Strategic Plan Executive Summary
Tenfold Harvest Inc.
Tony Terusa
10-3-2018
LDRS 341 Strategic Planning and Forecasting
PURPOSE
The purpose of this summary is to clearly communicate the intended strategies
that have been identified for Tenfold Harvest to achieve organizational goals and
increased success. This document provides clarity to organizational strengths and
weaknesses as well as possible threats and opportunities as identified by both internal
staff and external constituents. With this information, strategies have been set in place
by the staff that they feel will help improve public awareness of the organization as well
as productivity and increased clientele.
ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND
Tenfold Harvest is a professional edible garden service entity. The company is a
for profit corporation which generates income by building and maintaining edible
gardens on a commercial platform. All practices performed by the company are done
naturally or through organic methods so that safe foods are grown for consumption at
their clients places of business, churches, cafeterias, hotels and a variety of other
establishments.
Tenfold Harvest was built on the premise of giving back. We feel that edible
gardening is best accomplished when growing food is done for a greater purpose than
merely yourself. Gardening and eating is a communal activity. The main reason the
company was formed was to serve the pediatric cancer community by setting aside ten
percent of all net profits generated by the company to provide gardens for children
battling cancer. Not only is it important that cancer patients eat clean healthy foods to
strengthen their bodies, but when given the chance to tend their own personal garden, it
gives them a sense of peace and ownership over their current situation.
The company has existed for 3 years and through this time we have struggled
with the logistics of exactly how the giveback program should work. Also, there is a
disconnect on how we have been able to message and communicate our mission and
efforts to the public and possible clients. In the following pages, we have identified areas
that we feel need to be addressed to help refine this program so that our purpose is clear
and our direction are tied to a tangible set of goals to meet.
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METHODOLOGY
Tenfold Harvest consists of only three staff members. Emy Terusa is the President
of the company and the only full time staff member. Ryan Pipkin is a part-time gardener
who’s main focus is to maintain our local commercial urban garden accounts on a
weekly basis. Tony Terusa is the Giveback Coordinator in charge of the direction and
implementation of our giveback program. The company does not have a formal board of
directors but we do have a short list of trusted friends and colleagues that we seek advice
and counsel from in regards to our internal operations. This variety of individuals range
from local farmers, Mothers of children with cancer, contractors and non-profit business
owners.
Through research on the web and other studies we put together a set of questions
to ask our internal staff and outside constituents with the intention of identifying the
company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT). The questions for
each of these categories are listed below.
STRENGTHS:
1. What does the company do well?
2. What qualities separate you from your competitors?
3. What internal resources does the company possess?
4. What tangible assets does the company possess, i.e. intellectual property, capital,
proprietary technologies etc…
WEAKNESSES:
1. What does your company lack, either items or processes?
2. What do your competitors do better than you?
3. Where are your resource limitations?
OPPORTUNITIES:
1. Are there underserved markets for specific products?
2. Are there competitors in your area?
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3. Are there emerging needs for your products or services?
4. Has there been press/media coverage of your company?
THREATS:
1. Are there currently emerging competitors in your area?
2. Are there external resource threats?
3. Are there internal resource threats?
The answers to all of these questions were compiled from all constituents and the
following SWOT Analysis was put together. Items that resonated with the internal staff as
an area of focus are underlined and marked with an asterisks.
SWOT ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
1. Communication w/ clients
2. Detail oriented service
3. Community giveback *
4. Knowledge of gardening and craft
5. Connection with people and the public
6. Quality of work
WEAKNESSES
1. Marketing – public awareness *
2. Limited capital
3. Limited resources, vehicle, warehouse
space etc…
4. Taking risks
OPPORTUNITIES
1. Low operating overhead
2. Growing interest in organic land
management
3. Added services to future and existing
clients, i.e. composting, special events *
4. Limited competitors
5. Need for employee engagement
6. Press coverage
THREATS
1. Emerging competitors, growing trend
2. Local product availability *
3. Internal employee redundancies, field
work
4. Labor
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By moving through the exercise of this SWOT Analysis, we were able to recognize
not only where our company strengths lie, but also where we are weak, what we need to
focus on and possible threats that may emerge. It was important for us to involve
external constituents in this process because they provide a trusted 3rd party
perspective. Without their insight, we would be less informed of the realities we need to
address.
