Link to Elevator Pitch:
https://youtu.be/Gsz98jBOufQ
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
9A- Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2
Opportunity: College students can not afford their textbooks due to how expensive they are with limited alternatives than just buying from the UF bookstore.
Testing the who, what, and why for textbook issues part 2:
Summary of Interviews:
Interview 1: Kyle Stoker, Sophomore at UF
Kyle is majoring in Finance here at UF and I asked him about textbooks and if he had any issues with them with either price or options to purchase from. He told me that the only books he buys are eBooks which he can access at any time and is cheaper than buying the actual book. When asking if he had the option to rent from my potential service if it was a thing he said he probably would.
Interview 2: Sarah Jones, Junior at UF
Sarah is a communications major at UF and I asked the same several questions to her about if she had textbook issues. She told me that she only prefers to read chapters out of a physical book so the costs for her are really high. She said if my service was a real company she would most definitely rents books from it.
Interview 3: Nick Rizzo, 5th year graduate with a marketing degree
Nick just graduated last spring and now is undertaking an MBA degree. His response to my questions were that he has never really had textbook issues due to most of his classes being 100% online through undergrad. He stated his classes had the "opt-in" option where the course and textbook where included so never really had issues in the past with textbooks.
Interview 4: Nick Alsina, Sophomore at USF
I wanted to branch out from UF and see if students at USF had the same issue as students at UF. Nick told me most of his classes require a textbook and they do not have an "opt-in" process like they do at UF. He told me he roughly spends $200 semester on books and would be very interested in my service.
Interview 5: Kasey Mcclain, Senior in high school
Kasey goes to Gainesville High School and I asked her the same questions as my previous interviews. I asked if she has textbook issues with price or where to get them and she told me most of her classes will issue a textbook to her. She has not had to purchase a textbook this year since three classes of hers require one and it is provided in it. So Kasey would most likely not go to my store.
Who: There certainly is others who share a lot in common with others in my opportunity and fall outside of the boundary. Some students choose to "opt-in" into an online textbook because it is more accessible at any time and saves carrying textbooks around. Others may simply not buy textbooks at all and just use other services like SmokinNotes or StudyEdge.
What: My need differs from another need at two points which can either be cost or the use of the textbook. If students need a cheaper alternative than buying new that would be a major difference and if people prefer to just rent because they like to read an actual textbook versus online.
Why: Yes, the cause of the outsiders' need is different from people on the inside due to them not needing physical textbooks or do not have money issues. Outsiders' who do not have the need would not use my service and the people inside would of course.
Testing the who, what, and why for textbook issues part 2:
Summary of Interviews:
Interview 1: Kyle Stoker, Sophomore at UF
Kyle is majoring in Finance here at UF and I asked him about textbooks and if he had any issues with them with either price or options to purchase from. He told me that the only books he buys are eBooks which he can access at any time and is cheaper than buying the actual book. When asking if he had the option to rent from my potential service if it was a thing he said he probably would.
Interview 2: Sarah Jones, Junior at UF
Sarah is a communications major at UF and I asked the same several questions to her about if she had textbook issues. She told me that she only prefers to read chapters out of a physical book so the costs for her are really high. She said if my service was a real company she would most definitely rents books from it.
Interview 3: Nick Rizzo, 5th year graduate with a marketing degree
Nick just graduated last spring and now is undertaking an MBA degree. His response to my questions were that he has never really had textbook issues due to most of his classes being 100% online through undergrad. He stated his classes had the "opt-in" option where the course and textbook where included so never really had issues in the past with textbooks.
Interview 4: Nick Alsina, Sophomore at USF
I wanted to branch out from UF and see if students at USF had the same issue as students at UF. Nick told me most of his classes require a textbook and they do not have an "opt-in" process like they do at UF. He told me he roughly spends $200 semester on books and would be very interested in my service.
Interview 5: Kasey Mcclain, Senior in high school
Kasey goes to Gainesville High School and I asked her the same questions as my previous interviews. I asked if she has textbook issues with price or where to get them and she told me most of her classes will issue a textbook to her. She has not had to purchase a textbook this year since three classes of hers require one and it is provided in it. So Kasey would most likely not go to my store.
