Sweet Root Village
Lauren Anderson and Rachel Bridgwood
Image by Kim Branagan Photography
"Sweet Root Village is a group of designers specializing in custom floral design, located in Alexandria, VA, right outside of DC. They are a small business co-owned by Lauren Anderson and Rachel Bridgwood, two ladies striving to give every client the style, quality, and personalization they deserve on their big day– all while balancing growing families and a growing business. Over the past decade they have developed a deep love for small business and have begun to pursue education avenues in which to share what they've learned. Lauren and Rachel have three amazing team members who work and design side-by-side with them every day, and over 150 freelancers that help complete 70-80 weddings each year! They strive to build meaningful relationships, to create special experiences, and to incorporate as many sustainable practices into their business as possible."
Image by Cassie Valente Photography
Image by Cassie Valente Photography
Show Notes
Elevate all of your employees to your clients and on social media. It will help your customers feel more comfortable on the day of events if you can’t be there.
Always have a back-up plan, this can apply to containers, tools, and staffing.
When hiring, place your candidates in the thick of things to see how they perform.
I loved the idea of creating an email list for your creative team or freelancers. You can send them the list of dates and make it first come first serve.
When growing your business, look for people whose business’ growth is similar to yours. This gives you space to grow together like wedding planners, photographers, caterers, etc. In essence, your similarities can be encouraging to one another.
Be personal and build real relationships with your vendors.
Look for some of the services you provide that might be holding you back. Examining these services helps evaluate their profitability.
Create the business you want to be a part of since it’s yours especially as it relates to your family and children.
Last but not least, remember that decisions like designs aren’t permanent. If something doesn’t work out you have permission to go back and change it.