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
The company identified the areas of community giveback, additional services to
existing clientele, marketing, and local product availability as being the highest
importance. For the feasibility of our efforts we have decided to slim this down these
focuses to only two strategies of which we will tackle over the course of the next 3 years.
1. Giveback Program Revitalization
2. Website Overhaul
We have learned that we are weak in the area of marketing and self-promotion
which has affected our growth as well as the public’s clear understanding of what we do.
There is a desire for the public to know what exactly we do in regards to our giveback
and services and currently there seems to be a disconnect. In reviewing our SWOT
Analysis answers, we believe that because we have changed up our giveback efforts over
time our activities have not clearly resonated with our market and community. Our
giveback efforts have not changed haphazardly, they have evolved due to the feasibility
of what we can offer, afford and perform with the tools and labor we have available.
The long term implications of accomplishing these two strategies are foundational
for the company. For 3 years we have wrestled with our giveback program and it has
taken many twists and turns. We are still on the roller coaster to success but by
developing our new giveback product and defining it clearly to the public will help most
everyone understand clearly what we do, how to stay involved and participate.
In essence these two strategies will align with one another. Defining our giveback
program will take first precedence mainly because this is the essence of what we do. We
cannot develop a refreshed website before defining our program. Once the program
product , methods and processes are defined our website overhaul will be developed as a
tool to message our mission, services and efforts. We will also use this new website
platform to market our company services and any new offerings.
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CAPABILITY ASSESSMENTS
Legend: @ Exists + Acquire ? Develop – Eliminate
FOCUS: PEDIATRIC CANCER GIVEBACK PROGRAM | INTERNAL | EXTERNAL |
CAPABILITIES/RESOURCES
(people, time, money, infrastructure)
Board Staff Resources Constituents Partners
FINANCES + @ +
LABOR @ +
TOOLS TO BUILD PRODUCT ? @ ?
DESIGN/PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT + ? +
PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT ? ? @ +
TECHNOLOGY – WEBSITE ? @ +
SPACE TO BUILD PRODUCT ? @
PEDIATRIC CANCER COMMUNITY
INVOLVEMENT
? @ +
CREATIVE TEAM – THINK TANK + + +
FOCUS: WEBSITE OVERHAUL | INTERNAL | EXTERNAL |
CAPABILITIES/RESOURCES
(people, time, money, infrastructure)
Board Staff Resources Constituents Partners
FINANCES + @
WEBSITE DESIGNER + + +
VISION – DIRECTION ? ?
EXISTING SITE – DOMAIN @ @
ACTIVE BLOG TIED TO WEBSITE + +
EMAIL LIST – STRATEGIES TO BUILD ? @
TIME @ ? ?
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PIPELINE OF SOLUTIONS
FOCUS: PEDIATRIC CANCER GIVEBACK PROGRAM
New
Evolutionary A
1. Community Involvement
2. Community Outreach
Existing
People
Revolutionary
1. Design – Product Development
2. Program Development
3. Creative Team – Think Tank
New
Practices
Incremental
1. Finances
2. Labor
3. Tools to Build Product
4. Space to Build
Existing
Practices
Evolutionary B
1. Technology
2. Website
3. Blog – Email List Development
People
FOCUS: WEBSITE OVERHAUL
New
Evolutionary A
7. Vision
8. Direction
Existing
People
Revolutionary
5. Website Designer (hired)
New
Practices
Incremental
7. Time
8. Finances
9. Existing Site – Domain
Existing
Practices
Evolutionary B
5. Blog Development
6. Email List
People
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ACTION PLANNING AND EXECUTION
STRATEGY
GIVEBACK PROGRAM
DEVELOPMENT
YEAR 1 (2018-19) YEAR 1 (2018-19) YEAR 1 (2018-19)
S: specific
M: measurable
A: attainable
R: realistic
T: time bound
GOAL 1: Finalize the
design of our giveback
planter. (1st quarter)
Activity: Gather a creative
team of contractors,
parents and community
partners to brainstorm
ideas to produce an
excellent product.
GOAL 2: Finalize the first
prototype. (2nd quarter)
Activity: Work with
contractor partners to
build multiple prototypes
until it is finalized.
GOAL 3: Finalize the
definition of our giveback
program. (3rd quarter)
Activity: Internal staff to
sketch out realistic desired
goals and methods to
complete the program.
