HortiTrends Weekly Comment and News Digest - 27th September

We attended the Autumn Trolley Fair this week and came away with that gem of information in the headline above. It came from Better Manage the Variables in Business You Have Some Control Over - Key Points - Blaise Brosnan. You get an overview from this article, but it is like any information that is out there, it is only useful when you have the time to implement the new information into your business.  The key point we took away for our own business was 'If You are Going to do Something New, Decide What You are Going to Give Up First. It sounds so simple and logical but it's an important point that is missed by many businesses. We carry on doing, adding new things to do and all the time getting busier, but it doesn't seem to show up in the profit line. We predict growth is coming, so are you and your business ready? The evidence for growth comes not from statistics but from visiting and talking to people on the ground. Job adverts are increasing. Companies like Jenkinson Landscapes who have positions available for Landscape Operatives. Also we see general advertising increasing. As Blaise say's himself - "Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl. Nobody else see's it." He also says "Generally in any niche of business 1/3 do well, 1/3 are hanging in there and 1/3 are on the way out." Which one are you?

You will be seeing some new nurseries on PlantConnector.ie next week so take a peek to see who's already on there now, showcasing and marketing their wares. Garden Centres and retail buyers are finding it easy to use and anything that saves time for them is a real value to their business.

We also attended the Our Future, Our Food, Sustainability:The Bottom Line conference and the Irish National Ploughing Show. We will have a report on both of these in next weeks newsletter.

We are also back to a Friday newsletter after an experiment that wavered from a Monday & Tuesday Newsletter but judging from comments we got on the ground, Friday seems to be most popular. Please let us know what you like and don't like about the new format and the quality and content in general.

In respect to your time and only in my opinion the 'Must Reads' are below, but  please click on your Sector Link as there is lots happening in horticulture.

• IHNSA Autumn Plant Fair 2013 - Latest News
• Roadmap for A Designer to Exhibit in Bloom 
• Irish Florist Guild Competitions & Tradeshow 2013
• Irish National Ploughing Show - Latest News
• The Sodshow Meets Donall Flanagan of Kildalton College
• Teagasc 2020 Road Maps Launched
• Cork Students Win First Prize at EU Young Scientists Award
• "Strength in Numbers" - National Forest Owner Groups Conference
• Ireland Gets New Vision - John Stanley
• 2013 ALCI Landscape Awards
• GLDA - Noel Kingsbury Workshop

Where are we today? We are sending the newsletter from Newlands Garden Centre. I have just had a very tasty 'Newlands Sandwich Special' from the recently opened cafe. I had 'Christmas Shock' when I entered the store but it's growing on me already and yes, the customers are browsing and buying. Getting it all ready for the 'Christmas Shop Open Night' on the 4th of October at 7.00pm was Bridget herself, who was halfway up a high ladder getting Santa positioned.

Last Thought - Congratulations to Rachel Doyle who is on her way to Australia to take up the reins as President of the International Garden Centre Association.

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