Stop Worrying About The Competition

My one wish for my community of floralpreneurs this year is that you STOP worrying about the competition.

Click to watch today’s quick tips on “eliminating the competition”:

Inside The Art of Good Business is where I share the tools to help you…

Attract ideal customers,
Engage customers on your website and
Lead customers through the sales process so they get to “yes” easily.

Consider joining me. We start on Friday LIVE (click for details)!

What does “worrying” about the competition look like?

Comparing how many “likes” you have? Checking up on events you didn’t book?

Comparison is the thief of joy.

However, when you think so much about what you’re doing in your business that you can’t worry about your competition, that’s when you’re focused on the right steps this year.

Eliminate the competition by focusing SO MUCH on what you do well and putting that in front of your customers in a way that feels authentic and genuine and true.

(If you do that, you don’t have time to worry about how many likes or views the “other guy” got…focus on what you’re building and what the competition is doing doesn’t even matter.)

Zero in and get laser focused on what you need to do for you and your staff.

You are special. Your competition can’t tough that.

Learn more about the course HERE.

NOW is the time to join!

xo. -Alison

By Alison Ellis Leave a Comment

Build Your Dream Into a Business Plan

Build your dream into a business plan! Now is the time to make a plan for 2021!

And this is what’s on deck for my Patreon subscribers this month. You can join me–and other business savvy floralpreneurs just like you!–for some end-of-year intention setting here: https://www.patreon.com/realflowerbusiness

What would you like to do with your life and your career?

This may sound like a BIG question…OR you may be jumping out of your seat, ready to answer EXACTLY what you envision for yourself….OR maybe you’re somewhere in between…

Allow me to share an example of my dreams from about 8 years ago…

I found some old notebooks in my basement a few weeks ago and I could tell from a quick glance that they were a time capsule of my own “dream a little dream” exercises. Today, I read through these notes and here’s what I found:

What would you like to do with your life and career:

Do 15 weddings per year
Raise a beautiful family
Grow flowers and cultivate my land
Sell books or package my ideas for $

What do you want to be known for:

Doing beautiful work
Being uber professional (yes, I really wrote “uber professional”)

You may already be able to tell how I’m doing on some of these items…

For example, my first book, Falling Into Flowers, was published by Wildflower Media this year! Check!…and I’ll share more detail on what I did and did not accomplish on this list next week with my Patreon members for a live chat!

The reason for sharing these “old dreams” with you is this:

Wherever you are in your life and your career right now, the MOST important step to take as you plan for a new year ahead is to DREAM.

Dreaming is where you begin to create that vision for your future, and the plans (ie. “how you make it happen”) begin to take shape AFTER you’ve allowed yourself to dream a little dream.

Do you make time to dream in your business?

I know it sounds simple to say “dream a little dream”, but when you actually sit down to write out your vision, you may find it’s harder than you thought! So that’s why I’m here to help!

If you want some help mapping out your dream for 2021 and beyond…

or need a push (to help you dream bigger!), consider joining me over on Patreon on Tuesday, Dec. 8th, at noon Eastern to talk about planning your dreams!

Membership ranges from $3-$29 and you can choose a tier that works for your budget. That link to join is right here: https://www.patreon.com/realflowerbusiness

FYI as soon as you subscribe, you’ll unlock LOTS of lessons including my October Business Planning Session and my November Blog Challenge, as well as the 3 Keys to Booking Great Clients!

This member-only training is jam packed with an up close and personal look at how I book clients and run my business (including a real transcript of a wedding consultation)…so at $3-$29 it’s a no brainer investment in your business this year!

There are multiple Tiers on Patreon, but…

*Most Popular Option is Marketing Maven at $29/month.

In addition to EVERYTHING included in the lower Tiers to help you attract great clients and close the sale more easily, Marketing Mavens get:

Monthly Brand Building Social Media & Marketing Prompts for weekly blog posts, social media content, IG posts to help you attract great clients. (This is for anyone who says “I don’t know what to write about” or “I don’t know what to post”.)
You’ll save time, money and stress with these trainings and tips every month, PLUS you won’t have to wonder “what should I say to my audience this week” any more. Branding prompts are released on or before the first Monday of every month.

But you can join for as little as $3, and you can STILL join this live chat on Tuesday!

SO….MARK YOUR CALENDAR AND MEET ME INSIDE MY PATREON GROUP HERE!

Questions about whether this training is right for you? Get in touch! And remember, there’s no obligation–you can cancel anytime.

