January 2012

Do You Want to Sell Lots?

It's proportionately more fun and profitable to sell a lot of something than to sell a little of something, isn't it? Here are 10 steps to help you do just that. Anything worth selling requires sellin... more

The Backyard & Beyond

No longer a backyard project, the National Wildlife Federation's Certified Wildlife Habitat program positions independent garden centers as the ultimate "one-stop shop" for consumers. What can be bett... more

Get In Their Faces

Plants aren't going anywhere. Make plans to exploit them. They won't mind and neither will your customers. Take away your plants, bags of mulch and shelves of fertilizer — what you're left with ... more

Let Me Explain: History in Black and White

Many independent garden centers have a rich family history that many of your customers may know little about. Why not show them? Time is on your side. Actually, history is on your side. As an independ... more

The 10-Year Trend

On the heels of its 10th anniversary, Two Green Thumbs Miniature Garden Center, Seattle, has proven that miniature gardening is much more than a flash in the pan. Creating a business without a market ... more

‘Dance with the one who brung ya!’

The consumer is willing to pay more for something, but it's your job to justify and rationalize the differentiation to them so they readily comprehend your comparative value equation.That's a pretty n... more

On The Outs

The recent Casual Furniture & Accessories Market in Chicago revealed top trends and the latest innovations in outdoor furnishings and accessories.Following insights about what is trending in the outdo... more

What Smart Small Businesses Overlook

Never underestimate the power of continual application of the fundamentals. Forget the rudiments and forego the revenue. Small business people are smart, but occasionally we forget basic elements that... more

Fine Italian Merchandising

The 53rd International Garden Centre Congress found itself in Northern Italy last September, giving its attendees a fresh look at Italy's garden center scene.This layout has a ton of great photos. To ... more

Take A Seat

What have you done to make shopping a little easier, more comfortable or even streamlined? The Chicago metropolitan area, aka Chicagoland, tops out around 9.5 million people, according to the 2010 Cen... more