Keeping up With What’s New
This past week I visited one of the finest restaurants in Las Vegas, the Joel Robuchon Restaurant at the MGM Grand.  I went with friend Shane Pliska of Planterra who had done the origina design and installation two and a half years ago.  It had been some time since I had seen the plantings and I was very anxious to see how well the design had held up.

"They’re My Babies"
The reason I was anxious was because the entire "Living Wall" that is the showpiece of the Garden is a large Wall, blacked out and fitted with over 240 Black wall mount TOPsiders filled with Ivy.  There is no natural light, just accent lights and the floor beneath the Wall is filled solid with blooming plants.  Spectacular.  In fact one food critic raved on and on about the "Garden Room" with it’s living wall and recommended that patrons make sure their reservations were in that part of the restaurant.  To my absolute delight, the Wall of Ivy was green and lush and appeared like this huge solid ivy backdrop.  It was perfect.

What About Maintenance?
Glad you asked.  TOPsiders always come with free capmat and using that maintenance only need be done every other week.  So, this new hot design needs no fancy subirrigation drip system or any other handstands.  Nope, just good old TOPsiders, wallmounted and with cap mat inside.

What do Others Think?
The design using the Living Wall has been so successful that in a few months another area of the restaurant, that had no greenery, will also feature a second Living Wall.  Now that’s success.

This is a Hot New Design
Not for restaurant alone.  Hospitals, Hotels, and other Public Lobbies will soon have an architect or designer asking you if you can "do" a Living Wall.  And, if you hadn’t read this blog or hadn’t already worked with TOPsiders, you might just be spending a whole lot of time researching expensive shelving and irrigation systems but now you know the most effective and least expensive and easy to install system……TOPsiders.  Next time you are in Vegas, check it out.

Satisfying Curiosity
We get a lot of questions from non-innercircle members regarding the content of our Growing Success newsletters. 

These are mostly from plantscapers who are deciding whether joining the InnerCircle is right for them.

Unfortunately, we can’t distribute our Growing Success content to non-members. 

But, we can give you a taste of only a few of the ideas, strategies, resources & profit boosters inside the 15 page May issue…

The Secret
Do you know there are only four ways to grow a plantscape business?  Can you name them?  In the May issue of Growing Success you will.  And you’ll learn why they are the secret to growing your profits while simultaneously reducing your time at work.

Taming Difficult Clients & Potential Customers
Use the Three C’s of Confidence, Candor & Control to smooth the proposal process and put you in the drivers seat.

The May Power Principle: Attachment
Learn how to use The Principle Of Attachment to build your reputation and credibility in seconds so you can close more sales.

[SPECIAL AUDIO BONUS]
How To Find, Hire & Compensate Great Interiorscape Sales People
You’ll hear Barb Helfman reveal some of her most unique and effective methods - Including how to find a salesperson who brings an entire pipeline of high quality potential customers to your door on their first day.

This information is not only valuable for interiorscape companies who already have sales people and those who are considering hiring their first sales person but even for one person interiorscape businesses that don’t want to hire a sales person.

InnerCircle Conference Call - May 24, 2007 At 4:00EST (1:00PST)
We’ll dive even deeper into the content contained in the May Growing Success Newsletter to help you apply the InnerCircle CORE4 to immediately increase your profit per sale…

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If You’re Still Curious
Our InnerCircle members also have 24/7 access to the IC portal which contains all the archived issues of Growing Success, recorded conference calls, special reports, e-books and more.  If you’d like more info on joining check out the FAQ’s or just drop me an e-mail.

A great way to grow your business is by connecting with others in the industry.  But, it can be hard.  Questions like who to talk with and what to say can be barriers that keep us insulated and missing out on the knowledge and experience of other plantscapers.

Connecting With Plantscapers
The first step is always reaching out.  The old seek and you will find approach.  It starts with you - Writing an e-mail, making a call, attending a seminar, posting a comment.  Don’t wait for others to come to you.  Go to them.  Chances are you’ll be welcomed.  If not, don’t take it personally - just move on to the next person. 

Here’s an example.  Below is a post from the interiorscape.com message board.

"HI Everyone. I hope most of you remember who I am. Anyway I am Paul from Horticulture 2000. I posted a couple of messages here back in October about sales. I got to meet a couple of good people in the industry through e-mail Will Creed and Clem. Two really good men. Clem helped me rewrite my sales letter and with his help back in November landed a client. Will and I e-mailed each other a few times and I met Will in NYC for lunch in December. Really a great person.

Then in April I joined the inner circle Barb Helfmans Group and I got to tell you I really learned a lot from Barb. I think one of the biggest things I learned is about finding the Zebra. One thing about Barb she understands people very well. When I told Barb where I came from and my situation she was able to see it from my view and together we discussed a way to get my business to start growing again.

I have been in business now for 10 years I live in Long Island and have Clients both in NYC and LI. Back in the late 1990’s I went to 2 Alca shows in Fort Lauderdale. After the 1999 one I did not speak to anyone in the industry for over 7 years until October 2006. I had a bad experience at the Alca show in and was made to feel like an outsider at that event in Jan 1999. I go to great plant nurseries both in NYC and LI. That was the only people I have had contact with in the industry during those years.

