Thursday, June 19, 2008

Organic Growth -- Planning

Organic growth can't happen without a plan. Even though most entrepreneurs find that they can't follow their plan exactly, a good plan will help them achieve their main goal.

In the dead of winter, when the ground is frozen and the sky is bleak, is when I make my plans for my summer garden. I sit down with an empty sheet of paper, pencil and my seed catalogs to plan the future. I can imagine warm sun, colorful flowers and the joy of picking my own organically grown vegetables. But first, I remember where I have planted last year's crops. This is important because rotating the crops cuts down on pests and diseases and keeps the soil from depleting essential nutrients. I also think about what worked last year and what I would like to do differently. What would I like to try that's new? What successes do I want to repeat?

It's important in business planning to take the same approach. To map out what you want to achieve and where you want to go, you need to understand where you've come from. You need to think through past mistakes and successes, in order to make a better future.

Please post how you approach planning your business (or your garden).

Wyn

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