ANLA Knowledge Center

IN EPISODE 3

To POS or Not to POS…That Is the Question Part 1

Pull Up a Chair Chicago brings together garden retailers and experts from around the country to talk about success and the challenges that keep them up at night. This tradeshow after-hours conversation lets you pull up a chair and get the inside scoop on their experiences.

The POS system Stephanie bought after purchasing her garden center just isn’t cutting it anymore. How should she go about making the single biggest capital investment she may ever make? Michael shares his experience upgrading to a new system and Bill advises on asking the right questions to make sure your purchase fits your business’ unique needs.

Bonus! How Much Is Too Much? A POS system can deliver limitless information, but what can drive decision making and what is just data clutter? Michael shares his strategy for setting up SKU’s that drive pricing decisions without overwhelming your buyers.

EPISODE GUIDE

Episode 1

Reward your customer. Reward your bottom line.
Pull Up a Chair brings together retailers and experts from around the country to talk about the secrets behind their success and the challenges that keep them up at night. We kick off with Mark, Christina and Michael chatting about customer loyalty programs. Are they worth the investment? Do loyalty programs really work? And how the heck do you set one up? So pull up a chair and listen in on how these folks are using customer loyalty programs to profile customers, develop offers and program benefits, and how they measure success.

Episode 2

POS ROI: Measuring Bottom Line Benefits Mark, Christina and Michael talk with Kip about how they measure the return they receive from their investment in a POS system. Is it really more than just an electronic bean counter? Join the conversation while Michael shares how his POS system helps him compete, Mark talks about bottom line ROI on system upgrades, and Christina shares how her POS drives specific buying, pricing and product mix decisions.

Episode 3 NOW PLAYING

To POS or Not to POS…That Is the Question Part 1
The POS system Stephanie bought after purchasing her garden center just isn’t cutting it anymore. How should she go about making the single biggest capital investment she may ever make? Michael shares his experience upgrading to a new system and Bill advises on asking the right questions to make sure your purchase fits your business’ unique needs.

Episode 4

To POS or Not to POS…That Is the Question Part 2
Michael, Stephanie and Bill continue their conversation with a look at how expensive employee mistakes at the register can be. (Hint: Michael thinks the savings have paid for his POS system!) Stephanie worries about the burden of converting to a new system and Michael and Bill offer some real world advice on how to manage the transition.

Episode 5

Social Media: A Lot of Questions...Not Many Answers
Social media: everyone is talking about it, but does it really make sense for your business? And, if so, what should you invest your time and energy doing? Michael, Christina and Mark share some surprising insights on whether or not to involve your staff and how to use Facebook when hiring new staff.

Episode 6

Email Newsletters: Who, What, When?
E-newsletters are dramatically changing garden center communications making them faster, cheaper and content rich. However, endless possibilities make the questions more complex: what do you write, how often do you send them and who should receive them? Christina, Mark and Michael discuss sourcing content, segmenting customers and the fine line between marketing and content communications.

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	Part 2

MEET THE CAST

Michael B.

Stephanie F.

Bill J.

		Michael Bracken Michael Bracken and his brother, Josh, own Nicholson-Hardie. These two garden centers, less than half a mile apart, are in the most affluent community in Dallas, TX. Both stores carry significant lifestyle inventories. Neither store has sufficient parking for anything other than the middle of Dallas’s sweltering summer. “At our indoor store location we have 3 landlords for our 10,000 sq ft facility. Oddly enough it all works beautifully! I LOVE my job, my team members and my customers!” Nicholson-Hardie has used an Activant POS system for over ten years. The coolest thing about their system? “SPEED…so much faster than the traditional register situation.” michael@nicholson-hardie.com http://www.nicholson-hardie.com

		Stephanie Farris Stephanie Farris purchased Picket Fence Floral, Gift & Garden Center with her brother and two sisters. They are now entering their fourth year in business since taking over this local landmark in Chillicothe, IL, a town of 6,000. “The business was crumbling when we bought it. We gutted the place, flipped it on its ear with a new look and new staff and doubled sales in the first year.” With a retail greenhouse and three growing houses, they produce 75% of the bedding plants they sell. “We pick people’s brains everywhere we go. Even during filming I continued to pick people’s brains when the cameras were off!” Everyone is family, even non-relative staff, delivering zero turnover, even in seasonal positions. snsfarris@yahoo.com http://www.picketfencefloral.com

		Bill Jameson Master Nursery Garden Centers is a cooperative of over 750 independent garden centers across the US. Bill Jameson, CEO since 2004, said "I observe hundreds of garden centers and have seen over and over how a robust POS contributes to the bottom line. POS is the only way for retailers to have pricing and inventory control. Without it, there is just too much guesswork." One of the on-going initiatives at Master Nursery is the installation of new IT processes and systems. "Just like improving our IT system contributed to the financial health of our organization, POS is important for retailers. These systems allow us to better managers." Bill's background includes 6 years as CFO at Monrovia Growers and both Masters and Undergraduate degrees in Business Administration. billj@masternursery.com http://www.masternursery.com/masternursery.cfm

For More Information on

POS Systems

Properly tended by experienced hands, plants will grow and bear fruit. The same is true for your independent garden center. But, because your business must continually attract new customers and retain those customers you already have, it is critical that you install an integrated business management system. The Activant Eagle software system is a complete, fully integrated solution that’s backed by an industry leading network of consulting, training and support professionals who in some cases have been Activant employees for over 30 years. Integration is important to a well run business. When you connect all the parts of your operation—POS, inventory management, financials, purchasing, special ordering, payroll and marketing—everything runs more efficiently and accurately, day in and day out. It also allows for a number of benefits that you won’t find with anyone else.

Phone: 925-449-0606

Website: http://www.activant.com/lawn-garden/products.cfml