Garden Center Blog

This year will stretch everyone’s “management muscles.”  As budgets get cut, the importance of relationship building and service becomes more relevant.  Profit, morale, and quality service are all hanging in the balance of good management

It is the garden centers responsibility to ally itself with its customers and its employees.  We all know that people will remember those that helped them when they needed it.  This is not a zero sum problem.

I have spoken to my employees, and told them that I am committed to use every bit of my focus to help them all keep full schedules, but I can’t do it on my own if the customers aren’t there.  At the same time I am reaching out to help customers that are having problems to keep them viable.  I have made concessions on dating, and worked out some less expensive alternatives.  As you approach three balance drivers of payroll, inventory and sales, it is so important to show your vendors and your employees that their fates are welded to yours.

I see my employees going the extra mile to make sure their clients are happy.  I see vendors reaching out with plans to make sure their dealers are stocked and ready to go.  This is a time of change for consumers.  They will be reevaluating everything they do. It is important right now to control the parts of your value proposition that you can.  Don’t wait for this economy to happen to you, you have to adjust one of the 3 to meet the challenge.