Real Flower Business

Education and Business Training for Floral Designers.

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Why Florists Cannot Compete On Price

realflowerbusiness.com, floral design, floristry, business of flowers

Have you ever been pressured to lower your prices in order to book a job?

Today, a floralpreneur® in my Facebook group shared that a client slashed her prices in half and re-sent the new pricing back to the florist!…..needless to say, the comments on that one made for some good reading!

As a business owner and floral artist, it’s important to recognize that you don’t want every customer. You want the customers that want YOU…and are willing to pay your for your work!

Business guru and genius marketer, Seth Godin, talks about Competing On Price as a “race to the bottom”. As Mr. Godin puts it, what do you do when you win?…ie. when you’ve succeeded and you’re “at the bottom”!

The idea of “winning” based on undercutting, is a misconception. You cannot “win” if the only reason someone picked you is because you’re cheap-er.

The real reason you don’t want to compete on price….

A florist cannot lower prices and exceed expectations at the same time!….not unless you’re giving up your profit margin.

And if you’re going to sustain your business, you must respect your profit margin.

I don’t want to win at the game of “cheapness”.

I want to win at the game of quality work and amazing customer service.

Click to watch this quick video, “Why you cannot compete on price”:

 

 

What is your goal?…

Do you want to be the cheapest?

Or do you want to be better than the cheapest?

I hope you’ll choose option #2 above!

Don’t compete on price!…so you can keep doing beautiful work!

With love from me to you,

Alison

P.S. In today’s video I mention my Flower Math course, which is designed to help florists price with confidence and maximize profit margins! (click here for details on the course!)

More FREE Tips from the Blog:

You down with O.P.P? (Other People’s Proposals) Click HERE to read.

How much should florists charge for rentals? Click HERE to read.

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What do florists charge for delivery?

real flower business, tips for floral designers, floral business, floral design school

What should florists charge for delivery & set-up?

On weddings and events you might call it “delivery” or “day of labor” or “set-up fee”…..

I call it the :Delivery & Set-up fee” and it includes my time from the minute I start to load my van to the minute I’m done unloading it after an event.

Your time is valuable and you should be paid for delivery and set-up.

A delivery fee can be:

  • related to the radius from your flower shop, like a straight up delivery fee for any arrangement that leaves your door…
  • a percentage of the total order…
  • a starting rate of X with a mileage fee on top…

Delivery is more of a choose your own adventure aspect of pricing in your business.

For example:

  • Delivery starts at $150,
  • We don’t leave the door for less than $500 on a Saturday,
  • We charge 15% of the total order,
  • How much does it cost per van, per employee, per hour?
  • Add a PITA charge=pain in the (you know what!) for holidays, inconvenient locations and overall hassle-factors.

People expect to pay for delivery & installation (or set-up).

A delivery fee is different from a design fee.

The design fee is what you charge per design….it pays for your time and expertise in floristry.

Delivery fee pays for your vehicles, labor, time spent waiting….

I used to be really nervous to increase my delivery fee. It took me years to realize what I needed to take into account to make it worth my while to deliver.

Click below to watch: Price Talk Live! A replay from my Facebook group On Delivery & Set-up Fees!

In this video I’m fresh off the heels of a Chapel Designer Workshop where I taught at Hope Flower Farm in May. Going to live workshops is invigorating and can leave me vibing for weeks. Connecting with people who share our passion is an amazing gift.

I share a bit about who was at Hope and what we did there in this live chat, but you can skip ahead to the delivery & set-up tips if you fast forward to 4:25 minutes in!

I charge based on what it costs to “do this job”….

I calculate this on a per hour basis and also consider the mileage, number of helpers, number of vehicles, whether I have to climb a ladder and whether I have to come back or stay on call to move things between the ceremony & reception.

My delivery fee isn’t related to how much my client spends, it’s based on how much I need to make that entire day work seamlessly so that I meet their expectations and also cover the time I invest.

The bigger the event, the bigger the delivery and set up fee.

 

Consider the following when determining your delivery rate:

  • Some florists charge 10-20% of the total order,
  • Breakdown is additional (if it’s another trip, that’s separate!),
  • Administration fees (to coordinate delivery with other vendors, etc.),
  • Conceptualization fees (it takes time to make a set-up plan sometimes),
  • Give-up-my-Saturday fee,
  • Per van cost,
  • Per employee/hour,
  • What’s your “replace me fee” (if you’re sick or unable to go to the wedding, what will that cost you?)

