Real Flower Business

Education and Business Training for Floral Designers.

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Take Control Of Your Business

Every florist I know has been “way too busy” for months now and the stress and burnout is palpable.

If you’re feeling like you’re on a hamster wheel lately and you know it’s time for a conscious shift so you can reset, I’m here to help!

Watch the replay below of my Live Chat on How To Shift From “Way Too Busy” to “Back In Control” of Your Business. In this video I’ll walk you through 6 Questions to Answer so that you can make a plan to move out of overwhelm and become the leader your business needs you to be NOW!

Grab a pen and paper (or you can watch while you’re designing). At the 20 minute mark I share some mistakes I see florists making lately–don’t miss those!

One of the questions I asked in the live chat is: When’s your next day off?

If today’s NOT your day off and there’s no “day off” in sight, I want to nudge you to schedule your time off now! Take 3 minutes to look at your calendar and write down which days you are NOT working between now and the end of the year. Then, it’s up to you to stick to it and actually take the time off.

Is finding time to post on Instagram one of the things that’s stressing you out?

Do you have your social media posts planned out for the rest of the year? What about for the month of October?

If you’re posting content without a marketing strategy, you may be posting content that doesn’t attract the right customers! That’s why you need a plan for your posts for thru the end of the year. If you want a blueprint for your Instagram and blog posts, I share 5 Prompts every month and you can grab them on my Patreon Creator Page: Click here to become a Marketing Maven today.

Members in the Marketing Mavens Tier have access to several months worth of social media prompts right now, PLUS a ton of other behind-the-scenes lessons including The 3 Keys To Booking Great Clients, so you can reach more ideal customers and book clients more quickly. 

If you’re ready to simplify your posts so that your branding message actually speaks to your ideal clients, click here to become a Marketing Maven.

There’s no commitment and you can unsubscribe any time.

As always, thanks for taking the time to watch and read my “stuff”.

Keep doing beautiful work.

With love from me to you,

Alison

Click Here to Learn More About Alison!

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What Do Florists Bring To a Wedding?

How do florists set up a wedding?

When I was first starting my home-studio floral business almost 20 years ago, I often felt like I was pulling a rabbit out of my hat on the day-of a wedding. I was passionate about weddings and flowers and running my own business, but I was still “new enough” that I was making a lot of it up as I went along. Sometimes, I didn’t know if I’d even finish setting up on time. Luckily I always did, but the pressure is real when you’re a wedding pro because there are no do-overs (and we are expected to make magic)!

As I gained experience, I developed systems to streamline my wedding-day set-up, as well as my entire week-of-the-wedding prep, and I know that whether you’ve been a wedding florist for 1 year or 20 years, you’re always learning something new! For example, over the last several years I’ve been working to cut out floral foam in my weddings and that’s changed my day-of and week-of prep!

FYI I’ll be sharing my recent #foamfree wedding mechanics and week-of tips inside my Patreon Creator Page this month. Patreon members get access to my best tips for booking weddings and you can ask me anything so if you have questions, I’ll answer them here! I’ll be taking members inside my week-of prep for an $11,000 wedding including the foam free mechanics I used (and then reused the next weekend, too!). Click here to access my Patreon page!

Today, I want to share this behind-the-scenes look at my “bag of tricks” so you can see what I bring with me to every wedding day set-up. It’s so important to have the right tools for the job–click to see what’s in my bag!

Remember: I’m continuing to answer the question: “how do you actually do a wedding” for the florists on my Patreon Creator Page, and you’re invited to join me there! Access starts at just $3 and you’ll unlock a ton of tips and lessons on how to book better clients, build a strong brand, and design beautiful weddings! Click to join me.

Patreon is a place where artists and teachers create content for their Patrons. There is no obligation–you can cancel your subscription any time. Hop in to grab the tips you need, hop out any time.

Do you have questions for me? I’d love to hear from you.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today. You can learn more about me here.

xo. -Alison

Additional Resources for Florists:

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Wedding Day Prep

What do florists do on the morning-of a wedding?

A florist asked me recently, “How do you actually do a wedding?” She knows how to price it. She knows how to book it. But how do you actually “do the wedding”?

After 19 years of designing weddings in my home-studio, I shared my Morning-of Wedding Prep with my Patreon membership* and you can see a small sample of how I get started below.

*Patreon members can ask me anything and get access to a ton of tips and training videos to help you book clients consistently, build a solid brand and create high quality work year after year. Membership starts at just $3, but you can unlock more “stuff” with each membership tier.

Click to watch this short 2 minute clip:

In the full video on Patreon you’ll see:

  • How I tie and box bouquets
  • How I present bouquets to clients
  • How I pack centerpieces for delivery
  • How I prep a #foamfree arbor
  • Pictures of my work and the full ceremony set-up

Now, I know that no one wants another “membership”, but if you want to book clients with more ease and ask me anything about how I run my business and execute events, Patreon is the perfect place for you! (click here to join me!) There’s no commitment and you can cancel anytime.

What else would you like to know more about?

Ask me and I’ll turn it into a video lesson you can access any time as a Patreon supporter.

Thanks for making time to watch today’s clip of my wedding day prep.

Keep doing beautiful work!

xo. -Alison

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Successful Floral Business Tips

How do you define success in your business?

This is not a trick question! And there isn’t one correct answer, but it can still feel tricky to answer for yourself!

