Dave and I took a trip to TNT Landscaping and Nursery in Ankeny to meet with the owner, John Church.  In our business class, we were encouraged to visit and talk to similar businesses to learn what works and what doesn't.  We are lucky to have the advice of Dave's parents, who have been successful for 36 years.  While they will teach us a lot, I think learning from others in the industry will help us make informed decisions on where we want the nursery to go. TNT Landscaping seemed to be very similar to Natural Plus, only bigger. It has been in business for 25 years. One part I found interesting was they also sell barbecues and lots and lots of sauces and barbecue accessories. They do some of these sales in their store, but most are online.

We've been toying with the idea of adding something to the retail side of things (barbecue was an idea that was thrown around) but don't plan to make any huge leaps this first year. Other ideas have been annuals, herbs, starter vegetables, and possibly some more home decor or decorating items.

Is there anything you would like to see us carry at the nursery??

Thank you to John Church at TNT for spending time with us!