Who: There certainly is others who share a lot in common with others in my opportunity and fall outside of the boundary. Some students choose to "opt-in" into an online textbook because it is more accessible at any time and saves carrying textbooks around. Others may simply not buy textbooks at all and just use other services like SmokinNotes or StudyEdge.
What: My need differs from another need at two points which can either be cost or the use of the textbook. If students need a cheaper alternative than buying new that would be a major difference and if people prefer to just rent because they like to read an actual textbook versus online.
Why: Yes, the cause of the outsiders' need is different from people on the inside due to them not needing physical textbooks or do not have money issues. Outsiders' who do not have the need would not use my service and the people inside would of course.
|
Inside the boundary
|
Outside the boundary
|
|
Who is in: Students who prefer physical textbooks
and are looking for cheaper methods of purchasing or renting them. Money can
be a factor and also if they prefer reading a book in person.
|
Who is not: Students who “opt-in” for an online textbooks in
their classes or has a major that does not require purchasing a textbook. If
money is not an issue can also be why they are out as well.
|
|
What the Need is: The need is a cheaper way for students to
get textbooks each semester for their classes and limited alternatives other
than bookstore.
|
What the Need is Not: The need is not a service that provides
textbooks at expensive costs new. It is there for students to have different
options for their textbook requirements.
|
|
Why the Need Exists: Some students purchase books with their
own personal money so that can be very pricey new each semester and may
require loans.
|
Alternative Explanations: If money is not an issue than my business
would not be of interest to them as they would buy new from the bookstore. Or
students prefer an online textbook.
|
Thursday, September 19, 2019
8A- Solving The Problem
1) The opportunity that I have selected is textbook issues for students at the University of Florida with both costs and availability. Most students purchase textbooks each semester at the UF bookstore with total costs ranging anywhere from $80-$300 and beyond. The problem is textbooks are to expensive and most students can not afford the costs each semester and there is limited alternatives than buying new at the bookstore.
2) The solution to this opportunity would be creating a textbook company in Gainesville. What I would intend to sell to my customers is used textbooks that could either be purchased or rented each semester from previous students that have taken the class. Most students after taking a class just stash away their textbook and my service would provide a way for them to sell their old books and make money by doing so. After purchasing used books from previous students, I would resell them for cheaper costs than the bookstore and provide options to rent textbooks for just one semester. This would give students the opportunity to purchase used textbooks, rent textbooks, and I would have new textbooks as well if kids are interested in buying new. The textbooks I would hold in stock would be specific to UF classes which would make it an easy process for students.
2) The solution to this opportunity would be creating a textbook company in Gainesville. What I would intend to sell to my customers is used textbooks that could either be purchased or rented each semester from previous students that have taken the class. Most students after taking a class just stash away their textbook and my service would provide a way for them to sell their old books and make money by doing so. After purchasing used books from previous students, I would resell them for cheaper costs than the bookstore and provide options to rent textbooks for just one semester. This would give students the opportunity to purchase used textbooks, rent textbooks, and I would have new textbooks as well if kids are interested in buying new. The textbooks I would hold in stock would be specific to UF classes which would make it an easy process for students.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
7A- Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1
Problem: College students can not afford their textbooks due to how expensive they are with limited alternatives than just buying from the UF bookstore.
-The who: College students at University of Florida
-The what: They can not afford their textbooks each semester
-The why: The UF bookstore is mainly where they can get it and have to buy new which is pricey. There are not many alternatives to get their textbooks cheaper.
Test Boundaries of Hypothesis
-Testing the who: There are others who have this need, it is all college students across the United States but this opportunity focuses UF students. So everyone in my current "who" is college students at UF and share the need for this opportunity of textbook issues. Student's parents are also in the who if they are the ones that pay for textbooks.
-Testing the what: The boundaries of the need are if all classes require expensive textbooks, do all students purchase textbooks each semester or just some, and how many alternative methods for textbooks do students have.
-Testing the why: The why holds for all college students in this opportunity at UF by their textbooks being expensive and not many alternatives other than the bookstore. Some students price of textbooks might not be an issue, but for others it could be a major problem. Also, students can have Florida pre paid which covers textbook costs or bright futures to add that includes textbook costs.
