Real Flower Business

Education and Business Training for Floral Designers.

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How Florists Book Great Clients

Want to know the keys to booking great clients?

I would have given just about anything to know how to find good clients when I was starting out in my business.

Even after I put in years of work and my experience grew in business, I had to actively seek out more knowledge on managing and retaining awesome clients.

Self-learning kept my business moving forward.

I’ve spent time reading, attending conferences, and diving into high-level online education programs to gather a few more tools for my business tool belt. I know the right advice can take years off your learning curve, which is why I invite you to learn with me as often as I possibly can!

Booking great clients is just the tip of the iceberg!

Florists have to know how to attract awesome clients, pre-screen and pre-qualify, run a kick-butt consultation, and close the sale if you’re going to consistently book customers and I’d love to share what I’ve learned with you in my NEW TRAINING FOR FLORISTS on Patreon where we’ll officially kick off Lesson #1 on Monday, November 18th.

This week, you can join me on Facebook at 11am ET on Wednesday, November 13th for a LIVESTREAM WHERE I’LL ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS FROM THE PAST WEEK.

I received questions on where to advertise to bring more customers into your flower shop; managing a client’s expectations when she has a $700 floral budget; and handling last-minute cancellations on a scheduled consultation, which is just so rude! (click here to join my FB group if you aren’t a member, yet! and make sure to answer the 2 questions.)

If you missed last week’s live chat you can click to watch it below!

Remember: booking great clients is only the beginning.

If you want a behind-the-scenes class on how I’ve learned to attract great clients and book my calendar year after year, join my new online training program on Patreon TODAY.

You’ll learn how to:

pre-qualify clients and STOP WASTING TIME;

run a phone consultation with flair and BOOK CLIENTS WITHOUT A MEETING;

and ATTRACT THE RIGHT CLIENTS with better branding and marketing efforts that are authentic to YOU.

If you sign up before November 16th, you’re eligible for A GIVEAWAY! I’ll be selecting 10 group members a one-on-on strategy session if you sign up before the end of the day on November 16th. (This will not be random, I’ll be hand selecting the giveaway recipients before the end of November.)

Click here to sign up today.

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Join Me On Patreon

Want to book weddings more quickly?

I’m hosting a new training on Patreon!

The intention of this 6-month training is to serve as a behind-the-scenes pass to the strategies I use to attract awesome clients year after year and help you improve your booking, marketing and branding efforts.

In this private subscriber-only forum we’re going to dive deeper into EXACTLY how you can pre-qualify clients, perfect your consultation process, book weddings more quickly, and build a long-lasting brand.

Let me tell you a little bit more about this new thing I’m trying….

Become a Patron!

Question:

Would you like to get a closer look at how I fill my calendar every year with AWESOME CLIENTS WHO TRUST ME and book me without a meeting?

Answer:

Now, you can join me in a NON-Facebook space where you get behind-the-scenes training on:

  • How To Identify & Pre-qualify Customers BEFORE investing time in a consultation and proposal.
  • Phone Consultation Tips & Scripts (so you don’t have to meet clients until you’ve been paid).
  • Branding Building & Marketing Prompts for 6 months of weekly blog posts, social media content, IG posts. (This is for anyone who says “I don’t know what to write about” or “I don’t know what to post”.)

Sound good? Join me & become a patron today!

In this new subscriber-only space on Patreon, we’ll hone in on your ideal customers, sales copy, marketing strategy, and increase your confidence when pre-qualifying clients so that you can LOVE your business (and your life!) as you set yourself up for business success in the long run!

From where to find the right customers to spending less time on consultations, members can ask me anything about streamlining your systems to help you gain more freedom and ensure longevity in your business.

Become a Patron!

Goals:

The goal is to create a professional, curated group that’s NOT ON Facebook so that I can provide off the charts value.

We’ll be focused specifically on attracting clients, booking clients and developing a personal connection with your brand (even if you’re not sure you have a brand yet!).

I am ALWAYS engaged in what I call “the art of good business”;

this means ALWAYS striving to streamline, perfect and hone my skills, not only in floral design, but in ALL the elements of business that make up a high quality brand.

