Real Flower Business

Education and Business Training for Floral Designers.

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By Alison Ellis Leave a Comment

Do Florists Have To Go To Floristry School?

If you want to be a florist, do you have to go to Floristry School? It’s a question I see a lot and I know there can be some strong opinions on the subject. Click to see my answer to the question and let me know what you think!

The truth is, there isn’t just 1 right way to become a florist!

There are so many things to learn that you can’t learn “everything you need to know in just one place”. Whether you go to floristry school, or take an accredited floral design certification program, or you teach yourself through trial and error, there will always be something more for you to learn.

For example, I’ve heard from floristry students in Australia and England who enrolled in my Flower Math course and say that they got a much more thorough and clear explanation from my online course than they did in school! Even longtime florists have told me that they understand the design aspect of their work, but they’ve been kept mostly in the dark on the business-stuff.

And still, some floral designers manage to build a “busy” floral design business, but they struggle with attracting higher paying clients or creating systems to close sales (without a dozen meetings that drain their time and energy).

Let’s face it, there’s so much more to know as a florist than “just flowers”!

The secret to success in the floral industry is to keep learning and growing. Just going to floristry school isn’t enough.

And just learning from YouTube videos isn’t enough.

And letting 20 years pass between your last in-person learning experience isn’t enough either.

Never stop learning in your business and your life–and keep doing beautiful work!

With love from me to you,

Alison


Ready to learn proven strategies to streamline your workflow and create more freedom in your floral business?

See  A Full Course List

*Get my FREE eBook*

*Meet Alison Ellis*

On The Flower Podcast

See Coaching Options

Flower Math Save $100

$20 Easy Business Plan

Get Wedding Templates

April 8, 2022 — 8:38 pm

By Alison Ellis Leave a Comment

How To Get More Business Reviews in 2022

Happy new year, Floralpreneur®! A florist asked the other day, “How do you ask for reviews from your clients? Do you ask for an opened ended review or send them a questionnaire?”  I’ve done both over my 20 years as a small business owner and I have 2 simple tips to help you gather more rave reviews in 2022:

  • You can click here for a free template on how to ask for a testimonial (there’s no e-mail opt-in required–just grab the template and go!)
  • If you’d like to take this a step further by creating a survey that puts your client testimonials to work, I just posted a short video my Patreon Creator Page here to show you how to create a questionnaire that gathers market research for your biz! (All Patrons have access to this video at any membership level starting at just $3.)
There are few things more valuable than your customers’ words when it comes to sharing your brand’s story. (They’re like gold when it comes to your marketing and overall messaging.)

So reach out and ask your happy clients for a review to help build up your social proof. You’ll be glad you did! And if you want to dig deeper, send out a questionnaire that helps you gather more insight on your ideal customers.

Keep doing beautiful work, and thanks for making time to read my blog today!
With love from me to you,
Alison Ellis

FYI when you join me on Patreon you’ll find a vault of tips and behind-the-scenes trainings including:

  • Tips on Sales Copy
  • Vision & Goal Setting Session
  • What If Another Florist Is Cheaper?
  • Quick Tips To Improve Your Instagram Bio
  • How I Wrote A Proposal in 21 Minutes
  • How To Get More Testimonials
  • Foam Free Arbor Mechanics
  • Tips To Build A Portfolio
  • 15 Business Tips I Learned From My First Boss
  • Behind-the-Scenes of a Big Wedding: From Prep Through Profit
  • How I Make A Floral Bracelet
  • Morning-Of Wedding Prep
  • Tips On Contracts (Yes, You Still Need One)
  • Running A Successful Floral Business
  • Why Instagram Is Only 1 Piece Of Your Marketing Puzzle
  • Streamlined Proposal Writing Tips
  • Tips On Setting Minimums (post-pandemic)
  • How I Wrote 3 Quotes In 1 Week & Booked All 3 Clients
  • Pricing Right From The Start
  • How To Handle Price Increases & Substitutions
  • How To Send A Non-Itemized Proposal
  • Tips to Help Build Your Newsletter
PLUS members in the Marketing Mavens Tier get 5 Blog and Social Media Prompts on the first Monday of every month! You’ll find at least 3 months of social media prompts at any give time waiting for you there.
Click here to subscribe for a month and check it out. (You can cancel any time.)

January 8, 2022 — 4:33 pm

By Alison Ellis Leave a Comment

What Can Florists Do To Level Up Your Marketing Strategy?

I know so many florists out there are trying to go it alone when they try and build their businesses, AND 97% of florists are working without an actual marketing strategy! But how are you supposed to stand out above the competition and find great clients if you don’t have a plan to attract them to your business? If you’d like to work with me in 2022 on your branding and marketing strategy as well as systems to help close sales more quickly, my program, The Art of Good Business, is a high-quality, comprehensive course with live group coaching to support you in January and enrollment is open NOW-Dec. 16th at 5pm PST/8pm EST.

Click Here To Learn More


I went live on Instagram on Monday to share a little bit about WHY marketing and branding is such an important aspect of your business to master. Click below to watch!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Alison Ellis (@realflowerbusiness)

Enroll Today!


