My Dirty Little Secret: Confessions of a floral designer.

Hey, Floralpreneur!

Today I’m sharing a confession about my business, what it was like when I first started my business and the #1 question I know I’ll never stop answering.

I’m talking about a “dirty little secret” that many of us share.

(Don’t worry, it’s G-Rated and suitable for all audiences.)

Click to watch!

And if you’re a home-studio florist check out my 10 FREE Tips for Home Studio Florist HERE!

Let me know if you ever have any questions for me…maybe I’ll make it a topic for an upcoming video!

With love from me to you,

Alison

More Resources:

You’ll find a full list of my course offerings HERE.

And if you want to schedule a “private lesson” you can schedule a Strategy Session with me to talk one-on-one about your business. Read more about coaching HERE.

By Alison Ellis

A Hero’s Journey. The story of your business.

If you missed my Facebook Live today, check out a replay here:

The topic is the hero’s journey of your small business. I wonder if you can relate?

These are the final few days to register for Session 2 of The Art of Good Business!

Click below to see what other floralpreneurs had to say about the course.

Click here to enroll today. The first 5 Floralpreneurs to register will receive a FREE 1:1 coaching call as a bonus!

Still not sure if The Art Of Good Business is right for you? Let’s hop on a call. I’m happy to answer any questions you may have.

Shoot me an e-mail any time at floralartvt@gmail.com

Join my Facebook group here and catch my next Livestream on Friday at 11:00am.

By Alison Ellis

Looks Can Be Deceiving

As a floralpreneur in the age of social media it can be difficult to avoid the pitfalls of comparison, which is why it’s important to always remember, looks can be deceiving.

We had a thaw that made it feel like spring yesterday. I was pruning my salix chaenomeloides and remembering what it looked like last summer.

These ‘fantail pussy willow’, or Japanese pussy willow, create a beautiful piece of shade in my garden. #myvermontgarden

It looks like I might sit here with a lemonade after a hard day’s work, but in reality….

The bench is actually broken. AND….it happens to be located right next to my compost pile.

Trust me, I never sit on this bench.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing what you see when people only share the very best of themselves.

Don’t let yourself be easily fooled.

Pause before comparing yourself to a social media presence that’s perfectly curated. (There may be a compost pile just out of the frame.)

What people really want–what clients really appreciate–is authenticity and expertise.

Of course, you want your realness to be real, real beautiful work, as well, but letting people in on what your brand is “really about”, that’s where you truly let your uniqueness shine through….your ideal clients will be attracted to that beam of trueness….the real you.

Pro tip: Honing the voice of your brand happens in these little social media moments and especially through your blog posts.

Tune into your ideal clients and tune out the competition. Share on X

If you’re still working on finding your voice, then JOIN ME in March for the 2nd session of The Art Of Good Business! This is my LIVE course which begins Monday, March 13th-April 10th.

Time is running out. Register before the doors close on March 10th at 7pm EST!

The first 5 floralpreneurs who sign up will receive a FREE 1-on-1 coaching session (a $249 value).

Click HERE to read the details on The Art Of Good Business and if you’re not sure whether it’s right for you, shoot me an e-mail any time. This course will help you transform your business, but it’s not for everybody. Whether you’re a lifelong learner or you haven’t “studied” in over a decade, my course is designed to be user-friendly, informative, engaging and a major kick in the pants to start doing the work that attracts more clients who love you.

Here’s an Art Of Good Biz testimonial from Instagram:

maidenhairfloral: “Just do it!!! I’m already seeing results from the changes and adjustments that I’ve made since taking part in the class!”

Click HERE to sign up TODAY!

By Alison Ellis

Is it time to lose your auto-reply?

What does an automatic reply actually say to your clients?

As commander-in-chief of my one-woman floral army, balancing time between my design bench and my office means my commitment to prompt e-mail replies can be a challenge.

One way businesses attempt to provide a prompt e-mail response is, of course, by setting up an auto-reply.

It starts out as an “away message” for a winter break…and then, it turns into a regular habit…24/7 auto-reply.

As prompt as it may be, an auto-response is not a personal reply…so while it’s prompt, it’s also impersonal.

The bottom line is this: An auto-reply does not feel like customer service.

