A full weekend seminar for the floral entrepreneur covering six essential topics. 

January 28 & 29, 2012 in Portland, Oregon

July 28 & 29, 2012 in Portland Oregon

Calll us for information on lodging, 1-800-819-8089.

The Business of Flowers

This class is an introduction to the opening of studio-based floral businesses.

The world of business is being reinvented daily and the floral industry is no exception. This class is designed for today's floral entrepreneur who wants to take advantage of the exciting and profitable niche markets that are emerging.

In this class we will review the basics of small business ownership including, site location, marketing, advertising, labor and logistics. We will explore and brainstorm niche markets including weddings and events, subscription, commercial, studio, home and internet-based businesses.

Creating a Business Blueprint

This class will deal with “positioning” a potential business. Positioning is determining exactly what niche a business is intended to fill and creating a blueprint for that business. We will research the physical and financial requirements for various potential businesses and explore the viability of these business plans.

You will enjoy this exploration of the costs, challenges, opportunities and realities of being a floral entrepreneur.

Creating a Marketing Plan

In this class you will learn the critical differences between general marketing and targeted marketing. We will explore the principles of “guerrilla” marketing and how to make the consumer aware that you exist without wasting a lot of money. We will explore marketing methods and the secrets of saving marketing money.

You will discover that as a small entrepreneur you can launch a creative marketing plan that would be the envy of a large corporation.


Creating a Financial Plan

Every entrepreneur will tell you that the first year is the hardest. Why? Because as a niche-based entrepreneurial business, you have few very few financial models to serve as a guide. But, that does not mean that you proceed without a pro-forma financial plan. In this class we will explore the basics of creating a financial plan. You will discover that there are sound methods for creating a first year budget and cash-flow analysis.

We will review the financial rhythms of various floral niche businesses, the sales peaks and valleys created by holidays and events throughout the year and the cautions in creating a realistic budget and cash flow.

Creating a Business Identity

Identity defines what a business is really about. We will explore the building of a good business reputation and valuable good-will for your brand name. In this class you will discover the importance of promoting your business through social involvement and word-of-mouth.

You will learn how to build a strong company name that inspires loyalty and trust with your customers and provides a level of familiarity and comfort to draw in new customers.

Embracing the New Technology

Websites, e-broadcasts, blogs, podcasts, e-commerce, e-auction and chat rooms: the opportunities for the floral entrepreneur who is willing to embrace internet technology is literally exploding. In this class we will explore basic internet marketing tools and you will discover that using these tools is not that difficult.

We will review various applications of internet tools for floral niche businesses and explore potential future opportunities.

The Floral Entrepreneur's weekend will fill quickly, so sign up today!

Class #12-0128, Portland, OR, $295.
January 28 & 29, 2012
9:00AM - 4:00PM

"Bring a Friend" Special
First Registration-Full Price,
Second Registration 1/2 Price
Class #12-0128b, Portland, OR, $442.50.
January 28 & 29, 2012
9:00AM - 4:00PM

Class #12-0728, Portland, OR, $295.
July 28 & 29, 2012
9:00AM - 4:00PM

"Bring a Friend" Special
First Registration-Full Price,
Second Registration 1/2 Price
Class #12-0728b, Portland, OR, $442.50.
July 28 & 29, 2012
9:00AM - 4:00PM