Florists recommend this course…

“I recommend The Art of Good Business to anyone who has been trying to go it alone. I tried to figure out my business path on my own and found a patchwork of information. The Art of Good Business puts a plan out there to follow step by step. Also, because it is cohesive it puts all the information you need into one clear class. I have taken my binder with me everywhere I go to read and re-read the course. I find new depth in the material each time. It is wonderful that this course continues to grow with your business.

The Art of Good Business is a guide book for my future.“

-Rebecca Raymond

 

Please feel free to reach out with questions for me. We can even schedule a free 20-minute call if you’re not 100% sure this program is right for you!

Doors close & the price is going up on Dec 16 @ 8pm EST!

Enroll Today!

December 13, 2021 — 11:08 pm

By Alison Ellis Leave a Comment

What Is Sales Copy?

If you’re like me, you fell in love with floral design and decided to turn your passion for flowers into a small business. And if you’re also like me, you didn’t know much about how to market your flower business so you can book clients consistently and stand out against your competition.

I can tell you after 20 years of running my small business, the most effective way to book the best clients year after year is to follow an intentional marketing and branding strategy that speaks to the hearts of your ideal customers so that they KNOW you’re the best choice for them!

97% of the Florists I Surveyed Said They Do NOT Have A Marketing Plan…

I’ve spent the last 12 years learning how to get as good at branding my business as I am at floral design. In fact, I just taught 3 days of marketing and branding strategies to the students in my Marketing Minicourse and it was so much fun that I decided I’m going to do it again in December, but these sessions are free! Click here to join me in the free training!

A florist asked: What is sales copy? Just in case you want to know the answer, too, you can click below for a quick video I shared over on Instagram.

Click Here to Join the free training


Without a doubt, learning how to attract the best customers to your business is one of the most important (and challenging) skills for any business owner to master, however, if you’re working without an intentional marketing strategy, you may find yourself “posting on social media often”, but without any idea of what you actually need to say to attract the best clients!

Instead of throwing out random content, it’s time to add intention to your marketing efforts so that you actually get the results you want–great clients, increased sales, consistent bookings, more joy and freedom in your work.

Whether you decide to join me in the free training or you choose to “go it alone” from here, the most important step is to add intention to your marketing plan so you can book great clients more consistently and create your own version of success. 

I hope you’ll finish the year strong so you can have a great start to 2022!

xo. -Alison

P.S. This 3-Day Training won’t be like some of the free webinars you may have attended where it’s 90% sales pitch and tiny bits of info scatter here and there. We are going to do some work–in fact, I’m making a workbook to go along with it to help keep you moving forward. And if at the end of the training, you want to work further with me, there’ll be an opportunity to do that, too.

Every January I teach a group of highly motivated floralpreneurs how to build their own premium brand in my group coaching program, The Art of Good Business. Enrollment is officially opening Dec. 13-16th and I’ll have more details to share in the upcoming weeks if you’re interested.

 

November 21, 2021 — 2:36 pm

By Alison Ellis Leave a Comment

Marketing Workshop for Florists and Wedding Pros

Do you want to attract better customers to your business?

If you’re unsure how to “get yourself out there” so customers can find you OR you’re getting inquiries from clients who aren’t a good fit and simply can’t afford you, what are you going to do to change that? How will you level-up?

The truth is, the more intentional you are in your marketing strategy, the more ideal customers you’ll attract.

If your current marketing plan is focused on beating an algorithm, instead of speaking directly to your ideal clients, that’s a big mistake! That’s why I’m inviting you to join me for a FREE Marketing Workshop on Tuesday, Oct. 26th at 12pm EDT/9am PDT.

Click Here to Sign Up

When you sign up, you’ll get some of my BEST marketing and branding tips, plus you’ll be the first to know when my Marketing Minicourse is on sale!

In this free workshop I’ll share:

  • Marketing mistakes small businesses make
  • How to attract better clients to your business
  • Why you need a more intentional marketing strategy
  • AND I’ll address your questions LIVE!

Click Here to register!

An intentional marketing strategy is the first step to booking better clients!


An Intentional Marketing Strategy Needs To:

  • Eliminate Confusion & Establish Trust
  • Communicate Your Brand Story
  • Help You Get Found Without Paying For Ads
  • Add Clarity and Purpose to Your Website & Social Media So Customers Are Excited to Book You!

Does your current marketing plan do all that? If not, this workshop is for you!

Click Here to Sign Up

Make sure to join me live so I can answer YOUR specific questions! I look forward to seeing you there!

xo. -Alison

 

October 15, 2021 — 1:57 pm

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Welcome, floralpreneur®.  I’m Alison Ellis, creator of Flower Math, and founder of RealFlowerBusiness.com. My online business courses, group training and private coaching is created to help floral designers increase profits, book better gigs, type fewer emails & build awesome websites.  Learn More →

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FOR WEDDING FLORISTS:

Read my book: Falling Into Flowers

Templates for Florists

Flower Math Formulas

3 Keys To Booking Great Clients

FREE RESOURCES:

Free ebook: Everything I Wish I Knew Before Starting My Business

5 Actions To Take When Biz Is Uncertain

10 Things I Did To Grow My Biz

AS SEEN ON:

*The Flower Podcast

*Slow Flowers Podcast

*Mornings With Mayesh

*Botanical Brouhaha

*Florists’ Review

*FlirtyFleurs.com

*From The Ground Up Floral-podcast

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