Real Flower Business

Education and Business Training for Floral Designers.

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Why Florists Need to Set A Minimum

realflowerbusiness.com, education for florists, online courses for florists, floral design

When you own your own business, you’re “the decider”. It’s up to you, as a floralpreneur®, to set the rules and boundaries for your small business. I often quote from Pretty Woman, “We say who, we say when, we say how much.”

I didn’t have a minimum when I started out….I was new! I couldn’t turn any business away.

As time went on and I had more wedding inquiries than I had dates available, well, I had to set some minimum standards to ensure my profit margins.

You are the choreographer of customer service in your small business!

Communicating your minimum can actually feel like customer service. Clients need to know “how this works” and by explaining the steps to potential clients, we’re teaching them what it’s like to dance with us.

Here’s why florists need to set a minimum and how I approach the “minimum spend” at this point in my biz:

The Takeaway

This is your business and you set the rules.

At a certain point you need to implement minimum standards so you can continue to grow.

And if you need some tips on how to communicate your minimum clearly (and kindly) check out my “Full Communication Package”….This 5-course Wedding Bundle includes my E-mail Templates, Proposal Template, Contract For Florists and 16 Step Workflow.

Florists can’t be afraid to talk about budget with customers.

When’s the last time you bought something, but had absolutely no idea what you were going to spend?

Your customers aren’t coming to you with zero idea about what they’re willing to spend or what feels do-able for them.

What if a client’s budget isn’t realistic? Click HERE to find out how I handle unrealistic budget requests.

Show them the steps so they can dance with you! And present your minimum with confidence….because you’re worth it!

Thanks so much for taking the time to read and watch.

xo. -Alison

Do you need help establishing your minimums?

Inside my course, Flower Math, you’ll find a list of all my starting prices (ie my minimums!) on wedding flowers over the past 16 years! Bouquets, centerpieces, ceremony arrangements, the whole sha-bang. (click here to see what else you get when you sign up.)

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How should florists charge for rentals?

realflowerbusiness.com, floral design, flower school

When I asked florists what they most wanted to learn in the upcoming year, the #1 answer was “pricing”.

One of the most frequent pricing questions I’ve received over the years is on rentals; precisely, “How do you charge for rentals?”…..

You’ll find multiple methods for charging for rentals, but here’s how I do it and why! Click to watch:

And if you want to learn EXACTLY how to “price for profit” on every arrangement you make, my course Flower Math course will show you how!

SAVE $100 off Flower Math!

Rentals can be a smart income stream for your business. If you find that your clients are most-interested in renting vs. buying centerpiece vessels, then offering items for rent is one way to fill a need for your clients.

If you tend to work with clients who want to “own everything” and feel free to give flowers away at the end of the evening or re-use them for brunch, etc., then perhaps you don’t rent as many centerpiece containers, but you have some “other feature pieces” that you can rent over and over again.

It can be difficult to speculate on “what people will want” (for years and years to come….), which is why you want to start with practical rental items. (see below!)

You must consider your storage space as well. For example, if you have to rent a storage unit, do you *really* need the expense involved in storing those rental items?

Start with a few practical rental items:

2 Large fiberglass urns for ceremony/altar,

65-100 Mercury glass votives,

10-12 Lanterns (for centerpieces or to light a pathway),

Signage, table numbers, place card holders,

3-4′ columns or pillars for ceremony arrangements,

Various centerpiece vessels,

Chuppah or arbor structure(s).

Remember: Styles come and go. Don’t go “all-in” with something that’s not particularly versatile!

Pro-tip: Sometimes rentals “walk away”. Make sure you have a clear rental agreement that covers a deposit for damage, loss, etc. Every contract requires a meeting of the minds; make sure your client knows how you will bill for lost or damaged items.

Thanks for taking the time to tune in and watch.

With love from me to you,

Alison

More FREE Resources:

Do you need a pricing guide on your website? Click HERE to find out.

Do customers think your prices are too low? Click HERE for more.

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Should Florists Charge Less If They Work From Home?

realflowerbusiness.com, courses for florists, florist pricing tips

The floral industry encompasses not only brick and mortar shops, but a growing number of home-based business owners as well, and while it may have been “out of the norm” to work from a home-studio back when I started my business in 2002, the “shop-less floral designers” have carved our own path in the flower biz.

As a home-studio florist who trained in 5 different flower shops before branching out on my own over 16 years ago, (ie opening a business from the kitchen of my 2nd story apartment!), I’ve come to realize that I was pretty lucky in my training.

As I’ve connected with super talented floral designers around the world, I’ve learned that even super talented florists sometimes struggle with pricing; including home-studio, boutique or appointment only designers, as well as brick & mortar flower shop owners!

The reason I say I was “lucky” in my training is because I was trained by different experienced florists, all with varying styles, income goals, overhead costs, employee retention rates and creativity & quality standards, etc…

BUT THE ONE THING THAT EVERY FLOWER SHOP HAD IN COMMON WAS THEIR PRICING.

No matter which shop I went to, I was taught the same pricing structure each and every time. (We even had cheat sheets at our design benches to ensure that everyone used the same guidelines.)

So by ‘lucky” I mean, I’m lucky to have never questioned my pricing model or my value because I knew without a doubt that I was following the flower shop model.

If you work from home and you’re wondering if you should charge less because you “don’t have a shop”, click to watch! This video was made for you.

And if you need more details on pricing like a flower shop, check out my FREE pricing course, Flower Boss 2: Industry Standards on Pricing,& Markups CLICK HERE to get it.

Thanks for tuning in!

