Cha-ching! (5-9)

The Garden Gates in Metairie, La., isn't your garden variety garden center. Driven by the motto, "Where Inspiration Comes Alive," owners Chad and Beth Harris stock the The Garden Gates with an eclectic mix of lifestyle products not often seen -- in the area or in the industry.

For example, you can find your annuals, perennials, vegetables, orchids and topiaries -- not too far from the men's ties, the women's jewelry, the purses, the wallets, the shoes, the bath beads and the throw pillows. Beth has a gift for buying things that sell well at the store's upscale location near New Orleans. And Chad has a lot of gifts, not the least of which is gab, which has come in handy as he promotes the store to anyone who listens. He promotes on TV, on radio, on Facebook, on Twitter ... basically on any venue potential customers might be found. Every one of the marketing tools is used to reinforced the notion that The Garden Gates is not only different, but better.

And "better" is always a good precursor to "Cha-ching!"

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