The news keeps coming in – plants are good for business.

It seems every week new studies are released about the benefits of indoor plants. The positive vibe around plants and flowers indoors is the air cleaning benefit they have. As a result of the studies and the reaction people are having, businesses are starting to take notice. It’s leading to interest in what it takes to have a successful interior lanscape design in offices, restaurants, and other business settings.

All the news about the health benefits of indoor plants and flowers should mean good things for interiorscapers. As businesses look to improve efficiency and effectiveness it would seem logical for CEOs and manages to look for creative solutions. Having your business in position to present the benefits of indoor plants and flowers is key for your growth and success.

Here is a little snip from a recent article…

From Plants in a Workplace? Voila!

Raymond De Young, an environmental psychologist at the University of Michigan, states that, “the more plants in an office, the happier the employees”. On top of that (yes, there’s more) studies have shown that plants in the office help reduce complaints of cough, hoarse throat, and fatigue. Need some figures? Get this. A study conducted by professors in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Washington State University showed that subjects were 12% quicker in reactions on computer tasks with plants present and less stressed (systolic blood pressure lower) than were the control subjects who tested in a room without plants.

That’s some good info right there. It’s great insight to use when having your next discussion with a business decision maker.

An interesting point from the quote above is the part about – the more plants, the happier the employees are.

Let’s dig a bit deeper.

More Plants, Happier Employees

It seems this could be a point where employers might get weary of indoor plants.

We’ve all seen the situations where employees bring in their own plant or flower for the office window or cubicle shelf. These are fine, but as the recent studies are showing – the more plants, the happier the employees.

But where will all these plants go?

That’s the questions businesses are asking. And it’s where you come in to provide the answers for their interiorscaping dilemmas. Business managers don’t really know about purchasing wholesale pots and planters. They don’t know how plants should be arranged in their office for the best health benefit and for aesthetically appealing design.

This is the situation where an interiorscaper is necessary.

Some managers are going to want you to come in and provide all the direction with just a bit of input from them. Other managers are going to want to be more involved. They’ll probably ask more questions and want more answers to “why?”. It’s good to have information from the recent studies like the ones quoted above in your back pocket for these clients.

In a world where more plants mean happier employees business managers are going to get overwhelmed.

It’s a great opportunity for you to take advantage.

Summary

It seems to be an exciting time for interiorscapers.

What are your recent experiences with business? Are things up or down?

Share your experiences in the comments below?

“Why can’t I ever get a handle on figuring out freight costs when it comes to containers?”

“Why am I getting charged a 30 lbs rate for an item that only weighs 10 lbs?”

“Why does it cost three times more to ship a 20-inch pot than it does a 16-inch pot?”

These are frustrating questions Interiorscapers find themselves asking when ordering decorative containers. It is not uncommon to miscalculate the freight from a wholesaler, include that miscalculation in a bid and discover the wholesaler charged you far more for freight than expected. Unlocking the freight conundrum is linked to one concept used by all major freight companies like FedEx and UPS: dimensional weight.

Understanding dimensional weight is important when trying to order containers since Interiorscapers must also determine their mark-up. By charging only by actual weight the lightweight, low density packages that contain plastic decorative containers becomes unprofitable for freight carriers to deliver. Why? A package containing a large but lightweight item takes up a lot of space in a delivery vehicle relative to its weight. So a vehicle filled with 20 large, lightweight packages means less profitability for a freight company than a truck filled with 100 boxes of smaller, heavier items.

Understanding the formula
 carriers use to determine dimensional weight is straightforward: length times width times height then divide that amount by 194. FedEx includes a calculator that can be viewed by clicking HERE. In NewPro’s case, FedEx uses this number for boxes that are 17in x 17in x 17in and larger to determine the cost of shipping an item. For boxes under this size, the shipper charges by actual, or gross, weight. (more…)

Interiorscapers rely heavily on rectangular planters. So, naturally, they come in all shapes, sizes and colors, right? They don’t.

Fred Scott, NewPro’s vice president and a 20-year industry veteran, listened to specific design ideas from Interiorscapers across the country who needed a rectangular planter that “had some design thinking go into it.”

Fred took suggestions from Interiorscapers and designed the Quadrangle Rectangular Planter that features rounded corners and a tapered base. It’s made from a poly material that resists smudges and scratches and comes in five colors (black, espresso, charcoal, silver and pearl beige). “But there are two features that make it unlike any other rectangle planter out there,” Fred said. “Its dimensions allow it to house three of the taller six inch grow pots, and the ability to securely mount it with brackets.”

Interiorscapers may place Neanthe Bellas in the Quadrangle and install it in a busy conference room. Aglaonema or ZZ plants also work well in Quadrangles that are placed in a window ledge or on the top of a cubicle. “The Quadrangles are going to be used on top of petitions in an office where floor room is limited. They are a great way to provide plants in areas that a floor plant would be in the way of traffic,” said longtime NewPro customer Meg Goodwin of Botanical Environments, Inc. “I’ll be planting six-inch Golden Pothos in them. The Quadrangles are pleasing to the eye with the curved corners.”
(more…)

Last week we asked you to submit photos of your interiorscape projects that feature products you ordered from NewPro. We’ve received some great entries, but we’d like to see more!

Wondering what kind of photos we need? QUALITY! Generally that means well-lit, unobstructed shots that tend to be at least 500KB to 2 MB in size. Just ask Caprice Aerts of ArtScape Inc., Kevin Kelly of Kelly Mac Interiorscapes and Brenda Walters of Guaranteed Green Dallas; they sent us the brilliant photos you see below and on our facebook page.

from Kevin Kelly

by Caprice Aerts

Submissions like these will be placed in an overall pool. Images we can use in print and online will be selected by George, NewPro’s CEO, in the next two or three months. If we choose your photo(s), we will give you $100 cash for EACH selection! Or you can receive $150 credit toward the purchase of any product in the NewPro catalogs or newprocontainers.com!

Send us high quality photos of your unique and beautiful installs using NewPro’s many products including: Lechuza, Fiberglass Fishbowls and Orchid Bowls, Vista Fine Metallics, Gainey Fiberglass and Ceramics, Mega Outdoor Pots, Potluck Containers, Rockafillers and more. Tabletops, window planters, floor planters, partition installs, lobby installs, holiday installations, any project, we want to see it! Send as many photos as you would like to mikem@newprocontainers.com.

We want to get to know YOU better! Please:
>>Subscribe to this Blog
>>Friend us on Facebook
>>Follow us on Twitter
>>Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

MegaPots are available in sandstone (outside) and granite (middle)

Paul Ray, Horticulturalist for Median Hills Country Club in Indianapolis, shares the benefits of MegaPots in this video: