Don’t be afraid to do something different

Todd Davis

I've spoken to many successful greenhouse growers in the past year. They come in all shapes and sizes.

And by that I mean their businesses are all shapes and sizes, not the people themselves (although that is certainly the case). But I digress.

There's a broad scope of what these people grow, and the volumes they produce. But I'd say the defining characteristic for all of these successful growers is this: They're not afraid to try something new.

Not a single successful operation I've visited is doing the exact same thing they did five years ago. They've changed with the times. They've tried new crops. They've sought new markets.

Do all new ideas work? Does Ford look back fondly on the Pinto? Of course not.

But put it this way: Have you caught yourself thinking if the market could just turn around quicker, or if the weather would just cooperate better next year, then everything would be fine? If so, you're stuck in a rut from which you may never recover.
 

Give it a shot
Huge leaps aren't necessary. Have you sought new customers for the crops you already grow?

When doing sales for a North Texas landscape distribution center, I sought out a pansy grower and arranged a deal where he would offer next-day delivery to my landscape clients with small minimum orders. In one month I sold more than $10,000 in pansies for that grower.

One new idea. One new client. And $10,000 in one month. It's not setting the world on fire, but it makes a difference.

What about fundraisers? I know a grower who helps a local charity host an annual spring bedding plant sale. Photo samples of about eight different types of flats are provided to the charity, and volunteers make all the sales. The order is sent to the grower, who pulls the order and delivers it to one drop location. It's almost an effortless transaction for the grower.

He charges the charity his normal prices, so he's happy. The charity makes about $3 per flat, so it's happy. The end consumers are getting fresh-from-the-grower quality and near wholesale prices, so they're happy.

It works out, and it's reliable revenue for the grower every year. And it never would have happened had he not tried something new.

tdavis@gie.net