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Wealth Small Businesses--
Distinguished FSB: We have been engaged in wholesale business for more than a year. We sell innovative home and garden decoration products, such as garden solar lamps.
After some bumps and some wrong turns, we didn't make the progress we wanted.
We're trying to build a brand, and we're struggling to sell it.
Our expenditure is increasing rapidly.
What measures should we take next to increase sales and keep up with competition?
How can we improve brand awareness, customer base and sales efforts while reducing costs? -
Tony Zhang, Walnut, California Dear Tony: After the rain, outdoor life / decoration markets grow like weeds.
Steve King, executive vice president of the Lawn and Garden Marketing and Distribution Association, said: "People spend more and more time in the courtyard, creating an overall environment that combines fashion and fashion elements, and really uses designs that were once confined to the interior of outdoor houses. "
One of the challenges, he says, is to have more high-quality products on the market.
"In order to attract customers, you really need something unique, a product that is particularly attractive to customers," he said.
"It's wise to focus on solar products, or any deal related to the whole green movement.
"For lawns and gardens" is not-
"Green products" are basically anything that doesn't grow. Garden centers usually work with a large regional distributor.
If you're a small dealer with only one or two production lines, "it's hard to get into the industry you want to enter, because they may have been well served," says King.
"One strategy is to select some related routes so that when you visit a garden center, you will get a variety of products.
"Every year, there are several industrial trade exhibitions for the Independent Garden Center.
One of the biggest is the Independent Garden Center exhibition in Chicago in August. "It's a three-
Rixiu, an excellent place for your products and company to be recognized by many retailers, "Kim said.
Trade fairs seem expensive, "but remember, that's how Bill Gates built his business," says Gary Slake, a senior partner at Slack Barshinger, a business-focused integrated marketing communications agency. -to-
Business clients have offices in Chicago and San Francisco.
"He saved his last penny and bought the cheapest booth at a big trade show just to get in.
But instead of sitting in his booth, he spent his time monopolizing big customers and working frantically in the crowd.
King recommends advertising in business magazines, such as nursery retailers, lawn and garden retailers.
Slack said advertising on publications'websites or online buyers' guides might be a more economical option.
"More and more websites are publishing e-mails to specific audiences," he said.
"One of these ads will be a way to further target your audience. "On a day-to-
Over time, developing your horticultural wholesale business may require your hands to be dirty.
"Sometimes it's just knocking on the door," Kim said.
"Garden centers are often small businesses with limited staff and very hard work.
They appreciate your willingness to work hard and show them that your product will not only make money, but will not bring them more work.
It's easier to do business.