Real Flower Business

Education and Business Training for Floral Designers.

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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

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Jumpstart Your Business Plan

I travelled to Providence, Rhode Island over the weekend for a speaking engagement at The Floral Reserve and if I had to sum up the experience in 1 word it would be “fantastic”.

It’s so much fun to teach in-person and I was gifted with an incredible group of floral pros in the audience. Every single person in attendance was eager to learn and ready to “do work”…which is my favorite combination in a floral audience.

There were 29 florists who grabbed a seat in the seminar and we talked about planning for success in your business, pricing for profitability, and I answered as many questions as I possibly could in the time we had together…but what I’m most proud of is the fact that every florist went home with business plans in writing that they can put in motion right away.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Getting ready for my live chat today at @thefloralreserve ❤️

A post shared by Alison Ellis (@realflowerbusiness) on

If you want to put a business plan into motion for 2019, but you missed out on my live seminar, there’s one last chance to do some business planning with me before the end of the year!

Click HERE to get my Business Planning Basics Guide and JOIN ME LIVE on Dec. 20th at noon EST in a private Facebook group for extra support so that you can get your business on the right foot for your upcoming success!

You can Join the Business Jumpstart for just $20 and you’ll get immediate access to my 8-page Business Planning Basics pdf plus an invitation to JOIN ME LIVE on Dec. 20th at noon EST in a private Facebook group for paid members only. You must sign up before 11am EST on Dec. 20th to take advantage of this offer!

A replay will be made available after the livestream if you cannot join me live on Thursday, Dec. 20th.

Questions for me? Drop me a line @ floralartvt@gmail.com

Every course I create is designed to help move your business forward so you can keep doing beautiful work!

With love from me to you,

Alison

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5 Actions To Take When Business Seems Uncertain

True Fact: Your business will face uncertainty.

As a small business owner who focuses on fresh flowers for weddings and events, you may experience a lot of uncertainty!…for example…

Kim asked in my Facebook group (to florists who’ve been in business for many years):

“Do you have “off” seasons where your booking rates are down? Is this a marathon not a sprint?”

The short answer is yes! Business ownership is a long game…and the path to success isn’t a straight line.

So what do successful business owners do when it’s an “off” year?

Here are 5 Ways to Take Action when you’re not sure what to do:

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

Systems are critical for a successful business, because they allow 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 systems for client communication and follow through on my events (and you and your employees should too). I share my Wedding Workflow with 16 Steps to Client Management Here if you want to define your steps for customers and employees.

 

#2. Assess your SWOTs. What are your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats?

If you only do 1 thing in an attempt to troubleshoot or plan ahead in your biz, I want to challenge you to take a few minutes to list out your SWOTs. (List as many as you can think of, but 2-5 per category is a good goal for a quick planning exercise.) What are you doing really well?…Which areas “need improvement”?

Now ask yourself:

  • How can you address one weakness?
  • And…What can you do to accentuate your strengths?
  • Have you updated your business plan in the last 12 months? If not, you can start HERE!

Pro tip: When things feel “off”, it’s essential to take an honest look at what’s going right and what threats or weaknesses you can address. You cannot improve what you do not measure!

 

#3. Update your website. I say this ALL THE TIME, but that’s only because it’s truly effective. Your website is the ONLY piece of your online presence that you actually own. You don’t own Instagram or Facebook or TikTok and they can change their algorithm anytime they want. Your website is truly yours.

Here’s where to focus your website efforts:

  • If you have your most recent pictures on Instagram, but they’re not on your website yet, make updating your gallery a priority!
  • Does your About Page have a photo of you and/or your team? If not, then do that TODAY! I don’t care if it’s a professional headshot or a selfie of you in your studio or at your desk….just let me see your face! Your customers are hiring YOU so don’t be afraid to show your face.
  • Blog. Yup. Still this. Blogging. It’s STILL how you optimize organic SEO, develop the voice of your brand and share your most recent happenings with your fans and followers.

If you need some tricks to make your website more engaging, you can get my BEST website secrets HERE.

 

#4. Connect with other vendors just to check in. Perhaps it’s the mutual referrals that you’ll gain….or perhaps it’s simply a sense of friendship and camaraderie that benefits you both…but “seeking to get” cannot be the motivation for reaching out. Seeking to connect should be the motive, nothing more!