I think speaking with Barb really changed my perception of the people industry. I am a small one man company. And I enjoy what I do. I am just writing to reintroduce myself to the people of the industry again and hoping to make more contacts. Besides Barb I would just like to thank 3 more people Clem and Will for making me feel welcome back last fall.

And To Brad Miller I have not spoke to him since Jan 1999 but years ago I got his video tape 11 ways to increase sales and some the advice he gave on that tape and to me in person years ago really helped get my business to a new level. I look forward to hearing from some of you."

Sincerely

Paul Levine Owner of Horticulture 2000

I think Paul should be commended for taking the first step and reaching out to others for mutual benefit and to learn.  I have no doubt he will make great progress in his business this year!  His example also holds a broader lesson for us all.  Even if you haven’t found benefit from reaching out in the past - try again.  People, circumstances and situations are always in flux.  Don’t let a previous negative experience color your entire perception & prevent you from networking with others.  Chances are your next contact will be the one that makes a great difference to your company!

Be Creative
One of the challenges Interiorscpers face today is how and where to find service technicians.  In the past we would place Want Ads in the newspaper but in today’s employment market we rarely get the response we desire.  What to do?  Get creative.  First, think of what qualities you want, the age range, the social skills needed, and the compensation you can afford to pay.  Next, get rid of old ideas and think of new demographic that could still fit your template.

Think Target Groups
In today’s world there are many industries that want the same type of employee you are seeking.  Fast food chains are going after the student and the senior citizens to fill their needs.  Walmart, Target and the like also go after Senior Citizens.  Exterior companies look at ethnic populations to fill their needs.  Salaries for these employees often come close to the pay scale Interiorscapers can pay.  Lots of companies looking for the same employee.

Solutions?
Some time ago I suggested that one creative solution would be to contact Churches that have a large ethnic population as members.  For example, many Catholic churches with a large Hispanic membership have omnsbudsman to help these members find employment.  If you contact one of these, you just might find a plethora of competent, honest, individuals that would be perfect for your company.  Of course, with any employee you hire you want a familiarity with the Language, a clean drivers license and government compliant paperwork.  Tell this up front to the Church’s liaison. 

One company I know, a plastic molding factory found what now makes up 50% of its workforce at a Church that has sponsored Russian refugees.   They report that this has been a godsend.  In-fact, now they do not even have to contact the Church, the family members of already hired workers bring in Aunt  Mila, Uncle Ivan and so on. 

You Just Never Know
Last evening I was getting my nails done at one of the several Nail Salons run by Vietnamese in my town in Ohio.  There are a bunch of places like this around, probably a few in your city as well.   Somewhere along the line someone discovered that they could train nail technicians from this group and, now, there is probably not a town or city in the US that does not have such an establishment.  So, while sitting there watching my nails become pearly pink, I asked the technician who also happened to be the Manager, if 12-14 dollars an hour would be a good and fair wage for someone who is a nail tech.  Her answer?  Absolutely.  Even with tips her techs make less than that.  My next question was about how to reach this group.  Would I contact some Church?  Buddhist Temple? 

Nope, she replied.  Buddhist temples are few.  She suggested posting a notice on a Bulletin Board at the local Oriental food grocery or restaurant. 

Go Where They Go
Now, that is a great idea.  Post your Help Wanted notices where the target group goes and see what results develop.  Again, its all about being a little quirky, a little intuitive, and a little creative.  Good Luck and, if this works, you owe me dinner……..Vietnamese of course.

In Praise of Pothos

How can you not love a plant that survives when the soil is super wet or when it’s dry as a bone?  That flirtatiously twines around and down.  That comes in variegations of Green with White or Green with Silver or Green with Yellow  Yep, ya just gotta love that old standby- Pothos.  As hanging basket, tabletop accent, under plantings or as multiples in a TOPsider atop partitions or credenza, pothos is the perfect office plant.  It’s a fast grower and since it usually is available in smaller sizes (6”, 8”, and 10”), it can be started from cuttings and ready for market in just weeks instead of months or years.

 The Perfect Office Plant

Pothos love fluorescent light under which it produces short internodal spaces.  When kept pinched back pothos gives a lush, full appearance.  Pruning is a snap and the plant can tough out extensions of watering intervals especially when using capmat in a TOPsider (2 weeks between waterings).   And, since office settings rely on flourescent lighting, pothos thrive.  Just think, instead of having to coax each precious leaflet, ’scapers often have to get out the old scissors and give them a haircut.  This procedure is most often followed (to the delight of office employees) with the "Giving Out of the Pothos Vines".  Just think.  Out "there" millions and millions of pothos cuttings are happily living in a glass on kitchen windowsills.  All from the Office Pothos.  So, not only are they a plant, but they are Ambassadors of Horticulture.

But Wait, There’s More

Pothos are sort of like the "duct tape" or WD-40 of the Plant World.  They can be used for a number of things, you just have to put on your creativity thinking cap.  Pothos-in TOPsiders,  the perfect plant in the perfect planter. Pothos-vines that cascade down over planters edge acting as a visual green waterfall.   Pothos mixed with blooming, pothos alone with the various variegations keyed to decorative container color.  What other plant does so much?  Fills so many design niches?  Only Pothos-the Queen of the Rainforest and the Interiorscaper’s Best Friend.

Share Your Story

We’d love to know how you’ve used Pothos.  Feel free to post a blog.

 

Now go out there and get‘em Tiger.