Lean Business Planning
I received a call the other day from Danielle, a woman I met at workshop I led. She wants to start a private chef business. She reached out to me because she wants to have everything planned out…
Four Steps to Successfully Grow Your Business
Naomi and Reid are thinking about retirement. Sure, they’re still young, in their early 30’s, but they know that if they don’t start socking away some money now, they will never save enough to…
Excelling at Excel: Mastering Spreadsheets to Master Your Business
Who doesn’t love a good spreadsheet? Beautiful and clean formats with elegant formulas and cell references, they are the epitome of grace in business. They not only look great but they can help…
New Year’s Goals For Entrepreneurs
There are many reasons why New Year's resolutions don't work. They are things we think we “should” do and therefore don’t have the vested interest; and we try to make too many changes at once. They…
The Three Rules of the Hole (plus a bonus rule)
I’m sure it seems like I blather on about the importance of good bookkeeping, and my clients don’t believe me until they get into a cash crisis. If you remember last month’s story from Laura…
Why Bother?
This article is a guest post by Laura Meister of Farm Girl Farm in Sheffield, MA. When I started growing vegetables ten years ago, it was all I could do to keep up with the start-up math: how many…
Putting All Your Eggs in One (Market) Basket
We’re now at the height of farming season, and all the work of helping clients manage cash flow has paid off. Not only do they have lots of produce to sell, but they’re far enough into the season…
The Rules of the Game: Preparing for Investors
When people ask what I do for work, I tell them I’m an articulator. I don’t write business plans or create financial projections; I help entrepreneurs get their business ideas on paper so they can…
5 Key Success Factors for Growing Your Business
Most entrepreneurs are always plotting and strategizing growth, whether it’s expanding the number of acres in production on their farm, creating new product lines, or opening up another café. After…
Giving Back and Making it Count
How can a food business authentically and effectively align its charitable giving with its business model? Food based businesses, such as restaurants, farm and food producers are regularly asked for…