Helping Your Business features ideas and information to assist you in building a better business.
Areas covered within the section includes:

• Technical Innovation
  This section focuses on Research and Development (R&D) for the Australian nursery and garden industry including:
  
  
  • Technical Nursery Papers covering a range of issues such as, pest and disease, plant nutrition and growing media, water quality and irrigation and more.
  • Final reports for R&D projects projects available from HAL (Horticulture Australia Limited)
  
  
  
• Marketing & Promotions
  Looking for ways to raise the profile of your business with your customers?
  Whether you're a retailer, producer or allied trader, this section provides ideas tailored for the Australian nursery and garden industry.
  
  

  Life is a garden marketing campaign Highlighting gardening as a great way to make the most of any outdoor space – from an inner city balcony to a suburban backyard – the ‘Life is a garden’ consumer marketing campaign encourages consumers to purchase plants and participate in gardening. It comprises a range of activities aimed at both consumers and industry. These include: Advertising Public relations Online promotion via the new consumer website www.lifeisagarden.com.au, and Industry promotion NGI Gift Cards The NGI gift card scheme is open to all members of NGIA nationally. Gift card schemes increase customer traffic, generate impulse sales and encourage greater recipient spending. In most cases every gift card sale represents two customer visits – one by the buyer and one by the redeemer.This section includes information on the substantial benefits of the scheme and details for members interested in joining. Flora for Fauna Developed by the Nursery & Garden Industry, this program aims to tap into the growing interest in attracting birds, butterflies and other fauna back into people's gardens. This section includes details for retailers and producers interested in joining the program and for participating businesses. Wise About Water "You can still have a beautiful garden while being wise and efficient about water use!" - that's the message being promoted by the Nursery & Garden Industry's national consumer campaign, 'Wise about Water . . . caring about gardens.' This campaign tells consumers that it is still okay to enjoy their gardens and to go to their local garden centre to find information on using water responsibly in the garden. This section includes information for businesses interested in joining the program and for participating Wise about Water businesses. KidsGrow KidsGrow, an initiative of Nursery & Garden Industry Australia (NGIA), aims to equip garden centres and retail nurseries with resources, tips and ideas to encourage schools to get kids gardening. KidsGrow has been created by education specialists and industry representatives and is unique because it doesn't just teach kids about gardening, it gets kids gardening. This section includes information for retailers that are interested in joining the program as well as a link to online resources available exclusively to participating KidsGrow businesses. Achievable Gardens Fourteen Achievable Gardens were designed by horticultural students for display at the 2007 Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show (MIFGS), meeting rave reviews. Available exclusively to accredited garden centres nationally, this promotion gives retailers the opportunity to offer these easy-to-follow plans to their customers. Marketing Nursery Papers Marketing Nursery Papers cover a range of issues relevant to retailers and producers including tapping into the landscaping market and understanding gardeners and garden owners. Nursery Papers are now coloured coded, with marketing issues in yellow.

  
  
  
• Working with the Media
  Use this step-by-step guide to gain media coverage for your business.
  
  
• Building your Exports
  Initiatives to help your business tap into the export market.

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