The Site Gardener Blog

Let me start with one very obvious fact.

When the economy is in the dumps you need to be keep marketing .

Here is another fact, It is very hard to do!

When you are trying to make payroll , keep your truck running or make your house payments to name a few. It’s not real exciting to think about putting big money into advertising.

Here are a few ideas that might help you get your message out there and keep your truck running, pay keep your employees and keep the house.

• Build a website. I can recommend a great company (HaHa). This does take an initial large investment. 2 to 3 thousand for something you want to have people come to.

• Emarketing is the new way to advertise.   First thing Get email addresses from everyone who enters your store, calls you on the phone (even a wrong number) or visits your site! This is a great way to get your message out . With a cost of 10 dollar a month you can  send out  personalized emails with the professional look of the big guys with over a 90% delivery rate. Send hundreds or thousands with no postage.

• Community Events are a great way to create loyalty in your local area. I remember a great book I read called “Things they don’t teach you at Harvard Business School”  Mark McCormick was a sports agent for some of the biggest players in world, Here’s a great comment that I have experienced over and over. …People like to do business with people they like as long as they are close to the competition.  I am going to add my own observation..People will go to great lengths to justify doing business with you if they like you, even if they have a better deal out there.

• Donate a plant or something to local fundraisers. I have always tried to buy from people who worked with my causes.

These are very rough times and we can all get very get discouraged at times. I have to tell you, there are days it seems nothing is working.I have to tell you. When we get out there and make a few calls, send a few emails……Things happen!  Just don’t give up.

If you are still here, you are a survivor and I truly believe the worst is over.

I just got back from the CENTS show in Columbus, Ohio. I went into the show not really knowing what to expect. With all the mixed reviews and opinions about the Mid Am show in Chicago and the MANTS show at Baltimore we weren’t expecting much/
Monday morning at 10:00 the doors opened. We were swamped until about 2:00 that afternoon and steady until 5:00.
The biggest news is the attitude of the attendees. They were very positive. We wrote new orders and had people adding to their existing orders. I wasn’t ready for this. It was great.
I don’t want to get too political here, but many of these garden center owners and landscapers are not exited about national health care and tax hikes that go along with them.
A few Tuesdays ago in Massachusetts there was a clear message to Obama. The majority does not want the government takeover.
Business’s not hiring because of unclear details in the bill are not going to start hiring until this bill is dead.
Also a large sector of our customers have been holding onto their money, That is the medical field namely doctors. With the unlikely passage of the bill, They probably feel they have dodged a bullet.
They could start buying new homes, cars, vacations to name a few.
I was not going to go into politics , Oh well.
Don’t get me wrong. I want everyone to have affordable healthcare but I feel the government is not the answer and the tax and spending is keeping us from the recovery we so need.

The global warming group have a long way to go in convincing me. I am very cold and very wet. We have been getting hit everyday with at least 2″ to 3″‘ s of snow. Instead of getting annoyed though , I am thinking of the many landscape contractors and garden centers plowing and salting lots around the area. If they aren’t locked into contracts , this could really bring some cold cash for the credit strapped industry. Many bills were left unpaid from fall form the luke warm finish. THis also can give the smaller guys money for spring startup. Thanks to the banks, after getting bailed out with our money and making record profits with NSF’s from cash strapped people, they have called in loans,credit lines and refused to give any loans to the average business guy. Thank God they were not right on the global warming or there would be no money.
Let it Snow!