You asked to receive these money making ideas from the 2005 OFA Short Course
Idea Exchanges.
Second Edition Of Money Making Ideas Are Yours, Free! . . .
If ideas come to
you during the year that you would like to share, please send them
to hortideas@mccurryassoc.com and we’ll include them in future emails.
PRIVACY: It’s very important to us – your email address will not be shared
with anyone . . . and we won’t Spam you . . . if you know of others who would
like to receive these creative ideas every three weeks, have them send
an email to
hortsubscribe@mccurryassoc.com – put
their name, company name or affiliation, city, state/province and we’ll add
them to the list. We will also be archiving these at www.ideaexchanges.com.
Questions? Thoughts? No cost follow up is available to all 2005 OFA Short
Course attendees – we’d love to hear from you . . . (hint: if you email, put OFA in
the subject line so the Spam filters don’t eat your email.)
Gary Hudson
Hudson & Associates
gary@GaryHudson.com
(916) 375-6540 |
Bill McCurry
McCurry Associates
WMcCurry@McCurryAssoc.com
(800) 553-1332
|
Marketing Idea Exchange
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Many ideas were suggested about maintaining sales volume on rainy
days. One garden center has a rainy day coupon. Bring the coupon
during a rainy day and get 15% off. Another sponsors the TV
weather report and
when the weather man forecasts rain the customers will get the
discount if they come in. Another has a flag with a duck on it,
when the duck
is flying it’s a rainy day and the rainy day discount applies.
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One garden center released 35,000 ladybugs as a promotional event.
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Operating a Butterfly Conservatory is an offshoot of garden center marketing.
Working with a daycare and hospice admissions went to the not for profits
as a fundraiser. The greenhouse provided the space and plants. The daycare
charged and collected. The garden center bought 250 - 300 butterflies
and attracted new customers to the garden center as well as market place
positioning.
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Each year most garden centers replant the front footage to give it a
new look. On a whim one Massachusetts garden center planted with a tropical
look, including 10’ to 15' high palm trees – it created a
stir in the local media and caused some customers to special order the
trees, even though they would not survive the winter.
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Mum madness . . . hold your mum sale at night
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Coupon inserted into a goodie bag at a restored Car show . . . $5.00
off anything in the store . . . car owners were identified as having
above average income and most were homeowners. Average redemption was
on sale over $15 so the true cost of attracting the new customer was
less than 1/3 off. Other shows used were “big boy toy shows” where
coupons could be given to the wives/girl friends who were totally bored
at the show.
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See, hear and/or meet Bill McCurry at the Shenandoah Nursery and Greenhouse
Association Short Course - Tuesday Jan 17 – Middletown, VA – more
info, inquire via email wmccurry@mccurryassoc.com or (800) 553-1332
See, hear and/or meet Gary Hudson at the Mid-Am Horticultural Trade
Show –Thursday Jan 19 – Chicago – more info, inquire
via email gary@garyhudson.com or (916) 375-6540
Gary Hudson will also be speaking at the Ohio Nurseryman Association
(ONA) – Wednesday January 23 in Columbus, Ohio - more info, inquire
via email gary@garyhudson.com or (916) 375-6540
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ABOUT THE LIST: This is a "work in progress" and is designed to be responsive
to the list subscribers. When this list was being contemplated, many of you asked
that we not show email addresses where they might get picked up by Spammers,
thus there is no public master list of subscribers. Additionally, some of you
felt the ability for anyone to respond to the group as a whole led to an avalanche
of emails that jammed your email systems. Thus, space allowing, we will attach
to the next newsletter any comments that are intended for broad distribution.
Please let us know if these policies make sense for you. You can reach us at
hortideas@mccurryassoc.com
We look forward to hearing from you. When you send
in your submissions, questions or comments please identify
yourself and let us know if you want your name withheld when your material
is published.
LEGAL MUMBO JUMBO OUR COUNSEL WANTS YOU TO READ
Your continued
receipt of this Marketing Idea Exchange will indicate you agree to
the following:
1. Good taste, common decency
and truth are required at all
times and necessary for the continuation of this list.
2. Each list participant is expected to send in
at least two marketing ideas each year. They can be your best ideas,
worst ideas or just ideas you're thinking
of trying.
3. To guarantee sanctity of email addresses,
communiqués will go
through McCurry Associates email. You agree to not share the email addresses
of people on this list with anyone and further agree to not send emails unrelated
to ideas for the horticultural industry. No Spamming allowed.
4. You agree that
business is an art, not a science and what works for one organization may or
may not work for another. You therefore agree to hold harmless and release from
all liability all parties (including without limitation McCurry Associates as
well as Hudson and Associates) who are associated or participating with this
list for any and all causes of action.
5. This list is operated by McCurry Associates and is not endorsed nor sanctioned
by any organization, group or entity other than McCurry Associates. Specifically
it is not part of OFA or any other trade association or industry group. McCurry
Associates is the sole arbitrator of all issues regarding the operation of this
list and may cancel it without notice. All submissions become the property of
McCurry Associates and may be reproduced in any form at McCurry Associates sole
discretion. Your suggestions to improve this list are heartily welcomed.
We hope you enjoy and profit greatly from this experience,
Bill and Gary
A Sampling of Upcoming Events For Bill McCurry and/or Gary Hudson:
Ohio Florists’ Association Short Course – The Premier Horticultural Educational
Event – Columbus, Ohio – July 8-11, 2006
William J. McCurry, Chairman
McCurry Associates
301 North Harrison Street - Suite 677
Princeton, NJ 08540
email: wmccurry@mccurryassoc.com
(609) 688-1169 or (800) 553-1332
Cellular (609) 731-8389 - Fax (609) 688-1192
Gary Hudson
Hudson & Associates
2545 Boatman Avenue
West Sacramento, CA 95691
email: gary@GaryHudson.com
(916) 375-6540 – Fax (916) 375-6543