Click to watch why I think it’s time to rethink the auto-reply (and what to do instead):

The Moral of the Story

There’s a time and a place for automation, but if you pride yourself on customer service, then, limit your reliance on auto-respond and lead clients through the booking and sales process with personalized service that’s unique to your brand–not straight out of the can!

I write my own email replies, but I follow some basic templates I’ve perfected after over 20 years in business! If you want to establish more authority and stop over-thinking your email replies, my Email Templates for Florists help you save time and close sales with customers in a clear, professional manner without sounding fake or phony!

Learn About E-mail Templates

Keep this in mind…

E-mail is a crucial part of your customer service experience.

Over the years, I’ve learned how to streamline my processes while establishing authority and trust in my e-mail communication. This allows me to pre-qualify and weed out price shoppers, book clients more quickly and gently guide customers through the sale.

That’s why I created my E-mail Templates for Florists to help navigate some of the most frequent (& sometimes difficult!) customer conversations so that you can spend less time worrying about how to say “no” and more time booking great clients.

Florists who use my templates….

Feel CONFIDENT when explaining terms to a client,
Forget FEARS about not being taken seriously,
Gain AUTHORITY and build trust with prompt, concise replies,
Make stronger CONNECTIONS so customers can actually understand your expectations,
Increase INCOME by stating minimums clearly so clients say YES to your next proposal, no questions asked!

You can spend HOURS trying to figure out how to say something “just right” or you can do something that will change your life…which is what florists tell me all the time about my templates! Try ’em. You’ll like ’em.

Click Here To Learn More

Melissa said:

“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 😉”

Best price=Buy a bundle (click for e-mail template bundle pricing!

By Alison Ellis

The Art Of Good Business: Session 2

I just completed my very first live course and it was so much fun, I’ve decided to do it again in March.

If you missed out on The Art Of Good Business in January, join me in March!

Floralpreneurs have already implemented changes over the past few weeks and reported some major “a-ha moments”.

The Art Of Good Business is an online course designed to show you how to attract ideal clients, improve your website engagement, choreograph outstanding customer service and eliminate your competition.

Free Bonus: The first 5 floralpreneurs who sign up will receive a free one-on-one coaching session. (Value $249)

Read all the details on the LIVE course HERE. Registration closes March 10th at 11pm EST.

Read all the details and see the course schedule here.

Testimonial:

“After taking Alison’s class I clearly see that once I create my business model based on her guidance, I will have a template to grow my brand that can be only and uniquely mine. The class is broken down into easy to follow format and you can jump around as needed while remaining on target. However, I do suggest that you make sure to utilize all the content…trust me you do not want to miss a thing. The program is soul searching as well as thought provoking. Each time I go back over the material, I see things in a deeper hue. I’ve learned about myself, my belief system, my ideal client, my accountability, and my personal wisdom (yes! I have some!) I’ve been given a roadmap for business success that will be a baseline for my future growth. And here is another fantastic result of The Art of Good Business, I have acquired new confidence in my ability to manage all that office stuff! It must show because four weeks into the class the inquiries started coming, I booked three clients and have two new prospects!

Alison has put her heart and her vast knowledge into this class. She is open and supportive. Honest and kind. She will tell the truth. She is clear and concise. She is a bit of a genius and she’ll bring out the genius in you! Her class is one of a kind because of all the backing and support she offers.

Believe me, I’ve taken a lot of “let me help you” classes. This is the first one that has held me accountable for my personal implementation and success.

I won’t lie, at first, I thought, this is not my forte, this is going to be a challenge…

But Alison’s approach is to encourage us to take some action, because it all adds up. One success leads to the next and soon it was fun! My new discoveries are exciting, I found myself not wanting it to end, and was pleased to discover that the information in the class will always be available to me.

Alison is personally invested in your future. She really cares that you grow and implement change for positive results. Most of all she believes in your success. And she is ever guiding you to “keep doing beautiful work!”

I encourage you to indulge in the Art of Good Business. I promise when you are done, your journey to business success will have just begun.”

RR – Rebecca Raymond Floral

What if you can’t “join me live”? No problem. You can do this course at your own pace!

I’m offering live support to encourage you to get started and implement changes, but you can catch up on anything you may “miss” along the way.

You can even skip around…do whatever feels the most worthwhile to you in your business, right now!

The important thing is that you get started! Enroll Today!

I hope you’ll join me on a journey to build an integrity brand and find more customers that love you!