Real Flower Business

Education and Business Training for Floral Designers.

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3 Things To Do When Sales Are Slow

When sales are slow, what should florists do?

Lately, as I talk with floral designers–either in my free Facebook group or in 1:1 Coaching Calls–there’s a common theme that keeps reoccurring and it’s the simple fact that sales are down so far this year.

It is understandably concerning when sales are slow, but what should you actually do about it?

Since complaining won’t help and worrying isn’t pro-active, what steps can florists take today to face the financial reality of a slower season?

Take a few minutes to tune in as I share some real steps you can take in a down season to try to get yourself back on track.

 

Remember: I’m a real florist, too. I am passionate about teaching practical, proven business strategies, but I don’t just teach! I’ve been running my home-studio business for 22 years and I experience the same ebb & flow of the wedding market just like you. That’s why I always share real, honest advice to help you improve your own sales systems. (And I don’t just show up when I’m selling something! I’m here to support you along the way.)

Keep doing beautiful work and let me know if you enjoyed this video or have any questions for me!

xo. -Alison Ellis

 

Learn More About Alison Here

 

See A Full Course List

 

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2024 Floralpreneur® Workshop

As a floral designer, I know there are a lot of options out there when it comes to workshops!

I’ve invested in more than a handful of professional workshops myself, so I want to share with you what sets The Floralpreneur® Workshop apart!

Click to watch below for a few reasons I think THIS IS THE BEST WORKSHOP FOR FLORISTS!

And sign up NOW if you want to ensure you get a seat. 

It’s time to jump in and join us for this amazing workshop opportunity here in Vermont!

Get all the details here and sign up!

Remember: All Meals are Included, you get a 1:1 Coaching Call with Alison before the workshop, and you’ll walk away feeling confident that you can make ANY DESIGN foam free, yet secure!

I’d be honored to have you join us.

xo. -Alison Ellis

 

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Toxic Positivity In Business

Hey Floralpreneur®, I have to be really honest about something that’s been bugging me lately. I keep seeing a lot of influencers and educators who are pushing toxic positivity & basically gaslighting us–”us” being floral designers and small business owners– so I want to lay out some things that I will NEVER do:

 

I will NOT tell you that a slow sales year in your business is an AMAZING opportunity and you should look on the bright side–

 

Because while there CAN be opportunities in the slower times to refocus your efforts on activities that actually help increase your sales, I know it feels like a gut punch when you have bills to pay, mouths to feed, and employees who are counting on you!

 

What your business actually needs is a plan to generate more sales, not just a positive attitude to embrace the slump (as you organize your ribbon rack and try to manifest more customers).

 

 

Another thing I will NOT tell you is that just spending more time on social media doing Reels is the answer to all of your problems!

 

If you’re already overwhelmed by the amount of time & attention that social media demands from you NOW, is spending more time on these platforms really the right move?

 

(Even though Instagram Reels are what Instagram WANTS you to do to keep their platform relevant, that doesn’t guarantee you new paying customers this week, this month, or even this year!)

 

 

These “tips” may sound “optimistic and on-trend”, but oftentimes they end up making you feel worse because neither of the above are an actual strategy to increase your sales ASAP.

 

So if you happen to be questioning yourself lately in the face of these sorts of “positively unhelpful pleasantries”, that’s because they’re lightweight fluff at best and manipulative at worst.

 

Before you question yourself, question the source of the advice!

 

Remember that I’m a REAL florist just like you! 

 

I’ve been doing wedding flowers since 2002 and frankly, my sales projections are down this year, too. And while I’ve learned to keep my chin up and I’m hopeful to book a few more great weddings this year, it’s still genuinely frustrating to see this dip in my sales and income!

 

Since I didn’t come here to just rant, here’s what I WILL promise you:

 

You can count on me for proven, honest business strategies based on over 30 years of working as a florist and over 20 years of owning my own home-studio design business.

 

That’s it. Just the facts.

 

Because puffing you up to say, “You’ve got this” isn’t enough to make a meaningful difference in your business and your life–and what I teach is meant to help change your mindset, your strategy and your income for the better!

 

I don’t just sell templates on auto-pilot.

 

I didn’t create realflowerbusiness.com to be a “passive income stream”.

 

I am VERY sincerely & actively here to provide support, answer your questions or even meet privately for 1:1 coaching if you need it.

 

Anytime you have a question about your business or what your next steps should be in your business, please feel free to get in touch.

 

Thanks for making time to read my mini-rant today. I’m rooting for you and your business–especially if it feels like an off year.

 

Keep doing beautiful work!

xo. -Alison Ellis

 

P.S. Did you catch my live chat on “What Do You Offer?” In 25 minutes or less you can get some clarity around what you are offering JUST IN TIME to get some more sales for Valentine’s Day! Click to watch now!

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How To Stop Losing Weddings

Everyone has to start somewhere in their business, but what do you do when you’re really ready to level-up your brand and attract better clients?

My business started organically and it was ALL DIY!–from business cards I printed on my home computer to the “flyers” and occasional print ads I ran in the local papers.

I only booked 1 wedding my first year in business–it was ALL sunflowers–and I felt lucky to book the work! The next year I grew my bookings to 5 weddings (thanks to some friends, and friends of friends, getting married, of course!) and then, I slowly began to build from there….10 weddings, 25 weddings, 34 weddings!….but my business still wasn’t growing the way I wanted it to.