I hope I’ll see you LIVE inside this special end-of-year “push towards success” on Tuesday, but in the meantime, keep doing beautiful work and keep dreaming!

xo. -Alison

P.S. Not sure what Patreon is? It’s a super cool platform where I share my VERY best business strategies and it’s NOT on Facebook! In 2021, Patreon will be where you can continue to get monthly training from me…especially if you want to spend less time on Facebook (like I do!).

If you like the free stuff I share on Facebook you will LOVE the insider look that you get on Patreon training. xo.

Related Business Planning Tools for Florists:

By Alison Ellis Leave a Comment

3 Essential Things All Florists Must Know

There are 3 Essential Things All Florists Must Know.

In addition to floral design you must be able to master the following:

1. How to attract clients who are eager to work with you.
2. How to close the sale to book the gig.
3. How to turn a profit on every order you make.

Talented floral designers still have to develop your marketing and sales skills, too.

Click to watch my July 7 Live Q&A: What to focus on in your business right now!

Focus on your core to set yourself up for success. And if you need help leveling-up, let’s work together!

Have you heard about The Art of Good Business?

In the month of January, we’ll revamp your website to increase engagement, walk through ways to streamline your sales and booking process, and tell the story of your personal brand in a more compelling way.

Imagine stopping price shoppers in their tracks and finding more clients who are excited to book with you!

Click to Enroll!

Here’s what some of my students have accomplished over the last few months…

Added their own personal voice to About page so it expresses their real life experience and awesomeness.
Identified new income streams and how they can position their existing clients to upgrade.
One floralpreneur® went from a 1 page website to a professionally designed new website with some strategic help from me–as well as monthly blog prompts, a new contact form, and clear messaging designed to attract more customers who are eager to book.
All of my students have new branding confidence with refreshed website copy, streamlined sales systems to book clients quickly, and social media prompts designed to help them speak to the hearts of their ideal customers!

Are you ready to be the next success story?

Join the January Live Session of The Art of Good Business Today! We begin Jan. 8th!

It could cost you $30,000 to hire a branding expert!

…but you don’t need to be a branding expert to develop your brand…

and you don’t need thousands of followers to have a good brand, either!

However, you do need to dig deep to understand what having a “good brand” means to your customers so that you can create a marketing strategy that works for your unique business goals.

Ready to unearth your unique strengths & set the course for your brand, your business and your life? Click here to learn more about the course!

With love from me to you,

Alison

By Alison Ellis Leave a Comment

May Tuesday Q&A Replays

After a busy May of guest appearances on my Tuesday Q&As as well as a guest appearance by me on Mornings with Mayesh, I’m taking a week off from my livestreams, but if you missed anything this month, don’t worry–you can catch the replays right here!

First up, Phebe of Popped With Phebe joined me live to talk about a new way she’s popping up with fresh flowers and live Zoom design workshops for local clients. She is a wealth of knowledge on client relationships so if you missed this one, make sure to click below to watch! Find Phebe’s online resources here!

Next, Yvonne and I talked about YOUR WEBSITE on Mornings with Mayesh on May 19th. Get some of our best website tips by clicking the video below and click here to grab the Website Bootcamp and Marketing Shortcuts I mention in this episode.

We closed the month of May with another special guest, Michelle Loretta, of Sage Wedding Pros. She brought us some straight talk on cashflow, finances and how to make it through 2020-2021 in your small business through the COVID-19 crisis. You’ll find Michelle and her online tools for wedding pros right here!

I’m looking forward to talking with you more in June….but wow, May was a fabulous month of sharing with floralpreneurs!

Do you have a question for an upcoming Tuesday Q&A? Don’t hesitate to be in touch!

xo. -Alison

By Alison Ellis Leave a Comment

Floral Business Seminar Live

Have you ever wanted to learn with me LIVE and in person?

I have 3 words for you: March In Minneapolis.

Want to meet me there, Floralpreneur®?

I’ll be speaking live and in person in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the Koehler & Dramm Wedding Show and I would LOVE to see you there!

Click HERE for details and to join us at the show!

Dates are March 20-22 and I’ll be presenting at 5 different times that you can choose from!

MEET ME IN MINNEAPOLIS

I’m teaching 2 different seminars on Attracting Great Clients and Closing The Sale and Pricing Strategies For Profitability.

Tom Bowling, AIFD will be presenting as well and you can mix and match your seminars so that you can see both of our presentations over the course of the weekend!

MEET ME IN MINNEAPOLIS

If you’ve ever wanted to learn with me live and in person THIS is the perfect time to join me!

xo. -Alison