These are the final days to join me for the November Session of The Art of Good Business! Read details here.
Is this your session? Why wait? Get started today!
Education and Business Training for Floral Designers.
By Alison Ellis Leave a Comment
These are the final days to join me for the November Session of The Art of Good Business! Read details here.
Is this your session? Why wait? Get started today!
By Alison Ellis Leave a Comment
In my last two blog posts I shared survey results from real florists on why they did not sign up for my course, The Art of Good Business, and today I want to share the outcome and results from real floralpreneurs who DID take the leap to join my course.
(You can check out a FREE preview of the course here.)
Here’s what real florists had to say about The Art of Good Business:
“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.“
“Hey everyone! I just have to say this course, Alison’s content works! If you are dragging your feet in applying the materials, just do it! Do whatever little piece you can fit in during wedding season…here’s my story …
I still have website tweaks to make but my ideal client is more clearly defined, I’ve mostly reworked my web copy, have been better about blogging, and more intentional about how I talk to my followers on social media posts.
…just booked as my biggest gig yet, by $3k….
They refused to give me a budget. Just said that they were willing to pay what was reasonable, flowers were a priority, and they knew they were going to be a big chunk so they intentionally saved in other places. It was sooo had to leave my money shoes in the closet and not make disclaimers when I sent the proposal.
In two hours she texted to say everything looked perfect… She signed the contact in 24hrs. And, she picked me over one of the more prestigious shops in town.”
Floralpreneurs told me that November, January and March are the best times to start my course so I’ve set up 3 new sessions so you can learn at your own pace.
REGISTER FOR 3 NEW SESSIONS:
0.1 DOORS OPEN NOW-NOV. 30
0.2 DOORS WILL OPEN JAN. 1-31
0.3 DOORS WILL OPEN MAR. 1-31
The Art of Good Business includes:
If you want to design a more engaging website, attract better clients and stop worrying about what “other florists” are doing, let’s dive into The Art Of Good Business.
(check out a FREE preview of the course here.)
Click HERE to join my course today!
Feel free to contact me with questions here: floralartvt@gmail.com
By Alison Ellis Leave a Comment
Floralpreneurs were kind enough to share their feedback with me (thank you!) and in my last blog post I shared the #1 Thing florists told me they want to learn (you can read it here). Today I want to share Thing 2; the #2 Thing Florists Need To Learn based on the survey results I received.
Thanks so much to all who took the time to share your thoughts with me! It really does help me to hear your input so that I can work to better tailor my course offerings and free content to meet your needs, struggles and wants. Everything I create is designed to help you better manage your successful and fulfilling small business.
“I’m not sure I really even have a brand…“
“I don’t think you can ever stop developing your brand. I need to improve in making my voice come through stronger. I struggle with the thought that I need to sound professional and businesslike while also be personable and show my voice without sounding like it is forced.”
“I am not good at “selling” myself. I have a style that people can immediately identify as my work, however I haven’t been able to translate that at all via website. Of course I haven’t been good at taking photos of work—I’ve done tons of work with really nothing to show for it.”
I think every business owner can relate to these feelings….do I have a business or a brand?…what IS my voice?…I’m good at what I do, but I hate selling “me”.
Good brands are built, not born. It takes time and practice to develop a brand that goes “beyond just a business”.
It’s easy to understand that floralpreneurs expressed skepticism regarding the value of a $999 investment; on the other hand, some were not clear on what I was actually offering…and then, some were hoping they could buy just part of the course…But these are the stats that I found most interesting:
89% of florists told me hands down that the course was out of their budget…
However, only 1 florist said that she already works with her ideal clients, has an awesome website and a stellar client management process!
(And, by the way, I did have at least 2 men fill out my survey as well, so shout out to the guys, too!)
If only 1% of respondents is reaching her ideal clients and crushing it with her business, then it seems to me that florists really do need The Art Of Good Business and the results you can create for yourself once you take action and join my course here.
2 of most frequent answers as to why floralpreneurs did NOT sign up for The Art Of Good Business– #1. it was a busy time of year and #2, I was surprised to learn that most florists said they’d never taken an online course before.
I’d like to address ALL of your concerns regarding time, cost and “busyness” and invite you to 3 new sessions of The Art Of Good Business starting in November, January or March. And because people mentioned price as the #1 roadblock, I’m introducing a 4-payment plan.
Think about the investment like this: what it would mean if you booked JUST 1 MORE IDEAL CLIENT after taking my course?……Would you make back your investment in 1 gig? Would it be worth it?
