Real Flower Business

Education and Business Training for Floral Designers.

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How To Improve Your Floral Business

How Are You Going To Improve Your Floral Business?

Step 1. Finish the year strong so you can start strong!

In today’s live Tuesday Q&A I take real questions from real florists…including questions on:

  • Freelance Floristry,
  • Florists Using Pictures That Aren’t Their Work,
  • The Cost Of Candles,
  • Last-Minute Changes,
  • When Do You Bring In Design Help,
  • Estimating Sales Goals,
  • When Florists Get Engaged,
  • & I share tips for A Discouraged Florist in her second year of business.

Click to watch:

Start your January STRONG with me in The Art Of Good Business program. Click here for details and click HERE to apply for a scholarship! Scholarship applications must be received by Dec. 10th at midnight Eastern time. Course Registration CLOSES on Dec. 20th.

Remember:

Clear Communication.

Authenticity Marketing.

Streamlined Sales Systems.

If you want to get good at sales, join me in The Art Of Good Business!

Closing note:

It’s easy to get discouraged; it’s more work to stay focused and on-task to gain momentum in your business; don’t get discouraged.

You can eliminate the competition and become the clear choice by sharing the voice of your brand.

Thanks so much for watching! Questions for me? Get in touch: floralartvt@gmail.com

xo. -Alison

 

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Tips for booking great clients

How do florists book great clients? I would have LOVED to get some secrets for booking more clients in the first 10 years or so of my business! I spent many years learning how to level-up my booking process.

I sought out knowledge that’s allowed me streamline my sales–from consultations to branding to recognizing which clients are the best clients for me–and this has allowed me to take control over the success of my sales process.

I’ve figured out a thing or two over the last 18 years…

That’s why it’s my goal to help florists book awesome clients and build a businesses they love.

I was live today in my Facebook group and here’s a replay of today’s Q&A with real questions from real florists.

Topics covered include:

  • How to get more people into your flower shop,
  • Clients with $700 floral budgets,
  • Last-minute consultation cancellations,
  • How to set an income goal for 2020.
  • And handling clients with sticker shock!

Click to watch:

Don’t miss out my my new training starting Nov. 18-20th! You can learn more about my monthly training on Patreon here: patreon.com/realflowerbusiness

If you’re ready to take control over your future, feel respected and stop price shoppers in their tracks, don’t wait, sign up to join me today!

Questions for me? Shoot me an e-mail anytime: floralartvt@gmail.com

xo. -Alison

 

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My Favorite Florist Tools

Florists often ask for recommendations on the best tools and for me, these ARS clippers are my favorite. I bought them in 4 colors AND saved the packaging because I didn’t want to forget which clippers I had when it’s time to replace them.

I got these at Jamali Garden in NYC several years ago and they’re still going strong. What I like best about them is that the locking and unlocking is more intuitive than other clippers. Makes using them safe and easy.

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After a few scrubs with a Brillo pad they’re clean and ready to go! Plus they come in fun colors. I have red, lavender, teal and yellow. So if you’re looking for a great clipper, this is my pick!

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How Do You Price A Wedding?-Free Pricing Series For Florists

Are you 100% confident in pricing your floral designs?

If your answer is “I think so…” or “not really…”, then I have an invitation for you!…

What are you doing every Wednesday in September?…you’re invited to join me LIVE at 1:00pm EST every Wednesday in September for pricing and profitability tips! They’re 100% FREE and you can sign up by clicking here! 

Watch my video invitation below for more details:

Click to sign up!

Here’s the topic lineup, which is subject to change as questions are submitted:

September 4th–How much do your brides spend on flowers?

September 11th–What should I charge for this bouquet/arbor/centerpiece?

September 18th–How do you calculate your profit margins?

September 25th–How can you make more money in 2020?

Remember, if you want to make sure you DON’T MISS A LIVE CHAT, click here to sign up and get a replay of Week 1 in your inbox ASAP.

September is a good month to focus on making money…

because you’re about to enter the 4th quarter of the year…

and that’s the final stretch of your business year…

a perfect time to check in (and cash as many checks as possible!) before the end of 2019!

