How do you handle cancellations?

should you cancel your 2021 wedding or event

Will weddings and events happen in 2021?

That’s the question that a lot of vendors and couples are starting to ask as new mandates are announced in many states—including my home state of Vermont.

I’m starting to see scenarios repeated in my Facebook group regarding how to handle the new cancelation or postponement requests. This is a really important question for everyone to answer because we are ALL going to get these requests. They are coming soon.

I am in this with you–I know how it feels to anticipate what lies ahead for us in the wedding industry.

One florist wrote:

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By Alison Ellis Leave a Comment

Wedding Postponements, Canceled Events, and Your Floral Business

Let’s talk about cancellations, deposits, refund requests and YOUR BUSINESS….

First, this is your business, which means you don’t have to do things my way.

What I do doesn’t have to be what you do. I recognize that there’s a lot to consider around postponing and pushback and you can watch a replay of my live Q&A where I address real florists’ questions.

Because what strikes me over the last couple of weeks/days is how florists are feeling sensitive and defensive about their own decisions.

For example, if a florist chooses to refund a deposit or partial deposit due to a COVID “situation”, that doesn’t mean that YOU have to refund and it doesn’t mean that you’re being judged or that you’re a bad person if you choose to keep a deposit.

It’s not unwise to amend your terms under these circumstances in order to reach an agreement with your clients.

HOWEVER YOU CHOOSE TO PROCEED UNDER THE CURRENT CONDITIONS IS UP TO YOUR BUSINESS POLICIES.

Ideally, your heart and mind are at peace with how you choose to proceed.

As a lawyer in my group put it:

You can be just as creative, and collaborative with your clients, regarding altering contract terms to fit the times, as you are in doing design work and taking care of your clients in the happier, floral area of your business.“

Frank Sinatra said, well sang, “I did it my way”….and that’s the situation you’re in now.

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By Alison Ellis 2 Comments

There’s no such thing as a small wedding

After 16 years of running a solo-business venture I can say with certainty that there’s no such thing as a “small wedding”. Allow me elaborate….

Yes, there are “large weddings” and “crazy huge weddings” and “regular weddings” and there are weddings that are “not huge”, but small?…..now, “small” is something that’s hard to come by as a florist.

There’s a certain amount of work that goes into the planning process, even for a “small wedding”, which is virtually identical to the investment of time, creativity, mental space and administrative tasks as required for weddings 2-3x their size.

I hear floralpreneurs say “this is ‘just an order for bouquets’….why is this order turning into so much trouble?!…why does this client want to meet with me again?”….and believe me, I get it! If it’s a small-er order, florists sometimes feel that the client should just relax already!….because we do work that’s WAY more elaborate than this…..we’ve got you covered!

But there’s one very important flaw in this thinking; it requires that the client already trusts you.

It presumes that the client values you and your time and your art.

Even a very small wedding is a really big deal to the client…and as a florist it’s your job to give the same level of time and attention that you promise to all your customers if you’re going to build a consistent brand experience.

If a smaller gig gets a different service agreement, then define it. Let the client know the steps so they can work with you with ease. “If your wedding falls below our minimum we…..” (fill in the blank)

Do you require pick-up if they don’t meet your minimum? Do you only meet once? Meet twice? Include a mock-up? No mock-up, no delivery, no meeting? What are your rules? There’s no right answer. You choose the answer that jives with your brand.

What sort of customer service do you provide? What promises do you make to your customers? What’s not included?

If I promise personalized customer service (which I do), then I can’t offer sub-par service to clients who spend “only a small amount” on an event. I can’t say, “I provide outstanding customer service, unless you fall below X-amount in which case the service level decreases….” that’s not how I roll. That’s not what my brand is about.

As it turns out, even a “small wedding order” requires the same base-level of detail and professionalism as a larger one. If the clients were good enough to book, they’re good enough to wow.

Charge what you’re worth and even your smaller gigs can be worth your time & effort!

Keep doing beautiful work!

With love from me to you,

Alison

Need some pricing tips?

Check out my FREE course, 4 Pricing Mistakes Florists Make (click here to get it!).

Can a girl get some feedback?

Have you tried one of my courses? I’d love to hear your feedback and possibly quote you for a testimonial on my website. Click here to share your experience with a Real Flower Business Course. Even if you’ve only tried a FREE course, I want to know what you think of the content. I appreciate your time and input.

By Alison Ellis Leave a Comment

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.

By Alison Ellis Leave a Comment

Contracts For Florists

I’ve been asked about florist contracts and my usual response has been, “I am not a lawyer. I don’t give advice on contracts.”

I’ve received quite a few questions on contracts over the past few months, which indicates that this is something floralpreneurs really need, so I decided to open up my wedding contract to you, and added some important notes, plus 10 additional clauses you might want to consider for your own contract….then, I threw in a bonus e-mail template, “How to tell someone you cannot modify your contract.”

Voila! Contracts For Florists is available NOW. And it’s On Sale for $79 ’til 11pm Monday, 7/17.

real flower business, florist contract, contracts for florists

Here’s what’s included:

Contracts For Florists includes 14 Terms & Conditions of my contract,

10 Additional clauses or phrases you may consider adding,

1 parting thought, “Not everyone can be your customer!”,

Plus a Bonus E-mail Template: Can You Modify Your Contract?

Here are 10 Points Not To Miss:

Acceptance clause. (Section 3 of my contract! This one is essential.)
Things I won’t agree to. (Can I get an A-mend?)
Minimums and reduction clauses. (What’s the bottom line?)
Exclusivity clause. (Only You.)
Disputes. (Who’ll litigate, mediate or arbitrate?)
Rights to use images & Make substitutions!
Force majeur. (‘cause every contract’s gotta have one.)
Rentals. (Security deposits and billing for damaged goods.)
Additional work. (May be billed.)
Payments & Termination. (Who can cancel?)

LEGAL DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT A LAWYER. I’M A FLORIST! (BUT YOU KNOW THAT!) The information in this course is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. The author is not liable for any losses or damages related to actions of failure to act related to the content in this course. If you need specific legal advice, consult with an attorney.

THIS COURSE INCLUDES THE EXACT LANGUAGE OF MY WEDDINGS/EVENTS CONTRACT, AS WELL ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS FOR TERMS & CONDITIONS YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER ADDING, HOWEVER, YOU SHOULD CONSULT AN ATTORNEY WHEN DRAFTING A CONTRACT.

Click HERE to buy Contracts For Florists. Retail Price $99. On Sale Now for just $79 (1-day-only-price!)

Click here to watch my video “If you’re eager to book weddings….First, consider this…”