Real Flower Business

Education and Business Training for Floral Designers.

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Top 10 Florist Tips of 2021

As a general rule I find it’s best to look forward in my business, however, as 2021 comes to a close there’s a lot of hubbub about “top moments” and “best of” lists so it seems only fitting to reflect on some of the conversations and topics from the Real Flower Business community:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • In November, I hosted a Vision & Goal Setting Session and taught 3 days of live trainings to students inside my Marketing Minicourse (all replays are available now inside the course)

 

  • And it was so much fun to talk marketing with floral designers and flower farmers that I hosted a 3 day free Branding & Marketing Training for Florists in December, in preparation for enrollment in, The Art of Good Business, my online course and group coaching program, which begins January 4th, 2022!

While everyone is recapping the year, I just want to remind you of 1 thing:

Nothing’s ending–

it’s not over,

you didn’t miss it,

it’s OK if it isn’t “that special”,

all your efforts are part of what you’re building towards

and the “end of a year”, doesn’t mean anything is actually over…

 

Keep moving forward in your business.

I’m honored to be on your floral business journey with you.

Keep doing beautiful work and I’ll see you in the new year with MORE tips and trainings to help you move your business ahead.

With love from me to you,

Alison Ellis

(click here to learn more about Alison)

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What Can Florists Do To Level Up Your Marketing Strategy?

I know so many florists out there are trying to go it alone when they try and build their businesses, AND 97% of florists are working without an actual marketing strategy! But how are you supposed to stand out above the competition and find great clients if you don’t have a plan to attract them to your business? If you’d like to work with me in 2022 on your branding and marketing strategy as well as systems to help close sales more quickly, my program, The Art of Good Business, is a high-quality, comprehensive course with live group coaching to support you in January and enrollment is open NOW-Dec. 16th at 5pm PST/8pm EST.

Click Here To Learn More

I went live on Instagram on Monday to share a little bit about WHY marketing and branding is such an important aspect of your business to master. Click below to watch!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Alison Ellis (@realflowerbusiness)

Enroll Today!

Florists recommend this course…

“I recommend The Art of Good Business to anyone who has been trying to go it alone. I tried to figure out my business path on my own and found a patchwork of information. The Art of Good Business puts a plan out there to follow step by step. Also, because it is cohesive it puts all the information you need into one clear class. I have taken my binder with me everywhere I go to read and re-read the course. I find new depth in the material each time. It is wonderful that this course continues to grow with your business.

The Art of Good Business is a guide book for my future.“

-Rebecca Raymond

 

Please feel free to reach out with questions for me. We can even schedule a free 20-minute call if you’re not 100% sure this program is right for you!

Doors close & the price is going up on Dec 16 @ 8pm EST!

Enroll Today!

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What Is Sales Copy?

If you’re like me, you fell in love with floral design and decided to turn your passion for flowers into a small business. And if you’re also like me, you didn’t know much about how to market your flower business so you can book clients consistently and stand out against your competition.

I can tell you after 20 years of running my small business, the most effective way to book the best clients year after year is to follow an intentional marketing and branding strategy that speaks to the hearts of your ideal customers so that they KNOW you’re the best choice for them!

97% of the Florists I Surveyed Said They Do NOT Have A Marketing Plan…

I’ve spent the last 12 years learning how to get as good at branding my business as I am at floral design. In fact, I just taught 3 days of marketing and branding strategies to the students in my Marketing Minicourse and it was so much fun that I decided I’m going to do it again in December, but these sessions are free! Click here to join me in the free training!

A florist asked: What is sales copy? Just in case you want to know the answer, too, you can click below for a quick video I shared over on Instagram.

Click Here to Join the free training

Without a doubt, learning how to attract the best customers to your business is one of the most important (and challenging) skills for any business owner to master, however, if you’re working without an intentional marketing strategy, you may find yourself “posting on social media often”, but without any idea of what you actually need to say to attract the best clients!

Instead of throwing out random content, it’s time to add intention to your marketing efforts so that you actually get the results you want–great clients, increased sales, consistent bookings, more joy and freedom in your work.

Whether you decide to join me in the free training or you choose to “go it alone” from here, the most important step is to add intention to your marketing plan so you can book great clients more consistently and create your own version of success. 

I hope you’ll finish the year strong so you can have a great start to 2022!

xo. -Alison

P.S. This 3-Day Training won’t be like some of the free webinars you may have attended where it’s 90% sales pitch and tiny bits of info scatter here and there. We are going to do some work–in fact, I’m making a workbook to go along with it to help keep you moving forward. And if at the end of the training, you want to work further with me, there’ll be an opportunity to do that, too.

Every January I teach a group of highly motivated floralpreneurs how to build their own premium brand in my group coaching program, The Art of Good Business. Enrollment is officially opening Dec. 13-16th and I’ll have more details to share in the upcoming weeks if you’re interested.

 

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Wedding Day Prep

What do florists do on the morning-of a wedding?

A florist asked me recently, “How do you actually do a wedding?” She knows how to price it. She knows how to book it. But how do you actually “do the wedding”?

After 19 years of designing weddings in my home-studio, I shared my Morning-of Wedding Prep with my Patreon membership* and you can see a small sample of how I get started below.

*Patreon members can ask me anything and get access to a ton of tips and training videos to help you book clients consistently, build a solid brand and create high quality work year after year. Membership starts at just $3, but you can unlock more “stuff” with each membership tier.

