Tag: gardening

Making Decisions Based On Best Information

I planted some frost-sensitive plants
in the garden this weekend.

According to the weather forecast,
there should be zero chances
of frost
over the next two weeks.

That forecast could be wrong, however.
It IS a forecast,
not an absolute.

But I had to make a decision
and it is the best information
I have at this time.

We all have to make decisions
for our businesses
based on the best information
we currently have.

That information could also
be wrong.
And we’ll have to
hastily make some corrections.

That’s part of building a business.

There are no absolutes.

Make the best decisions you can
based on the best information
you currently have.

And move forward.

Plant Many And Thin or Plant Few And Watch

There are two main schools
in the gardening world.

There are the gardeners
who sow a sh*tload of seeds
and then thin the plants
as they grow.

And there are gardeners
who plant only few seeds
and then watch those plants
closely.

Both schools of gardening
work.
Both can result in great harvests.

New product development
is similar.

There are those of us
who develop a sh*tload
of products
and then launch
the best of those products.

And there are those of us
who develop one product
at a time
and do our d@mnedest
to ensure that one product
makes it to launch.

New product developers in both schools
are successful.

But, as the processes for each
are very different,
it helps to know
in which school we belong.

Are you a new product thinner
or a new product watcher?
which school

Adding To Your Project Checklist

I have checklists
of all the things
I need to know
or do
or gather
for each type
of project.

I add to these checklists
during or after
each project.

For example,
I tried growing bell peppers
directly in the garden
this year.
That was a disaster.
The slugs ate them.

So I added
“Grow all bell peppers
in containers.”
to my gardening project checklist.

Before starting a project,
I’ll review the appropriate checklist
for that type of project.

In the Spring,
for example,
I’ll review my gardening checklist.

I’ll see
my note about growing peppers
in containers.
Do that.
And my chances of a great pepper harvest
will greatly increase.

Our lives
are already extremely complicated.

Make projects easier
by keeping checklists.

They will ensure
we learn from mistakes
and that will increase
our probability of success!

Opportunities In Disasters

The world is a bit of a mess
lately.

But it is important
to remember
there are usually opportunities
aligned with every disaster.

The bell peppers
in my garden are being
devoured by slugs, for example.

But those slugs
are providing food
for a recovering bird population.

They are enriching the soil.

That ‘disaster’ striking
your business?

It might provide an idea
for a product or service.

Or it could lead
to another opportunity.

LOOK for those opportunities.

Remember Your True Goals

My bell pepper plants
are being decimated
by slugs.

When this started happening,
I almost sprayed
the plants
with poison.
This would have killed
the slugs.

Which would have
also killed
one of my true goals
for the garden
– to provide ‘food’
for insects
and other tiny wildlife
…like slugs.

Sometimes we get so focused
on intermediate goals
we lose sight
of our true end goal.

We focus
so much,
for example,
on going viral
on social media
that we post things
that wouldn’t interest
or,
worse,
upset
prospects
for our products.

Review your true goals
regularly.
Ensure your actions
move you
closer to achieving them.

Plan For Losses

When I garden,
I know that a portion
of the harvest
will go to the squirrels
and other wildlife
and
another portion
of the harvest
will go to slugs
and other insect life.

I plan for this.
I sow extra seeds.
I grow extra plants.

Losses are to be expected
in business also.
Some of your products
will be damaged
or defective.
Some of your customers
won’t pay their bills.

Plan for this.
Sell or produce extra.

The Start Up Is The Hardest Part

A neighbor put in a garden
last year
for the first time.

He removed the grass,
tilled the soil,
added soil,
edged the garden
and completed hundreds
of other tasks.

This year,
he decided not to garden
because he didn’t have time.

He already invested
most of the time!
A second year garden
is easy in comparison.

This is true of any start ups,
including businesses.

The first year
is usually the most labor intensive.
It takes the most time.

You’re already doing
or have done
the hardest part.

Don’t give up!

Shipping Shock

After I’ve transplanted
a tomato seedling
from the grow station
to the backyard garden,
there’s a week following
where I’m not certain
the seedling will survive.

The leaves look stressed.
It doesn’t grow.

This is called transplant shock.
And it is a very stressful time
for the plant
and for me, the gardener.

When we ship our products
for the first time,
there’s a duration
that has a similar feel
to transplant shock.

We haven’t yet received
any customer feedback
on our product
and we’re not certain
it will be a success.

This is a stressful time
for many entrepreneurs.

Plan something
to keep your mind off
your ‘transplanted’ product.

And know this is normal.

Shipping shock
is a thing.
It happens to many of us
and is part of
the new business development process.

Do You Have Patience?

A loved one
buys fully grown plants
for her garden
every year.

She doesn’t have
the patience
to grow anything
from seed.

She wants instant results.

She would be a disaster
at building a business.

To build a business,
patience is a must have trait.
We have to be emotionally able
to wait
for results.

Know who you are
as a person
before you start
a business.

If you don’t
have the patience
to grow a plant
from a seed,
you likely don’t
have the patience
to build a successful business.

Research Before Taking Action

Some of my relatives
believe I’m a master gardener
because I seem to know
a lot about the plants
I’m growing.

I’m not a master gardener.
I’m a master researcher.

Before sowing seeds,
I watch dozens of
YouTube videos
and
read as many blog posts
about that plant.

I learn from other gardeners
and that greatly
increases my success rate.

There is information
online
about everything
from stuffing envelopes quickly
to launching new products.

Take some time.
Do the research.
Improve your success rate.