I want to tell you about the worst business advice I ever took.
It was early in my career as a solo-business owner and even though I’d spent 8 years working in flower shops, I was eager to get new business tips….I was impressionable.
Education and Business Training for Floral Designers.
By Alison Ellis Leave a Comment
It was early in my career as a solo-business owner and even though I’d spent 8 years working in flower shops, I was eager to get new business tips….I was impressionable.
It feels amazing to reach a milestone where I’ve been running my floral design business for over 20 years! I’ve worked really hard over the years to build up my business and I can tell you that it’s all been completely worth it. I still love my job and my customers after all these years.
Part of why my hard work has paid off is due to the fact that I’ve been really focused on intentional planning in business so that I can create my business to fit into my life. (Having a successful business isn’t just about making money or “being busy”; it’s about creating happiness and fulfillment, too.)
I’ve done a lot of things to grow my business, and I thought it would be helpful to narrow down the top 10 things that had the biggest impact on my business success and my overall happiness factor, too.
Here are the top 10 things I’ve done to grow my home-studio floral design business the most: [Read more…]
When I first started out in my business, I thought the goal was to book every client–no matter what!
Whatever reassurance a customer needed to be persuaded that I was the right florist for the job, that’s what I’d do!
But over time, with experience and concerted efforts to understand who my ideal customers actually are, I’ve come to realize that I don’t want to book every customer! Not by a long shot.
Well, it’s someone who doesn’t need to be convinced that I’m the right choice because they can already feel that I’m the best choice from the preliminary experience with my company and my brand (via my website, consultation and e-mail communication).
By tapping into who my clients really are and what they really care about, I’m able to reach them on a deeper level and develop a level of trust before we even speak and that means that “the right clients” get to “yes” more easily.
I’ve learned to let go of the clients who aren’t an easy fit. I only want to book the right customers for me.
“Alison’s email templates are an absolute life saver!
The email templates have taken off so much stress…just copy + paste, tweak a bit to customize with your own personality, and hit send. Client responses to the email templates I’ve used have been positive…the message is clear, and the tone is professional + kind. Absolutely worth the price in time saved!!” -Bethany
My downloadable pdfs, How To Write Proposals That Sell and Wedding Workflow show you how to spend less time before booking a client and how to lay out the steps for clients from the initial inquiry to post-wedding day follow-up! Combine them with my E-Mail Templates and Wedding Contract, you’ll have my entire communication package, plus you’ll save $30 off when you buy all 5 templates here.
I’ve streamlined my proposal process so that I’m not “giving away too many details”, yet I still provide enough detail that a client can trust that we’re on the same page.
And I clearly communicate the steps in our booking process, so neither one of us invests too much time before we’ve decided we’re a good match.
It may not happen over night, but with time and practice, the booking process starts to take shape and you’ll be able to prequalify clients before investing too much time.
You can take a shortcut with all my downloadable pdfs here!
Keep doing beautiful work!
With love from me to you,
P.S. If you have questions for me, don’t hesitate to drop me a line right here: floralartvt@gmail.com
By Alison Ellis Leave a Comment
-Danielle LaPorte (from The Fire Starter Sessions)
In The Fire Starter Sessions, Danielle LaPorte writes, “Invest in your second nature.” She goes on to talk about “the acorn theory”; the idea that we’re all “born with a soul that shapes our destiny–that our full potential already lives within us.”
The theory was first published by James Hillman. He explains it like this:
The acorn theory expresses that unique something that we carry into the world, that is particular to us, which is connected to our “daimon”.
(The Greek word, daimon, can be considered your “inner voice”. The Roman word was genius, and the Christian word is guardian angel.)
To quote Hillman, “They are all a little bit different, yet each expresses something that you are, that you have, that is not the same as the personality you think you are.”
In other words, we must make our way through the layers of soil and compost and debris until the conditions are right and we’re ready to grow to our true potential.
Because you were born an acorn…with everything it takes to become a huge oak right inside you. And it’s been there all along.
It does take time to perfect your processes and meet (or exceed) your goals and make enough money to quit your “other job“….and the time it takes to streamline or perfect…and practice can feel pretty dark some days.
We’re going to spend some time in the dark before we can burst into the light!
Pro Tip: If you want to break through, you have to make sure that your brand is seen in it’s best light from the first point of contact!
And there’s a good chance that you rely on your website to make your brand’s first impression!
It’s easy to fall into a trap of thinking, “I have a website. I mean, it exists!…I updated it a year or two ago…so I’m good, right?…”
But just like anyone striving to reach their potential, your website has to break through many layers to grow from an acorn to an oak. (It’s a process!)
If you’re ready to make a stronger first impression and represent your brand in its best light, I can help you do that work in my Website Bootcamp! I share easy and effective shortcuts to help you increase engagement and attract awesome clients so that you can keep striving to reach your potential year after year!
CLICK HERE to learn more about how you can create your own website break through in 3 days or less!
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog today.
Keep doing beautiful work!
With love from me to you,
P.S. This post is for the late bloomers–the floralpreneurs who’ve lived a first life before pursuing a floral dream or falling into flowers as a side-hustle…
And it’s for the determined–the florists who try and try and then, try again, because there are always more layers to break through in this work to get to the light….
The florists who’ve worked slinging stems in someone else’s flower shop for a decade or two, and are finally branching out on their own….
The newly retired, newly single, new moms, new grandmas, new floristry students, basement Betty’s….
This one is for you….wherever you are on your floral journey….
I’m honored to be on this journey with you.
By Alison Ellis Leave a Comment
Sound familiar? Yeah, I hear ya. But if you LOVE working with flowers and creating wedding designs and making dreams come true…..well, stress comes with the territory.
Today’s video is in response to a burning question I received: How do you handle stamina and burnout?
Short answer: The struggle is real!
Every florist who puts their heart and soul into their work MUST confront the stressful-side of this business.
Do you struggle with burnout and stress in your business?
Ever wonder, “how long can I keep up this pace?“
Busy is great, but too busy is NOT always great.
Click to watch a replay of my live chat from my Facebook group:
Note: About 28 minutes into this live chat I share some details about my $15,000 weekend…..was it worth it?
The pressure can be scary and you’re not imagining the extreme pressure involved in being a florist.
You may not have enough work space, or enough help, or enough work!…..
We must be willing to adapt. It takes a special kind of person to handle the responsibility of making floral dreams come true every weekend and some people are not cut out for the stress.
BUT if you’re willing to “do what it takes” you can succeed. You set the goals for your biz.
I started my floral design business out of necessity. I lost my job and knew I had to find my own work from that point on.
This may be “one of your professions” or it may be your only profession, like me!….I’m a florist for life.
Profitable, successful, happy, loving my business…those are my goals.
If your business is making you miserable, something’s got to change!
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by stress, especially when you’re newer to the biz….
But stress and overwhelm isn’t reserved for “newbies”….even experienced florists feel the weight.
When the calendar’s not booked, it’s stressful!
If you can draw upon experience, you can maintain faith–
not blind faith–faith with a plan.
How can you make space for more stamina?
I don’t want to burnout.
I’m in this for life!
So I work on making space….
There’s an ebb and flow in business and in life.
Sometimes we need to schedule and plan for some slower time.
The rush and adrenaline and thrill of delivering a bridal bouquet and putting it in the hands of a happy client, that’s what it’s all about!
Happy clients make for happy florists….and vice versa. Don’t let burnout get in your way. Make space so you can enjoy your business & your life.
Thanks for reading and taking some time to watch!
xo. -Alison
P.S. My templates and courses are all designed to help you reduce your stress and uncertainty.
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