Real Flower Business

Education and Business Training for Floral Designers.

By Leave a Comment

Website Bootcamp July Sale

A funny thing happened…I recently updated my website and I got 5 new inquiries in the last 4 days.

BUT I hear a lot of florists who are disappointed with their inquiries as of late. 

This isn’t a problem that’s unique to any one level of business. (Even experienced florists experience a lag sometimes.)
So many florists get STUCK and know it’s time to make a significant change, but lack of time (or know-how) keeps you from committing to change. 
You don’t have to make big changes….you can make little ones instead.
 

Changes like…

  • Getting crystal clear on YOUR specific niche,
  • Letting go of offerings that don’t work,
  • Shifting focus on what you want in your business,
  • Embracing your business as a profitable gig and not a hobby,
  • Investing in sharing your message on a deeper level to attract better clients…
 
I told you I got 5 new inquiries in the last 4 days and that’s because I updated my website about a week ago. It’s still a work in progress, but there’s no doubt that the work I put into my site helped create those results.
 
I don’t know how long you’ve been in business.
I don’t know how long you’ve been struggling with low-budget inquiries.
I don’t know the last time you updated your website or improved your About page or wrote a blog post, but if you want to put your best foot forward and book great clients for 2020 (and beyond), then it’s time to make some strategic changes to your website right NOW. ❤️
 
And my 3-Day Website Bootcamp will walk you through the most important changes to make ASAP.
And it’s ON SALE thru July 7th for 10% OFF click HERE to get it!
  • Each class is approximately 1-hour and includes notes and homework.
  • There are 10 videos included in the Bootcamp.
  • This course is self paced and you can access the entire course as soon as you sign up.
 
Tascha wrote on Day 1 to say:
“I tweaked my tabs and dropdowns and also simplified my contact form. I don’t know if this is a coincidence but…has anyone else gotten an influx of inquiries this afternoon/evening? No joke, I got FOUR! 2 within the past half hour.”
 
Here’s what another Bootcamper said:
“I can do this at my own pace and revisit the info as needed. I like that it was presented in a way that was not overwhelming in regards to doing the homework….
I ended up redoing my entire website and still working on the SEO and blogging sections. But I think my website is much better than before with a lot more content (doesn’t look like a 3rd grader made it haha) Thanks Alison!!!!”

 

Here’s what you get when you register for my Website Bootcamp:

 
Day 1-Eliminate confusion and make a great impression.
 
You’ll learn:
How to improve your first impression.
How to get more people to “click to contact” you.
3 important must-haves every website should have.
 
Day 2-Elevate your About page and attract the best clients.
 
You’ll learn:
How to write better copy on your About page.
What your About page is missing.
How to pre-qualify clients for budget.
 
Day 3-How to get found without paying for ads.
 
You’ll learn:
The #1 way to get organic SEO.
How to position yourself as an expert.
3 essential steps for SEO you may be missing!
 
Samantha said:
“So grateful for this bootcamp! The inquiry form is saving me from a long phone call to find a budget that is just not realistic.”

 

Here’s what one Bootcamper in Autralia said:
“I think when it’s your biz you can become blind sighted like, “nah, I’m ok”. But the bootcamp takes those blindfolds off baby! And this course helps you to rethink and look. So easy and informative. Everyone will benefit.“
 
Click to enroll and SAVE $10 Off Today thru 7/7/19: https://courses.realflowerbusiness.com/product/website-bootcamp
This isn’t a course on ‘how to build a website from scratch’,
but on how to IMPROVE your website….OR how to tell your web designer EXACTLY what you need done to make your site function well.
It’s compatible with any website platform you use, though I use WordPress on my sites.
 
Sandi said:
“I have almost tweaked what I wanted to tweak on the website (my call to actions are all in place now Alison!) I have had such a great run of bookings which has been amazing as this year has been terrible for conversion- now I am nailing almost all of the enquiries. The brides are filling in the enquiry form answering all of the questions too- so thanks Alison so much!”
❤️
Look, I KNOW it’s not fun to update your website…I just did it, believe me, I get it!
But with my shortcuts and website hacks, you’re going to get results! So don’t delay. Sign up now and save.
I look forward to seeing you in the class!
xo. -Alison

By Leave a Comment

Why Florists Cannot Compete On Price

realflowerbusiness.com, floral design, floristry, business of flowers

Have you ever been pressured to lower your prices in order to book a job?

Today, a floralpreneur® in my Facebook group shared that a client slashed her prices in half and re-sent the new pricing back to the florist!…..needless to say, the comments on that one made for some good reading!

As a business owner and floral artist, it’s important to recognize that you don’t want every customer. You want the customers that want YOU…and are willing to pay your for your work!

