Don't Ignore Competitors

Prior to launching a garden center in your area, it's a smart move to determine what the competition looks like. We've provided the link below to help you generate a list of competitors in your area. After following the link, enter your city, state and zip code to get a list of garden centers in your area.

• Get a List of Nearby Garden Centers

It's important to be aware of what the competition is doing. Take the time to visit the competition to properly assess their strengths and weaknesses.

A Good Source of Advice

Once you've finished assessing the competion, you really ought to talk to somebody who is already in the business. It's very unlikely that the local competition will talk to you. Why would they want to educate a future competitor?

On the other hand, an individual who has a garden center on the other side of the country may be willing to share their entrepreneurial wisdom with you, after they realize you reside far away from them and won't be stealing their local customers. In fact, they are often very willing to share startup advice with you. In my experience, you may have to call ten business owners in order to find one who is willing to share his wisdom with you.

What's the process for finding a garden center founder in a different locale who can assist you?

Easy. Find them using our link below and start calling until you are successful.

• Find an Experienced Garden Center Entrepreneur

Consider Buying a Franchise

The odds of achieving your primary goal of growing your business increase when you join the ranks of franchisees in lieu of doing everything yourself.

Before starting a garden center, you should investigate whether franchising might be the right move for you.

The link below gives you access to our franchise directory so you can see if there's a franchise opportunity for you. You might even find something that points you in a completely different direction.

• Want to Start a Franchise Business?