With PR firms, bigger isn't always better.

In fact, a big PR firm may be more of a negative than a positive, but we'll talk about that in a bit!

When hiring a public relations firm, whether you're a big or small garden business, PR is a big investment and there are many factors to consider.

To discover the nitty-gritty details on hiring a public relations firm, read the step by step process here.

Then, learn 4 reasons why a small PR firm can rock your socks off--and may even be better than that big ol' firm and an even bigger investment.

We've talked to countless small garden businesses and start-ups looking to attract new customers and get the word out about their product. Most are inventors, creative and driven, but marketing is not their background. They feel overwhelmed trying to promote a new product or service.  

We offer free 30 minute consultations to such companies and try to keep marketing simple and straightforward for them. We listen to their goals and challenges and break down a few key things they can do to jump start a start-up.

Today, we wanted to share those tips with you, in the hopes that you, too, will feel a little less overwhelmed and have success launching your new product.

When deciding to partner with a PR firm, your garden business is making a big investment.

Signing a yearly or multi-year contract is the most common practice for PR firms, which means you need to be completely ready for the commitment.

One way to make sure you maximize your partnership with your PR firm is to prep and ask tough questions about communication, price, and expectations before you begin.

Get the most out of your partnership with a PR firm by using these 4 tips to get the biggest bang for your buck.

If you're about to hire a PR firm, you want to do your research. Know when to hire a PR firm, questions to ask, and what public relations can really do for your business.

Before you sign the contract, clearly set your expectations. The last thing you want to do is sign a year-long contract only to discover you've made a terrible mistake.

To make your partnership with your (almost) new public relations firm, outline a clear plan of attack for these 4 criteria.

There's a best and worst time for everything. Coffee after 11 pm is not the best idea, nor is hiring a PR firm December 1st to boost Christmas sales.

When hiring a public relations firm, be sure you have the timing right too.

Below are the four worst times to hire a PR firm in the home and garden industry.

Once you've begun interviewing public relations firms for your garden business, you're getting serious.

Your garden business should be whittling down a list of goals and objectives and honing in on potential public relations firms.

But before you go any further in the process of hiring a public relations firm, be sure you know what not to do. You don't want to be left ripping up your contract in vein like the poor souls on the right.

Below are 3 mistakes to avoid when hiring a public relations.

Once you feel like you really, truly know what public relations is, it's time begin looking for the right firm to hire.

The search for the perfect public relations firm can be a bit daunting all on your own, so we're here to help.

Just searching "public relations firms" in Google is not going to cut it. Plus, 20% of the Google firms will only show up because they're close in location to you--not because they're the best overall fit for your business.

To find the public relations firm that is just the right fit, be sure to examine the following criteria.

Public Relations, you know your garden business needs it, but you're not 100% sure why.

Yes, stories will inevitably result from public relations. And, if your business is ever in a crunch, they're there to help you work through a crisis. But, what about the other 95% of the time?

In a nutshell, a public relations firm spends their time building your brand to make your customers fall in love with your company and become loyal consumers who ask for your product by name.

Each Wednesday in August the GROW! Blog will be delving into all your garden business needs to know before hiring a PR firm.

To see if your business is truly ready for a public relations firm, first see what the function of a PR firm is in your business plan--and learn a bit more about the services offered, which go far beyond securing stories.

When fine-tuning a garden business, you've got to make sure all the pieces are in place: sales, product development, customer service, marketing and public relations.

Public relations is a process that many businesses know they need, but they don't fully understand what it is.

PR isn't just about securing media placements--especially in the heyday of content marketing. And, for the public relations process to truly work, the business partner has to understand it fully.

If your garden business is thinking about signing on with a public relations firm, see if you're really ready for the full public relations experience with these five checkpoints.

We talk a LOT about choosing the right PR firm for your business on. this. blog. But recently I read an article about the difference between publicity and PR from Spin Sucks by Gini Dietrich.

She says, "publicity or earned media or media relations is all about getting your organization covered in the news. It’s great for the ego, it’s great for building awareness, and it’s great for credibility. It’s not great, however, for making the phone ring or for increasing sales."

Gini goes on to explain that publicity, when combined with PR, can be a powerful tool in building your reputation and growing sales.