year yet?

If so, click here to start today!

By Alison Ellis Leave a Comment

What does 1 year in business look like?

Hey, floralpreneurs!

Growing a business is a journey. It’s not a sprint, not a straight line, and there’s no guarantee that anybody wants what you’re selling. I started my floral design business 15 years ago…before Facebook or social media pressures/rewards existed. When I started Floral Artistry I made my own business cards on my desktop computer and didn’t even have a website. It was a simpler time in many ways, but reaching a wider audience and making an impression is so much more possible now than it was “back then.”

The past year has been so intensely busy and absolutely rewarding. Did I set out to start a second business? Not exactly. I know a lot more about selling flowers than I know about selling courses… I love the business side of our business. And while I’ve never worked as hard as I have the past 14 months, I am so grateful for the connections I’ve made with florists across the globe.

In September 2015 I had the idea to create a pricing course for florists to teach everything I know about pricing and profitability. I spent the next 6 weeks working nearly around the clock to bring the course to life. Flower Math is a pricing “tell all” course that brings you behind the scenes of 3 real weddings with real profits and floral recipes to show floralpreneurs that IT IS POSSIBLE TO HAVE A PROFITABLE FLORAL DESIGN BUSINESS. You can provide value to your clients and turn a profit at the same time! I didn’t have any intentions to create other courses….Flower Math was “my only idea”…and it felt like a big risk to put it out there. It’s a serious look behind the curtain of my biz.

After I released Flower Math, a floral designer friend of mine (who also took my course), suggested that I make e-mail templates…and I do love client interactions and customer management!…so in Feb. I released 2 new courses: 12 E-mail Templates for Florists and How To Write Proposals That Sell. Then, in the fall, I released my Wedding Workflow which shares my 16 Steps to Client Management to show you how I’ve learned to step-up my customer service game over the past 15 years as a small business owner.

I appreciate every single person who took a leap of faith to purchase one of my courses. The thing that thrills me most is how many florists have returned to buy more than 1 course. That’s the highest compliment. There’s nothing more rewarding than earning trust. It’s crucial to building a brand.

My NEWEST COURSE will be LIVE Jan. 9-Feb. 6, The Art Of Good Business is a 5 week course on honing the voice of your brand, finding ideal customers (aka customers that love you!) and choreographing a customer service experience that will wow your ideal clients. My 2017 wedding season booked up more quickly than ever before thanks to the hard work and practice of building my brand. I’m going to walk through this course with you to show you exactly how you can do this hard work, too. Click here to see the course schedule.

BONUS: The first 10 people who register for The Art Of Good Business will also get a FREE one on one strategy session (value $249).

I’m in a unique position to work through this course with you because I’ve done the work to build my business and I’m also in the process of building a new business which means I’m experiencing new learning curves and lessons just about every week.

As I always say, Every year is a learning year!

Check out my course offerings HERE for details on all of my courses, including 2 FREE COURSES, Flower Boss and 4 Pricing Mistakes Florists Make.

I want floralpreneurs to thrive!

Take advantage of free training on my blog and YouTube!

I’ve created lots of free educational videos for florists over the years.

Click below to watch The Worst Business Advice I Ever Took…I also share the BEST business advice I ever got! Check it out.

Are you eager to book weddings? First, consider this….

In a seasonal business like weddings and events it can be a true test of confidence when one season comes to a close and you’re eager to book next year’s calendar.

This year I’m finding couples are booking much earlier for the upcoming wedding season and in fact, my calendar is nearly full. I may only take on 2 more weddings for next year. It’s nice when people plan ahead!

Whether your calendar is booking quickly or you don’t normally start booking until November or December, there’s an understandable eagerness to book ’em, and book ’em now!

BEFORE booking, it’s important that you’re on the same page with a potential customer…because this relationship has to endure several months of planning.

Doubt and uncertainty can lead to unnecessary hassles as a creative business owner and you don’t want to be in a position where you have to constantly reassure a client that you’re up for the job.

Don’t sign a contract with a customer you don’t trust, and don’t sign a contract with a customer who doesn’t trust you.

Click to watch: The Importance of Contracts in your Flower Business.

THE TAKEAWAY
Before signing a contract you must have a meeting of the minds.

It doesn’t matter if a client agrees to work with you if they question your every move.

You can’t invest too much time trying to convince people that you’re “worth it”.

The goal is to find clients who choose you for YOU.

If you need a proper contract for your clients, I share my weddings & events contract here in my course Contracts For Florists.

This downloadable pdf includes:

- 14 Terms & Conditions of my contract,
- 10 Additional clauses or phrases you may consider adding,
- Things I will NOT agree to,
- 1 parting thought, “Not everyone can be your customer!”,
- Plus a Bonus E-mail Template: Can You Modify Your Contract?

A good contract should protect you/your business and define the working relationship with the client.

Always consult your attorney before implementing a legally binding contract or modifying your existing terms for a customer. (We’re florists, not lawyers.)

Thanks as always for reading and watching.

Keep
doing
beautiful
work.

With love from me to you,
Alison

Find a full list of my courses offerings EXCLUSIVELY for florists HERE.