How to Manage a Large Wholesale Nursery
You pass them on the open road: acres of farmland filled with neatly configured stands of trees, greenhouses and a sales center where landscape professionals can obtain the plants, shrubs, flowers and materials needed to turn their customers' yards into contemporary Edens. If you're in a position to manage this type of business, you might be surprised to learn your horticultural expertise is but a small part of what you'll be required to do if you, your customers and staff are to have time to smell the roses.
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Things You'll Need
- Business plan
- Goals and objectives
- Policies
- Licenses and permits
- Computer
- Spreadsheet software
- Employee manual
- Nursery and greenhouse labor
Instructions
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Sit down with the farmer, developer or owner of the land---if that's not you---to negotiate the terms under which your wholesale nursery will be managed. Discuss the business plan that's already been conceived or work with the owner of the nursery to develop one (see link below) so there's a comprehensive guide in place to direct all aspects of the operation.
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Draft a mission statement, goals and objectives if none are in place. Set up a policy manual to cover the wholesale nursery's operation. Include sections on personnel, pricing structures, financial responsibilities, legal guidelines, insurance directives and vendor relationships. Update or file for permits and licenses mandated by local or state government.
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Curry favor with vendors and suppliers by getting to know sales representatives for seed companies, tree farms, equipment manufacturers, suppliers and distributors of the materials you'll carry in your nursery inventory. Ask about discount pricing structures, seasonal specials and special dating terms that allow businesses to purchase horticultural items with a delayed payment schedule.
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Set up a computer system to track every facet of your wholesale nursery's operation, including inventory, sales totals, invoicing, receivables and payables. Use your favorite spreadsheet software to track receipts and expenditures so the nursery's balance sheet is always at your fingertips.
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Cultivate relationships with landscapers---particularly large garden and lawn care companies and designers---by keeping them in the loop about new additions to your inventory as well as special deals. Build added value into your business model by offering free delivery for purchases over a certain amount and work with landscapers to provide information about select plants and trees, insect infestations and other environmental concerns that can affect the types of plants shoppers are buying for their clients' yards.
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Nurture personnel to reduce turnover---taking into consideration seasonal work flow---and support staff by providing an employee handbook that spells out responsibilities and conditions that govern their employment. Post labor law changes and regulations in a public place and always make certain workers are documented so the nursery isn't cited for federal employment violations that can result in hefty fines.
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Keep an eye on competitors and make marketing and sales adjustments as necessary to offer the most competitive pricing you're able to give without cannibalizing profits. Make it a rule to audit the nursery annually to determine whether the business has made good on the goals and objectives detailed in the business plan.
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Tips & Warnings
Save time and money by finding one or two large equipment and supply companies that can provide most everything you need to keep your facility running (see link below).
