Q. I take blood thinners and spend a lot of time outdoors. I am looking for something I can carry in my first aid kit to stop bleeding in case I get a minor cut. What do you recommend?

A. We trust you are checking in with your doctor regularly to make sure that your anticoagulant dose is correct. Even if it is, however, you may bleed more easily than others because of your medication.

You might want to carry WoundSeal with you. This powder mixes instantly with blood and forms a covering that stops bleeding quickly.

It works for cuts, scratches and abrasions and is especially helpful for people like you who may bleed easily. You will find WoundSeal in pharmacies in the first aid section.

Staff Report

Published: Friday, August 17, 2012 at 1:00 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, August 16, 2012 at 9:27 p.m.

SARASOTA – Three local businesses have been recognized by a state program that honors so-called “second stage” growth companies.

Biolife, Method Factory and My Green Buildings were named 2012 “Florida Companies to Watch.”

The statewide program selects companies based on employment and revenue growth, as well as on leadership, innovation, community responsibility and competitive business practices.

Companies to Watch will be recognized at an October event, the organization said.

Biolife, whose WoundSeal product is now sold in about 16,000 retail outlets nationally, is a 12-year-old company that has grown substantially in recent years. Earlier this year, Biolife reported 32 employees, but the company said it expects to double employment in the next few years.

Method Factory is a Sarasota-based software development business that has been around for more than a decade.

My Green Buildings, a company that specializes in building sustainable houses, in 2009 held the distinction of having built “the greenest house in the state.”

Last year, it won the Frank G. Berlin Sr. Small Business award as a “Think Green” entity from the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce.