The 2017 P&L Study – Where Do We Begin?

by Steve Bailey

Where Do We Begin? Actually, I’m just messing with you, I know where to begin telling you about the 2017 Profit & Loss Study. But there is so much more than I can fit into one article that I’ll be dropping into GROUPtalk from time-to-time to give you even more information from the Study that you can use in your daily management of your Center.

But for right now, let’s get into the who, what, and where of the P&L Study participants. Although we were down a few centers in reporting compared to 2016, the Revenue level remained steady. The seventy-one participating Centers as a whole generated more than $150,000,000 in Revenues.  That means that the average reporting Center came in at about $2.1 million. If that is more (or less) than your Revenue level, don’t think these results are not relevant as there is much more for you to compare with on the Sales, Mode of Operation, and Regional group level.

Putting “Success" into Succession Planning

By John Kennedy

There are three types of change that we come up against in our lives: "change by crisis", "change by drift" and "change by design".  In the approach to succession planning, our industry has witnessed many unfortunate and tragic stories of “Change by Crisis”.   I have known four green industry owners that have suddenly passed away (I’m sure we all know a tragic handful or more as well), and we all continue to pray for their families.In the case of sudden death, the company is forced to “react” to the need for immediate transition and often times finds itself ill-prepared for the task.  Who is going to run the business? What is the financial health of the business?  Will it remain in the family (are the kids interested in taking over)?  Which employees might step up or step in? And finally, can we survive such a loss of this great magnitude?

New Low-Cost Sign and Tag Printing Options

By GrowTech Solutions

Are you printing signage for your Garden Center?

Garden Centers that have teamed up with GrowTech Solutions have realized the benefits of having more informed customers in their stores which results in increased sales! If you have not yet jumped on board with signage for your plants and hard goods there is no better time than now to team up with GrowTech Solutions. New improvements in technology have resulted in better, faster, and cheaper printers to perform the task of on demand sign, tag, and label printing. Entry level printers such as the Phaser 6510 can be acquired for as low as $249 and production model printers like the VersaLink C600 can be had as low as $1129.

These are the lowest prices in the history of printing for the horticulture industry! These low prices, however, do not sacrifice speed or quality. These new printers allow for extra tweaking to the printing settings which allow the end user to perfectly match the printer to the exact LaserTag™ or LaserLabel™ material they are using. The Versalink C600 boasts the best print quality at the lowest ever cost per page on heavy coverage for outdoor signage at 14-15 cents per page and comes with an intuitive touch screen display.

Learning - following your passion!

by Danny Summers

Last week you may recall I shared some ideas on learning being a life-long experience. Learning is a process we all are participants in. Whether you describe it as a class, a moving sidewalk, or even journey, each of us are responsible for making the decision if and when to stop learning. As I gave several famous quotes last week, the one from Albert Einstein said, “Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.” I believe we should awake every morning with the goal or passion to learn something new today.

A Passion for Learning!

by Danny Summers

To begin, can we agree... Sharing is a function of Leaning!

John Kennedy is Now Available "On-Demand" 24/7/365

by Danny Summers

I have an important announcement!

Every Plant has a Story!

by Danny Summers

When Karen and I were at the new SNA Conference at MANTS last month, the Conference Chairman, Dr. Richard Olsen, Director of the US National Arboretum, suggested one of the roundtable topics of "sharing more of the story behind the plants." Obviously, when I heard this I immediately thought of Robert's constant encouragement. But how does this relate to the plants we sell or help us in the garden center?

Value Up! Eliminating Value Confusion – (Part 2)

By Sid Raisch

In the first part of this article we discussed why the word “value” is easily misunderstood, and how this misunderstanding confuses our people. CLICK HERE to read it.

Now that we've cleared up the definition of value, let's use the word in its highest value. The best way to do this will be to get clear on the levels of value.

Ten Emerging HR Trends for 2018

by Jean Seawright

Paid sick and parental leave . . . pay history bans . . . predictable scheduling statutes . . . mandatory E-Verify . . .  compensatory time off . . . an increase in the guaranteed salary level for White Collar workers . . . The list goes on. Which of these employment regulations will impact your business in 2018 is yet unknown, but regardless of your revenues, location, or number of employees, one thing is certain--it will be challenging to find and hire qualified workers. And the challenges won't subside any time soon. Macroeconomic realities, including a workforce that is growing at its slowest pace in over a half-century, aging workers exiting the labor force, a widening skills gap, and faster-than-average employment gains in several occupational sectors, indicate that labor shortages are here to stay.

Leveraging City Color Programs

by Danny Summers (with lots of help from his friends!)

