Garden Update

We're getting quite a show from our organic garden these days.

We started harvesting veggies on July 1 and we're still going strong. So far, we've had pumpkins, green beans, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, eggplant, onions and radishes.

Here's a monster heirloom tomato I picked yesterday and plan to put into Tuscan Pappa al Pomodoro tonight:



If you look closely, you can see the praying mantis, Torquemada (my son named him after another "praying predator" - we call him Torquie for short) that has taken up residence in our pepper plants:



I'm normally not an insect lover, but these guys are really beneficial in the garden (they eat pests) so I'm glad he's (she's?) moved in.

The only big disappointment so far has been our cantaloupe vines. They were lush and lovely, but young fruit never seemed to set. A couple of weeks ago they suddenly turned sickly and never recovered. I pulled them out and took a sample to my local nursery, where they pronounced nematode infestation. Turns out there's not much you can do to stop these bacterial worms that turn your plants' roots knotty and stop water and nutrients from getting up the stem.

Too bad, because we had a lot of hopes pinned on those melons. We do have watermelons growing in another part of the yard, though. Just hope that's out of range of the nematodes.

Fight the Fear

Ever get those chain-letter emails making some inflammatory, wild-eye claim about government, politics or pop culture?

Wait - why am I bothering to ask? Of course you have!

So, do you roll your eyes and click "delete"? I hope not.

There will always be some segment of the populace predisposed to believe in conspiracy theories and ridiculous rumors. I suspect it has something to do with genes or personality types, honestly.

But I think it is our responsibility not to just shrug and shake our heads when we get misinformation - particularly not during this time when fear-mongering seems to be reaching a peak (perhaps I should say "a nadir") in this country.

For example: I opened an email recently from a neighbor I've always liked. Our kids have grown up together and are good friends. She's a tireless community volunteer and her husband is a good guy involved in local politics.

So I was truly shocked to see that she'd forwarded me a wildly inaccurate chain email clearly designed to elicit panic in religious individuals. Worse, she'd included me in a long list of people who got the email, many of whom I recognize as active in our schools and community.

What to Do: There's a terrific web resource you should know about called Snopes.com. It investigates and debunks urban legends and email rumors.

It took me less than two minutes to find Snopes' take on the email my friend had sent - which was actually a compilation of two urban legends. Both were exhaustively and ruthlessly dismantled and ruled "FALSE" by Snopes.

Be Honest: I wrote back to my friend, hitting "reply all," and told the group about Snopes, including links to the pages that showed the material in the chain email was false. I was honest when I said I was disappointed that she'd pass on any chain letter (I hate the things) - let alone one so inflammatory - without checking on its accuracy.

I hope everyone makes it a point to be responsible, fair and accurate online. And don't just roll your eyes when you get bad information.

Social Media

Everyone knows a business that wants to stay successful needs to participate in social networking.

But exactly how are these multiple platforms best used? I answer that question from a small bakery owner in today's Smart Answers column.

Entrepreneur Profile

It's the small business owner who's been pegged to lead the country out of recession.

How?

Conventional wisdom says that our salvation lies at the hands of the small-time inventor, the garage tinkerer who finds a way to make a new product cheaper, more efficiently and with better quality than his competitors.

I interview one of those small-time (and small-town) inventors in this week's Smart Answers column. Find out what really motivates him and how he plans to help save energy - and humanity.

This week's podcast features an interview with Steve Strauss, who says small business owners can do wonders with their companies if they will just get organized.

How-Tos and Whys of Business Plans

We talked this week about the importance of writing a business plan. But how is it done?

Writing a plan typically takes two weeks to several months. An average business plan runs about 40 pages, including financial statements.

If you're writing a business plan for internal use only, you can write a shorter, less comprehensive plan that runs 12 to 20 pages. Just don't skimp on the financials! That's the most important part when it comes to making your business plan use-able.

And you do want to make it use-able, and useful. It's crucial to not just write a business plan but to also use it!

Don’t write it and file it away. Write it and refer to it.

Do a quarterly budget analysis that compares projections with what has actually happened with your sales and expenses. You can then adjust your projections so they are more aligned with reality.

With this kind of “active plan” you will always be ready to go to a lender or an investor without feeling unsure of yourself or your future business. You’ll have the goods to back up your optimistic outlook for your firm.

You Need a Plan

Entrepreneurs often write me desperate to find out what's gone wrong with their companies. Many times the wrong turn was early on, when they blundered into business without making a plan.

Some companies hit on just the right product or service and find success, business plan or not. But generally, operating a business without a business plan is a mistake. A business plan gives you a blueprint to follow during the life of your business. If you update it frequently, it will tell you when, where and how to implement changes that will make your business more profitable.

Most successful businesses have a business plan, and one is imperative if you plan to raise capital or borrow money from an institutional lender. Investors require a business plan before they will even consider investing in your business. No plan, no capital.

A business plan should contain three basic sections: Administrative, marketing and financial. You should write a business plan when you first consider starting a business.

If you have done things backwards, as many small business owners do, don’t fret. It is never too late to write a business plan. Don’t let someone else do it; write it yourself. Only you truly know your business. Also, by sitting down and writing the plan you will gain more insight into your own business and become a more effective leader.

If your company is already up and running, solicit input on the plan from your key managers and employees. Make sure that you integrate their thoughts into a comprehensive plan with continuity and coordination.

Still feeling inadequate? Take a business plan writing class through your local university or community college's entrepreneurial center. You’ll find additional resources at the library, bookstore or online, including step-by-step books on how to plan a business and sample business plans for various industries.

For $200 (cheaper if you download the eBook), you can purchase Thomson Gale’s “Business Plans Handbook,” which includes 24 sample plans taken from businesses in the manufacturing, retail and service industries.

Business Advice

My most recent Smart Answers columns touch on a couple of salient issues:

How small business owners are faring in the competition for federal stimulus money and how to market a new stuffed animal.

I got some good advice from my experts on both topics, if I do say so myself. Check them out!