Real Flower Business

Education and Business Training for Floral Designers.

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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.

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Why you don’t want to book every customer

Pro tip: You don’t want to book every customer! You only want to book the right customers.

When I was first starting out in my business, I thought the goal was to book every client….no matter what it took!

  • Lower the price on a few things to meet the budget? Sure.
  • Meet at a super inconvenient time for me? Sounds great!
  • Schedule a second call to go over “all the things” before you decide to work with me? Um, OK!

Whatever reassurance a customer needed to be persuaded that I was the right florist for the job, that’s what I’d do!

But over time, with experience and concerted efforts to dive deeper into who my ideal customers actually are, I’ve come to realize that I don’t want to book every customer!….not by a long shot. I only want to book the right customers for me.

Who’s “the right customer”?

Well, it’s someone who doesn’t need to be convinced that I’m the right choice because she can already feel that I’m the right choice from her preliminary experience with my company and my brand.

I set the rules to clearly communicate the steps in our booking process, so neither one of us invests too much time before we’ve decided we’re a good match.

I share how I’ve perfected this process over the past 16 years in my courses for wedding florists: How To Write Proposals That Sell  and my Wedding Workflow pdfs show you how to spend less time before booking a client and how to lay out the steps for clients to follow from the initial inquiry to post-wedding day follow-up, click here to read more about my courses.

It takes a lot of work to learn how to speak directly to the heart of your ideal clients.

By tapping into who my clients really are and what they really care about, I’m able to reach them on a deeper level and develop a level of trust before we even speak.

I’ve streamlined my proposal process so that I’m not “giving away all the details”, yet I still provide enough detail that a client can trust that we’re on the same page.

It may not happen over night, but with time and practice, the booking process starts to take shape and you’ll be able to prequalify clients before investing too much time.

You can find all my downloadable pdfs here!

Keep doing beautiful work, floralpreneurs!

With love from me to you,

Alison

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Because You’re a Maker

It doesn’t matter if your favorite blog is closing because you are a maker.

And you will make more. You will keep on making until you’re done. Because that’s what makers do.

We design because we love this work.

We take classes and seek out inspiration from other florists we admire because we love to do this work really well.

Click to watch “What does it mean for your business now that Style Me Pretty is closing?”:

It cannot be the end of your marketing plan if your favorite blog closes its doors.

It’s OK to miss it….a lot of people who’ve been devoted fans for many years may miss it.

But you are a maker. You’re the one who makes the content that beautiful blogs want to share. You’ll make more. And more….and more.

Remember: The only thing you own online is your own website!

It’s the only thing you truly control. Instagram, Facebook, just like your favorite blog, can disappear, too, so what’s your plan for when that happens? Where will your best stuff be then?

On your own website, floralpreneurs. That’s where you want to shine.

What to do now: Instead of simply moving those ad-dollars to another online platform, re-invest back into your own business!

 

Put that ad budget into a website upgrade, take an online course….or attend a workshop….or take the funds and give yourself a raise.

You are your own best representative for your business. You have the power to get that SEO all on your own. The power is in your hands (and inside your computer….aka on your website!).

Keep doing beautiful work!

With love from me to you,

Alison

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What to do if customers are ghosting

Hey floralpreneurs!

I’ve seen an influx of florists asking about “ghosting” in my Facebook group. Particularly the question, “What can I do to fix this?”

If you, too, are experiencing customers who “disappear” without a word, check out today’s video where I talk about 2 reasons this may be happening plus 4 tips to help you correct this problem in my live chat on “Closing the sale”.

Click to watch if you’re getting ghosted:

Find a list of downloadable pdfs HERE.

The slow fade.

Every florist can relate to your frustration when a customer just walks away! You’re not alone.

At this point in my business I have an excellent pre-qualification process. I think instead of just “weeding out” price shoppers, prequalification serves as a form of “customer service” by letting potential clients know some important details before we move forward:

#1. My requested minimum for THEIR event (if it’s further away, the minimum is more, for example, if there are 8 bridesmaids, it’s more than if you have 2 bridesmaids, etc.),

#2. That our first contact is via phone consultation,

#3. I will provide them some preliminary details and a quote and THEN THEY CAN BOOK OR NOT, but we’re not going further down this road (with multiple revisions, meetings, etc.) unless we’re on the same page at this point regarding price, style and trust….and a deposit.

Now, that said, I really do feel your pain; it’s not easy to “start from scratch” each season as we do in the wedding industry. No “repeat business” from last year’s couples makes what we do in the wedding biz very uniquely, stressful and we must be resilient when faced with rejection. Which is easier said than done sometimes.

