Lessons: The 4 P's of Success

I'm a believer that it is never just one component that will make a business successful.  Long lasting brands and small businesses stay in business because of a combination of attributes.

Oh, I've heard my own critics, other floral designers, who say that I'm JUST a great marketer(and to them, I will take the high road and not call them out).   Heck, I hope I am a good marketer, I practice marketing on a daily basis (just ask my assistants). Sure, it's not my experience in marketing that makes me want to be a better listener, owner, and manager.  It's not my degree in marketing that helps me want to create and innovate.  And it's definitely not my love of marketing that makes me practice running a business or producing consistent designs.  Hope you hear what I'm saying.   If people think that marketing alone can lead to a successful business, I'd have to shutdown that theory.  Good marketers might get clients to find them but in the end, our clients are more savvy than that.  And even if you are the best floral designer, if your clients can't find you, that's not a good thing at all.  Perhaps you are good at selling and closing a deal, but if you are disorganized, things will fall through the crack.  Bottom line: it's not one thing that makes and breaks you.

Your strength has to be more than just one component. 

What I find common amongst successful individuals and business owners can be narrowed to what I call the 4 P's.   I've probably said it before and I'm not afraid to say it again.  You need ----

Passion, People, Practice, Persistence

Of course, you have to have a love and passion for your craft. And passion isn't a fling, it's built over years.   Passion for your craft, your business, your industry - hello, it's a must.

Beyond that - Successful people didn't become a success without some help.  They have a great understanding of the importance of people.  We need all sorts of people to help, to support, to advise, to produce.  It goes on and on.

Successful individuals and businesses have been practicing their craft for years.  That means, one or two weddings under your belt doesn't make you an expert.  And for those who planned their own wedding, that doesn't mean that you can now be a wedding planner.  Your own wedding isn't enough to qualify you as a successful planner or a great invitation designer just because you did all the paper goods.

More importantly, successful artist, individuals, businesses have an innate personality trait - they are persistent.  One has to weather the storms to learn valuable lessons.  If you've been doing invitations, photography, or cakes(cupcakes) for your friends, you haven't weathered any storms(yet).  You can't do things for cost or give them to your family and friends and expect that you have persevered.  You need real paying clients, many failures, and big flops for you to understand how to fix, adapt and change.  Hardship and suffering are all part of the growing process that leads to success.  A business owner who hasn't any understanding of failure, hasn't grown that much.  (Trust me, I know what it means to fail and I'm still standing!)

Remember, successful wedding vendors, we've been in the muck.  And if we rise above the crap, we become stronger.