The training starts November 18-20th and then, you’ll continue to receive monthly training sessions thru April. (You don’t need to attend live to access the training!) If I reach 100 subscribers, I’ll release 2 videos (or mix of video and live Q & A) per month thru April!

Become a Patron!

 

Your success is my #1 goal. That’s why I’m offering multiple tiers of membership on Patreon–you can choose which subscription meets your business goals & budget. The first tier of membership is just $9 per month.

If you haven’t been over to Patreon yet, it’s a super user-friendly space where creators, artists, writers and teachers share their work with the people who sign up to support them, or learn from them, on their creative journey (aka their Patrons!).

If you’re reading this, but you’re not familiar with me yet, I’m Alison Ellis, a floralpreneur® with over 25 years of design experience. And while floral design is what brought me to the floral industry, my passion for the art of good business is what’s kept me in business for over 17 years!

Ask me anything! Leave a comment on a post anytime and I’ll address your questions in the upcoming training. You’ll get 3 training sessions in November. This may be a mix of recorded trainings and live Q & A…your input will help shape the content I deliver to you!

Become a Patron!

This is a super up-close and personal look at how I “conduct myself in business” and I’m looking forward to helping you incorporate some of my tips and tricks into your systems, too.

I’d be honored to have you join me on this brand building journey!
With love from me to you,
Alison

Note: Payments for the current month will be due on the day you subscribe and then, on the 1st of the month for recurring subscriptions. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Become a Patron!

 

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What Sets Your Business Apart?

What sets you apart from the competition?

I was asked this question twice in two days : What sets you apart?

It’s ALWAYS a good question to ponder, but even better to actually put some real answers in writing…so today, I’m sharing some tips so that you can identify what sets YOU apart, too!

Click to watch a brief excerpt from a live chat I did inside my Members Only group for The Art Of Good Business:

Note: My Art of Good Business Program is designed to help you attract awesome clients who truly appreciate your talents AND create an authentic brand that represents your vision and passion as an artist! Click here to learn more about creating a business that sets you apart from the competition!

For example, I know that what sets me apart from other course creators is my real life experience.

I’m a real florist; not a luxury wedding designer; not a “6-figure” florist,

I do “regular weddings”–beautiful weddings–but with mostly REGULAR budgets,

I don’t have big-wig, high-end events every weekend,

I run a small, profitable floral business from my home,

and I’ve been doing so for over 17 years!

I focus on longevity.

My business is small, but successful because I define success in more than dollars–it’s about LOVING my biz and the work I produce–though I DO turn a profit and teach florists how to maximize your profit margin, too!

So what else sets me apart?

  • I fully support my courses and will happily answer questions via e-mail or even hop on the phone if you need a more personal response.
  • You can learn from ALL of my business tools (both free and paid) right from your computer without the added cost of travel for a workshop.
  • Everything I create is made with love from me to you!…and that’s why I price my courses as affordably as possible and I ALWAYS aim to deliver tremendous value to my students.
  • I offer a money back guarantee on my Flower Math course–you won’t find many floral courses that offer that!
  • I want to see florists succeed and my resources are available to you 24/7–no timed out offerings, no e-mails with countdown clocks–just real resources at your fingertips anytime you’re ready.
  • In fact, you can final ALL of my courses right HERE.

Now it’s your turn! What sets YOU apart?

Write. It. Down. And feel free to share it if you’d like!

Leave a comment or you can send me an e-mail at floralartvt@gmail.com

Learn more about Alison HERE.

photo credits: Bride and groom with bouquet by Magnolia Photographie. Photo of me by Taken By Sarah.

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How Do Florists Calculate Profit Margins?

I just wrapped up Week 3 of my September Pricing Series with 3 Steps to calculate your profit margins and you can watch a replay right here!

Today I answer the question: “How do you calculate your profit margins?

  • There are 3 Easy Steps to follow to calculate your profit margin, which I cover in my video below…..

I also answered THIS QUESTION FROM A FLORAL DESIGNER:

“How do you set the right markup so you make money but people don’t feel like they’re being “overcharged”?

