This Event Design Business’ Secret to Turning Passion into Profit

When you have a passion, you owe it to yourself to see it through. Randy Lowe started as a Disney Resorts employee and made his way to Owner and CEO of his own event design business, L+B Event Decor. Learn how Randy turned his passion into profit, and what his secret is to continuous growth.

Passion with a purpose

In 1992, Randy Lowe moved from Georgia to Orlando to work at Disney Resorts. He had a knack for customer service and for the world of events at large. While there, he fell in love with the gorgeous floral displays around the resort. In 2001, he decided to leave Disney and start his own floral design business. While he had no formal training or background, he had a gut instinct that drove his success. As he explains, “My whole soul was in floral design. We started in that niche and eventually grew into a one-stop shop for everything that’s aesthetically pleasing about events.”

L+B Event Decor’s mission is to “evoke rich experiences through the power of design.” This sentiment is evident in every event they create: from beautiful hardscapes, to unique custom pieces, to gorgeous floral arrangements. L+B Event Decor consistently offers clients a one-of-a-kind experience. As Randy says, “We do everything that makes an event beautiful.”

No event professional stands alone

Randy believes in the principle of surrounding yourself with people who are better than you in various areas, and credits this belief for his successful team. He says, “In the events industry, no event professional stands alone. You need a team or a tribe.” This mindset is what’s propelled him through years of building a thriving business that not only does florals, but all types of beautiful event design and decor.

Randy’s team is made up of designers, installers, tech experts, office managers, and accounting professionals. He emphasizes how important it is for everyone to work together seamlessly. As he explains, “If you don’t have the admin things covered, your business can get in trouble. It’s not all about the money— however, while it doesn’t drive us to our desks, we depend upon it to keep our business going. If you let your finances get out of order, it’s going to destroy the business.”

This dedication to growing a successful business is what drove Randy to explore his software options. He was looking for a powerful, easy-to-use tool that would track his inventory and keep his team on the same page. Originally, he’d hired a software specialist to write his own in-house software. This was a slow, frustrating process that ended up costing more than it was worth. As Randy says, “I’m not a software person, but I knew we needed something better.” After seeing an ad for Goodshuffle Pro on Facebook, Randy decided to demo and was immediately blown away.

The results were instant. Randy loved the gorgeous interface and ease of use of Goodshuffle Pro. And it wasn’t just him— everyone on his team, from designers to accountants, took to the program right away. It was easy to get set up, and the trainings and customer service features made onboarding lightning fast. His team members weren’t the only people who loved Goodshuffle Pro— his clients raved about the program too. As Randy says, “With Goodshuffle Pro, we continuously have new opportunities to present ourselves to clients and make more sales. The event business moves really fast, and your team gets it. Our clients need answers now. If we don’t already have the answers, they’ll go with competitors who DO have answers, and we’ll get left behind.”

What’s next for L+B Event Decor?

Randy is excited to be taking the next step with Goodshuffle Pro and implementing the Website Integration, to create a fast and easy online shopping experience for his website visitors. He explains, “Our clients like to shop on their own time, whether that’s at 4pm or 4am. The Website integration allows them to do that.”

Randy’s secret to event business success is wrapped up in these six points:

• Have passion. If you’re passionate about what you do, you’re going to be successful because you’re going to figure out a way to reach your goals.
• Learn from others. There are so many things that have been done already and mistakes that you can learn from. Read our case studies to learn more.
• Create a phenomenal website. A website authenticates you and gives you a way to present your product to your client from anywhere at any time. It not only has to look nice, but it has to actually convert leads, too.
• Pride yourself on customer service. Create an easy, enjoyable experience for your clients to build brand loyalty and grow your business.
• Always take care of your employees. Employees drive the success of a company, so you need to build a great team.
• Set money aside for a rainy day. As Randy says, “You’re only as good as your last event.” If something happens, you need to be prepared and have money to fall back on.

With Goodshuffle Pro in their tool kit, it’s only up from here for L+B Event Decor.

 

L+B Event Decor is a full-service floral and event design business in Orlando, Florida. They have built their reputation by ensuring one result: that their clients are happy. They understand teamwork, both with their clients and employees. Randy Lowe — owner, designer, and founder of L+B Event Decor — combines over 25 years in the design profession with a desire to make sensational fresh floral creations.