1. Kiss and Tell
Shop Local (The Kiss)
- Why It Matters: By choosing to purchase your plants, supplies, and garden inspired gifts from our local nursery, you’re directly supporting a local family business and helping to keep our community vibrant. Unlike big-box stores, we reinvest in the local economy, creating jobs and contributing to the area’s growth.
- How to Do It: Make a habit of visiting our nursery first for your garden and gift needs before considering larger retailers or online outlets. Encourage your friends, family, and neighbors to do the same.
Spread the Word (be a big-mouth and tell all!)
- Why It Matters: Word-of-mouth recommendations are incredibly powerful for small businesses. When you share your positive experiences with others, you help attract new customers who might not have heard about us otherwise.
- How to Do It: Talk about your favorite plants, exceptional customer service, and unique products you find at The Secret Garden. Recommend us to fellow gardeners and newcomers to the community.
2. Use Cash Instead of Card
- Why It Matters: Credit card processing fees can take a significant cut from small businesses. By paying with cash, you help us avoid these fees, allowing us to keep more of our hard-earned revenue and reinvest it in our business.
- How to Do It: Next time you visit our nursery, bring cash for your purchases. Even small transactions can make a big difference over time. Did you know that we pay those processing fees not only when we sell an item, but we also have to pay the same fee again if we have to process a return? At that point we’ve paid over 5% of the purchase price to the bank and haven’t even made a sale! Please consider exchanging or re-gifting in lieu of a return.
3. Engage with Us on Social Media
- Why It Matters: Social media algorithms favor posts with high engagement, meaning the more likes, comments, and shares we get, the more visibility our posts receive. This helps us reach a wider audience and attract potential new customers.
- How to Do It: Follow our social media accounts on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. Like our posts, ask questions, leave comments, and share our content with your network. Tag friends who might be interested in our products and services. It costs nothing but a few seconds and has a HUGE impact!
4. Leave Positive Reviews
- Why It Matters: Positive online reviews build credibility and trust with potential customers. Many people read reviews before deciding to visit a business, so your positive feedback can directly influence their decision.
- How to Do It: Leave reviews on Google, Yelp, Facebook, and other platforms. Mention specific aspects you love about our nursery, such as our plant selection, knowledgeable staff, or special events.
5. Participate in Events and Workshops
- Why It Matters: Events and workshops are a great way for us to connect with the community and showcase our expertise. Your participation helps make these events successful and supports our efforts to provide valuable learning experiences and tangible community benefits. Events like our free Annual ButterflyFest is a great example.
- How to Do It: Check our event calendar regularly and sign up for workshops and other activities. Bring friends or family members along and share your experiences on social media.
Bonus: Sign Up for Our Newsletter & Join Loyalty
- Why It Matters: Staying informed about our latest news, special offers, and upcoming events helps you take full advantage of everything The Secret Garden has to offer. It also allows us to communicate directly with our loyalty customers and offer them little extras and perks along the way.
- How to Do It: Subscribe to our newsletter on our website or sign up for loyalty in-store. Encourage friends to subscribe as well.
Final Thoughts
Supporting a local, family-owned nursery like ours doesn’t just benefit our business; it strengthens the entire community. Your support allows us to continue providing high-quality plants, personalized service, and community-focused events. Every purchase, review, and social media interaction helps us grow and thrive. Just like all of us today, small businesses are currently facing tough economic challenges. We face increasing costs in every aspect of our business AND we face an uphill battle fighting against the convenience of online shopping. As consumers ourselves, we get it, we really do. However it’s becoming increasingly clear that if we don’t all choose to consciously support local shops, it won’t be long before having a choice will no longer be an option. So I encourage you to choose a local coffee shop over the big guys, visit a locally owned bookstore, shop a local gift shop. Chances are you’ll find the employees more engaging and the experience richer and more rewarding overall.
Thank you for being a part of our nursery family. We appreciate your ongoing support and look forward to serving you for many years to come! (Can you even believe we’re in our 22nd year?!)