Every florist must determine their own version of success, but what does that really mean in your business? Let’s talk about it!

Click to watch a replay of this livestream from my Facebook group that I hope will help you define your own version of success!

FYI you’ll find the infographic I mention in this video below! And you can click HERE to read the full post on Running A Successful Floral Business!

Looking for More?

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Running A Floral Business

As a floralpreneur® who’s been running my wedding-based business for over 19 years, I know that there isn’t 1 right way to become a successful florist and everyone’s road looks a little bit different. Running a floral business–or any business for that matter–isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s hard work. There’s risk and uncertainty. And owners are often overworked and underpaid when they’re just starting out. But business savvy florists build businesses they love.

I’ve worked hard over these last 2 decades to create a business that I love. It suits my life and allows me to feel creative and turn a profit. I enjoy my business and my life because I set my goals with intention and develop reliable steps that streamline my workflow.

I love my customers, I consistently turn a profit, and I design work I’m proud to deliver.

That’s how I measure success. What does success look like to you?

Here’s a breakdown of what it takes to run a successful floral design business (see infographic below):

It’s not easy to grow a business when you’re on your own.

That’s why I founded a free Facebook community, Real Flower Business with Alison Ellis, 5 years ago, so that I could share some of the systems I’ve created and the lessons I’ve learned to help encourage and reassure floralpreneurs who are on your own floral journey, still carving a niche and finding your leadership role.

When I realized it was the group’s 5th anniversary, it felt like something to celebrate! There’s no other group that nurtures florists’ success quite like this one. I’m so honored to be a part of this community that includes highly experienced florist, aspiring floral designers, wholesalers, farmer-florists and home-studio side-hustlers who are dedicated to lifelong learning and sharing with their peers.

It’s a privilege to be part of a community that’s been growing together for 5 years! If you’re not already a member of my free group, click here to join and make sure to answer the questions for speedy approval.

I Can Take You Further. Take Another Step With Me:

If you’re a florist who wants to book more weddings, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You can eliminate price shoppers and book customers more quickly by employing a few simple and proven strategies I teach in The 3 Keys to Booking Great Clients. You can get access to my tried-and-true booking shortcuts, as I walk through The 3 Keys to Booking Great Clients by joining me as a Patreon member (click here to join!).

I’ve been booking weddings for 19 years and I’ve been perfecting my booking systems all along the way. When you join me as a Patreon Member you get the most up-close-and-personal access to me and my booking process.

Plus you can “Ask Alison Anything”. I’ll answer your question and probably even turn it into a video lesson so that you can watch or rewatch anytime you want. You can send a private message so your questions remain confidential. This Patreon membership allows me to answer your specific questions in depth.

Seriously, it’s like an all-you-can-eat buffet of booking and branding tips starting at just $3!

Here’s just some of what you’ll unlock as soon as you become a Patreon Member:

  • How I booked 3 new clients in 1 week
  • Wedding Week Prep: See my entire week’s prep in 15 minutes
  • How to Handle Price Increases and Flower Substitutions
  • Foam Free Floral Arbor Recipe & Profit Breakdown
  • How many revisions do you make to a proposal?
  • Should Florists Charge for Proposals?
  • Tips on Sending a Non-itemized Proposal
  • Walk through a customer’s Inspiration board and then, see what I made in real life
  • #1 Tip To Stop Writing Quotes For Clients Who Cannot Afford You

Join Real Flower Business as a Patreon Member today!

Patreon truly is like a buffet of booking and brand building tips, but you can choose the membership tier that works best for you.

Breakdown of Patreon Membership Levels:

  • The most popular membership is the Marketing Maven Tier at $29. You get access to every single lesson ever posted, plus a Transcript of a Real Wedding Consultation so you can be a fly on the wall for an initial call, plus monthly blog and social media prompts to help you post with intention and attract the best clients. Marketing Mavens get 5 Blog and Instagram prompts on the first Monday of every month!

 

  • Consultation Closer at the $19 Level get access to everything in the above tier, minus the monthly branding prompts.Patreon Members at this level can also access:
    • A Transcript of a Wedding Consultation
    • Over a dozen videos on the 3 Keys to Booking
    • 5 Website & Branding Tips
    • Build your dream into a business plan: LIVE session replay
    • Blog Challenge (Days 1 & 2 PLUS Workbooks)
    • Tips on Creativity & Discipline
    • Replay: Live Chat on Setting Minimums

 

  • Members in the Booking Basics Level at $9 can access over a dozen video lessons in The 3 Keys to Booking Great Clients Series, and access all new monthly lessons.

 

  • For just $3 Floralpreneur® Foundation Subscribers can access the first 3 videos in The 3 Keys to Booking Great Clients Series, plus you get limited-time access to new monthly behind-the-scenes lessons.
A few notes:
  • You can upgrade or downgrade your subscription at any time and there is no obligation, so you can cancel any time.
  • New members are billed on the day you sign up and then on the first day of each month moving forward.
  • When new lessons are posted, you’ll get an e-mail notification so you can click over to check it out and there’s even a mobile app for easy access to your Patreon feed from anywhere.

Whether you join me as a Patreon supporter or you continue to partake in my free resources here on my blog or over in my Facebook group, on YouTube or Instagram, thanks for being on this floral journey with me!

Keep doing beautiful work!

xo. -Alison

Learn More About Alison:

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