Education and Business Training for Floral Designers.
For the last few weeks I’ve been broadcasting my Tuesday Q&As over on Instagram (instead of in my private Facebook group) and it’s been fun to connect with floral folks on the gram! Click below to watch a replay of today’s live chat and make sure to follow me on IG here: @realflowerbusiness!
In today’s live Tuesday Q&A I take real questions from real florists…including questions on:
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
Sound good? Join me & become a patron today!
In this new subscriber-only space on Patreon, we’ll hone in on your ideal customers, sales copy, marketing strategy, and increase your confidence when pre-qualifying clients so that you can LOVE your business (and your life!) as you set yourself up for business success in the long run!
From where to find the right customers to spending less time on consultations, members can ask me anything about streamlining your systems to help you gain more freedom and ensure longevity in your business.
The goal is to create a professional, curated group that’s NOT ON Facebook so that I can provide off the charts value.
I am ALWAYS engaged in what I call “the art of good business”;
this means ALWAYS striving to streamline, perfect and hone my skills, not only in floral design, but in ALL the elements of business that make up a high quality brand.
The training starts November 18-20th and then, you’ll continue to receive monthly training sessions thru April. (You don’t need to attend live to access the training!) If I reach 100 subscribers, I’ll release 2 videos (or mix of video and live Q & A) per month thru April!
Your success is my #1 goal. That’s why I’m offering multiple tiers of membership on Patreon–you can choose which subscription meets your business goals & budget. The first tier of membership is just $9 per month.
If you haven’t been over to Patreon yet, it’s a super user-friendly space where creators, artists, writers and teachers share their work with the people who sign up to support them, or learn from them, on their creative journey (aka their Patrons!).
If you’re reading this, but you’re not familiar with me yet, I’m Alison Ellis, a floralpreneur® with over 25 years of design experience. And while floral design is what brought me to the floral industry, my passion for the art of good business is what’s kept me in business for over 17 years!
Ask me anything! Leave a comment on a post anytime and I’ll address your questions in the upcoming training. You’ll get 3 training sessions in November. This may be a mix of recorded trainings and live Q & A…your input will help shape the content I deliver to you!
This is a super up-close and personal look at how I “conduct myself in business” and I’m looking forward to helping you incorporate some of my tips and tricks into your systems, too.
I’d be honored to have you join me on this brand building journey!
With love from me to you,
Alison
Note: Payments for the current month will be due on the day you subscribe and then, on the 1st of the month for recurring subscriptions. You can unsubscribe at any time.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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?…
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