Whether you’re just starting out or are a longtime employee, there are some tips that can help make your job easier. Learn them and apply them to your work at the plant nursery.
Staffing requirements for a plant nursery vary depending on the size of the business. Smaller operations typically don’t need outside help, but larger ones may hire retail associates and laborers. Larger businesses also hire managers.
Observation and Care
Plant nursery workers are responsible for observing plants and trees while they’re growing in order to ensure their health. This includes monitoring temperature and humidity, as well as soils and moisture levels.
In this role, you may also be able to cut plants and trees into clones or graft them into different rootstock in order to reduce disease or increase their strength. This is important for ensuring the health of plants and trees, as well as making them more attractive to customers.
You might also need to communicate with customers, suppliers or other nursery staff in order to ensure that everyone is working together to provide the best customer experience possible. This requires strong communication skills. You can improve your communication skills by learning more about your industry and reading professional publications. This will help you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and developments in the industry. It can also help you stand out from other candidates for job openings.
Inventory Management
Having a strong inventory management system is one of the most important aspects of running a plant nursery. It allows you to know what plants you have in stock and when they are available to sell.
It also helps you ensure that all plants are safe and free of contaminants. It helps you prevent diseases such as Phytophthora ramorum from entering your facility.
A good inventory management system can save you money and help your business run more efficiently. It reduces the risk of overselling products and enables you to track sales trends, recalled items and expiry dates.
The exact approach for managing your inventory can vary depending on the type of company you operate, but there are some techniques that are popular and often used. These include first in, first out (FIFO) and last in, first out (LIFO).
Customer Service
Providing excellent customer service is an important aspect of working in a plant nursery. Whether your business is wholesale or retail, it is vital to provide your customers with the right information to help them maintain healthy plants.
Educating your customers on the proper planting procedures and adequate watering techniques will ensure their success and prevent future issues that could harm or kill their plants. Also, it will make them more likely to recommend your business to their friends and family members.
Bailey Nurseries, a Minnesota wholesale grower, recently launched a series of educational videos for its bareroot product line to help its sales team members answer common questions from customers. Alec Charais, Bailey’s marketing and communications manager, says the videos are designed to teach customers how to best use Bailey’s bareroot product line and avoid common mistakes.
Sales
In the plant nursery, sales are vital to the success of your business. Without sales, there would be no money coming in to pay for your products and services.
The first step in the sales process is to define your target market. This can be done through research and finding a niche that works for you.
Next, make sure you have a good range of plants on offer. This will give your customers a wide range of options and increase their chances of finding something that they’re interested in buying.
Finally, educate your customers as much as you can about how to care for their new plants. This will help them enjoy their plants for a long time and may even make them repeat customers.
Your product pages are a great place to include plant education, and using tabs to keep the page uncluttered will help you get your information across. Also, be sure to use your FAQ page to answer questions that often arise.