Keep doing beautiful work.

xo. -Alison

P.S. Are you a Home-Studio designer? 

Get 10 Tips for Home-Studio Florists HERE.

P.P.S. Want to watch my first live chat on Periscope? Click below to watch!

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Should you set an expiration date on your proposals?

Do you ever wonder how long you should wait after sending a proposal before checking in with a client?

I used to send out proposals and then wait and wonder for days, (or weeks!), whether a client was ever going to book with me! Then, one day, a business savvy friend told me to put an expiration date on wedding proposals and voila, my client management systems was forever changed.

Setting an expiration date on my proposals and was the single best move I ever made in my business. Period.

The expiration date is designed to set the parameters of your offer to honor this quote or “hold their date”…it’s a prompt for you to check in and see if they’ve made a decision or if they have any questions you can answer.

Checking in with a customer on, or before, the expiration date is to be expected when you’re trying to close this sale.

It’s not an ultimatum (most of the time), but it IS a clear signal that there’s a time limit on this offer because you don’t just “hold dates” indefinitely. Most offers are not open-ended. Neither is yours!

Click below to watch “Should you set an expiration date?”

Need some tips to write your next proposals in less time and present the expiration date to clients?

Do you have a “System” for your client communication?

A “System” is essentially a process (or protocol) for how you accomplish a task in your business. Typically you document your systems in writing (ie your operating procedures), and use them to identify inefficiencies or opportunities for automation in your business.

Systems are critical for a successful business, because they allow for you to:

  • generate income with way less effort

  • reply faster and more effectively with less stress

  • automate and streamline to get more done in less time

I have a system for client communication (and you should too).

Your prospects MUST see you as an authority and understand your rules.

That’s it.

Before you earn trust as an authority, you MUST nurture the relationship.

And the best way to do that, hands down is with:

CLEAR COMMUNICATION THAT ESTABLISHES AUTHORITY.

Emphasis on the word “AUTHORITY”… In fact, just like it’s “OK” to want to make money, it’s also totally OK to WANT clients to respect you, and follow the rules of your “systems”, and treat you like A LEADER in your field.

In fact, that authority status is the key to unlocking your maximum potential so that you can be creative, profitable, and fulfilled.

Now the good news is… there’s a BETTER way to get prospects to see you as an authority… better than working without a system…and much better than starting from scratch on every single e-mail and proposal for every single event.

It’s called…TEMPLATES!

Here’s what a real florist said about implementing my Templates…

“A couple of weeks ago I bought a bundle of Alison Ellis templates after all the talk of expiration dates. Reading through the templates gave us a fresh pair of eyes and ideas over what we were already doing. BUT what I really want to say is – we decided to try the expiration date approach and we have a record breaker! Our ideal bride just booked with an 8 day turn around from quote to deposit! Wooohooo try it.”
-Danijela FitzGibbon (from the Facebook group)

Oftentimes florists ask, “How does this expiration date work? Does the price go up after it expires?”

Well, that’s up to you. Do you need to increase the price for some reason?

I don’t increase the price after the expiration date. I just want to make my offer clear; here’s what I can do, here’s what it costs, here’s when I’d appreciate an answer…

If the client needs “more time” (for whatever reason), then that’s up to you, too. Can you extend the expiration date? Or will the clock truly run out because you have another inquiry for that date? Or is their hesitation a sign that they aren’t really serious about committing to you? What is the reason for the hold-up?

An expiration date serves as a prompt to both you, the business owner, and the client.

  1. Clients know that they should look it over sooner rather than later because you gave them the expiration date!
  2. As a business owner you now have a bonafide reason to follow-up, check-in, invite questions and close the sale.

I want to be an easy choice for my clients. I want to be an easy “yes”.

Thanks for taking the time to read and watch!

And if you decide to implement an expiration date, I’d love to hear how it’s working for you!

With love from me to you,

Alison

If you want to shortcut your proposal process and present an expiration date with confidence, click here to read more about my downloadable templates!

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3 Pricing Tips for Florists

realflowerbusiness.com, florist pricing tips

Anytime is a good time of the year to plan ahead for a successful upcoming season…..but when you’re a floralpreneur® who “does it all”, it can be overwhelming to try to make the time to “think forward”.

You’re not alone! Take a few minutes to appreciate yo’self and don’t let the non-stop hustle and bustle of balancing “all the things you have to do” bog you down.

Whether you run a brick & mortar shop or you’re operating from a home-based studio, I have 3 Pricing Tips for you today, including…

  • Follow industry standards on pricing….
  • Don’t price “based on need”….that’s a myth that can limit your income potential….
  • Trickle down economics is also a myth, BUT trickle down confidence is something I believe in….
  • PLUS charging for delivery & set-up…
  • AND why you shouldn’t have a “spending goal” on wholesale purchases!

I hope you’ll take a few minutes to watch my tips below and make this the year you finally master your pricing!

And if you want to learn how to price with confidence & stop over-buying so you can increase your income, I teach you everything I know about pricing in Flower Math! 

Sign up & SAVE $100!

Click to watch, Price Talk: Live on Dec. 8th in my Facebook group (click here to join my group!).

Remember: A lack of confidence in your pricing can permeate into other aspects of your business.

Having your pricing on lock is your responsibility as a business owner. You owe it to yourself to be paid for your time and expertise.

The good news is you can make money and provide value to your clients. (Pricing is not a mystery.)

Additional Resources:

Thanks for reading! Keep doing beautiful work!

With love from me to you,

Alison

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

Flower Math review, online courses for florists

Flower Math review

Learn more about Flower Math HERE.