Wednesday, January 07, 2004
Growing Herbs
Well, the search is on to find out if there are regulations about growing the herbs we'll be putting in the soup and breads.
So far, the only regulations seem to involve growing herbs to sell. We won't be selling them, so these regulations don't apply.
We will keep digging.
If we find nothing, we will assume it is legal, and begin planning those hanging rosemary bushes and trailing thyme, stands of parsley and dill and fennel, bushes of sage, and planters of nasturtiums and marigolds and chives.
Having these plants growing will add to the charm and ambiance of the bakery, and definitely boost the flavor of our products.
In our timetable, we are 11 months away from formally applying for the start-up loan, with our grand opening scheduled for 2 months after we receive the loan. We're pretty sure we can buy the large equipment and remodel in that time.
We already have some media interest, because last time we dropped "guinea pig goodies" at the school, a reporter was there and overheard us discussing the rating sheet for it. She sampled some, and wants to do a story when we're closer to opening. We told her she'd be invited to the Press Preview, so she could sample the bakery as it would be after opening.
With all this pressure to open NOW, we are finding ourselves working harder to maintain our original timetable. We truly aren't ready to open yet, and the time we take now will make the bakery a better and more stable success.
I wonder if this is one reason why other small businesses fail? They succumb to the pressure to hurry up, and miss important things they should have tended to, then couldn't cope after opening? It has the look and feel of a trap, to speed things up, so we will resist.
Our timeline of what we need to accomplish is a realistic one,a dn it allows for adapation in the event of stumbling blocks and obstacles.
This is particularly true in the face of a totally unanticipated obstacle - a college loan for my youngest child has to be repaid BEFORE he graduates. I was under the totally mistaken impression that college loans weren't due for repayment until after the student graduated or left college. To be forced into repaying it now was a big surprise. Granted, it's not a huge loan, but it is still an unanticipated ongoing expense that may affect our loanability.
We'll see. I should have the college loan almost paid off by the time we apply for the start-up loan
