Since founding Common Farm Flowers in 2010, Georgie Newbery has become one of the most respected voices in sustainable artisan flower farming. An RHS Floristry Judge, RHS gold medal winner, author, and founder of a flower farming business marketed almost entirely through social media, she brings more years of experience of running a small business to the one-to-one mentoring sessions she offers.

These are focused, personalised conversations, built around what you need, at the stage you're at, wherever you are in the world.

Your mentoring session will include:

Pre-questions for you to complete so Georgie can tailor the session to your needs
Initial 3 hour session
Follow up session of 1.5 hours

What happens in a session?

Every session starts before you and Georgie even meet. Once you book, we send you a set of pre-session questions designed to get your thinking moving and give Georgie the context she needs to plan something genuinely useful for your situation. Your answers help Georgie understand your priorities and make the most of your time together.

The main session itself is a focused 3 hour conversation. Georgie's approach is direct and practical. She'll help you identify what's working, spot what isn't, and give you a clear way forward.

The 1.5 hour follow-up session will be booked for several months later so you can review the work you’ve done together and identify further objectives to keep working towards.

"Phenomenally useful 1-1 consultation. All killer, no filler! My only regret is not doing it earlier; could have saved a lot of time, money and faffing. Thank you, Georgie - will be back for more."

What topics can be covered in a mentoring session?

Sessions are built around your questions, not a fixed 'one size fits all' syllabus. People from a range of different small businesses bring a wide variety of topics to a mentoring session, including:

Business planning and defining clear objectives
Marketing, selling, and finding the right customers
Pricing, cashflow forecasting, and financial planning

Some specific examples that might apply to flower farmers or those wanting to set up a flower farm include:

Starting a cut flower farm from scratch
Designing and planning a growing space
Floristry skills and working sustainable with home-grown, seasonal material

You don't need to be a flower farmer or florist to benefit from Georgie's mentoring. Georgie has worked with people from many different professional backgrounds. Anyone building a small, sustainable lifestyle business will find value in her approach.

"A real treat to spend time with Georgie in a 1:1 mentoring session - a true expert. There's nothing she doesn't know, from advice on how to grow flowers and make a successful business out of it, to what kit to buy (and what not!), to how to lay out your plot. I would highly recommend a session like this if you want to start, but keep going around in circles because of gaps in your knowledge."

How the sessions work

We start with the pre session questionnaire. We will send you some prompts, you add your thoughts to this and Georgie then reviews and plans a session specifically designed for you.

This is followed by a 3 hour session, usually held over Zoom. Sessions take place at either 10am t0 1pm or 2pm to 5pm. This will be clear when booking. If you're close to the farm, an in-person session can be arranged. Depending on your location and Georgie's diary, she may be able to travel to you, though this will involve additional costs.

The first session is just the start. As well as your 3 hour session, we will book in a 1.5 hour review for several months later so that you have the support you need as your business evolves, and as you begin to see the results of the work you put in.

What People Say

Here are some reviews from people who have taken part in mentoring with Georgie.

"What an inspiring and informative session! Georgie's tips facilitated some very useful reflection and thought as to how to develop my passion. I have already written a lengthy action list and am filled with excitement to see if I can scale up my ideas to create a business that would mean I could eventually give up the day job. I am only at the very beginning of my journey, probably the equivalent of 'selling sweet peas at the gate'! But I'm so glad to have had the blessing of such generous wisdom. Thank you."

"Georgie is a professional, kick-ass, warm, no-nonsense angel!"

Why Georgie?

Georgie Newbery founded Common Farm Flowers in 2010 with a clear intention: to build a business she loved, that worked around her family, and that was sustainable without running her into the ground. That intention has shaped everything about how she grows, sells, teaches, and mentors.

Her standing in the flower farming and horticultural world is well established. She is an RHS Floristry Judge, an RHS gold medal winner, External Chair of Flowers from the Farm, and a Garden Media Guild Award Judge. She has been writing and teaching about flower farming and small business management since 2010, and over the years has helped thousands of people develop their ideas into workable, purposeful businesses.

Georgie doesn't see other flower farmers and florists as competitors. She sees them as colleagues and collaborators. There are no secrets held back in her sessions. She shares everything she knows, and the time she invests in talking to other growers and small business owners means she is constantly learning alongside the people she works with.

Practical Details

Availability:

Sessions are offered in limited numbers each year. If this is something you're interested in, it's worth booking sooner rather than later.

Session times

10am to 1pm or 2pm to 5pm - availability is shown on this page

Format

Zoom or in-person at the farm. Travel to your location may be possible - contact us to discuss costs and availability.

Club Members

Members of the Common Farm Flowers Club receive a 10% discount on all mentoring bookings made through the website.

Find out more about the Club