HTA Business Improvement Scheme
Delegates enjoyed visiting eight garden retailers including St Peters Garden Centre, Worcester.
Learning from each other On a recent HTA Business Improvement Scheme study tour, delegates found visiting other garden centres a great way to keep on top of trends and share success stories.
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alking and spending time with likeminded people is an ideal way to improve knowledge and, ultimately become more successful. Set up in the 1980’s the HTA’s Business Improvement Scheme has been acting as a catalyst to get people together so they can grow and develop their business, and this autumn 25 delegates visited eight garden centres in the Midlands. Organised by Steve Myatt, BIS Consultant for As well as touring other garden centres, members of the BIS (aimed at retailers with a turnover of less than £2m) work closely with each other and specialist garden industry consultant who facilitates regular meetings. The idea is to share experiences, help each other solve problems, identify potential new products and discuss how to make significant changes to improve business. A regular and popular feature of every meeting is a round table review of recent trade activities which includes a discussion on what is selling well and what is not. As part of this discussion members confidentially share data about their businesses. BIS membership is only open to those who are already members of the HTA.
28 November 2022
the South East, South West, Scotland scenes along building walls.” and North, and sponsored by From Gardentime in Devon, Smart Garden Products and Chris Varlow says: “It was For more information on the HTA Business great to network with garden Red Gorilla, the group were Improvement welcomed at eight centres. centre delegates form all Scheme search for “The feedback has been around the country. The ‘business improvement’ positive and delegates all range and quality of the at hta.org.uk or email had a very enjoyable time, centres we visited was superb training@hta.org.uk and as we were all on the same collecting useful information and ideas for their own coach, the travel time was really businesses,” he says. useful for networking and discussion. Carolyn Spray from Pentland Plants Garden I particularly enjoyed the excellent Smiths Centre, Midlothian, certainly agrees. “This year’s Garden Centre and took away some great ideas for plantaria signage. With permission from Mick Smith, tour of the Midlands was a brilliant selection of garden centres and we got lots of ideas to take I also took pictures of their till area which was home including new suppliers, creating maps of extremely well designed. We’ve since duplicated the your site, display ideas and backdrops of local design at Gardentime with great success!”
The tour itinerary:
Exploring the house plant section at Ashwood Nurseries
• Webbs of Wychbold, Droitwich, Worcester • St Peter’s Garden Centre, Norton, Worcester • Stratford Garden Centre, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire • Smith’s Garden Centre, Baginton, Warwickshire • Ashwood Nurseries, Kingswinford, West Midlands • Pacific Nurseries, Aldridge, West Midlands, • Planters Garden Centre at Tamworth, Staffordshire • Melbicks Garden Centre, Coleshill, Birmingham
www.gardentradenews.co.uk