You can choose to seek out a new relationship or simply check in with an established connection (perhaps someone whose work you respect, but you haven’t worked with much lately). Fellow florists, photographers, caterers, venues, you name it….if they serve the clients you wish to serve, they have the potential to be a good connection…but make sure it’s a two-way street. What can you offer to the friends and vendors you connect with? How can you help them?

People can sense when you “want something”….we ALL can tell when someone is reaching out to “get something from us”, but your fellow wedding vendors should be connections that you value and nurture…it’s not about what “they can do for you”, but about how you can help each other.

 

#5. Shorten the turnaround time on proposals for new clients. If bookings are slow, it’s important to turn proposals around in a timely manner. The quicker you send it out, the quicker you book it, so don’t drag your feet on proposal writing! T

he trick is to give enough detail that the client can trust you, but not give away so much detail that it takes 5 hours to write and send a quote to a client who isn’t under contract and cannot afford your quote.

You can find my shortcut for writing proposals in less time here: How To Write Proposals That Sell and Book More Weddings More Quickly!

Take some action in your business to plan for the future!…so you can keep doing beautiful work!

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

After 17 seasons of running my home-studio business the reality of this is inescapable–at some point, every year, there is no “guaranteed” business for the next year. It may be a GREAT year in business this year, but next year’s success is still yet to be determined.

When you design wedding work, but you don’t have a brick & mortar flower shop, the idea of “repeat business” tends to be out of reach because someone planning a wedding this year, isn’t going to be back again next year!

And if you do run a brick & mortar shop, you have the ability to capture repeat business, but there’s daily stock & inventory to manage, employees you need to pay whether it’s a “good month” or a “bad month” and let’s face it, that’s a lot of pressure, too!

So no matter how you slice it, a business venture brings uncertainty, stress and responsibility….

BUT it also brings freedom, control and choice!…

I hope you’ll take action in your business TODAY to keep reaching for your goals.

xo. -Alison

Additional resources:

Click to read 4 Actions To Grow A Business

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4 Actions To Grow Your Business

When you run a floral design business, the work on your path to a profitable business is an ever-evolving journey.

So to support you on that path, I thought it would be helpful to lay out the focused steps I teach florists to grow a profitable floral design business.

Because the truth is, the biggest problem for most entrepreneurs is they simply don’t know exactly what action steps to focus on to grow their cash flow and scale their business with less effort.

Real Flower Business Courses For Florists

Growing a sustainable floral business really comes down to 4 focused action steps:

Step #1 – Price For Profit

This is the process of following industry standard markups, applying a design fee, charging for delivery & set-up, and maximizing your profit margins so you feel good about what you’re paying yourself.

Once you’re at a place where you don’t need to worry about how much money you’re making on each sale, you start shifting to “how you can make more money with less effort.”

No matter where you are in business, whether working from a home-studio or a brick & mortar shop, I always suggest you follow the Flower Math formulas for pricing to ensure profitability…(if you’re not 100% confident in your pricing, you can learn more about my Flower Math technique right here!).

Step #2 – Establish Your Value

Following the Flower Math formulas will help you increase your income, however you must also think about the long term sustainability of the business.

That’s where building a reputable brand comes into play. The value you provide to your clients is what your brand is all about. (This is the real reason people choose you over other florists in your area!)

Trustworthy and reliable are two essential qualities of an integrity brand on a quest to establish “premium brand position”.

Step #3 – Monetize Your Brand

Then, once you’ve built a trustworthy brand, it’s time to tap into it to generate some more cash flow by charging premium prices for the level of service and overall experience you provide. Make sure to measure what’s selling well all along the way and lean into that!

And truthfully, this is as simple as consistently creating beautiful floral designs and providing outstanding customer service experiences so that you develop a sought-after business!

You rinse and repeat these first 3 steps over and over again until you have your cash flow (and your work flow) where you want it to be–in a place that is more consistent & reliable.

Step #4 – Scale Your Business

This step is focused on the 3 key areas that allow for you to expand your income without expanding your workload. This is the stage when you MUST ditch the hustle-mentality and start thinking and working SMARTER.

These 3 key areas are: Clear Offers, Intentional Marketing, and Streamlined Systems To Close Sales.

With these 3 things in place, you will be able to welcome in qualified new clients…and eliminate price shoppers….because clients already understand what you do and trust your brand so that all you need to do is lead them through the booking process.

These truly are 4 CRITICAL focused action steps you need to grow and scale your business.