GOAL 1: Set year 2
giveback goals (1st
quarter)
Activity: Internal staff to
set realistic giveback
goals to serve the local
the pediatric cancer
community for the year.
GOAL 2: Establish
partnerships with local
non-profit entities
serving the pediatric
cancer community (2nd
quarter)
Activity: Giveback
Coordinator to set up
meeting with PCRF, Max
Love Project and
KickCancer
GOAL 3: Monetize the
garden box as a
marketable item.
Activity: Staff to place a
dollar amount to the
product to help produce
finances to fund the
giveback and company
operations.
GOAL 1: Set year 3
goals for the giveback
(1st quarter)
Activity: Internal staff
to set realistic
giveback goals to serve
the local the pediatric
cancer community for
the year.
GOAL 2: Introduce the
product online (new
website) as a
deliverable product.
(2nd quarter)
Activity: Giveback
coordinator to work
with website designer
to place the product
for sale online
GOAL 3: Media and
press coverage
Activity: Reach out to
local media
representatives i.e.
newspaper, websites,
magazines to cover
our program.
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STRATEGY
WEBSITE OVERHAUL YEAR 1 (2018-19) YEAR 1 (2018-19) YEAR 1 (2018-19)
S: specific
M: measurable
A: attainable
R: realistic
T: time bound
GOAL 1: Establish desired
goals for the website (1st
quarter)
Activity: Internal and
external staff meetings to
brainstorm each
individuals desired goals
for the new website
GOAL 2: Design style
direction (2nd quarter)
Activity: Internal staff to
research desired online
presence styles. Examples
prepared for future
collaboration with
designer.
GOAL 3: Budget allocation
for the website (3rd
quarter)
Activity: Internal staff to
create goals and path
toward allocating funds for
the upcoming website
build out. After gathering
proposals from different
designers, intended dollar
amount will be
established.
GOAL 1: Website
designer chosen (1st
quarter)
Activity: After budgets
and design direction is
set, staff to contract with
the desired designer.
GOAL 2: Website
Construction (2nd and
3rd quarter)
Activity: Giveback
Coordinator to work
closely with the designer
to keep deliverables and
schedule on pace for
completion in the 3rd
quarter.
GOAL 3: Blog Creation
Activity: Staff to develop
a monthly blog that will
be linked with the new
website and all social
media channels.
GOAL 1: Website fully
functional at the
beginning of year 3
(1st quarter)
Activity: Staff to
implement website
maintenance practices
as a part of our
standard operating
procedures keep the
new site relevant and
productive to our
operations
GOAL 2: Establish an
analytics metric (2nd
quarter)
Activity: Staff to
monitor website traffic
to fine tune the
productivity of the
new website.
GOAL 3: Add press
release coverage to the
site
Activity: Coinciding
with our giveback
efforts, staff to place
any press release or
write-ups about the
company on the new
site
The goals and action plan laid out above were set by our staff with reasonable
time frames in mind. With limited staff, labor and financial resources to draw from, we
cannot expect to accomplish our intended goals by setting unreasonable expectations on
ourselves. For timing purposes, this report was written in the Fall of 2018 so this will
officially become our first quarter of planning efforts. Each goal is to be met in the noted
quarter above and plans will be made at the beginning of each quarter to lay out
roadmaps to successfully accomplish each goal.
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VISION AND INTENDED IMPACT
Tenfold Harvest is a small entity but it’s purposes and values are enormous and
extremely important. To simply think of this company as an organic gardening service
would be a crime. At Tenfold Harvest we believe that gardening is merely a means to an
end, and there is so much more potential to gain. The company is focused on people first,
the environment we live in and the health and welfare of children suffering through the
challenges of cancer. All of the strategies, goals and activities listed above are intended to
enhance our community involvement and increase our giving efforts to the community
we serve.
By defining our giveback program, creating a product to distribute free of charge
to needy children and enhancing our online presence, we will be able to change the
world one life at a time, which could change their world quite possibly when they need it
the most.
A wise man approached a young man on the beach and asked him “Good morning! May I
ask what it is that you are doing?” The young man paused, looked up, and replied
“Throwing starfish into the ocean.” “I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into
the ocean?” asked the somewhat startled wise man.To this, the young man replied, “The sun
is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.”Upon hearing this, the
wise man commented, “But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of
beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can’t possibly make a difference!”At
this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean.
As it met the water, he said,
“It made a difference for that one.”
― Loren Eiseley
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