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Your customers may think you are sitting around with your feet up - or on a beach somewhere. . . But you know differently. Now is the time to plan and part of the planning should be accumulating education. There are many ways to accomplish this.
Attend a seminar or read those journals that have been piling up.
To stay in business you have to stay ahead of the curve! Take action now!
Will I see you at the Garden Center Symposium? |
| Your Week Looking Kind of Empty? |
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| . . . You can do a last minute registration for the Garden Center Symposium January 27-28, 2010
Program details and registration information can be found at www.gardencentersymposium.com
Speakers will be:
- Steve Bailey of Steve Bailey Consulting
- Amy Kolden of Monrovia Growers
- Ping Lim of Roses by Ping
- John Kennedy of Kennedy Consulting
- Bill Calkins of Ball Horticultural Company
Take a break from winter, educate the mind, visit with colleagues, and use the information from speakers and vendors to help plan your 2010. |
| 24th Annual Midwest Perennial Conference |
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| February 16, 2010 is the date for this year's Midwest Perennial Conference sponsored by Shady Acres Perennial Nursery and W. & E. Radtke, Inc. Speakers scheduled are:
- Richard Hawke of the Chicago Botanic Garden speaking about Proven Perennials from their Trials
- Ed Lyon, Manager of the Allen Gardens at the University of Wisconsin - Madison will cover Made-in-the-Shade Perennials and "The Missed Middle Landscape"
- Kurt Fromherz will share strategies for utilizing social media marketing and simple, easy ways for your business to research and reach potential new customers.
- Neil Diboll will present Prairie Plants for Problem Places.
The conference is being held at the Country Springs Hotel and Conference Center in Pewaukee. Space is limited so reserve your spot soon.
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| 2010 Cut Flower Growers School |
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| The Wisconsin Cut Flower Growers School is a two-day workshop designed to help new and beginning growers learn the ins and outs of producing and marketing cut flowers. For more information and a registration form, download the flier. |
| Greenhouse Grower State of the Industry Report |
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Some of the topics covered are:
Survival of the Fittest
Top Trends for 2010
What are the greatest challenges
What are the greatest opportunities
Driving Sales in a Down Economy
Life After Walmart |
| America in Bloom |
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If you aren't familiar with America in Bloom, maybe now is the time to learn. America in Bloom is hosting a webinar on February 4 to explain how the program works and how you can get involved. This program may be an excellent way for you to get your community involved with your business.
The webinar will take place at 12:00 noon (cst). To register for the webinar link here.
America in Bloom's tag line is "Planting Pride in Our Communities!" That sounds like a great way to become a leader in your community. |
| Production Information |
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Here are links to some production information in the latest issue of Greenhouse Grower.
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| Revolutionary Ideas from 100 Garden Centers |
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Today's Garden Center has posted their 2010 Revolutionary 100 Garden Centers and the ideas they have come up with to keep or increase business. Several Wisconsin businesses are included in the Midwest Region List.
For a complete list of Revolutionary Ideas link here.
Read them over and see how many you can fit in to your business!
Here are a few I found interesting:
- Conducting a day-long tour of landscape projects installed for potential customers
- Running early bird specials each Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. during July and August
- Building a display garden
- Sending thank you notes to customers
- Instituting a training/retaining system with multiple levels that staff can work their way up through
- A nursery in New Jersey that backed the America in Bloom Program (see above article)
- Carries small container gardens and edible gardens for beginning gardeners
- A marketing plan that connects with other local businesses
- Teaching employees the importance of tie-in sales
- Partnering with local library to hold year-round gardening seminars
Check out the rest.
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