Having issues managing your tag inventory? Is your tag storage room so full it looks like an Amazon fulfillment center on Black Friday? Well, believe it or not, we in the tag business do have an interest in helping you. Why? Because if we are all less wasteful and more efficient, our bottom line will improve and our customers will be happier.
Let’s talk quickly about a few ways to reduce on-hand tag inventory.
One, use the 80/20 rule when placing your first order. Make sure the bulk of your tagging needs are included on the largest (and most cost effective) press runs.
Two, contrary to popular belief, it is ok to run out of plant tags. This means you’re selling! And remember, that’s a good thing! So if you run out of tags from your first order, supplement with smaller tags orders. These days, smaller tag orders are usually handled by fast digital presses (like our KBA Genius press seen below) and can be turned quickly.
Three, look into on-demand printers like our OnSyte TagXpress system. Advances in printing technology and software now allow you to produce your own tags…on-site! These printers can be loaded with logos, cultural copy, bar codes, QR codes and artwork specific to your operation. This is a great way to produce fill-in tags.
And finally (this may be heresy in some parts of the hort community) use generic tags when allowed for annuals packs. If you are growing an annual that does not require a breeder tag and it will be sold in color, just use a generic tag. I have long believed a customer does not care if it is an Accent Impatiens or Super Elfin Impatiens as long as it looks healthy. Using specific annual pack tags are more for your organizational purposes than the end customer. If you can figure out a way to overcome this hurdle, you can save a lot of time, space AND money. Think how much space you could save if you didn’t have every color of Super Elfin Impatiens on your tag shelf!
Got a question or comment? Let us hear from ya!
About the author: Greg Bujarski is a Horticultural Copywriter and Plant Database Manager for Horticultural Marketing & Printing (HMP). He also maintains the HMP plant patent database and manages the distribution of HMP social media content. You can reach Greg at hortprinters@integracolor.com