Hopefully that makes your next steps clear and if you have any questions, please let me know…

To ask me a question or drop me a line e-mail:  info@realflowerbusiness.com 

xo. -Alison Ellis

P.S. The Flower Math course I mentioned in Step #1 is an easy to follow technique that is making me and my students a lot of money on every order…simply by applying the Flower Math formulas…and there’s no technology required….other than your computer and a calculator.

By following Flower Math…

  • I make a consistent 70% profit margin (or more!) on the cost of flowers & supplies.
  • My clients tell me they make more money on every order they place.
  • Susan made back the purchase of the course in just 1 wedding and said, “I can make a career out of this (and not only be a hobby florist!)”.
  • My client in England said, “I’m not a natural with maths and found it very helpful and easy to understand. I spent £2,000 on a recognised floristry course and am annoyed that they did not cover this amount of detail!!”
  • Canadian designer, Larissa, told me she was happy that she “had to pay taxes for the first time” because she turned a profit in her business after taking Flower Math!
  • Heather signed up in mid-November and she said, “I actually felt the light bulb come on in my head.”

In fact, on average the floralpreneurs who follow the techniques I teach are making more money and feeling more confident on the very first order they quote.

So, if you want to get in the loop on exactly how they work, you’ll find Flower Math and a full list of course offerings HERE!

Keep doing beautiful work!

xo. -Alison Ellis

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Cyber Monday Sale

CYBER MONDAY SALE! SAVE AN ADDITIONAL $10 OFF ALL TEMPLATE BUNDLES TIL 9PM ET!

You can access these pdf’s as soon as you purchase. (Floralpreneurs often tell me they use my templates the same day they buy ’em.)

Try ’em. You’ll like ’em.

I’m proud to present 5 downloadable courses to help you streamline your e-mail and proposal writing process.

SAVE $30 $40 OFF ALL 5 PDFS HERE.

Testimonial:

“Just downloaded the 12 email templates, wedding workflow, and how to write proposals that sell…..ALISON! You are the flower fairy god mother we all needed! Information overload! Do it guys;)”

-Melissa Denise

BUY AN E-MAIL BUNDLE & SAVE $10 20 OFF!

10 E-Mail Templates for Florists $39

This downloadable pdf tackles ten difficult conversations we have with customers and potential customers including How to Present A Proposal That’s Over Budget, How to Reply To A Complaint, How to Tell A Client You Won’t Work with Them, and How To Respond When A Wedding Is Cancelled. Get it here for $39.

12 E-Mail Templates for Florists $29

This downloadable pdf gives you the exact wording I use when writing to a client. It’s a bonafide look at how I communicate with customers to create both a friendly and business-centered relationship based on mutual respect and crystal clear communication. I often hear florists say they use these templates within the first 1-2 days of purchasing them! You’ll find some valuable phrases you can embrace and adapt to your own unique voice. Buy it now $29.

“Man do I wish I had used them earlier…sent off all my latest proposals using your email templates and 3 from 3 have come back before the expiry date in acceptance!!  [You’re] a floral super star Alison thank you so so much for the time and effort you put back into the industry.”

-Casey (from the Facebook group)

GET MY 3-COURSE WEDDING BUNDLE & SAVE $20 30 OFF!

How To Write Proposals That Sell $99

This downloadable pdf shows you how to create a template for wedding proposals that sell by sharing the steps I use to create a more streamlined proposal process without committing hours and hours of time before booking…including tips to create a sense of urgency around booking so you really can book more quickly. Get it here $99.

Contracts For Florists $99

Included in this pdf you get the 14 Terms & Conditions I include in my contract, along with notes on some of my very favorite and most important parts, plus I’ve added 10 additional clauses you might want to consider, and a BONUS e-mail template, “What if someone asks you to modify your contract?” Contracts For Florists is not intended to be a “template”, although you do get all of the terms of my contract. My hope is that you’ll use this course to draft a contract with a local attorney in your area! (I’m a florist; I am not a lawyer. You should consult an attorney when drafting an official contract.) Get it here $99.

Wedding Workflow $19

This downloadable pdf takes you behind the scenes of my business to show you how I choreograph a customer service experience that fosters a relationship of trust and confidence with 16 Steps to Client Management from initial inquiry to post-wedding followup. Get it here $19.

Not sure which course is right for you? Get in touch: floralartvt@gmail.com

I’m happy to answer any questions you may have before, during or after a course!

CYBER MONDAY SALE ENDS MONDAY, NOV. 26TH, AT 9PM EASTERN TIME!

Find out more about Flower Math HERE.

Read more about Alison HERE.

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