My Flower Math Fall Sale is LIVE NOW thru Sept. 25th at 5pm ET! SAVE $150 OFF RETAIL TODAY!

Click HERE to Save!

Do you calculate your profit margins? Should you? The answer is Heck Yes!

You might think “I didn’t lose money on this order, so I obviously turned a profit”….

But in reality IF YOU DON’T KNOW YOUR NUMBERS, YOU DON’T KNOW YOUR BUSINESS!

This is why it’s so important to run the numbers on every event; every order; every week!

In fact, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING you can do for your business is to track your profitability!

Now, I can’t tell you what your “final profit” should be…

that depends on your total overhead, labor costs and expenses…

But I can tell you that you CAN make a 70% profit on the cost of your flowers and supplies…

AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT I TEACH FLORISTS TO DO IN FLOWER MATH.

Click here to get it NOW & Save $150 OFF!

Whether you’re a wedding florist or you do daily orders in a shop, you can achieve margins of 70% or MORE on every single arrangement you make!

Here’s the truth, I’ve been doing this consistently for the last 17 years in my home-studio business and I know lots of florist who reach these margins, too!

And you know who reports these margins? MY FLOWER MATH STUDENTS!

Yes, it’s true, my students report increased confidence AND increased profits on the very first order they place after taking the course.

Some florists say they make back the entire cost of the course in just 1 wedding, REALLY.

Click HERE to Save!

In my Flower math course I share:

  • 6 REAL weddings,
  • real profits, COGS, & wholesale orders,
  • a full list of itemized invoices on 6 weddings ranging from $1500-$10K, 
  • a behind the scenes look at how I send an initial quote to a client,
  • a step by step on pricing formulas,
  • how I write recipes that help me keep my wholesale orders tight and right,
  • PLUS a list of all of my starting prices over the last 16 years!

I also cover: 

  • how to charge for rentals,
  • tips for flower farmers;
  • I share recipes for floral table runners and hanging chandeliers,
  • Plus I offer a money-back guarantee on the course!

Click HERE to Save!

My Flower Math course answers all of your questions on markups, design fees, how to calculate delivery and rentals, and if you ever have a question for me, before, during or after signing up for a course, just get in touch via e-mail at floralartvt@gmail.com and I’ll get right back to ya!…we can even arrange a time to talk on the phone.

REMEMBER: IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT YOU CHARGE IF YOU OVERBUY!

I hope you enjoyed today’s video and I hope you’ll be tracking your profit margins and pricing like a boss!

Here’s that link to my Flower Math Sale one more time> CLICK HERE! 

xo. -Alison

 

 

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How Do You Price A Wedding?-Free Pricing Series For Florists

Are you 100% confident in pricing your floral designs?

If your answer is “I think so…” or “not really…”, then I have an invitation for you!…

What are you doing every Wednesday in September?…you’re invited to join me LIVE at 1:00pm EST every Wednesday in September for pricing and profitability tips! They’re 100% FREE and you can sign up by clicking here! 

Watch my video invitation below for more details:

Click to sign up!

Here’s the topic lineup, which is subject to change as questions are submitted:

September 4th–How much do your brides spend on flowers?

September 11th–What should I charge for this bouquet/arbor/centerpiece?

September 18th–How do you calculate your profit margins?

September 25th–How can you make more money in 2020?

Remember, if you want to make sure you DON’T MISS A LIVE CHAT, click here to sign up and get a replay of Week 1 in your inbox ASAP.

September is a good month to focus on making money…

because you’re about to enter the 4th quarter of the year…

and that’s the final stretch of your business year…

a perfect time to check in (and cash as many checks as possible!) before the end of 2019!

NOW IS THE TIME TO FOCUS ON THE FUTURE.

Join me live in my FREE Facebook group and ask a question during the chat…

AND if you want to MAKE SURE YOU GET THE REPLAYS SENT TO YOUR INBOX…

Click HERE to sign up for the replays my September Livestreams AND get notified of a special Fall Sale on Flower Math: The Florist’s Guide To Pricing & Profitability.

I look forward to seeing you LIVE EVERY WEDNESDAY IN SEPTEMBER and answering your pricing questions! 

With love from me to you,

Alison