The Benefits of Being Consistent

by Danny Summers

What are the REAL BENEFITS of being CONSISTENT?

Years ago, Dan Parsons, a senior CPA who served an association that Karen and I managed for 18 years, made a comment that has stuck with me: "In bookkeeping, if you are wrong, it is best to at least be consistently wrong."

At first glance, that sounds at odds with the precision we expect from financial professionals. But his point was from an auditing perspective. In his role of conducting an annual audit for the association, if he found an error that had been going on for some time, it was much easier to correct the errors if they had been made... consistently. Otherwise, it was like a needle in a haystack if there were inconsistent errors over time.



Of course, the goal isn’t to be consistently wrong. But that idea highlights something important: consistency itself has real value.

There’s strong evidence that garden centers that consistently track and analyze their management systems perform better over time. Within The Group, this is especially clear among those who have participated in the Annual P&L Study year after year. The benefits are multiplied each year they consistently participate. Over time, their operations become more refined, and we know Lenders place greater confidence in both their financials and professionalism.

Consistency also matters when it’s time to sell. A well-documented, consistently tracked financial history—especially when benchmarked against peers nationwide—adds clarity and credibility for both buyers and sellers. It tells a reliable story of performance.

A major driver of consistency within The Group is the Weekly Department Review (WDR). Each week, centers track sales across 28 departments, gross margin in 26 of them, and transaction data for both the current week and year-to-date. This produces a significant amount of information.

And when you add comparisons to peer centers—both regionally and nationally—it provides a unique perspective and opportunity. That's powerful.

I’ve often described the WDR as “four quarts in a two-quart jar.” There’s simply more data than you can absorb all at once. But here's one fact that is true... the more consistently you review it, the more of an understanding and better insight you gain. Patterns emerge. Understanding deepens. What starts as raw data becomes instinct––Call it gut feel, intuition, or even experience-based intelligence (I like that one best... it is really true.)

So, how does Your Center Measure Up?

The answer is always evolving. There are countless variables at play. But the WDR offers nearly unlimited ways to explore performance—if you use it consistently. That’s the key: not just reporting the numbers, but reviewing them regularly.

The 100% Club Awards for 2025
This week, we're recognizing The 100% Club for 2025, centers that reported in all 54 WDRs. That includes one report for each week, plus mid-year and year-end reports. Each weekly report captures 72 data points. Over 54 reports... a total of 3,888 data points per Center. Multiply that across 90 Centers (the number of 100% Club Centers in 2025), and you get 349,920 data points. And even more Centers also reported, but they just fell short of reaching the 100% Club Award.

Since Week 1 of 2023 when the WDR became a cloud-based system, Tim Quebedeaux reported we have had 16,865 reports uploaded. Multiply that by the number possible data points earlier... the number is getting more amazing!

Those Centers receiving the 100% Club Award represents a commitment of meaningful investment of time and discipline. And it's hard to imagine that effort not paying off. I am confident the benefits of reporting have resulted in multiples for them.

In fact, the real question may be... what benefits have they seen from that consistency?

I have no doubt, there are Benefits of Being Consistent!



Watch for photos we will be sharing of these Garden Centers taken with their staff and their plaque(s).

We began this message with the question...

What are the REAL BENEFITS of being CONSISTENT?

We know, when considering The Group's two industry-leading financial programs, the BENEFIT of being CONSISTENTLY EXCELLENT is a big part of it!

Danny Summers
[email protected]
Tel: 678-909-7770
Cell: 678-761-7145

REMEMBER: Your interaction (by phone and email) with Group Service Providers such as Tim Quebedeaux, John Kennedy, Seawright & Associates, and of course Danny Summers are included in your retainer!