NOW IS THE TIME TO FOCUS ON THE FUTURE.

Join me live in my FREE Facebook group and ask a question during the chat…

AND if you want to MAKE SURE YOU GET THE REPLAYS SENT TO YOUR INBOX…

Click HERE to sign up for the replays my September Livestreams AND get notified of a special Fall Sale on Flower Math: The Florist’s Guide To Pricing & Profitability.

I look forward to seeing you LIVE EVERY WEDNESDAY IN SEPTEMBER and answering your pricing questions! 

With love from me to you,

Alison

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Everything I Wish I Knew Before Starting My Business

Free Tips On Starting A Business

Everything I Wish I Knew Before Starting My Business is my new FREE eBook and you can get it TODAY!

Get It HERE!

This 35 page book is part memoir, part how-to and 100% honest regarding my 25 years in the industry and 17 years as a small business owner.

I hope you’ll check it out and I hope you’ll enjoy it!

SO WHAT DOES A GOOD FLORIST REALLY DO?

A good florist has an excellent eye for color and design…but there’s SO MUCH MORE that goes into owning a small business than arranging flowers.

Most people think, “It must be nice to play with flowers all day”, but the truth is that florists spend WAY more time on “other things” (like writing proposals and working on the computer!) than we’d like to admit…

  • Invoicing,
  • High expectation customers,
  • Questionable quality on fresh product,
  • Websites and social media to update,
  • Employees to manage,
  • Delivery logistics,
  • Taxes to pay,
  • and To-Do Lists!….oh, the To-Do Lists!

The idea that florists “play with flowers all day” is a MYTH and anyone who opens a business expecting that FLOWERS will be the main focus on a daily basis is sure to discover “all the other things” that require your immediate attention.

Running a business without basic business foundations can lead to unnecessary mistakes that result in lost income AND over-working.

It’s exhausting to try to “make it up as you go” AND “give it your all”…especially if you’re leaving money on the table. That’s what leads to burn out!

Some people walk alone on their biz journey, while others look for a quick fix: take one workshop and you’ll have all the tools you need!….or, sign up to learn how to make “six figures” in your small floral design business “just like they do”….or get a special software system to “do the work for you”…

But there isn’t 1 RIGHT WAY to run a floristry business and there isn’t 1 PERFECT METHOD that guarantees your success.

Get the book HERE!

Here’s the truth:

Floral design is actually hard work!…and every floral designer has to make their own way in business.

There isn’t a guaranteed shortcut to the top, but there are some important lessons that can take years off your learning curve (EVEN IF YOU’VE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR YEARS ALREADY!).

I share some of the MOST VALUABLE LESSONS I’VE LEARNED over the past 17 years in business in my FREE eBook, Everything I Wish I Knew Before Starting My Business—The Tao Of A Floralpreneur®!

Check out my FREE download to get some of my best tips, lessons and shortcuts to help you on your own business journey!

Click to get It HERE!

Here’s what’s covered in the book:

Page 7 Get Your Hands Dirty   

Page 12 Make It Noteworthy 

Page 15 Great Brands Do This

Page 17 Best & Worst Lessons

Page 23 My Small Business Plan

Page 26 Mom Like A Boss

Page 28 Make It, Don’t Fake It 

Page 29 Master Your Domain 

Page 32 Become A Guru 

Page 33 Invest In You   

Page 35 Market Like A Boss 

Page 36 An Invitation

Grab it HERE!

Here’s what Mallory said in my Facebook group today:

“Thanks for this, Alison! BTW–signing up for a free phone call with Alison (as mentioned in the e-book) is a WONDERFUL opportunity and you should do it…she is so generous with her wisdom and genuinely wants to help you, and her resources are all A++”

I made this book for YOU.

For floralpreneurs of any experience level and every stage of business…

Because this work isn’t easy and ya gotta love it.

And I do. I love it.

Thanks for taking the time to sign up and check it out HERE!

With love from me to you,

Alison

Get the ebook!