Sunny with a chance of profits

I’ve always been a glass-is-half-full kind of gal, which is somewhat of an oddity in my profession. Journalists are usually characterized as pessimistic or hardened.
 
I am somewhat of a cynic (thanks in part to my profession), but I try to make the best of every situation.
 
Turns out I’m not alone. After spending 2009 listening to stories of struggle and hardship, I’m hearing positive chatter. Not just a whisper, but almost a roar.
 
The winter trade show aisles were oozing with optimism – not just about more sales but better business practices.
 
There’s always buzz around new products and new plants, but a lot of growers and retailers were talking about improving day-to-day business practices. The green industry is making changes and adapting. Norm Brodsky, author of Street Smarts, a monthly column in Inc. magazine, said smart people learn from their mistakes and wise people learn from others’ mistakes. Don’t let mistakes defeat your business – turn them into pathways to improvement.

Push that positive message
Now that you’ve made shipping or ordering more efficient, make sure to tell your customers. It’s great to celebrate your successes with your staff, but get your customers excited about them, too. The stories may (should) inspire other businesses to make improvements. And before you know it, you’ve got an avalanche of positive changes throughout the supply chain.
 
Consumers also need to hear that positive message. So they don’t care that you made it easier for retailers to get just-in-time deliveries. But there are more than enough factoids on how plants can have a positive impact on their lives ready to be swallowed up by consumers.

• Plants improve the value of your home.
• Strategically placed plants can lower your energy bill.
• Plants attract wildlife.
• Plants can help clean the air, soil and water.
• Planting can be done as a couple or a family.
• Plants make people happy.

Make people feel good about buying your product – whether it’s a retailer, re-wholesaler, contractor or the consumer.