Opening my emailbox this week and seeing a promotion from Tim Elbert's Four Seasons Nursery in Central Point Oregon gave me a flashback moment to last fall when there was a great discussion and swap of ideas (and important Do's and Don'ts). If you are a Group Client and were subscribed to GroupEs at the time, you may remember it.

Eliminating Value Confusion

By Sid Raisch

We need to clear up some confusion over the word “value”.

We Americans are a confused lot. Our language does this to us. Some other languages have one meaning per word. We have many.

Dual meanings are confusing. I have learned that it is a sign of intelligence when toddler’s pickup dual meanings of words. Understanding of multiple definitions of a word is also a sign of intelligence among adults. So let’s understand the simple word “value”, in all its wonder, and amazing complexity, beginning with the textbook definition.

I have no idea where the dictionary is, so we’ll Google. Maybe the definition of value has changed with the Internet? Right from the beginning, the cause of confusion is evident. Value is both a Noun, with two definitions, and a Verb with two additional definitions.

Sexual Harassment
The Floodgates Are Open . . . Will Your Company Sink or Swim?

by Jean Seawright

Check any news outlet today and you're almost certain to hear about a new sexual misconduct scandal involving an executive, politician, or entertainer. The allegations are nothing short of shocking, ranging from offensive acts of sexual harassment to criminal acts of sexual assault. In response, a multitude of corporations are mandating sexual harassment training for all employees.

This surge of sexual misconduct allegations has, once again, put sexual harassment in the spotlight. Sexual harassment is a prohibited form of sex discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This federal law is enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and covers businesses with 15 or more employees in 20 or more calendar workweeks in the current or preceding year. Even if your business is not covered by Title VII, it may be covered by a state, local, or county anti-discrimination law that prohibits workplace harassment for smaller businesses.

Sexual conduct becomes unlawful under employment regulations when it is unwelcome and severe or pervasive enough to alter the conditions of employment and create an abusive working environment. This happens when the harassment culminates in a tangible employment action (e.g., termination, demotion, etc.) or is sufficiently severe or pervasive to create a hostile work environment. Today, an employer can be held liable for sexual harassment by a supervisor even if it had no knowledge of the supervisor's misconduct. Gone are the days of "hear no evil, see no evil, know no evil" defenses. If your business receives a charge of sexual harassment discrimination from the EEOC or another fair employment practices agency and you can't prove that you attempted to prevent harassment and/or that you adequately addressed the complaint, you're guilty.

Static vs. Dynamic Pricing At Your Garden Center

by Steve Bailey

IMPORTANT: This is one of Steve's articles you need to read, re-read, print, and share with all your staff!

Let Your Center's Brand ROCK! 

by Tom Kegley

Another Angle On ‘Another Timely Topic’

by $teve Bailey

In last week’s GROUPTalk, you read Robert Hendrickson’s description of how we often have different views of the same subject. Mr. Gray meets Mr. Black and White. And never the two shall meet, right? Most definitely wrong.

Death by Inventory

by Sid Raisch

Inventory is the bane of a retailer’s existence.
I bet you’re wondering what the word bane means now that it has been connected directly to you.
(The source or cause of misfortune, unhappiness, frustration, or anxiety, usually used hyperbolically. – The Free Dictionary)

Inventory is a Necessary Evil
Gaining a clear perspective on inventory is the first step to taming the monster. Inventory is inherently evil in that without tightly defined and rigorous management and manipulation it always becomes a problem.

Gatekeeper or Team Builder - Part 2

by Danny Summers

Last week we explored two distinctly different types of owners and managers I see across garden center management today. Do you remember... the Gatekeeper manages by receiving all or most outside information and decides who in the organization needs to know what, who to distribute the information to, and who needs to know, on a limited basis.

At the same time I hear numerous owners and managers saying these types of comments: I have to much to do. I have to much on my plate. I can't possibly do anything more. I am wore out. We work all the time. It's got to get easier.

Gatekeeper or Team Builder - Part 1

by Danny Summers

In my position I get to observe a number of patterns in business management. And doing so, you see the real differences in how owners approach their business. There are some trends I want to highlight here and challenge you to assess where you are in your business management style. First, let's discuss two distinct types of owners or managers I see at work today.

The Gatekeeper

The Gatekeeper manages by receiving all or most outside information and decide who in the organization needs to know what. Who to distribute the information to, who needs to know, on a limited basis. In my mind, the ultimate gatekeeper was this guy. When Dorothy and her unusual "team" approached the Emerald City gate at Oz, they were stopped by the Wizard. At that point, to get into the city, they had to get past The Wizard of Oz. This is a fitting comparison to what see in some businesses today.

The Fall Event 2017

The Best of Times Captured in Pictures!