Proven Winners adds customizable communication hub to Connect+ Program

Adding to the resources available to independent garden centers as part of the Connect+ marketing program, Proven Winners is adding ConnectSpace, a new intranet platform, for 2025.

ConnectSpace is a customizable web hub. From HR forms to scheduling, promotions, training and more, the web platform allows garden center managers to provide employees with essential information.

“ConnectSpace fits into the Connect+ program so perfectly because it helps garden centers engage their employees in a more efficient way,” says Jessica DeGraaf, Proven Winners director of retail accounts. “Our goal with Connect+ has always been to bring IGCs resources that will help them grow their businesses in easy ways at a low cost. This partnership will allow them to simplify internal communication and provide their teams with the tools they need right at their fingertips.”

Designed by John and Souny Kennedy of BoomerWrangle and developed over years of working directly with IGCs, ConnectSpace is a solution to common training, HR and communications issues in the industry.

“ConnectSpace really accelerates the ability of an organization to become more efficient,” says John Kennedy. “Built exclusively for garden retailers, we’ve spent hundreds of hours developing and refining this tool to best serve the industry.”

Available on desktop and mobile, ConnectSpace helps employees stay informed and better serve customers. You can design your ConnectSpace platform to meet the needs of your team. To help navigate the site, AI chatbot Daisy is always available to answer user questions and find resources quickly.

“ConnectSpace is fully customizable to reflect the mission, goals and branding of each independent garden center,” says Souny Kennedy. “We know each garden center is unique, and we have designed this platform to adapt each individual operation.”

Here’s a sample of the resources you can include in your ConnectSpace site:

Training and education

House all of your training and continuing education material, including videos, handouts and checklists. You’ll find Proven Winners certified training, retail resource guides, new variety information and more.

Human resources

The human resources tool helps new employees find orientation materials and keeps need-to-know documents, company handbooks and important forms handy.

Schedules

Distribute and organize schedules in an accessible, mobile-friendly platform.

Promotions and advertisements

ConnectSpace provides platform for employees to answer customer questions quickly and accurately by loading promotions and marketing efforts into the hub.

Engagement tools

Show your team their progress toward goals like improving Google reviews, increasing units per transaction and other important KPIs.

News and updates

Pull information from your own website and your favorite associations and vendors into the news section.

For more information, visit provenwinners.com/connect-plus.