Last weekend, I headed south to Carlsbad to visit The Flower Fields(R). If you’ve ever made that drive south on the I-5 from Orange County to San Diego, you’d recognize those colorful hills on the non-ocean side on the freeway.
The Flower Fields are simply a hillside field for growing and selling ranunculus bulbs. These crazy beautiful fields don’t even sell the flowers (only 1-2% are sold as cut flowers).
The sheer beauty of the fields and proximal view from the freeway made it a popular stop for passers-by headed to (and maybe from) San Diego.
Eventually the owners recognized the opportunity to charge admission. They created a floral amusement park to supplement their bulb business.
As I wandered the fields, I made note of the $10 admission fee, $5 wagon rides, special events calendar, snack stands and strategic exit through a nursery/gift shop.
That got me wondering. First, how cool would it be to have a business that actually became a tourist destination. Second, what other sort of other untapped, possibly unrelated revenue streams are waiting to be uncovered in the business world?
In today’s market, “reinvention” is the business concept du jour. This is the perfect time to look at your business through fresh eyes, and embrace opportunities to find your own floral amusement park concept.
