Category Growth Strategies: Creating the Plan (part 3)

By Steve Bailey and Bill Calkins

The following is the Part 3 of the series... Category Growth Strategies: Creating the Plan. This was originally published in the May edition of greenPROFIT magazine and can be seen HERE. If you missed the Part 1, you can see it HERE. To see Part 2 - HERE.

Earlier this year, Ball Publishing's Bill Calkins approached Steve Bailey about co-writing a series of articles that could lead garden centers through the basics of analyzing category performance and some of the measurements developed for The Garden Center Group Clients through the Annual P&L Study. The result is a series of four articles published in Ball's GreenPROFIT magazine in this spring.

After The Flood

By John Kennedy

Be sure to see the INSIGHTS Video Series at the end of this blog article.

It's a Laughing Matter!

by Sid Raisch

This is a Laughing Matter. The last thing you want to do is remind people how bad things are, and injecting humor can help you, and them at the same time.

Humor Therapy

by Danny Summers

It's time for some Humor Therapy. If you do any kind of search for Humor Therapy you will quickly find lots of resources. For instance, the University of Michigan Health System says, "Humor therapy (sometimes called therapeutic humor) uses the power of smiles and laughter to aid healing. Humor Therapy helps you find ways to make yourself (or others) smile and laugh more. When you think of Humor Therapy, you may picture clowns in the children's ward of a hospital cheering up sick children. Some hospitals now have humor carts that provide funny materials for people of any age. Many nurses have learned the value of providing a good laugh to those for whom they are nursing.

Remembering Something Special

by Danny Summers

For any Boomer reading this, it will certainly take you back to your childhood days. For anyone younger, I hope I can share what is was like for us and what I see that may be creating that same feeling all over again for many.

GROUPtalk-Live: Operation "Engaging the Engagers"

by Sid Raisch

Overwhelmed yet?

The past week brought many IGC’s to a new realization of frustration and awareness that this Curbside Pickup and Delivery thing isn’t scalable to meet peak Spring demand.

What to do about it?

Take a step back so you can take two or more forward. Things are about to get ugly, or we’re going to figure out how to keep that from happening.

Step in, and watch or listen to the recorded GroupTalk LIVE! You’ll hear, or hear again, why it is important to come up with your own plan for taking care of your customers who have been paying your bills all these years. Focus on that and you’ll be better able to cope with all of this.

The Journey of Lifetime Learning

by Tim Quebedeaux

It has been almost a year since I started work with Steve Bailey. During that time, I have done onsite visits, attended Fall Event as a service provider, compiled the WDR weekly, and helped complete the P&L Study. I have gained a great appreciation for accountability in numbers and in the resolve of Garden Center owners to succeed. From those early Garden Center days to today, I recognize valuable information that I could have used 20 years ago, when I started managing Garden Centers.

GROUPtalk-Live: Operation "Engaging the Customer"

by Sid Raisch

Can you make it?

The IGC Spring Sales Curve is about to be FLATTENED by the “flatten the spread of Coronavirus” efforts.

I fully support the need to flatten the C-19 curve, and to protect the most vulnerable from getting ill and dying in an overburdened medical care system. I’m hopeful that this can occur. But the practical reality is, while hope is essential, it is not a good business strategy. We are not going to hope our way out of the financial burden of this on your business.

Lessons and Blessings

by John Kennedy

As I say often, God gave me two hands to make life easier and decisions simpler.

It’s A New Financial Landscape

by Steve Bailey

As the COVID-19 event unfolds, we are seeing garden centers closing down temporarily or reducing hours. Either one of these actions reduce Revenues and the ability to fulfill your Center’s financial obligations.

Approach Spring, and Every Season Positively

by Sid Raisch

This is timeless information to consider as every season approaches every year – especially Spring.

Spring Fever infects 100% of people, at least to the point they’ll take a walk or open a window to breathe real, fresh air. Fortunately, almost all of them also buy plants.  This is a GIFT, to be anticipated, appreciated, and taken seriously. Remember, it comes only once this year so it had better be a great one if you can make it so.

Raising the Bar - in 2020

by Danny Summers

"A funny thing happens when you RAISE THE BAR. People find a way to get over it, once they realize it's expected. Human beings can do amazing things - if they're asked to." 

By The Numbers:  The Four Types of Thinking

by John Kennedy

Welcome to March and what looks to be an early arrival to Spring!

Make it up on Volume!
(Theoretically, you can do almost anything, but certainly not this.)

by Sid Raisch

We were brainwashed.

Getting Your HR House in Order:
Employment Applications, Updated Form I-9, and Revised W-4

by Jean Seawright

Is your garden center ready for Spring hiring? Part of your preparation should include a review and possible update of your employment application, along with incorporation of two newly updated forms—the I-9 and W-4.

The Cost of Creativity

With Comments from Robert and Danny

[Robert] "Danny called me last Monday and asked about my Super Bowl commercial review. Old news now, so a quick response. For once, the game was way better than any commercial. Other than the extended spot the NFL ran at the beginning, then maybe the Bill Murray Groundhog Day one since it was groundhog day, there was nothing super about any commercial this year."

[Danny] In case you missed the one ad Robert mentions above, simply click on the image here to see it. Robert's top-pick of JEEP's replay of Bill Murray in Groundhog Day is actually the winner of USA Today's Ad Meter - See details here.

Sweat the Big Stuff…It’s Not All Big Stuff!

by John Kennedy

Welcome to the month of February and the month of FOCUS! 

As we gear up for our spring seasons throughout the United States, we have a tendency to identify all of the tasks that are necessary to get your business back into tip top shape. Those tasks are often many in number and certainly needed to meet the deadline of your kick off to the 100 days of sales that represent over 50% of your revenue for the year.

The WDR and the NEW Changes for 2020

by Tim Quebedeaux

A few years ago, when I was introduced to the Weekly Department Review as a Garden Center General. Manager, I was in awe.  There was so much data that I could use to analyze and improve how we were operating the Centers that I managed. 

January Word of the Month: Visualization

by John Kennedy

Happy New Year...The perfect year to kick off the concept of visualization with 2020 Vision. In the following short video you will learn the value of Sensory Integration – The ability to blend multiple senses together to create a higher chance of success in goal setting and strategic planning. Key take away—“Write it Down”.

When a Writer Calls...

by Danny Summers

This past fall I received an introduction email and then a call from a writer who was assigned the task of creating a story for Better Homes & Garden magazine. The subject started out as: