Real Flower Business

Education and Business Training for Floral Designers.

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Website Tips For Florists

Website Tips For Florists

I’ll be honest, when I started my business I had no clue how much time I’d spend working on my website.

Your website is one of your sharpest sales tools…

And it’s always a work in progress…

And it isn’t just about looking pretty.

Which comes first, a better website or better clients?

(Well, that’s not easy to answer, but a great website certainly can’t hurt!)

An excellent website is a must-have; this is not optional! Your website is your storefront and it represents your brand.

Your brand is how the world sees you….SO…what does your website say about your brand? (Not sure? Grab my free pdf HERE!)

When you scroll through your website, answer the following questions:

“Does your website…”

  • Lead your client through the pages you most want them to see?
  • Explain the booking/ordering process?
  • Represent your brand in its best light? (Is your website as professional as you are?)
  • Help you prescreen clients for style and budget?
  • Fully express what you do and what you sell? (You must be willing to sell on your site!)

If you didn’t answer a resounding “yes” to all of the above, it’s time to build your website and your brand!

Grab my FREE pdf “Website Tips For Florists” with my 6 Quick Fixes plus 3 More Tips to take your website even further!

Get your free pdf here!

And if you’re finally ready to level-up and create an awesome website that attracts your ideal clients and helps you book better gigs, CHECK OUT MY WEBSITE BOOTCAMP HERE!

You can do this work yourself with whatever website platform you already use!

It’s easy to get started.

 

Not sure if my course is right for you? I’m happy to answer any questions you may have before, during or after taking a course. You can easily reach me via e-mail right here: floralartvt@gmail.com

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Build A Better Website

Hello floralpreneurs! Do you run a one woman (or one man!) show when it comes to your website design, marketing, and overall business strategizing (i.e. what you do to attract ideal clients!)? If the answers is “yes”, I’ve got something for you!

Join me Monday, Sept. 18th in my FREE PopUp Group on Facebook with Website Tips For Florists. I’ll be live at Noon (EDT) on 9/18, but you can catch a replay in the group thru Sept. 30th.

Click HERE to join the free group!

Your website is your online storefront. It’s how the world sees you! And I know that honing your message to attract your ideal clients isn’t easy!

I’ve done a lot of work around this in my own floral design business and in my LIVE online course, The Art Of Good Business, I share with you exactly how I “do the work” to build a brand that attracts my ideal clients over and over again.

Ideal clients are a gift. I never take them for granted. Each and every time the “right client” finds me I am thrilled and reassured that the hard work I do is worth the effort! 

If you’re ready to make room for quality over quantity in your business (i.e. the RIGHT clients vs just “any” clients) I hope you’ll join me in my free PopUp group and then, make a leap to join me for The Art Of Good Business. (Door close Sept. 30th)

Not sure if my course is right for you? Get in touch! floralartvt@gmail.com 

We can even hop on the phone for a chat.

xo. -A

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Join me on Facebook

Hello floralpreneurs! I’m just coming down from a super busy 2 weeks, but starting Sept. 5th I’m launching my LIVE course, The Art Of Good Business and that means I have lots of awesome free content lined up this month to get you geared up for the class, which begins Oct. 2nd.

Tuesday, Sept. 5th, I’m dedicating my livestream to answering a question I received last week….a vent/question I received last week….on undercutting.

It’s a good one so I hope you’ll join me live at 10am (EDT) on Tues. And if you can’t join me live, catch a replay any time.

All September long I’ll be talking about attracting awesome clients, building a better website to increase engagement (and repel clients you don’t want to work with), choreographing client management (so you’re clearly in the lead) and building a brand that eliminates the competition.

Sound good? If so, join me for free livestreams this month. Click here to join!

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If you like my free stuff, you’ll LOVE my courses and if you’re truly ready to dig deep and take a good look at where you are vs where you want to go….join me for The Art Of Good Business this October. (see the course schedule here!)

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Other People’s Proposals. You down with O.P.P?

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A floralpreneur posed this question recently:

“Just wondering the group consensus on FLORISTS (not brides) who are asking brides to show them another florist’s quotes. I guess in order to come in lower to get the booking?”

The consensus from the group was clear; it’s unprofessional to ask to see another florist’s proposal.

(That is to say, we are not down with other people’s proposals!)

There are several reasons why it’s unimaginable to me, starting with this: How does one go about asking this question in the first place? Really. How do you ask a potential client to share a competitor’s proposal without sounding nosy, desperate or cutthroat?…or even worse, all three!

If there’s any gray area around this, let me state it plainly: Do not ask to see other florists’ proposals. It’s simply “not done”.

Not only is it “uncool” to try to undermine other people’s proposals, but you’re also putting a potential client in a really awkward position. The proposal was intended for them and shared with them by another professional who they’ve considered hiring. What if they feel sharing this information with you is unethical? What does it say about you? What if they tell other vendors (aka your peers!) what you asked of them?….and how uncomfortable it made them feel?

An integrity brand does not undermine competitors. Period. Share on X

It happened to me.

