do something
"Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody seems to do anything about it."
Charles Dudley Warner
We've had a cold wet spring. Since you can't turn off the rain, do something different, do something creative and identify the somethings you can do about the weather. Some of your customers may be waiting for the warm, sunny days ahead, but you don't have to!

more trees
"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now."
Chinese Proverb
Tree sales are in decline. Homeowners want it now and build patios - or go indoors to play Wii. The collapse of construction means no new tree lined streets or office parks. Our industry has never been equipped with more research about the value that trees deliver to our communities, our environment, our homes and ourselves. How do we convince the consumer and sell more trees?

no time to lose

Because no time is exactly what you have. For the next 6-8 weeks you're keeping your head above water not innovating, out-performing or outside-the-boxing. And we understand. So here's a few ideas that can help you sell a little more, work a little more efficiently, make your customers a little happier and your employees a bit more knowledgeable.

Spring Training
Now's the time, champ! A great season doesn't happen in season, without hard work pre-season. What is going to improve your record this year: sales training, better customer service or better product knowledge? Spring training starts now, and it starts right here on the ANLA Knowledge Center.

Top Trends of 2010
2010 saw the nursery, landscape and garden center industry continue to face a challenging economy. However, necessity is the mother of invention and there is no more innovative group than the independent businesses that are the heart of our industry. Join ANLA Today for a look at some of the top trends that emerged over the past year.

Noble Profits: The Cause Marketing Issue

Giving back is not just good, it's good business. From the Ronald McDonald House to Susan G. Komen, connecting with a cause that your customers care about has proven to drive sales and build your brand. But is it as valuable for independents as it is for big business? Can your business drive strong profits for a good cause?

The Social Media Resource Guide Part 2

How do you take social media from a toy to a tool? In part two of our social media guide we explore how to establish a social media presence for your business and maximize the value building stronger relationships with your customers and out-innovating your competition. Is it time for you toJoin the conversation?

The Social Media Resource Guide Part I

What is Social Media and should I be using it for my business? Social Media is the big buzz right now, but is this a powerful new marketing and communications tool, or a big black hole for limited staff resources? Part I of our guide answers those questions and provides step-by-step guides to using the most popular Social Media tools. Join the conversation.

The Great Ideas Issue

Great ideas drive the growth, success and profitability of our industry. You find your competitive advantage from the dramatic impact of a game changing innovations and the indisputable impact of many small ideas implemented over time. ANLA's Knowledge Center delivers your peers and their great ideas right to you, wherever you are, whenever you need them. What's your next Great Idea?

How has the economy changed your business?

You've read the headlines. But the impact of the economic downturn is not just limited to the nightly news. Real people, running real businesses are facing the impact on their profits, their operations and their teams. Hard decisions are getting them through, but even in the toughest of markets, we find a light at the end of the tunnel. Changing times. Changing models.

Out in the cold: winter cash flow.

Seasonality is a perennial and fundamental challenge for our industry. It drives our reliance on short-term credit and our struggle to maintain full-time staff. So what's the answer? Should you be aggressively pursuing new markets, or turning off the tap on spending?This month we look at increasing income, cutting expenses, and the tough realities of cutting hours and layoffs. How are you managing winter cash flow?

Have you changed how you use or extend credit?

Credit. It's riskier to give and harder to get. Yet with long winters draining your bank account and only three weeks to fill your yard in the spring, it's hard to do business without funding yourself, and often your customers with debt spending. So, do you tighten the pursestrings or butter up your banker? Funding debt. To give and to get.

Where are you spending your marketing dollars?

Tough times demand tight budgets. You expect every dollar of your marketing budget to perform – and those dollars have to buy you more than they did just last year. Do you buy low-cost technology like email and Facebook, or are you funding the tried and true of newspaper, radio and TV? What’s the right Marketing Mix?