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Note Customer Needs
Take notice of needs around you. Listening to
customer requests is the top way to get a pulse on
where your marketplace is moving. Consumer tastes
and needs are changing as fast as the news cycle. So
noticing patterns of inquiries is the tip-off to a trend
wave you might be able to ride.
Amid the first round of COVID-19 shutdowns, John
Peterson and Jeremi Carroll, of Pollinate Flowers
in Newberg, Ore., recognized the enormous consumer
interest in home gardening and the need for vegetable
plants. is suburban flower-farming duo quickly
shifted their spring flower-seed sprouting to veggie
seeds and captured a whole new audience.
"We just put it out there on social media: For each
vegetable plant purchased, a similar one would be
donated," Peterson reports. In doing so, the pair not
only tapped a new market and early spring revenue
stream but also found a way to help their community.
Above: Pollinate launched a line of essential oil products in
2020. Left Top: Selling herbs, flowers, and veggie plants
diversified Pollinate's 2020 income. Left: Farmer florist
Jeremi Carroll loads veggie plants for donation.
