Marijuana Business Magazine - Issue 09, Oct 2017

72 • Marijuana Business Magazine • October 2017 Company: Nanolux Technology Business: Engineers, manufactures and distributes horticultural lighting, environmental controls, ballasts and a full lamp line to hydroponic shops and electrical supply stores. Headquarters: Petaluma, California Preventive Measures “We don’t share pictures of marijuana. We do not put (marijuana) plants in our ads,” said Emily Walter, Nanolux’s national sales manager – even though she estimates 98% of the company’s customers are in the marijuana business. She’s also careful not to send any information regard- ing marijuana to clients in states where cannabis sales remain illegal. Past Mistake or Notable Development Walter transmitted an email blast telling clients she would be attend- ing a marijuana business conference in Chicago. One of the recipients was in a state where marijuana sales are illegal.That person complained. “I never used the word ‘marijuana,’ but I did include a logo from the conference,”Walter said of the 2015 incident. “It was my mistake, and I owned up to it,”Walter added. “We are all human and we make mistakes.” The client forgave her. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Running an ancillary business can be more challenging if you’re juggling both marijuana and non- marijuana clients. Treating the two groups as one can cause snafus. Here are steps three ancillary companies suggest: • Set up a separate website for your marijuana clients. • Devote a portion of your staff to handle cannabis businesses exclusively. • Do not send information regarding marijuana to clients in states where cannabis sales remain illegal. • If you accidentally promote your marijuana-related services or products to traditional clients in states where cannabis is not legal, apologize immediately and take steps to make sure it won’t happen again. • Don’t hide the marijuana side of your business from your non- marijuana clients. You don’t want those in traditional businesses to learn from other sources that you have MJ clients. Advice “If you make a mistake like I did with the email blast, apologize immediately and take steps to make sure it will never happen again,”Walter said. “Maybe send a care package, a little gift, as a way to say you are sorry.” Also, make sure you what know your clients’ needs are and then address them. “Realize it is not a one-size-fits-all business,”Walter said. “Lighting for growing marijuana indoors in Colorado is totally different than the lighting needed for growing lettuce.” ¬f you make a mistake like ¬ did with the email blast, apologize immediately and take steps to make sure it will never happen again. Emily Walter