Mould your hydroponics shop to reflect your vision, and the money will follow!

Posted on: 26 September 2018

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Hydroponics is a type hydroculture in which plants are grown without soil. Instead of deriving mineral nutrients from the earth, the plants are supplied with mineral nutrients that have been dissolved in a water solvent. Sometimes, the roots of the plants may be exposed in the solvent solution or supported by a medium such as gravel. Most people prefer hydroponics because they do not have to worry about pesticides, soil contaminants, or nutrients leeching when the plant is being watered. The art of growing plants in water has become very common, prompting many people to set up hydroponics stores to supply the growing demand for plants and hydroponics equipment. If you have a passion for gardening and enjoy growing plants, then starting a hydroponic shop might be the most rewarding decision that you will ever make. Notably, once you beat the financial and legal hurdles associated with opening the store, you will need to consider several factors to ensure that your business is thriving. Below are some tips on how to ensure you reap the most out of a hydroponics business.

Create inroads into the customer base

You need to create rapport with the gardening community within the locality of your business. You need to ensure that you interact as much as possible with the gardening community so that you not only create a positive image but also encourage them to refer other people to your store. You could join gardening clubs, attend gardening seminars or interact with individuals you find tending to their gardens. If there are no such clubs, you could start one.

Amass hydroponics knowledge

Other than merely selling supplies and equipment to customers, offer them advice, recommendations or general information when they come to your store. This, way you will ensure they keep coming. However, you can only share information when you have it. Therefore, make sure that you read hydroponics magazines or even take hydroculture classes. You can also keep an eye out for new technologies. Such personal services will give you an edge over other stores that compete on price alone.

Make your business unique

In any market setting, there is bound to be competition. As such, you need to make sure that your business has features that attract customers to your store. For instance, you could stock your store with rare species of plants. Moreover, if you are not sure that the customers will purchase them, you could try to offer special orders. Special orders will involve customers making orders for supplies and equipment that you do not usually sell at your store, but you provide them when the customer needs them. In the absence of special orders, your customers will prefer your competition to your store.