Spending and Saving

Ellen C. Wells

’Tis the season to do what we do best: Produce and sell the best plants and services possible. Over the years you’ve refined your springtime routine and technique. Either you know how to make the most of these next few months or you’re getting there. Hopefully some of the suggestions in this, our money-making issue, will help add to your till.

There’s a counterpart to making money. It’s spending money wisely. An example that always comes to mind when I think about it comes from an episode of “The Love Boat.” Forgive me if my recall isn’t 100% accurate—the show is more than 30 years old—but it went something like this: An elderly and long-married couple are on board, taking the trip of their lifetime. They hadn’t taken a trip together in ... well, forever ... because they just couldn’t afford to do so. They pinched pennies for decades just for this. During one scene, as the wife is making a second cup of tea from a previously used tea bag (a penny-pinching technique), the husband informs her that not only had he saved up enough to take this trip, but they’d amassed a more-than-sizable sum via the stock market. They were rich. The wife blew up. She was not happy. Why? She would have liked to have had the opportunity to live a little over the course of her lifetime rather than waiting until near the end.

Saving money is good, don’t get me wrong. Spending a bit now and then, however, is one way to protect your business and investments (and in the Love Boat example, to protect your marriage). Here are a few ways I’d spend to save:

Clean. Spend the extra hour or more in labor each week (more during the busy season) not only to keep the store and nursery looking fresh but to maintain the investment in your property. Cleaning means seeing. A broken baseboard, water-stained window frames, a critter hole under the back fence. These indicate problems that cost little to fix compared to what it could cost when the problem escalates. This goes for fleet maintenance, too.

Get the Chinet. What I mean by this is spend a little bit more on the accessories and supplies. Sure, get the Kirkland bottled water, but by all means buy the two-ply and the nice soap (don’t dilute it!). Same goes for the millions of other minor details of day-to-day operation, especially those items with customers interact. It just makes a better impression, and it makes customers happy.

Reno-paint. Can’t afford a complete renovation right now but need something to change? A well-done paint job can be very forgiving. And the price is right. Save for the reno, for sure, but don’t let your looks get run-down in the process.

Call a professional. One of the costliest things for the homeowner or business alike is a job done incorrectly. You expect customers to call you for lawn and landscape needs because you know what you’re doing. Call a plumber (or other service professional) when the issue is greater than your skill level. It’ll get done better and faster and maybe even cheaper than doing it yourself. And certainly with a lot less of a headache.

Throw a party. Not for your customers, but for your staff. You’ve invested a lot in hiring and training staff. To lose an employee after all that—it’s just expensive. Do what you can to build comradery, enthusiasm and good will, in addition to all that company knowledge.

Take care of yourself. Business owners can often be hardest on themselves. Get that manicure. Go for a run (no, really, it’s a good thing). Take that 10-minute power nap. Be mindful of your own happiness both at home and in the workplace. Ditch the double tea bag. You’re worth the investment. GP