Business guru and genius marketer, Seth Godin, talks about Competing On Price as a “race to the bottom”. As Mr. Godin puts it, what do you do when you win?…ie. when you’ve succeeded and you’re “at the bottom”!

The idea of “winning” based on undercutting, is a misconception. You cannot “win” if the only reason someone picked you is because you’re cheap-er.

The real reason you don’t want to compete on price….

A florist cannot lower prices and exceed expectations at the same time!….not unless you’re giving up your profit margin.

And if you’re going to sustain your business, you must respect your profit margin.

I don’t want to win at the game of “cheapness”.

I want to win at the game of quality work and amazing customer service.

Click to watch this quick video, “Why you cannot compete on price”:

 

 

What is your goal?…

Do you want to be the cheapest?

Or do you want to be better than the cheapest?

I hope you’ll choose option #2 above!

Don’t compete on price!…so you can keep doing beautiful work!

With love from me to you,

Alison

P.S. In today’s video I mention my Flower Math course, which is designed to help florists price with confidence and maximize profit margins! (click here for details on the course!)

More FREE Tips from the Blog:

You down with O.P.P? (Other People’s Proposals) Click HERE to read.

How much should florists charge for rentals? Click HERE to read.

By 1 Comment

Should you book more luxury weddings?

realflowerbusiness.com, real flower business courses, florist training, floral design

If you want to have a successful floral design business do you have to focus on luxury weddings?

I’ve seen ads that claim to teach florists how to “book more luxury events” and “make a six-figure income”, but the truth is that most florists don’t service luxury events (or pay themselves a 6-figure salary!).

In fact, many florists aren’t fully equipped to do luxury events (staffing, space constraints, rental inventory on deck, etc.) so if you don’t do “luxury weddings”, you’re actually totally normal!

As I learned in my youth, “Mo money, mo problems”; that can certainly apply to luxury floral gigs, too.

Luxury events of the scale and scope that generate “a six figure income” require a few things:

  • High-end clientele that trusts you…
  • Unbelievable customer service…
  • Organizational systems…
  • A Team of pros (your floral army)…
  • Room to spread out and do your work…
  • Ladders…
  • Extra vehicles…
  • Multiple meetings…
  • The entire weekend thru Sunday afternoon….
  • Nerves of steel!

The sheer quantity of work involved in creating lush centerpieces for 200+ guests and hanging installations and an elaborate arbor or chuppah can be more than just a bit overwhelming for any floralpreneur®.

For example, if you don’t have a “go-to team” you can count on, then pulling off a large-scale event may be particularly difficult to execute.

You need a reliable team of professionals on deck who understand your expectations in order to flawlessly deliver a ton of details in a short amount of time. Without extra hands you can trust to help lift and schlep and climb ladders, “luxury weddings” can make you feel like you’re in over your head.

Pro Tip: Find your sweet spot!

To have a “successful business”, your work should not only make you money, but it should make you happy & fulfilled, too….in other words, you shouldn’t dwell in a constant state of overwhelm or aim for goals that aren’t truly in your heart.

Most of my weddings are in my “sweet spot” which is anywhere from $3,500-$6,500 range. They’re “big enough” to make it worth my while to block off my time and spend days designing for their event, yet I don’t need a floral army to meet my obligations and I can probably fit it all in my minivan for delivery without renting a larger vehicle.

I can appreciate the thrill and challenge of a larger event, but luxury weddings aren’t my bread and butter.

Once I involve multiple vehicles, multiple helpers, multiple hours of on-site installation over multiple days, the commitment from me goes up and the commitment from the client goes up as well (both financially and in regards to overall expectations).

If you’re intimidated by five-figure floral budgets and high-expectation clients or you’re simply not interested in providing extra time and attention and multiple on-site meetings to high-end clients, then “luxury” events may not be your dream gig. And that’s OK. Determine the price points that work best for your business goals so you’re working in your sweet spot.

 

Floral design is not a get-rich-quick scheme…

You won’t find a florist on this planet who’ll deny that what we do is hard work, so while turning a profit in your business is a necessity (and you should know your profit margin on every event!), your love of flowers and floral design is also an important ingredient for sustained success.

I’m not actually looking to grow a large scale floral design company. I like the work I do now.

I love floral design and specifically, I love my small, home-studio that focuses on wedding flowers. I consider myself a successful business owner; I’m happy with what I’ve built and continue to grow.

If you don’t LOVE floral design in your heart, you’re going to have a lot of very long days at work.

 

Flower Math, online pricing course for floral designers, florist pricing guide

Let’s talk profit margins in your flower biz.