But here’s how I see it, anyone who’s price shopping and doesn’t choose you, is a GOOD loss. You don’t want that customer….OK, maybe you just need “any customers” at some point, but in the long run, the price shopper isn’t a “type of customer” you can truly try to court and make loyal to you/your brand.

Your ideal customer (not necessarily “high-end” or “luxury customers”, but YOUR customers, the ones who want the work that you enjoy doing!) have to “find you” because you show up for them in a way that’s clear and obvious to them.

As I always say, we have to speak directly to their hearts so they can find us….and what happens on the flip-side is that these price shoppers start to realize that we are not talking to them.

They “weed themselves out” because they can feel your honesty, your quality, your vibe, and they want you. Not “just anyone”.

You’re not “the cheapest”; you have something more to give…and they feel that.

Your businesses depends upon understanding what your customers need, then, you serve it up on a silver platter, and if it’s “not for them”, they know it…..just as much as we do.

But for your ideal clients, the clients who LOVE you and are excited to work with you, THEY GET IT. They get you. They want what you do. They don’t need convincing because you’ve already shown them WHO YOU ARE.

This is the work I do on-the-daily….and what I teach in The Art of Good Business….and it IS a long game…..

But it was only a few years ago when I was “doing my art of good biz work” and I was just not booking as many weddings as I needed. And I was bummed. And kinda stunned. ‘Cause I was working SO HARD. And putting SO MUCH out there…..yet a friend of mine who wasn’t “doing all the things” and wasn’t trying so hard, well, she was booking GREAT gigs, easily…..her customers loved her. And I was at the same junction you seem to be now; “WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?”

“Oh nothing”, my friend assured me. “You’re great. You’re doing everything right”…..but I insisted, “No. You’re booking. I’m not. I’m working hard to express myself (blogging, revamped website, and doing some of my best design work), but I must be doing something wrong.”

So I used this “less than busy enough” time to “do even more work” and in the end, the season was “OK, not great”…..BUT THE NEXT YEAR was my BEST season yet. The season after that, even better, Last year, best so far…..

That season I was down, well, I lost my mojo or my vibe was not jiving with the clients I wanted or I was trying too hard….because despite my best efforts, and I mean really, deep rooted best efforts, people weren’t digging me.

All this is to say, you’re smart to ask “What can I do to fix this?” Because it is up to you to fix everything around here! This is your dream, your biz, your struggle….and your ideal customer to attract and wow and attract again, and again, and again.

Keep working. Keep looking for holes, clues, signs, signals, mis-communications that you can fix.

Keeping the faith in the off-season is hard when we’re not booking. Keep moving forward.

Keep doing beautiful work.

xo. -Alison

Definition of ‘Ghosted’ (via Huffington Post).

The term “ghosting“ (sometimes known as the “slow fade”) refers to the anecdotally pervasive act where one dater ends a relationship by simply disappearing. The ghost does not give an explanation of any sort, leaving the ghosted wondering where he or she went wrong.

Find a FULL LIST of course offerings HERE.

 

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Tips for Prequalifying Clients

How do you prequalify clients?

It took me several years of building my floral design business before I felt like I finally started to hone in on my pre-qualification process.

Not every customer can be my customer.

OK, I’d heard that before, but I really, really wanted more customers! How was I supposed to ignore perfectly decent customers in pursuit of only the right ones? (This felt risky.)

Well, it wasn’t “easy” and it did take some practice, but I spent the new few years zeroing-in on the clients that I really wanted to work with and soon, I had a calendar that was 90% filled with “my ideal customers”.

(OK, I totally made up that number….maybe it was 88%?….maybe 95%….I didn’t do the math, but my customers rocked. I was psyched with almost every single client.)

It took me years, but now I understand that attracting the right customers to my business is not about mass appeal; it’s about niche appeal.

So what’s unique about you?

That’s what’s marketable about you/your brand.

If we want to attract “better gigs”, we must show our ideal customers who we are.

Click to watch: Prequalifying Clients, Live from Facebook.

Prequalifying is a form of customer service.

Save yourself time and save clients time, too, by identifying early-on that you’re just not the right fit.

Make prequalifying part of your workflow.

Successful business owners don’t waste time in unnecessary meetings.

CEO’s say No to things that don’t fit the vision.

Prequalify.

We must be in love with our brand if we want customers to love it, too.

I know so much about my potential clients, even the ones who don’t book me, because their inquiry forms tell me a lot of important details about who they are….beyond just “we’re planning a wedding”.

My pre-qualification process feels like customer service.

It’s worth taking the time to get to know my ideal clients so I can more easily attract them AND more easily identify the clients who won’t be “ideal” for my company.

Remember: Ideal customers don’t need convincing. They already dig you.

Thanks for reading & watching!

With love from me to you,

Alison

Click for more:

What I’m obsessed with in my business right now.