Interviews
Interview 1: Rayah Schwartz, Sophomore at UF
Rayah is a sophomore at UF and has taken an additional summer semester so far. When asking questions about the textbooks she has purchased thus far, her responses implied that she has spent a lot of money on them and they are just stashed in her closet somewhere. She stated that this is an issue for not only her, but the majority of her friends in her sorority since each semester they have to buy new books. One thing she said they do is resell the books to each other or give them so whoever is taking the class does not have to go buy a new book. For her, she pays for the textbooks herself and would love if there was a place to easily access used books for cheaper prices.
Interview 2: Jason Kaplan, Freshman at UF
Jason is a freshman this year in his first semester at UF. When asking about his classes this semester and how much he paid for textbooks he told me close to $240. I asked what was his most expensive book was and he told me Psychology for $119 roughly. He purchased the textbooks at the UF bookstore new and told me he has Florida pre paid and bright futures so textbook costs are basically free for him. This really is a test to the "why" as bright futures pays for textbooks as well as Florida pre paid.
Interview 3: Paul Schobert, Father of a student that goes to UF
Paul is the father of a sophomore at UF and stated that he pays the textbook costs for his daughter each semester. I asked him if he thinks the prices of the textbooks have been fair and where has he purchased them. He told me he purchases the textbooks each semester with his daughter before school starts at the UF bookstore as it is the easiest to do. For prices, he stated they are pretty expensive but there isn't really much of an option as his daughter needs the textbooks to do well in class.
Interview 4: Jake Ledner, Graduate student at UF
Jake just graduated last year and now is pursuing an MBA degree at University of South Florida.
He went to UF for undergrad so I asked what has he done with textbooks if he purchased them throughout college. He told me that he held onto them since he bought new most of the time but either threw them away or just left them behind at home. I asked where did he purchase most of his books and he told me barnes and nobles for the most part and if they didn't have it he would buy them online. The reason behind this he stated was because he believed the UF bookstore prices were to high and he could find them cheaper in other places.
Interview 5: Ashley Barnes, Sophomore at University of Alabama
I was curious to see if textbook pricing issues was an opportunity at other universities or just at UF. When asking Ashley about prices of her textbooks and if she purchased them, she told me her books are expensive and that she chooses to rent from other places than her university bookstore. She told me with an example that her Biology textbook costs roughly $200 new at her bookstore, and she rented it for the semester for $70 on amazon. Her response is a test to the "why" as she could not afford to purchase this book new and decided to rent to save more than half of what it would have costed her if she bought from the bookstore.
Conclusion
These interviews were very helpful in learning about my opportunity more with personal experience from people other than myself. What I know about college students ability to afford their textbooks now rather than before is how there are some alternative methods than just the bookstore which I thought all students usually purchased books from. Examples would be Barnes and Nobles, Amazon, and friends who have taken the class before for alternative methods. Even after the interviews and what I learned, I still believe there is an opportunity at the University of Florida for issues with textbook prices for students and their ability to afford them. A solution is definitely probable and could be addressed tomorrow if necessary.
-The who: College students at University of Florida
-The what: They can not afford their textbooks each semester
-The why: The UF bookstore is mainly where they can get it and have to buy new which is pricey. There are not many alternatives to get their textbooks cheaper.
Test Boundaries of Hypothesis
-Testing the who: There are others who have this need, it is all college students across the United States but this opportunity focuses UF students. So everyone in my current "who" is college students at UF and share the need for this opportunity of textbook issues. Student's parents are also in the who if they are the ones that pay for textbooks.
-Testing the what: The boundaries of the need are if all classes require expensive textbooks, do all students purchase textbooks each semester or just some, and how many alternative methods for textbooks do students have.
-Testing the why: The why holds for all college students in this opportunity at UF by their textbooks being expensive and not many alternatives other than the bookstore. Some students price of textbooks might not be an issue, but for others it could be a major problem. Also, students can have Florida pre paid which covers textbook costs or bright futures to add that includes textbook costs.
Interviews
Interview 1: Rayah Schwartz, Sophomore at UF
Rayah is a sophomore at UF and has taken an additional summer semester so far. When asking questions about the textbooks she has purchased thus far, her responses implied that she has spent a lot of money on them and they are just stashed in her closet somewhere. She stated that this is an issue for not only her, but the majority of her friends in her sorority since each semester they have to buy new books. One thing she said they do is resell the books to each other or give them so whoever is taking the class does not have to go buy a new book. For her, she pays for the textbooks herself and would love if there was a place to easily access used books for cheaper prices.