As a solo-business owner, who only hires occasional freelancers and weekend delivery & set-up assistance, there are some limitations on the amount of work I can take (and that creates an income cap!). For example, I’ve done 4 weddings in a holiday weekend before….and it was hell…..so I learned to never do that again!

So with limited weekends for events, how do florists create a financially viable business?  Click here to check out some real floral industry stats and watch my live chat: How much does a florist make?…

The moral of the story is this:

You don’t have to book luxury weddings to be a successful floral designer.

Do what you love! Deliver what you promise. And keep doing beautiful work!

xo. -Alison

Additional resources:

By Leave a Comment

Live Training In January For Floralpreneurs

Is 2019 going to be your best year in business?

I’m sending out one last invitation before the end of the year to floralpreneurs to join me in my training, The Art of Good Business, before we start the next live session on Jan. 3rd….

If you’re a talented floral designer, but you also…

  • Write your own website copy & social media posts
  • Manage your marketing & branding strategy
  • Struggle with “selling yourself” sometimes
  • Still spend too much time with clients who aren’t a good fit
  • Wonder if you even have a brand yet…

Then this course is made for you!

You’ll learn how to focus your marketing efforts and take your website from beautiful to functional by honing the voice of your brand so that you can prequalify leads and attract more clients that love you. It’s easy to get started…

 CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP!

You can do this course work at your own pace, but I’ll be LIVE in our private Facebook group every Thursday in January to walk you through the course content and answer your questions in real time!

I want to see you succeed…and I know that every small step leads to the next…so I’m here to support you so that you get results. 

CLICK TO ENROLL BEFORE JAN. 2!

If you’re ready to get super focused on:

your business goals,

updating your branding and messaging,

and create a more engaging website (so it represents how awesome as you are and attracts more ideal clients!),

I’d be honored to have you on board!

(read on for details…)

The Art of Good Business includes:

  • 6 pdfs (over 125 pages of lessons + 8 pages of worksheets) that you can download right to your computer; you can even print out the entire course if you’d like.
  • Over 4 hours of videos to supplement the written content.
  • Plus monthly livestreams in our private Facebook group to help keep you motivated and moving through the course all year long! I want you to see results and make positive changes in your business! In our private group we can interact with one another and I can address your specific questions.
  • You can also e-mail me directly with any questions you hay have (before, during or after the course).
  • REMEMBER: I’ll be walking through the course with you LIVE every Thursday in January!

Plus You’ll Get The 5-Day Business Plan Bonus:

  • Day 1: Planning ahead: Set your future-thinking business goals
  • Day 2: SWOTs (Identify 1 opportunity that you can act on this week!)
  • Day 3: Improving Sales Copy With “Benefits & Results”
  • Day 4: Bare Bones Business Plan (You can have a current and future plan for your biz this week!)
  • Day 5: Updating and Implementing (Because action is essential!)*

NOTE: THIS IS IMPORTANT WORK TO DO IF YOU’VE NEVER WRITTEN A PLAN.

Click here to sign up.

Testimonial:

“I just booked my biggest gig yet, by $3k…

I just have to say this course, Alison’s content works!…my ideal client is more clearly defined, I’ve mostly reworked my web copy, have been better about blogging, and more intentional about how I talk to my followers on social media posts.” -Jessica Ormond

how to start a floral design business, how to become a florist, floristry

How do you transform your business into a brand?

  • Step 1. Uncover Your Unique Branding Strengths.

  • Step 2. Design A Website To Attract Customers That Love You.

  • Step 3. Become A Choreographer Of Customer Service.

  • Step 4. Eliminate The Competition; Be The Clear Choice.

  • Step 5. Implement Changes To Get Results.

CLICK HERE TO ENROLL!

The total investment in this training is $1,000 and I have a 1 year payment plan option available at no interest and when you sign up by Jan. 2nd, you’ll be able to tune into all 5 livestreams in Jan (and replays will be available if you can’t tune in live).

Click here to take advantage of the payment plan: https://courses.realflowerbusiness.com/product/12-month-plan/

I’ll teach you how to level-up with actionable steps & stellar tips so that you can perfect your brand’s messaging in The Art of Good Business!

If you have any questions or hesitations about signing up, feel free to shoot me a quick e-mail and get in touch! floralartvt@gmail.com

I hope your 2018 is wrapping up on a good note and I wish you tons of success in the upcoming year.
With love from me to you,
Alison

By 1 Comment

Are You Ready To Rise Above The Competition?

Hey Floralpreneur®,

How much do you worry about your competition?

  • Do you follow your competitors on social media and cringe when you see how “great” they’re doing?
  • Are you eager to know “who got that wedding”–the one that didn’t book with you?
  • Does jealousy or comparison creep in and undermine your confidence?

