January / February 2009

Publishers’ Perspective

What does the future hold for your business?

What does the future hold for your business? What can you do, and more importantly, what will you do to guarantee your business will survive and grow in 2009, given the dramatic financial and political changes we have seen over the past few months? We read about consumers cutting spending, and companies large and small closing their doors. What are you going to do now to make sure you are counted among the survivors, the strong ones who grew in tough times and came out on top in the end?
Everyone has heard that to do nothing is to fall backward but where does one start? This issue we focus helping you get your plan going for 2009 so you can have the best year you can.
If you are feeling a bit blue, you might start by reading “Get Off Your Butt: 16 Ways to Get Motivated When You’re in a Slump” by Leo Babauta. Once you have your head back on straight, jump to “Recession Power: How Great Companies Rise to the Top, Even in Down Times” by Denise Corcoran. This will get you thinking about things you can do right away and in the future.
To round out our focus on planning for success, read "Consider Your Strengths When Building Your Pond Business” by Curt Nuenighoff to bring it all back home to our industry and read how women are making it work in our article “Women in the Water Feature Industry” by Heather Woolf.
This issue we also continue to focus on the fundamentals by diving into a new design for a plant or veggie filter, how to buy and inventory aquatic plants, an English koi pond construction project, our look at selling Kujaku, and a look at what OASE did at the largest home show in the world.
How’s that for a bundle of good reading? Enjoy, and please let me know your thoughts on these stories and what you would like to read more about in future issues.

Download the January / February 2009 PDF

Article List

World’s Largest Home Show - Germany
Mike Garcia
Visit the world’s biggest home show – Spoga/Gafa, in Germany. OASE wins “Best Innovation in New Products” award for “FiltoMatic CWS.” Learn more about this world-class show.

The Grid Veggie Filter
Jamie Beyer
This Plant Filter works year around. Learn the best plants to use in this new plant filter design to get results even in a koi pond.

Consider Your Strengths When Building Your Pond Business
Curt Nuenighoff
How you organize your pond department, publicize your business and educate your customers is as important as what you sell. Have a successful pond department by following these five steps.

How to Build a Modern Koi Pond – UK Style
Malcolm Green
Follow step-by-step design and construction of this modern above ground koi pond. It features simple design and construction methods utilizing contemporary gravity filtration, and is heated.

Get Off Your Butt: 16 Ways to Get Motivated When You’re in a Slump
Leo Babauta
In a slump, start with one goal. Learn and think about the benefits of that goal not the difficulties. Point 16 – Squash negative thoughts; replace them with positive ones!

Buying and Inventorying Aquatic Plants
Paula Biles
Plant sales systems. Paula advises on-Customer Preferences, Selecting a Supplier, Finding the Perfect Aquatic Plant, and Best Values for the Money. PLUS a must read list preventable mistakes.

What to Talk About When Selling Kujaku
Tom Graham
Eight easy features of the Kajaku that make them fun and easy to sell? Not quite sure what a Kujaku is? Read Joel Burkard’s definition.

Recession Power: How Great Companies Rise to the Top, Even in Down Times
Denise Corcoran
Recession IS strictly a matter of perception. Top 7 reasons why great businesses thrive during a recession and advice on how you can do the same.

Women in the Water Feature Industry
Heather Woolf
Am I capable of the physical challenges necessary to install water features? Customers realize I am. Hard work and attention to detail is what generates positive client recommendations.