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:

Time to Get Back to Work – Part 3

by Sid Raisch

This is a Challenge for 2020 to become Exceptionally Exceptional

Double GMROII of Perennials in 2020

The Value of Creativity

by Danny Summers

It is amazing to see what creativity can do. Whether it is displays in-store, signage, or your marketing message, real creativity is priceless. We have seen and heard how big corporations spend millions producing major ads for product launches or even special events like The Super Bowl which we will see in a few weeks. Most fail to make a big splash or impact. Only a few rise to the top and even onward to the award-winning archives such as ones we remember from long ago. This include Budweiser's Puppy Love from 2014, Apple's original Mac launch in 1984, or Coke's Mean Joe Green and Kid ad in 1980 (Revisit these in our February 11, 2019 GROUPtalk HERE). Or you may even remember Coke's "We'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" in 1971. These are etched into the hearts and minds of millions and are at top of marketing history.

December Word of the Month:  Reflection

by John Kennedy


Welcome to our final ReFresh Calendar of 2019. As we arrive into the month of December, let us take time to  “Reflect” upon the two aspects of our lives—professionally and personally.  In this short video, we address the three questions you may want to ask yourself regarding how your  "business year”  went, and the one question you may want to ask yourself while looking in the mirror on December 31, 2019.     “I’m looking at the man in the mirror…"

With 2020 Vision, let us reflect back upon this past year, as we look forward to our next.

Time to Get Back to Work – Part 2

by Sid Raisch

It’s too late to do much to alter the outcome of the 2010’s.

“The time is ideal to create the outcome of the 2020’s.”

The decade is all but over, and there’s not much that can be done to end it any better than it is. The way we started on this journey back in 2010 didn’t inspire much hope beyond “recovery from the Great Recession”, and the “lucky” feeling of getting back to where we were seemed like all one could ask for.

The New Garden Center Customer - Part 2

By Danny Summers

In Part 1 we reviewed how we are now in a transition of sorts where in 2019, "Baby Boomers" are projected to start a slow decline in numbers over the coming ears and where "Millennials" are projected to have overtaken Boomers in the top spot as percentage of population. Let's explore this further together...

The New Garden Center Customer - Part 1

by Danny Summers

This is a time of transition, a time of change.

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy said, "Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."

Time to Get Back to Work – Part 1

by Sid Raisch

You came, you saw, you heard at the Fall Event 2019, then you went back to doing pretty much the same thing so far, didn’t you?

 Let’s Play A Game

by Robert Hendrickson

(The following is a transcribed version of the PowerPoint slides Robert presented at The Fall Event 2019 during his Cheekwood Challenge.) Following The Fall Event 2019 and Robert's Cheekwood Challenge, several Group Owners have shared their experience in working toward a more balanced approach to their marketing efforts. Be sure to see Group Clients Weigh-In at the bottom of this blog post for more. Joey Bokar - Kerby's Nursery, JD Boone - Dothan Nurseries, Cameron Rees - Skinner Garden Store, and Liz Lark-Riley - Rockledge Gardens.

Before The Fall Event 2019, Danny mentioned having an open mic session to address the peaks and valleys garden centers face. I told him I had an idea that might help explain why this happens.

Profit - It’s All About Change

by Steve Bailey

All of you joined The Garden Center Group for a reason. Maybe it was for the camaraderie of networking with peers, possibly to work more closely with Service Providers within The Group, to access the financial tools such as the Weekly Department Review and P&L Study, or any of the other numerous reasons there are to be a part. Most likely the underlying reason was you needed Change and all of the above enables you to enact it.

October Word of the Month: Innovation

by John Kennedy

There is a difference between being “creative” and being “innovative” and often times they are confused. This week, we share John's ReFresh Calendar for the Month of October and discover how innovation is the key to longevity in business.

Magical Thinking Tour

As some may know, I have a deep fondness for music and on occasion inject it into some of my presentations.  As an example, the very first time the world heard the sound of a synthesizer was on the opening of “Baba O’Riley” by The Who. It was ground breaking, it was unique, it was curious and it was certainly one thing--Innovative.

The Benefit of Community to Grow Your Business - Part 1

by Danny Summers

COMMUNITY: The idea for this message has been developing in my mind over recent months. As I have talked with Retailers, both inside and outside The Group some observations have come together to support these ideas. I will share these observations in several segments in the coming weeks. Here's Part 1.

Earlier this year I received a call from a veteran garden retailer whom I have known and respected for a number of years. During the conversation, he talked about all the opportunities he had through the many years to meet and interact with fellow retailers at industry events and develop life-long relationships that have helped him be successful. He added that many of those events were no longer in existence today. He went on to tell me one of his sons was coming back into the business and he expressed his concern about how his son would develop business relationships, like he did. He went on to say he sees The Group as one of the very best opportunities today to network with fellow garden retailers, share great level of details, and build connections and relationships that could help his son to be successful.

Attention Group Owners-Managers:
Make sure to send this on to whomever does your email newsletters...

How's your newsletters? No matter the answer, can they be improved?

A few weeks back we had a lengthy GroupEs eList discussion about e-marketing and especially email newsletters. In the middle of the conversation, Robert Hendrickson said this is an indication we need to reach out to Michael Katz at Blue Penguin Development for his coaching skills. Michael is one of the best at creating effective email newsletters. He has been a featured speaker at multiple past Fall Events and some of you no doubt are on his email list today. But we know many of you are not. I spoke to Michael to discuss our needs and he has put together a special offer, just for The Group. Here's details:

Connect+ by Proven Winners^®

New Promotional Support Program for 2020

[Danny] This past week, while we were at the Farwest Show, Proven Winners' Jessica DeGraaf shared with me a new promotional support program they are introducing for 2020. You may remember they offered a special program this past spring where our centers could participate in a customized video series by Garden Answer's Laura and Aaron LeBoutillier. The program produced a series of videos each participating center could use on their website and in social media. The program was very reasonable and gave a wonderful message and a number of you participated. This new expanded program for 2020 brings together a number of offerings and is called Connect+. I asked Jessica to give us some commentary on the program and she sent us the following details.

While we discussed each tier of options to Connect+, we discussed the real value of just a couple of the elements such as the Facebook or Pandora pieces, it was obvious it would cost a center much more than the total cost of this offer and therefore what a great value this could be for our centers. Obviously you need to consider what Proven Winners® programs you will be carrying, what they can offer that matches up with those products and how you can implement in your center. If the product mix matches what you can sell, the value of this offer is pretty amazing. At a time of increasing effort is needed to handle all the promotional tools a center is utilizing today, this type of support can bring some needed relief. Be sure to also follow the link at the bottom to see the simple chart showing the four levels of promotional support.

Blow It Up! on Average Transactions

by Sid Raisch

You might remember my session on Blowing it Up! At Fall Event 17 in Houston. That was all about taking something you’re doing and making a bigger big deal of it so you maximize the benefit from your opportunity. The principle of Blow It Up! is to make whatever is working work better.

Peaks and Valleys

by Danny Summers

Twelve Weeks
The majority of a garden center's income happens in a 12-week period in spring. Exactly when the 12 weeks begin fluctuates of course, dependent upon location (climate zone) and seasonal weather breaks. The balance of the year the center is trying to hang onto the profit dollars by working on building income and keeping costs as low as possible.