Delivery may sound simple, but theres a level of care, expertise and professionalism that comes with the job.

Making money in your business should not be a mystery. Florists must have clarity on pricing.

Move forward pricing well, making a profit, and give yourself a pay increase with a small bump in your delivery fee.

Keep doing beautiful work, floralpreneur®!

And, by the way, as I mention in the video above, there’s a monthly payment plan on Flower Math for $49 per month for 1 year (click here).

You get the entire course right away and you can take 1-year to pay. If you need Flower Math, I’m happy to extend this payment plan option to make it more accessible.

Don’t hesitate to be in touch with any question for me.

With love from me to you,

Alison

Click here to join me in my Facebook group for future livestreams!

Click here to watch: 3 Numbers Florist Need To Know!

Video notes:

You can read an article I wrote for Florists’ Review Magazine about the Floral & Fauna Fashion Show and flowers with purpose, click here: floristsreview.com/flora-fauna-fashion-show

The teacher lineup at Hope included: Holly Chapple, Gregor Lersch, Hitomi Gilliam, Francoise Weeks, Passionflower Sue (Susan McLeary), and I was invited to speak about business (specifically pricing & website stuff!).

It was a honor to be on the roster with these legends and incredible floral pros.

Questions for me? Feel free to be in touch @ floralartvt@gmail.com

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Should you book more luxury weddings?

realflowerbusiness.com, real flower business courses, florist training, floral design

If you want to have a successful floral design business do you have to focus on luxury weddings?

I’ve seen ads that claim to teach florists how to “book more luxury events” and “make a six-figure income”, but the truth is that most florists don’t service luxury events (or pay themselves a 6-figure salary!).

In fact, many florists aren’t fully equipped to do luxury events (staffing, space constraints, rental inventory on deck, etc.) so if you don’t do “luxury weddings”, you’re actually totally normal!

As I learned in my youth, “Mo money, mo problems”; that can certainly apply to luxury floral gigs, too.

Luxury events of the scale and scope that generate “a six figure income” require a few things:

  • High-end clientele that trusts you…
  • Unbelievable customer service…
  • Organizational systems…
  • A Team of pros (your floral army)…
  • Room to spread out and do your work…
  • Ladders…
  • Extra vehicles…
  • Multiple meetings…
  • The entire weekend thru Sunday afternoon….
  • Nerves of steel!

The sheer quantity of work involved in creating lush centerpieces for 200+ guests and hanging installations and an elaborate arbor or chuppah can be more than just a bit overwhelming for any floralpreneur®.

For example, if you don’t have a “go-to team” you can count on, then pulling off a large-scale event may be particularly difficult to execute.

You need a reliable team of professionals on deck who understand your expectations in order to flawlessly deliver a ton of details in a short amount of time. Without extra hands you can trust to help lift and schlep and climb ladders, “luxury weddings” can make you feel like you’re in over your head.

Pro Tip: Find your sweet spot!

To have a “successful business”, your work should not only make you money, but it should make you happy & fulfilled, too….in other words, you shouldn’t dwell in a constant state of overwhelm or aim for goals that aren’t truly in your heart.

Most of my weddings are in my “sweet spot” which is anywhere from $3,500-$6,500 range. They’re “big enough” to make it worth my while to block off my time and spend days designing for their event, yet I don’t need a floral army to meet my obligations and I can probably fit it all in my minivan for delivery without renting a larger vehicle.

I can appreciate the thrill and challenge of a larger event, but luxury weddings aren’t my bread and butter.

Once I involve multiple vehicles, multiple helpers, multiple hours of on-site installation over multiple days, the commitment from me goes up and the commitment from the client goes up as well (both financially and in regards to overall expectations).

If you’re intimidated by five-figure floral budgets and high-expectation clients or you’re simply not interested in providing extra time and attention and multiple on-site meetings to high-end clients, then “luxury” events may not be your dream gig. And that’s OK. Determine the price points that work best for your business goals so you’re working in your sweet spot.

 

Floral design is not a get-rich-quick scheme…

You won’t find a florist on this planet who’ll deny that what we do is hard work, so while turning a profit in your business is a necessity (and you should know your profit margin on every event!), your love of flowers and floral design is also an important ingredient for sustained success.

I’m not actually looking to grow a large scale floral design company. I like the work I do now.

I love floral design and specifically, I love my small, home-studio that focuses on wedding flowers. I consider myself a successful business owner; I’m happy with what I’ve built and continue to grow.

If you don’t LOVE floral design in your heart, you’re going to have a lot of very long days at work.

 

Flower Math, online pricing course for floral designers, florist pricing guide

Let’s talk profit margins in your flower biz.

As a solo-business owner, who only hires occasional freelancers and weekend delivery & set-up assistance, there are some limitations on the amount of work I can take (and that creates an income cap!). For example, I’ve done 4 weddings in a holiday weekend before….and it was hell…..so I learned to never do that again!

So with limited weekends for events, how do florists create a financially viable business?  Click here to check out some real floral industry stats and watch my live chat: How much does a florist make?…

The moral of the story is this:

You don’t have to book luxury weddings to be a successful floral designer.

Do what you love! Deliver what you promise. And keep doing beautiful work!

xo. -Alison

Additional resources:

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Behind the Scenes

There are only a few days left to get in on my end-of-year business reboot!

Before signing up for my 4th Quarter Business Planning Jam Session and joining me for The Art of Good Business, check out this quick behind the scenes video:

Click here to learn more about the course.

OR get an inside look at the course HERE.

Real florists say:

“I was hesitant to start and not finish the course online, but this course was very accessible.

[This course is for]…anyone and everyone seriously interested in improving their business. Learning to be passionate, but at the same time differentiate a hobby from a business.
I would love to do it again…”
-Sarita De Castro
floral industry, Art of Good Business, floralpreneur
“Being a success is more than dollars earned, recognition, or floral-designing mastered. More than visibility on social media or working prestigious venues. The integrity of delivering great value… and client’s perception of being well served is what is a worthy goal.
AND the work is mine to DO not just to KNOW. This falls in line with my personal life values so I’m happy to put this at the top of my list of business goals…
It was worth every penny. It was at the top of my affordability at this time in my fledgling business. And I did not have to get a hotel room or plane ticket, which kept me in the game.

I am so happy with the value of this course. I didn’t even know that all of THIS is exactly what I needed to know!“
-Cathy Lamb

“There is so much content in this course! Definitely exceeded expectations.

The most important part of this course for me was the section on choreographing the customer service portion of my business. I am learning how to communicate clearly and lead my clients in a way that builds trust and sets realistic expectations.
This course is great for anyone that is ready to refine their business practices. You have to be ready to take action for this to really make a difference.
I really enjoyed the live portion of the course…Felt like having you there with us.”
-Jessie Partridge

Click here to learn more about the course.

OR get an inside look at the course HERE.

And if you have a question for me, get in touch! floralartvt@gmail.com

Who is The Art of Good Business for?

You may be a talented designer, but do 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?

If you said “yes” to any (or all) of the above, 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 get started today.

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What’s your 3 year plan?

Hey, Floralpreneur®,

Where do you want your business to be 3 years from now?

It may not sound super sexy, but…

planning ahead is not only necessary when you own a business, it’s actually really clarifying! Which is why I’m inviting up to 30 business savvy floral designers to a 4th Quarter Planning Session*!

Getting clear on what you want in your business–not what someone else wants in their business, but what works for your world, your life, your income goals, and your unique branding qualities–well, that can be the most liberating thing you can do for yourself in this next year in business!

Are you making plans this year to ensure you reach your future goals?

If you’re not sure where to start, we can chart this course together!

Ready to map out a plan for your business over the next 3-5 years?

Join me for a 4th Quarter Planning & Productivity Jam Session, October 22-26!

This is a bonus planning session for florists who’ve enrolled in The Art of Good Business* and I’m inviting up to 30 new enrollees to join us, too.

*You’ll be invited to this bonus planning session when you sign up for The Art of Good Business before October 22!

(scroll down for more details on the course & scholarship opportunities!)

New! Scholarship Opportunity

I’ll be awarding 2 full scholarships to join my planning session and my course for free!

Click HERE to fill out a scholarship application!

This program requires you to “do work”. If you do the work, you will get results!…and I’ll be here to help along the way with a live session of the course in our private Facebook group this January!

Note: The scholarship value for The Art of Good Business is $1,000.

