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.
By Alison Ellis Leave a Comment
I hope you’ll take a few minutes to check it out! You can listen here: fromthegroundupfloral.media/podcast/2019/6/14/flower-math-with-alison-ellis
You can find the podcast on iTunes and subscribe to future episodes as well! I hope you’ll make some time to listen.
Thanks to Gina for inviting me to your podcast!
Floralpreneurs sometimes ask me if I’ll ever do a podcast and while I’d never say never, you can currently find me on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest!
xo. -Alison
Read more about The Art Of Good Business HERE.
By Alison Ellis Leave a Comment
Your website is one of your sharpest sales tools…
And it’s always a work in progress…
And it isn’t just about looking pretty.
(Well, that’s not easy to answer, but a great website certainly can’t hurt!)
An excellent website is a must-have; this is not optional! Your website is your storefront and it represents your brand.
Your brand is how the world sees you….SO…what does your website say about your brand? (Not sure? Grab my free pdf HERE!)
When you scroll through your website, answer the following questions:
“Does your website…”
If you didn’t answer a resounding “yes” to all of the above, it’s time to build your website and your brand!
Grab my FREE pdf “Website Tips For Florists” with my 6 Quick Fixes plus 3 More Tips to take your website even further!
And if you’re finally ready to level-up and create an awesome website that attracts your ideal clients and helps you book better gigs, CHECK OUT MY WEBSITE BOOTCAMP HERE!
You can do this work yourself with whatever website platform you already use!
Not sure if my course is right for you? I’m happy to answer any questions you may have before, during or after taking a course. You can easily reach me via e-mail right here: floralartvt@gmail.com