 

You see, even after 7 or 8 years in business, I kept losing the “better events” to another florist. (Like the same florist every time.)

Was this other florist more established than me? YES.

Did they have a team that did 20+ weddings per month? YES.

Was I capable of designing flowers as beautiful as their team? YES!

So why was I losing out over and over again?

 

Simple. They Had Better Brand Position.

 

I had to face the fact that even though I’d been in business for a little while and I had a lot to be proud of already, my business simply didn’t have the appearance on the outside that reflected how professional and capable I was in real life (on the inside)! Choosing me wasn’t a “no brainer”…yet!

 

And frankly, this was really maddening! Because time and time again I’d get the same basic reply, “We really enjoyed talking to you and we’re sure you’d do a wonderful job, but we went with another florist.”

So I decided I had to take action to figure out how to level-up to become the CLEAR choice from now on.

 

The action I took was to invest in a higher-level marketing and branding course (it was about $3,000 at the time, which was 20x more than I’d ever invested before!) and I committed to following the program and completing the course assignments.

 

It took me about 6 weeks of training (oh, and I had a tiny little newborn baby to contend with as well!), but I slowly started to put the pieces of my own marketing and branding puzzle together and you know what?….I started to feel a little differently about my business.

 

Now I won’t lie and tell you that I saw an immediate turnaround in my booking rate or my brand position–building a better brand doesn’t happen overnight! 

 

BUT what I did begin to understand right away was how much OPPORTUNITY I had to actually reach those “better clients” (my ideal clients) with some strategic messaging and a more functional website!

 

And that opportunity began to give me a lot of useful information (as well as a little bit of optimism) that I had the power to turn this thing around!

 

So I continued the work and continued to get OBSESSED with my ideal clients and to find out who they really were and what they really needed to hear from me to get to a YES!

 

Now, when clients inquire with me, they are interested in working with ME, not just any florist.

Now, when clients go to my website they tell me how much they LOVE it.

Now, when I send a proposal, they book me quickly, instead of shopping around.

Now, when clients DON’T book with me, I am not worried that it’s because I didn’t put my best foot forward!

And now, that “other florist” still has a good brand position, but clients choose ME OVER THEM lots of times!

 

And after years and years of doing this work to attract the right clients and build an integrity brand, it’s a genuine passion of mine to help florists do the same thing by tapping into your own unique branding potential!

 

The floral designers and flower farmers who’ve already enrolled in my program, The Art of Good Business, know that you have to leverage your own inner potential so you can make a great first impression that looks as awesome on the outside as you KNOW you are on the inside!

You can CLICK HERE for all the details on this January Training and Enroll today if it’s a good fit for you!

 

If any of my business journey sounds relatable and you want to unlock your earning potential by attracting more clients who can afford to pay you to create work that also lights you up and fills your creative bucket, I would be delighted to have you join me in January for The Art of Good Business.

 

You can get started for only $129!

 

More income, more creativity, more freedom…it all starts to fall into place more easily with a better brand position!

 

I won’t just throw a bunch of strategies at you and teach you how to build a business exactly like my own. This course will walk you step-by-step towards creating your own, unique, special, floral business.

 

I don’t teach florists how to “be like me” in order to succeed. The goal of this course is to get to the heart of what makes your business special. My hope is that by signing up for this course, you can position yourself better in your local market, that you can find the courage to try new things in your business, and that you can be happier in business and in life.

In short in this 4 Week Course we’re going to:

*Get to the heart of who your ideal clients are so you can create a magnetic marketing message that attracts more of the best customers to you

*Improve your website so it converts to more sales with qualified customers

*Lead clients through your sales process to help them get to a YES more quickly

*Establish your own unique brand strategy that stands out above the competition without posting on social media every day

 

I see each of my students as individuals with their own hopes, dreams, and talents, so I put my personal time into teaching this course…

 

* I answer all questions personally and promptly.

* I teach the course live every January so you can continue to get support year after year.

* If you have questions after the live sessions, you can still reach out–you’re not alone.

 

I want you to know that you will get special attention when you enroll in this course, and you will be supported in building a business that is perfect for you.

I am happy to answer questions about my program prior to enrolling if you have them! Registration Closes Jan. 4th.

If you don’t want to be in the same place you were last year, I would love to help you level-up in 2024.

-Alison

 

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5 Steps To Book More Weddings

How Can Florists Book Weddings In Less Time With Less Stress?

I taught a live training last week on the 5 Steps To Book Weddings More Quickly to help wedding florists streamline their current sales process so you can save yourself time (and sanity) when you’re investing energy in writing a proposal for a client!

I got some great feedback on the training and I want to share a few really important takeaways with you today!

Click below to watch a few of the tips I want to highlight for you.

Want To Get Access To All 5 Steps To Booking In The Replay?

Click To Learn More!

The first step to booking a wedding starts here! Click to watch this 1 minute clip now!

Learn 2 of the biggest mistakes florists make BEFORE even booking a client when you click to watch below!

Click below to watch the MOST important step to stop clients from ghosting!

One important thing to know is that none of what I teach is fluff or theory.

Everything I share with you is tested and proven–it’s not a magic trick to book great clients, but after 22 seasons of booking weddings, there is a clear sales process to follow to make sure you’re leading clients from initial inquiry all the way through to deposit! And if you need practical tips that work, I’m here to help!

Want to get the full 90-minute training plus the Q&A? Grab it now!

Yes, I want the 5 Steps!

 

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