Applications must be received before midnight on October 12th.

floral industry, Art of Good Business, floralpreneur

Marketing and branding is complex.

Talented florists often thrive in the creative aspects of the business, while the critical elements of marketing and “selling yourself” can be more frustrating and elusive.

I mean, what IS the best way to find the right customers year after year?

How CAN you market your business in a way that feels authentic to you–and not an imitation of someone else?

What steps are you going to take in order to fully express your one-of-a-kind style & brand? (You know, “the thing” that brings people to you/your business over any of your competitors!)

About The Art of Good Business:

This online program teaches you how to stand out from your competition by identifying your unique branding strengths so that you can run a business that feels authentic, trustworthy and fulfilling.

The Art of Good Business shows you how to tackle your marketing 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.

You don’t have to be a branding expert to have a reputable brand, but you do need to dig deep to discover your most valuable selling points. This is the work we do in The Art of Good Business and it’s easy to get started…

 Click HERE to enroll today. 

Who is The Art of Good Business for?

You may be a talented floral designer, but do 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?

If you said “yes” to any or all of the above, then The Art of Good Business is made for you!

Testimonial:

“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.

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.”

–Rebecca Raymond Floral

How can you transform your business into a brand?

Attract awesome clients (and repel clients who aren’t a good fit),

by designing an engaging website (that converts into sales),

and choreograph your client management (take the lead to establish trust),

so that you can build an integrity brand that eliminates the competition.*

*If you’re about to update your website or refresh your branding, then you’ll want to do the work in this course first! 

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE COURSE!

*Pro tip: At some point you have to stop worrying about what your “competition” is doing so that you can focus in on what you’re actually doing to attract more clients who love you!

 

Do you bootstrap your floral business?

If you’re anything like me, you probably “do it all”….sure, maybe you hire some help for deliveries or design work, and if you can afford it, you may have a bookkeeper handle all your business receipts & payroll…

But for the most part, you’re do it yourself-er. DIY floral biz owners make every decision from which shade of blush garden rose you’ll order, to how you spend advertising dollars, to the sales copy on your website, to the big-picture planning and forward thinking.

This business has a lot of moving parts to manage all at once…especially in the midst of a busy wedding season!

It can be hard to plan ahead when you’re struggling to just keep up with what’s happening this week, but we’ll dive deep into The Art of Good Business together to make sure you make progress, not just plans!

Here’s what you’ll learn in the course…

  • Gain valuable strategies around how to prequalify customers so that you’re not wasting time with clients who aren’t a good fit;
  • Florists will uncover a deeper understanding of who your ideal customers are so that you can speak directly to them;
  • Learn how to improve your website to create a first point of contact that attracts ideal clients;
  • Choreograph outstanding client management that feels like personalized customer service for your ideal clients;
  • ​​​​Hone the unique blend of talents that make up your one-of-a-kind brand so that you can eliminate the competition by highlighting your own personal branding strengths.

I 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!

To get the maximum benefits from this course you’ll need:

  • a computer to log in & download pdfs,
  • an open mind & willingness to expand your thinking,
  • a pen & notebook,
  • and a commitment to start what you finish!

And if you need some encouragement, I’ll be live once a month in our private Facebook group to help get you over the finish line & answer your questions!

Click HERE to learn more about what’s included in the course.

Or Click HERE to fill out a scholarship application!

You can check out a free preview of the course HERE!

Scholarship requirements and application guidelines are as follows:

1. You must have a website for your business.
2. Scholarships are for floral retailers; home-studio florists, flower growers and brick & mortar shops are welcome to apply.
3. Your business must be at least 3 years old (established no later than December 2015)…even if it’s still only part-time!
4. You’ll be asked to list out your SWOTs (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats). (If you need more info on this, Google it! You don’t have to know everything to run a business, but the Google can answers these sorts of questions for you.)
5. Submit a video introduction! Introduce yourself on a short video (5 minutes or less) and tell me what your business is currently known for as well as where you’d like to be in the next few months to 5 years in your biz.

This program requires you to “do work”. If you do the work, you will get results!…and I’ll be here to help along the way with a live session of the course in our private Facebook group this January!

Note: The scholarship value for The Art of Good Business is $1,000.

Applications must be received before midnight on October 12th.

Click HERE to fill out a scholarship application!

floral design business courses, floristry, floral design, Alison Ellis

Learn more about Alison here.