What if you booked 5 more ideal clients? Now, what if you consistently book more and more ideal clients every year from now on?…..what would that be worth?
Whether you missed the boat for the October session or you simply didn’t think it was worth the investment, think about where you are NOW….and consider where you want to be next year….2 years from now….5 years from now……What steps are you going to take to get there? How are you going to transform your business into a long lasting brand?
(I’ve spent almost $2k in online education in the past 3 months…at a time when I was “so busy” I knew I didn’t have time to fully absorb all the info, but I started anyway…and over the next few months I’ll be digging in.) I am not afraid to start before I’m ready….it’s the only reason I am where I am right now.
Being too busy or not having $999 in your budget can be a totally valid reason to not sign up for my course and I understand the feeling–it took a long time for me to decide it was worth the risk to try to figure out how to have a business that was branded and excellent; I had to take a leap and invest in myself if I wanted to move on to the next level with my biz.
I always felt like I had to do everything myself–for years–but I took my first leap on a conference in NYC with Marie Forleo & Danielle LaPorte called Selling Your Soul and I got so much value–so much inspiration–that I’ve been investing in my business education and development every year since.
Don’t wait until “the time is right”…..the time is NEVER right. There is always a holiday, or another project, or an upcoming “big ticket item” that we have to plan for….think about what it would mean if you booked JUST 1 MORE IDEAL CLIENT this my course…….would you make back your investment? Would it be worth it?
While most florists said that they had never taken an online course, of those who’ve taken online courses, over 6% of people had been disappointed in a previous online course they’d purchased.
I’m sorry to hear that and I’ve been there, too. When Flower Math first came out in November 2015 I purchased another pricing course to see how it compared and I was really disappointed in what I saw. Frankly, it was marketed to floral designers, but it wasn’t nearly specific enough and did not properly represent the industry standards on pricing & profits. It was heavily marketed to florists and I bet a lot of business owners bought it and didn’t get their proper value.
Bad courses happen. Your skepticism is warranted.
But if you’ve been burned before, don’t give up hope! I’ve invested in several online courses (admittedly not wedding or floristry related; they were highly vetted business courses) and each of them has majorly helped me to push my business to the next level.
Join the November session HERE. Registration is open Nov. 1-30. Class begins Nov. 6th.
Doors Open for the next session Jan. 1-31.
As always, you can contact me with any questions you may have!
With love from me to you,
Alison
P.S.
When I asked you what you’re most interested in learning or improving, the hands-down response was “Pricing and profitability”. This doesn’t surprise me. My very first course is Flower Math, The Florist’s Guide To Pricing & Profitability, which I created because I know that there are really talented florists out there who still don’t have a firm grasp on how to price their work.
I know how important pricing and profits are to your small business. Since so many of you answered that this is what you’re most interested in learning or improving I’m introducing a 2-payment plan for Flower Math….you can start today if you’re ready.
Real feedback from real people…there ain’t nothing like the real thing, baby. Real florists told me what they really think…and I am ever so grateful.
I asked floralpreneurs why they did not sign up for the October session of my course, The Art Of Good Business, and I got some genuinely valuable feedback from over 100 florists over the course of a few days.
The survey results were interesting, heartening and share-worthy. Thanks so much to all those who offered your feedback.
Y’all said some really nice things about my courses and my “free stuff” and my Facebook group; your opinions and encouragement are greatly appreciated.
I’m going to share some of the survey results with you in two posts including Thing #1 and Thing #2 that florists told me they want to learn or improve….stay tuned on Monday morning for Part 2, “The #2 Thing Florists Want To Learn”.
“I can put awesome stuff in the vase and book nearly all wedding proposals I write, but I don’t have enough clients coming at me. I DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW TO HELP CLIENTS FIND ME.”
“I would like my brand to be truly my own…Not a template or just a series of pictures that look just like every other flower shop or wedding designer.”
“I don’t get a lot of inquiries! Also my quote process takes so long I dread it.”
“I’m overwhelmed by the sheer number of workshops being offered. Do I take a design course? A business course? A farming course (I’m a cut flower farmer and florist)? I sign up for these lists because I admire all of you, and it can be really difficult figuring out what to take and when.”
I know a lot of florists share these same sentiments, which is why I share these words from real florists with you today….you’re not alone.
When I asked you what you’re most interested in learning or improving, the hands-down response was “Pricing and profitability”. 71% of florists said they’re most interested in learning more about pricing!
This does not surprise me. The very first course I created, Flower Math, The Florist’s Guide To Pricing & Profitability, shares everything I know about pricing & profitability. I designed this course for florists because I know that there are really talented designers out there who still don’t have a firm grasp on how to price their work.
