Real Flower Business

Education and Business Training for Floral Designers.

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Successful Floral Business Tips

How do you define success in your business?

This is not a trick question! And there isn’t one correct answer, but it can still feel tricky to answer for yourself!

Every florist must determine their own version of success, but what does that really mean in your business? Let’s talk about it!

Click to watch a replay of this livestream from my Facebook group that I hope will help you define your own version of success!

FYI you’ll find the infographic I mention in this video below! And you can click HERE to read the full post on Running A Successful Floral Business!

Looking for More?

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How Long Do Flowers Last?

Even talented floral designers can sometimes miss the fundamentals of floristry.

Whether you learned in a traditional flower shop, graduated from floristry school or you’re learning on your own as you go, every florist has more to learn. That’s why I’m spending the month of April answering questions from new florists (aka “newbies”). Today’s question is on flower longevity: How long do flowers last?

A florist wrote to say: “Thanks for the doing the newbie Q&A’s. I have a question. Google seems to give me all sorts of answers. How long can flowers and greenery stay in the cooler before they are not good anymore and I need to throw them away? Thank you!”

There are a few things to consider, of course, so click to watch my answer below! (And click HERE to submit a “newbie question” for me to answer this month!)

A few things I mention you should consider around longevity:

  • Season. Is this flower in season right now?
  • What’s its nature? Is this flower more delicate or fragile (ie spring blooms like tulips, daffodils and lilacs)? Or is it more hardy (like Italian ruscus, or a tropical orchid or anthurium)?
  • How old is the product when it got to you?
  • How did you care for the flowers once you received them?
  • Certain flowers and greens can be stored for longer periods of time if they are dry packed (ie not in water).
  • Ethylene gas causes flowers to mature more quickly AND fruits and flowers both share the same chemical makeup.
  • I also mentioned apical dominance, which you can see in action in my video, 2 Gladiola Tips on my YouTube channel HERE!

Thanks so much for tuning into my newbie tips this month.

It’s fun to answer your questions and share what I’ve learned over nearly 3 decades in the floral industry. I’ll see you all week long on Instagram with more Tips for Newbies!

To learn more about me, click here to reach my bio and click here to download my FREE eBook, Everything I Wish I Knew Before Starting My Business!

xo. -Alison

P.S. A few people I mentioned in today’s chat include:

  • Watch a tour of Ben Cross in his sustainable alstroemeria nursery HERE.
  • Mountain Flower Farm grows and ships beautiful peonies HERE.
  • Follow Francoise Weeks for inspiration on using unique botanical materials.
  • My tee shirt, No Rain, No Flowers, is available on Botanical Brouhaha HERE. (I really love this tee shirt!)

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Should Florists Charge for Proposals?

A question I’ve seen florists ask more often than usual this year is: Should I charge for proposals?

This is a BIG question and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer, but in today’s livestream I tackle some of the things you’ll want to consider before implementing a new proposal fee. Click to watch!

A few key points to consider:

[Read more…]

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Instagram Is Not Your Long Game

Is your Instagram engagement down?

I read this article last week, Why your Instagram Engagement Kinda Sucks Right Now, and I thought some of the floralpreneurs I know and love would find it interesting. I’ve heard complaints about a lack of engagement over the last several months and this certainly helps to explain why!

Now, while it’s frustrating to think that Mark Zuckerberg seems to control the fate of your business marketing, in truth, he does not!

YOU control your branding and marketing strategy…

[Read more…]

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A Conversation with Koehler and Dramm

I was invited to to sit down with Emily and Mary-Catherine at Koehler and Dramm to talk about my new book, Falling Into Flowers, and share a bit about who it’s for, what you can expect to get out of the book, and why I wrote it in the first place!

We talked about weddings, dreaming bigger in your business, checklists and production schedules, rediscovering a love for the customer and impacts of Covid moving forward.

Click to watch (or listen while you’re making holiday wreaths)! [Read more…]

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