Click to watch this short 2 minute clip:

In the full video on Patreon you’ll see:

  • How I tie and box bouquets
  • How I present bouquets to clients
  • How I pack centerpieces for delivery
  • How I prep a #foamfree arbor
  • Pictures of my work and the full ceremony set-up

Now, I know that no one wants another “membership”, but if you want to book clients with more ease and ask me anything about how I run my business and execute events, Patreon is the perfect place for you! (click here to join me!) There’s no commitment and you can cancel anytime.

What else would you like to know more about?

Ask me and I’ll turn it into a video lesson you can access any time as a Patreon supporter.

Thanks for making time to watch today’s clip of my wedding day prep.

Keep doing beautiful work!

xo. -Alison

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Running A Floral Business

As a floralpreneur® who’s been running my wedding-based business for over 19 years, I know that there isn’t 1 right way to become a successful florist and everyone’s road looks a little bit different. Running a floral business–or any business for that matter–isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s hard work. There’s risk and uncertainty. And owners are often overworked and underpaid when they’re just starting out. But business savvy florists build businesses they love.

I’ve worked hard over these last 2 decades to create a business that I love. It suits my life and allows me to feel creative and turn a profit. I enjoy my business and my life because I set my goals with intention and develop reliable steps that streamline my workflow.

I love my customers, I consistently turn a profit, and I design work I’m proud to deliver.

That’s how I measure success. What does success look like to you?

Here’s a breakdown of what it takes to run a successful floral design business (see infographic below):

It’s not easy to grow a business when you’re on your own.

That’s why I founded a free Facebook community, Real Flower Business with Alison Ellis, 5 years ago, so that I could share some of the systems I’ve created and the lessons I’ve learned to help encourage and reassure floralpreneurs who are on your own floral journey, still carving a niche and finding your leadership role.

When I realized it was the group’s 5th anniversary, it felt like something to celebrate! There’s no other group that nurtures florists’ success quite like this one. I’m so honored to be a part of this community that includes highly experienced florist, aspiring floral designers, wholesalers, farmer-florists and home-studio side-hustlers who are dedicated to lifelong learning and sharing with their peers.

It’s a privilege to be part of a community that’s been growing together for 5 years! If you’re not already a member of my free group, click here to join and make sure to answer the questions for speedy approval.

I Can Take You Further. Take Another Step With Me:

If you’re a florist who wants to book more weddings, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You can eliminate price shoppers and book customers more quickly by employing a few simple and proven strategies I teach in The 3 Keys to Booking Great Clients. You can get access to my tried-and-true booking shortcuts, as I walk through The 3 Keys to Booking Great Clients by joining me as a Patreon member (click here to join!).

I’ve been booking weddings for 19 years and I’ve been perfecting my booking systems all along the way. When you join me as a Patreon Member you get the most up-close-and-personal access to me and my booking process.

Plus you can “Ask Alison Anything”. I’ll answer your question and probably even turn it into a video lesson so that you can watch or rewatch anytime you want. You can send a private message so your questions remain confidential. This Patreon membership allows me to answer your specific questions in depth.

Seriously, it’s like an all-you-can-eat buffet of booking and branding tips starting at just $3!

Here’s just some of what you’ll unlock as soon as you become a Patreon Member:

  • How I booked 3 new clients in 1 week
  • Wedding Week Prep: See my entire week’s prep in 15 minutes
  • How to Handle Price Increases and Flower Substitutions
  • Foam Free Floral Arbor Recipe & Profit Breakdown
  • How many revisions do you make to a proposal?
  • Should Florists Charge for Proposals?
  • Tips on Sending a Non-itemized Proposal
  • Walk through a customer’s Inspiration board and then, see what I made in real life
  • #1 Tip To Stop Writing Quotes For Clients Who Cannot Afford You

Join Real Flower Business as a Patreon Member today!

Patreon truly is like a buffet of booking and brand building tips, but you can choose the membership tier that works best for you.

Breakdown of Patreon Membership Levels:

  • The most popular membership is the Marketing Maven Tier at $29. You get access to every single lesson ever posted, plus a Transcript of a Real Wedding Consultation so you can be a fly on the wall for an initial call, plus monthly blog and social media prompts to help you post with intention and attract the best clients. Marketing Mavens get 5 Blog and Instagram prompts on the first Monday of every month!

 

  • Consultation Closer at the $19 Level get access to everything in the above tier, minus the monthly branding prompts.Patreon Members at this level can also access:
    • A Transcript of a Wedding Consultation
    • Over a dozen videos on the 3 Keys to Booking
    • 5 Website & Branding Tips
    • Build your dream into a business plan: LIVE session replay
    • Blog Challenge (Days 1 & 2 PLUS Workbooks)
    • Tips on Creativity & Discipline
    • Replay: Live Chat on Setting Minimums

 

  • Members in the Booking Basics Level at $9 can access over a dozen video lessons in The 3 Keys to Booking Great Clients Series, and access all new monthly lessons.

 

  • For just $3 Floralpreneur® Foundation Subscribers can access the first 3 videos in The 3 Keys to Booking Great Clients Series, plus you get limited-time access to new monthly behind-the-scenes lessons.
A few notes:
  • You can upgrade or downgrade your subscription at any time and there is no obligation, so you can cancel any time.
  • New members are billed on the day you sign up and then on the first day of each month moving forward.
  • When new lessons are posted, you’ll get an e-mail notification so you can click over to check it out and there’s even a mobile app for easy access to your Patreon feed from anywhere.

Whether you join me as a Patreon supporter or you continue to partake in my free resources here on my blog or over in my Facebook group, on YouTube or Instagram, thanks for being on this floral journey with me!

Keep doing beautiful work!

xo. -Alison

Learn More About Alison:

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