The Wise Bread blog suggests that when most of us think "business plan," we're thinking of a 50-page, multi-charted, supremely detailed document that has every branch and angle thought out thoroughly. That's also why some of us never end up launching on worthy business ideas. The basics of any plan, though, can be answered in four questions:

1. What is your product or service?
2. Who are your customers?
3. When will things get done?
4. When are bills due and when do you get paid?

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We all know that networking can be vitally important, especially for freelancers and those with a bit of salesmanship to their jobs, but gigantic conferences like SXSW Interactive or O'Reilly Emerging Technology can seem like imposing behemoths, and even smaller gatherings can be frustrating if your crowd-working skills aren't up to snuff—which certainly holds true for your morning editor. There's always another chance to book a room and pin on a name tag coming up, though, so I turn to our more networking-savvy readers and ask: How do you set goals or keep focused on getting something worthwhile out of your time at conferences and seminars? What kind of must-have goods do you bring? Do you plan to meet certain people ahead of time, or are big gatherings a chance to play it by ear? Let's hear your advice, war stories, and suggestions in the comments.

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Whether you're a freelancer or working for a business, you can improve your networking skills by actively following up after you meet new contacts. Dumping a business card into a pile and then forgetting about it doesn't help - but a good follow up email could help you turn that contact into a lead for a freelance assignment, some business for your company, or even a new job for you.
The Freelance Switch blog advises that a generic 'nice to meet you' email won't cut it - you need to send an email which is personal, follows up on the particular conversation you had with the person, and is asking for (or offering) something useful.

"Follow this simple formula — state what you can do with confidence, list 3 or more things they’ll get and the benefits of each, then close with a testimonial and a way to keep in touch — and your networking efforts will be the foundation for a healthy business that brings you more work and more clients than you ever imagined."

Build your own attractive business cards online with free webapp Deyey. The site's built-in templates are attractive, simple to use, and easy to customize (just check out their demo to see how easy), and when you're finished you can save the card at Deyey or download it to your computer to print off there. If you've always needed a good business card but didn't feel like shelling out for professionally designed or printed cards, Deyey's a nice alternative. For another free business card alternative, check out previously mentioned Businesscardland.

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In a constantly-changing society, new technologies exist today that haven't existed yesterday. Blogger Wendy Piersall says that the best way to move forward and prepare our children is to educate them to innovate, think for themselves, and give them the skills necessary to make a living in the future. How is this done? Teach them through games. She proposes fourteen games that will teach children about business and makes clever arguments about why each is a solid choice. For example, the Sims 2 Open For Business expansion pack lets you manage businesses that can either thrive or fail. Lemonade Tycoon 2 is another viable choice, allowing children to understand the value of their money as they sell the drink in NYC. The Stock Rush game teaches children to invest wisely. These games certainly can teach children the value of a dollar, and they're fun, too!

Like it or not, office politics are almost impossible to avoid. Even those that try to completely avoid the political scene often get caught in the tangle. Stop running and learn how to leverage the politics in your office. The Dumb Little Man weblog has a series of tips to help you step up your game.

But why is everyone so pissy about office politics? You know who is good at office politics, people with empathy, people who are great time managers, and people who see themselves as part of a team. Which means, of course, that you should get good at office politics, because the people who are bad at it have dead-end careers, and spend their lives whining about how it's not fair because they are so good at doing their work.

Financial blog The Simple Dollar has written up a few tips on how to deal with those inevitable business lunches - and how to keep costs to a minimum.

• I drink a large amount of water just before leaving.
• Suggest carpooling.
• Order water as the drink (it's free).
• Order something inexpensive but filling.
• Participate strongly in the conversation - this keeps you from spending too much on the meal.

Latest version 2.3 of free, open source office suite application OpenOffice.org is now available for download. The upgrade includes new features, overall polish and security patches.