Are you prepared?

As I write this, we Northeast Ohioans — and many others across the country — are preparing ourselves for what could be the first big snowstorm of the season. It’s received great hype on the news, and people are reacting in different ways. There are those who are running out to buy bread and milk; others who are excited that the snow is finally flying and winter sports season will be in full swing; and still others who claim that they’ll be hibernating through the entire thing. But there’s one thing these reactions have in common — none of them will prevent the snowstorm from arriving.

Snowstorms can be stressful, regardless of whether you’re excited to finally break out the cross-country skis (me!) or would rather stay in and watch Netflix until it’s over. However, like any other stressful event, being well-prepared going into it will help alleviate some of that anxiety. In anticipation of the winter weather, I got up early and took care of my errands in the most efficient manner possible so that I would be back at home base before the worst of it hit. I was more relaxed about potentially being stuck at home for a while because I knew I had everything I needed (ironically, I didn’t buy bread and milk while I was out).

As we approach what most greenhouse growers consider the busiest weeks of the year, it’s the ideal time to take a step back and make sure that you’re also prepared for this stressful season. Are the changes you’ve made in recent months still serving your business well? Are your sales and accounting systems updated and working smoothly? Have you made any necessary repairs and upgrades to your greenhouse facilities? Do you still need to proactively seek out more employees to fill in gaps? Take 10 minutes now to list out any concerns or tasks to be completed, and develop a plan to address them before they become crises.

To aid you in this process, we’re once again bringing you the Spring Survival Guide. It’s full of tips on hiring a reliable staff; reasons why you should consider automating certain processes; advice for becoming more flexible and reducing your stress levels; and simple suggestions for setting attainable goals and charting your progress.

What have you done that has helped you maneuver through the craziness of spring? Drop me a line at kvarga@gie.net and tell me how you’ve found success.

Karen E. Varga, Editor
kvarga@gie.net
216-393-0290 | Twitter: @Karen_GIE