Season 4 is over! We can’t believe it! Thank you to our Patrons who have made it possible for us to keep making this podcast.   In our last episode of Season 4, we reflected on what went well and what didn’t last year, as well as what kind of changes we’re planning on making for the podcast and our paper flower businesses. We agree that our big focus for 2022 is getting back to the why: the heart of why we keep wanting to be paper florists and share our love of paper flower making.    We highly recommend taking time like we did on the podcast to reflect on your challenges and tr ..read more

Many paper florists end up teaching our craft. People want to know how you created that amazing paper flower! And once you start offering tutorials or classes, you are inevitably going to be asked about where to source our specialized materials like crepe.   One answer to this issue? Offering kits with your tutorials.   In our latest episode of Paper Talk we dove into what it really takes to offer kits to your customers. If you haven’t put a kit together before, there are lots of issues that you probably haven’t thought of. Here’s just a few to get you started.   Packaging Whole ..read more

As the holidays near, everyone’s got shipping on their minds.    How do you package your paper flowers to withstand being tossed around in the back of a truck? How do you save money on shipping costs? Just how bad are these shipping delays we keep hearing about?   In our latest episode of Paper Talk we chatted about all this and more. Long-time friend of the podcast, Mike Benson, gave us an update on Carte Fini, including how he’s handling delays in importing crepe paper and other supplies from Italy and beyond. We also shared some of our best tips for branding and packaging you ..read more

In our latest episode we talked with Kristen Kong of Campbell Workshop. In under a year she opened a shop and started a YouTube channel with a gruelling one-tutorial-a-week schedule. How does she do it? She shared all the details with us on the podcast, giving you an insider’s look at what it takes to produce regular and beautiful video content.    Listen now to learn how she does it, but in the meantime, here’s a look at three things we discussed that will put you on the path to success when it comes to building a YouTube channel.   Focus on Your Strengths Part of our discussio ..read more

Learn how to time a sale, what to offer at a special rate, why newsletter lists are so powerful, and how to promote a sale like Black Friday or other holiday promotions.   With a slew of holidays around the corner, we’ve got sales on our minds.    People are primed to shop right now. As creative small business owners, days like Black Friday are a fantastic opportunity to promote your products and get a boost in profits before the end of the year.    That said, special sales take planning. In our latest episode of Paper Talk we discussed the ins and outs of running a Bl ..read more

Have you ever dreamed of owning a brick and mortar shop?   We’ve heard many paper florists express interest in opening up a physical store, but fear of the unknown holds them back. It’s a big leap! Luckily, in our latest episode of Paper Talk we chatted with Arlene Rest of Arlo Arts in the UK. Arlene made the jump from working in the corporate world, to becoming a paper florist, and eventually to owning a brick and mortar store. She shared why a physical store has so many benefits for increasing sales and building community, but she also told us about the many challenges that come along w ..read more

Imagine this: you create a paper flower template, you put it up for sale online, and without any further work from you, it brings in a steady stream of income.    You can do exactly this with digital evergreen products.    On our latest episode of Paper Talk we chatted about how you can make passive income from your digital content. Now, you can’t just post a template and expect the sales to roll in. As we discussed on the podcast, there is work that has to be done to cultivate your business and your online presence in order to leverage evergreen content. But with some plan ..read more

How do you find your artistic voice? Will you ever get to the point that you can tell clients that you know what’s best for their floral arrangements—and they trust you?   In our latest episode we talked with fresh florist Sue Mcleary, also known as Passionflower Sue. She has a unique and strong style. She stays true to her artistic voice, and her clients are all the happier for it. But Sue didn’t magically arrive on the fresh flower scene knowing who she was as a florist. It took time and experience. She told us all about how she found her way, and the principles all apply to our paper f ..read more

If the past year has taught us anything, it’s the importance of virtual communities.   In our latest episode of Paper Talk we talked with Amy McGee of Botanical Brouhaha. Last year we loved learning about how she has pivoted her business over time. In this episode, we chatted about one of her newer projects, Bloom Trust Co. She’s brought together educators and resources in one place that makes it easy for fresh florists to find the help they need—and there’s lots of useful info for us paper florists, as well.    Amy wasn’t planning on Bloom Trust Co. being a virtual community. S ..read more

Attracting sponsors for your paper flower business can bring in extra money and security. But how do you find them? How do you make your brand attractive to theirs?   In our latest episode of Paper Talk we talked with Sara Kim of Handmade by Sara Kim. She was such a joy to have on the podcast last year. We wanted an update from her since her business has significantly shifted focus during the pandemic.    With so many big events and weddings canceled, many paper florists have had to find new income sources. Sara went from hosting large in-person workshops and creating huge paper ..read more