What would it look like if you could eliminate your competition?

Now, hold on…..I’m not talking about putting other local florists out of business!

Your goal should be to “stand out amongst the competition” and the surest way to do that is by being the truest, most authentic version of yourself in your business and your brand so that the right clients choose you!

online education for florists, real flower business

Oftentimes, business owners think they need to hire a branding or marketing “expert” to help attract the right clients, but that can cost tens of thousands of dollars!….really.

A “flower famous” friend of mine was quoted over $30k for a marketing expert to help her with her floral business….now, what florist has that kind of money lying around? Not many, that’s for sure.

So if you’re working on a limited budget, what are your options? How do you gain brand recognition and attract the right clients?

The answer?….there are many ways to develop your brand and improve your marketing efforts and you can do it yourself if you’re willing to dig deep and do the work.

You don’t have to be a marketing expert to have a good brand and stand out amongst your competition….but you do need to do some “brand exploration” to get to the heart of what makes your brand special so that the right customers continue to choose you over someone else!

This is the work we do in my course, The Art of Good Business! And for students who are enrolled in The Art of Good Business before Oct. 22nd you’re getting a bonus!

I’m hosting a BONUS 4th Quarter Biz Planning Jam Session to help jumpstart you end-of-year plans and THEN I’m going to walk through the entire course with you, LIVE IN JANUARY in our private Facebook group.

This biz jam session is happening Oct. 22-26th and if you want in, you can apply for a free scholarship HERE ($1,000 value) or click HERE to sign up for the course today!

If you’re a floral designer who….

  • Writes your own website copy & social media posts
  • Manages your marketing & branding strategy
  • Struggles with “selling yourself” sometimes
  • Still spends too much time with clients who aren’t a good fit
  • Wonders if you even have a brand yet…

Then The Art of Good Business was made for you!

So if you’re ready to zero-in on your ideal clients and move your marketing efforts to the next level, keep reading for more info or click here to sign up!

real flower business

In The Art of Good Business you’ll learn how to focus your marketing efforts and take your website from beautiful to functional by honing the voice of your brand so that you can prequalify leads and attract more clients that love you.

Who’ll benefit the most from The Art of Good Business?

Business owners at any level will gain tremendous insight from the course,

however, if you’ve been in business for 5 years or more and want to refine a clearer branding message to attract better clients, you’ll have the most to gain from the lessons inside the course.

For people who are enrolled in the course, I’ll be leading a power planning session in October(to put some foundational plans in motion!)…and then I’m going to jump in with more live coaching for the entire month of January in our private group–like a bootcamp for boot strapping biz owners….it’s gonna be good.

Once you sign up, you’re invested in me, so I want to make sure you know that I’m invested right back….because I am totally invested in your success! (You can read real florists’ reviews of my course here!)

This course is not:

  • a memoir,
  • it’s not a “quick fix”,
  • it’s not about budgeting or numbers,
  • it’s not a mash-up of my “all my other courses”,
  • and it’s definitely not for everyone.

Don’t sign up if you’re not willing to get out of your comfort zone and “do work”.
You’ll have to take action to get results.

I’ll be there to help push you over the finish line, but you have to take the first step to get started (read more)!

“I just booked my biggest gig yet, by $3k…

I just have to say this course, Alison’s content works!…my ideal client is more clearly defined, I’ve mostly reworked my web copy, have been better about blogging, and more intentional about how I talk to my followers on social media posts.” -Jessica Ormond

 

More from Alison:

It doesn’t matter if you’ve been in business for 3 years, 3 minutes or 3 decades…nothing defines your brand more than the experience you create for your customers.

The most important thing I’ve done for my floral design business over the past 15 years is work towards perfecting a customer service experience that reflects the values of my brand and speaks directly to the heart of my ideal clients.

I’m not a traditional “branding expert”, but I have studied and practiced (and practiced) my own approach to branding since I started my business in 2001.  It’s said to take 10,000 hours of “deliberate practice” to achieve mastery in a field. I’ve easily exceeded that quota as I’ve worked on mastering my brand.

I began my career in the floral industry over 24 years ago, and I’ve been practicing and developing the voice of my brand in order to lead with integrity and attract my ideal clients ever since. (And I’m practicing still….)

Join me on a brand building journey to help you hone your voice.

Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have: info@floralartvt.com

With love from me to you,

Alison

floral design business courses, floristry, floral design, Alison Ellis

Definition of Eliminate: (Verb)

a: to put an end to or get rid of : REMOVE; eliminate errors in your marketing efforts

b: to remove from consideration; eliminate worries about your competition

You can get a sample preview of the course HERE.

“Making money is art…

and working is art…

and good business is the best art.”

-Andy Warhol