A few years ago a lovely couple accepted my proposal, signed a contract, sent a deposit and THEN…a few days later….they received a lower quote from another florist. The bride wrote to ask me why the other quote was so much lower than mine and I replied honestly, “I have no idea.”

Maybe their arrangements will be smaller? Maybe they will use different flowers than I plan to use? Maybe I’m more experienced? The bottom line is this: I don’t know why or how the other florist came in “so much cheaper”, but the clients chose me anyway….even after I offered to void the contract and rip up the check (I hadn’t been to the bank yet) so she could accept the lower quote if she’d like.

When I gave her the answer, “I have no idea”, the client immediately replied that she did not want to accept the lower quote, that I was her florist, and even said, “Your reply was perfect.”

I know I’m not the cheapest florist. (I don’t compete on price.)

Liene Stevens of Think Splendid wrote a blog post in March titled, Why Are You So Much More Expensive?

In it she says:

“When a potential client asks why you are priced so much higher (or so much lower) than a competitor, the initial impulse is to compare everything you offer to everything the competition offers.

While this may sometimes work, it is often a fool’s errand, as it immediately commoditizes the services you provide.

The simple fact is that you most likely don’t know why your competitors are priced the way they are.”

Liene goes onto drive it home with this final thought:

“If you know the ‘why’ behind your pricing, you can stand behind it.”

Read the full post on Liene’s blog here.

If you really want to look behind the curtain on pricing & proposals…

I bring you behind the scenes of my business in my courses, Flower Math and How To Write Proposals That Sell!

Both courses bring you behind the scenes to show you how to price for profit (Flower Math) as well as a behind the scenes look at my proposal and more importantly how I streamline my process to write proposals more quickly!…but that’s completely different from asking to view another florist’s proposal. Completely different. And much more informative.

In these courses I give you a step by step look my process. Florists are not being “sneaky” by checking out my proposal (or my pricing!).

Get my downloadable pdf How To Write Proposals That Sell here.

Find details on Flower Math, The Florist’s Guide To Pricing And Profitability here!

Not sure if one of my courses is right for you? Shoot me an e-mail any time floralartvt@gmail.com

I proudly stand behind every course I create. (And I created them just for floralpreneurs, like you!)

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog!

You can find a list of FREE courses as well as a full list of course offerings right here.

xo. -A

Save $175 Off a 5-Course-Bundle HERE.

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If you want clients to value your work, you must do this first

As a floral designer, you want people to value what you do; your time, your art, your expertise, and your unique, quality blooms!….all these elements come together to create your own unique brand, and that’s what brings value to your clients.

If you want clients to value your work, you do have to provide a quality product, however, there’s a bit more to it in my opinion.

If you want others to value your time and your work, you must in turn value the work of OTHER creatives, including their time, art and expertise.

It’s much easier to “increase your value” in a genuine way if you walk the walk in your own life as well.

If you’re someone who feels like everyone else is “too expensive” or “not worth THAT MUCH”, then it can be a challenge to demand that clients value what YOU do.

Finding value in others should come with ease if you aim to be the owner of a brand with integrity.

 

What are you willing to pay more for?

What feels “worth it” to you?

What are you willing to invest in? For business? For pleasure?

What artisan/creative/specialty product are you eager to pay for?

Who do you tip more than 20%?

Who (or what brand) sets a price that you do not question?

Your ideal clients feel the exact same way about you/your business as you feel about the products & services you value and are willing to pay for.

Real Flower Business

Clients must experience value from your brand.

And a good brand recognizes the value in others’ work as well.

Whether that’s the photographer, the caterer, the venue, the invitations…

It’s just good for business to acknowledge the importance of other businesses.

Value your work AND the work of others. Share on X

 

Here are some of the things I value (and will often pay more for):

Quality shoes

A “good” gin

Locally grown veggies and fruits

Eggs from my neighbor’s chickens

Fairtrade coffee

Freshly baked pies from the woman up the road

Gerard’s bread!

A great hair stylist

Education or workshops that help better my business!

 

When you “spend easily”, you’re an ideal client for the business you’re buying from!

What can you do to make your clients feel your value and, as a result, “spend easily” with you?

 

Find a full list of course offerings HERE. (including: 10 E-Mail Templates for Florists. Save $10 Off an Template Bundle HERE.)

Here’s the e-mail lineup:

  1. How to tell someone you can no longer “hold their date”.
  2. How to present a proposal that’s over budget.
  3. How to ask someone why they did NOT book with you.
  4. How to tell someone you’re not a good fit for their event.
  5. How to reply to a complaint.
  6. How to bill for damaged or missing rental items after an event.
  7. How to explain you won’t order flowers until full payment is received.
  8. How to tell someone that their most recent changes/additions will result in a price increase.
  9. How to tell someone you will not update their proposal (again) or meet (again) without a deposit.
  10. How to respond when a wedding is cancelled.

Plus a free bonus: How to Ask For A Testimonial.

Learn more about my templates HERE!

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