I went to a helpful class last week sponsored by the SBDC at the University of Pittsburgh to help me write a better business plan. I got a little worried because they were talking so "big"- like about borrowing thousands upon thousands and financing short-term vs. long-term and square footage and use tax and employees and trademarks and....UGH!
To boot, they said six out of ten businesses fail within the first four years- mainly due to underestimating start up costs and overestimating profits.
All this made me think small. Like:
-focusing more getting my worms a bigger more productive home that can still fit in my basement
-getting them a few new consistent food sources and ordering some small packaging
-getting a cool logo and website designed that I can maintain
All that, and I don't want lose my focus of being an earth-friendly endeavor.
Some people jump into business with both feet, sign their savings away, and trust their business to employees they don't know guided by an unproven plan.
Stay tuned for a business that grows just like a worm bin: slowly but surely and almost all by itself!
March 31, 2008
March 13, 2008
Worm work
The worms have been multiplying like rabbits. I think it has something to do with the intense chopping up of the organic scraps by the new processor. I mentioned getting a little food processor for their food a few weeks ago, but a great friend from work one-upped me with my own worms by handing down a mega size food processor to me.
I'm telling you, this new processor could tear up metal scraps if it had to- plus, the glass bowl you load the scraps into is about three times as big as mine, which is huge time saver. Not that the worms were taking up so much of my time anyway!
Business plan update- I've been emailing some other worm-related businesses to get some advice and whatnot on some businessy stuff, and most are so pleasant and helpful and really give me a warm fuzzy feeling about my idea. But I got a mean response the other day. OK, maybe not mean exactly, but really discouraging and negative. Plus, he tried to sell me something at the end- no kidding!
Poo on him and his disappointing response. With so many other encouraging and positive responses...
Onward and upward!
I'm telling you, this new processor could tear up metal scraps if it had to- plus, the glass bowl you load the scraps into is about three times as big as mine, which is huge time saver. Not that the worms were taking up so much of my time anyway!
Business plan update- I've been emailing some other worm-related businesses to get some advice and whatnot on some businessy stuff, and most are so pleasant and helpful and really give me a warm fuzzy feeling about my idea. But I got a mean response the other day. OK, maybe not mean exactly, but really discouraging and negative. Plus, he tried to sell me something at the end- no kidding!
Poo on him and his disappointing response. With so many other encouraging and positive responses...
Onward and upward!
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