Our friends over at Today's Garden Center did some great blogging live from the 2009 ANLA Management Clinic. Group Editor Richard Jones and Editor Jen Polanz captured information from keynote speakers, breakout sessions and captured live feedback from attendees. Checkout this video that shares what these attendees learned at the Clinic.

Ernest Wertheim is widely acknowledged as an elder statesman in the green industry. A combination of proven success, experience, and talent have made Ernest a continuous source of wisdom for our industry. We can think of no better way to close out the ANLA Management Early Bird Blog Spectacular.

Advice from Ernest:

1. In previous recessions we found that people stayed home rather than traveling. This resulted in a lot of work in remodeling which also included landscaping. Some people did their own work, others worked with architects and contractors. Find out if you can make contact with contractors that do this work. Check with the building department to get some leads. Travel around the neighborhood to see where construction is going on. Get friendly with the letter carrier or may be the UPS driver, they know what is going on. Attend Planning Commission or architectural review board meetings to see who is doing a project that needs your services.

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Bob Dolibois is the Executive Vice-President, of the American Nursery and Landscape Association (ANLA). In addition to having done an impressive job of mastering botanical plant names (at least for an association exec-type) Bob is regularly a featured speaker at industry events and writes a bi-monthly column for Grower Talks.

In one of my prior lives before ANLA I was working for an enterprise that was facing tough times. I watched the owner struggling. I knew him well and came to the job at his invitation and because I wanted to work for him. I learned many things from this leader and watching him operate in a difficult time taught me a very valuable lesson--in this case, what not to do.

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Chris Campbell is a garden center manager and 4th generation in her family business. Founded in 1912, Campbell's Nurseries and Garden Center, Inc. has grown to include: landscape design, installation and maintenance, both residential and commercial, two garden centers, and more than 250 acres of production--greenhouse, container and field. Chris is a happy, hard-working and motivated graduate of ANLA's Garden Center university Class of 2008!

As 2008 draws to a close here in Nebraska, I have a lot to be thankful for! This year was not great for our business. But we are lucky for the fact that we will be able to open our doors in 2009. Campbell's Nurseries and Garden Centers will have the opportunity to ride out one more year of challenges, one more year of stresses and one more year of successes!

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If you don't know Matt Horn, you've certainly heard about him. Matt, along with his wife Ronnie, is the energy behind Matterhorn Nursery in New York. Name an organization in the industry, Matt has learned something from them. Name an educational event he has probably spoken there. From seminars and tours to magazine covers, Matt is always happy to share his experience and fearless exploration of new territory in the nursery and landscape industry. Matt serves on ANLA's Board of Directors and hopes to see you all in Louisville this February.

Over the last few years, I've spent a great deal of time discussing marketing strategies and my own experiences as the proprietor of an independent garden center. Our industry faces unprecedented challenges and ever-increasing competition. Independents must market their real advantages and entice customers with their specialty boutique atmosphere, unique products, lush displays, customized approach, and commitment to sustainability. Here are my tips for creating a niche in this challenging retail environment:

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Richard Jones is Group Editor for Meister Media Worldwide, working with trade magazines like Today's Garden Center, and Ornamental Outlook. If you think this whole "networking right from your desk thing is cool, check out their new cool, new community at Fresh Air ForumHe currently spends much of his time looking out his office window at dark, cold, snowy Willoughby, OH, and thinking about spring.

We talk to a lot of business owners, whether they're growers or retailers or landscapers, and at some point during the discussion, we usually ask the same question in one form or another: Why are you successful - what makes your business different?

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Trained and educated as an architect and landscape designer, with a careers spanning from corporate and residential design to horticultural education, Kaizad Irani has has taught both nationally and around the world. He regularly appears on various television networks ranging from, CBS, ABC and PBS, and will be appearing this February at the 2009 ANLA Management Clinic.

What some people might perceive as an economic downturn, possibility thinkers including myself, see as an opportunity to step back from the fray of the daily grind and re-group, re-invent and re-think. So some of us readers and re-gurgitators resort to the self-help book section, and what do you find? Well you are advised to "Blink", or was it "Think", maybe that might get you to "Sway" and reach a "Tipping Point" (frankly not sure if that is related to late night drinking to drown the economic woes). But wait if my sales training was "Made to Stick" would I be a flat out "Outlier" if I told my customers that soon they would "Stumble Upon Happiness". Confusing isn't it? Well if you are serious about getting down to staying up in business read on.

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Dale Deppe is the owner of Spring Meadow Nursery Inc. which produces potted liners under the Proven Winners ColorChoice brand of plants. Dale is currently serving on the ANLA board and has served as president of HRI. We embrace change at Spring Meadow and also acknowledge that if you're not the lead dog the view never changes. You can check out their continuing search for the hottest new plants at their blog, The Plant Hunter. We are hearing the same stories as everyone else about how bad it might be this time. But for us it's a completely different story. Our sales are up in 2008. Orders booked for 2009 are up over 30% year-over-year compared to 2008 at this time. This blip in our economy appears to be playing out similar to the last couple of blips. Reduced pricing power for commodity products goes hand in hand with increased demand for new plants.

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Suzi McCoy, President of Garden Media Group, knows what's going on. Her PR and marketing work keeps her straddling both the consumer and industry worlds providing great insight into how both work. If you need to know the latest trends, this is the woman to call. For more thoughts and hot trends form Suzi, hop on over to her blog: The Garden Plot. Well, the "R" word is out of the hat and belt-tightening times are ahead, but it doesn't mean we all can't have a successful 2009 and beyond. How you ask? Well, beside a weekly group hug, try these 4 tips:

1. Get back to basics by brainstorming with your team using the "SWOT" model. What are our Strengths; Weaknesses; Opportunities; and Threats? Although it's painful to really get down to the nitty gritty of analyzing your company, it's a gold-mine in revealing hidden talent, untapped opportunities and how to target and diffuse potential threats. Plus it engages your team in problem solving and generating new solutions.

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Jim Paluch and the JP Horizons team, have been using the Internet for more than a decade to deliver innovative training and coaching to companies around the world. Their free e-newsletter is read by over 10,000 people every week. The Working Smarter Training Challenge has transformed the way companies look at their businesses and it is delivered through a unique blend of personal touch and technology. You can explore their site at www.jphorizons.com . Today JP Horizons along with many associations across North America are hosting a webinar with over 1400 people signed up . . . You will be able to find a recording of it on the JP Horizons website on Friday.

If you are reading this blog post right at this moment, I know, without even meeting you that you are on the right track. Here's why.

" You are taking initiative and looking for information that may help you in your business.

" You are not intimidated by technology and chose to look on the Internet for that information.

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