Click here to read what’s included in Flower Math.
Nicole just signed up for Flower Math on Monday, and she wrote to me on Tuesday (Yes, just 1 day later!) to say this…
“…I’ve taken a handful of courses…I really felt like I needed to invest in everything marketed to me before I could be considered legitimate. I took [3 “other” online courses for florists]… Even after all of that, it all seemed muddy. I told myself I’d give Flower Math a try and then no more courses.
Don’t listen to people who tell you that you “don’t need a recipe”. You most definitely do need a recipe to turn a profit in your floral design business. Recipes are an important part of your pricing and profits in your small business.
In Flower Math, I don’t tell you what I think you should do. I show you, step by step, exactly how I do it. Whether you’re pricing a wedding or a daily delivery from your shop, you’ll learn how to make a profit on every order you make.
I created this course for floral designers who have a talent and love for flowers, but do not have anywhere to turn for mentorship to learn the business-side of the craft.
From industry standard mark-ups and how to apply them to recipes and wholesale ordering, plus 3 real weddings worth of sales, orders, recipes & real profits—I’m taking you behind the scenes to show you how I run my floral design business.
New! Since so many of you answered that Pricing & Profitability is what you’re most interested in learning or improving I’m introducing a 2-payment plan for Flower Math….you can start today if you’re ready.
Flower Math is an investment in your business. You have to ask yourself as a business owner, “how many weddings do I have to sell to make back this investment?”
So, how much work would you have to book to make it worth it? How many gigs do you have to book to make $499?
I’ve had florists tells me they’ve made back the price of the course in 1 wedding.
Larissa of Bridal Beginnings shared on Facebook, “Flower Math saved my business.”
Invest in your business, invest in your profitability. Click to get Flower Math here today!
“I genuinely LOVE your courses and rave about them to literally everyone and anyone. The short courses on proposals and contracts has been invaluable and I know I would get a lot out of the art of good business, I whole heartedly trust your voice and know your advise is well worth the fee. I spent up on advertising this year and am still trying to recoup some gains from that investment so it was more a timing issue for me this time round. I have already earmarked for next year instead of collaborations and paid adverts I am investing in your course, I just hope that you will run it again in the new year (after Valentines).”
“I’ve got a client management system in place that I am always tweaking. I was actually thinking that flower math might be a better option for me at this point. You are an awesome resource, Alison, and I’m grateful for all of your assistance in the group. Thank you for your videos as well.”
“I should ask my husband to buy me your course for Christmas!“
Many florists said that November, January and March were ideal times to dive into a course so I am offering 3 upcoming sessions of The Art of Good Business and you can find details here! Registration will be open in November, January and March. You can sign up any time that works for you during the registration months and then join me for livestreams in our private Facebook group once a month for the entire year! You can do this course at your own pace and get live support from me once a month for the entire year. I don’t want you to just buy the course, I want you to get results!}
Again, many thanks to those who took the time to share your input with me. I have more survey results to share with you….tune in Monday for the #2 Thing florists told me they want to learn more about!
Keep doing beautiful work!
With love from me to you,
Alison
Learn more about Flower Math here.
Want to book a one-on-one strategy session? Find the details here: Private lessons
By Alison Ellis Leave a Comment
Hello floralpreneurs! Do you run a one woman (or one man!) show when it comes to your website design, marketing, and overall business strategizing (i.e. what you do to attract ideal clients!)? If the answers is “yes”, I’ve got something for you!
Join me Monday, Sept. 18th in my FREE PopUp Group on Facebook with Website Tips For Florists. I’ll be live at Noon (EDT) on 9/18, but you can catch a replay in the group thru Sept. 30th.
Click HERE to join the free group!
Your website is your online storefront. It’s how the world sees you! And I know that honing your message to attract your ideal clients isn’t easy!
I’ve done a lot of work around this in my own floral design business and in my LIVE online course, The Art Of Good Business, I share with you exactly how I “do the work” to build a brand that attracts my ideal clients over and over again.
Ideal clients are a gift. I never take them for granted. Each and every time the “right client” finds me I am thrilled and reassured that the hard work I do is worth the effort!
If you’re ready to make room for quality over quantity in your business (i.e. the RIGHT clients vs just “any” clients) I hope you’ll join me in my free PopUp group and then, make a leap to join me for The Art Of Good Business. (Door close Sept. 30th)
Not sure if my course is right for you? Get in touch! floralartvt@gmail.com
We can even hop on the phone for a chat.
xo. -A