Interview 2: Jason Kaplan, Freshman at UF
Jason is a freshman this year in his first semester at UF. When asking about his classes this semester and how much he paid for textbooks he told me close to $240. I asked what was his most expensive book was and he told me Psychology for $119 roughly. He purchased the textbooks at the UF bookstore new and told me he has Florida pre paid and bright futures so textbook costs are basically free for him. This really is a test to the "why" as bright futures pays for textbooks as well as Florida pre paid.
Interview 3: Paul Schobert, Father of a student that goes to UF
Paul is the father of a sophomore at UF and stated that he pays the textbook costs for his daughter each semester. I asked him if he thinks the prices of the textbooks have been fair and where has he purchased them. He told me he purchases the textbooks each semester with his daughter before school starts at the UF bookstore as it is the easiest to do. For prices, he stated they are pretty expensive but there isn't really much of an option as his daughter needs the textbooks to do well in class.
Interview 4: Jake Ledner, Graduate student at UF
Jake just graduated last year and now is pursuing an MBA degree at University of South Florida.
He went to UF for undergrad so I asked what has he done with textbooks if he purchased them throughout college. He told me that he held onto them since he bought new most of the time but either threw them away or just left them behind at home. I asked where did he purchase most of his books and he told me barnes and nobles for the most part and if they didn't have it he would buy them online. The reason behind this he stated was because he believed the UF bookstore prices were to high and he could find them cheaper in other places.
Interview 5: Ashley Barnes, Sophomore at University of Alabama
I was curious to see if textbook pricing issues was an opportunity at other universities or just at UF. When asking Ashley about prices of her textbooks and if she purchased them, she told me her books are expensive and that she chooses to rent from other places than her university bookstore. She told me with an example that her Biology textbook costs roughly $200 new at her bookstore, and she rented it for the semester for $70 on amazon. Her response is a test to the "why" as she could not afford to purchase this book new and decided to rent to save more than half of what it would have costed her if she bought from the bookstore.
Conclusion
These interviews were very helpful in learning about my opportunity more with personal experience from people other than myself. What I know about college students ability to afford their textbooks now rather than before is how there are some alternative methods than just the bookstore which I thought all students usually purchased books from. Examples would be Barnes and Nobles, Amazon, and friends who have taken the class before for alternative methods. Even after the interviews and what I learned, I still believe there is an opportunity at the University of Florida for issues with textbook prices for students and their ability to afford them. A solution is definitely probable and could be addressed tomorrow if necessary.
Monday, September 16, 2019
6A- Identifying Opportunities in Economic & Regulatory Trends
Opportunity 1
2. Trump's ban on flavored vaping products
a) I found this information from an online article on USA Today.
b) An opportunity might exist with teens looking to use something else to replace the flavored vaping products. Since Trump is banning the sale of these products, it opens the doors to something else that teens will go to instead of vapes.
c) The prototypical customer will be teens and young adults from the ages 15-25. They are the majority demographic of people who use these vaping products and who I would target with this opportunity.
d) I think this opportunity is relatively easy to exploit. Teens and young adults are all about "the new thing" and flavored vaping grew so quickly that I think an opportunity is present to exploit.
3. I formed the belief that an opportunity is present due to personal experience from kids my age and people I know. Not necessarily my work experience, but just seeing what vaping has done to some of my friends and how addicted they are to the idea of having the new thing is what leads me into believing there is an opportunity here.
Opportunity 2
2. Texas lemonade stand law prevents police from shutting down any lemonade stand.
a) I found this opportunity from an online article on abc news.
b) I believe this is an opportunity for kids mostly, but anyone to take selling lemonade seriously and make money from it in the state of Texas. This law was placed in effect September 1st, 2019 which means people could start making money from it today.
c) The customers would most likely be people in the neighborhood for kids or could be anyone based on the location of the lemonade stand. The prototypical customer would be adults living in the neighborhood or kids wanting lemonade.
d) The opportunity is most likely difficult to exploit. While there will definitely be profit from a lemonade stand, it would be hard to create a major successful business from it. The demand would not be significant to exploit.
3. What helped me find this opportunity is from past experience as a kid. Every once in awhile growing up I would have a lemonade stand and come out with $20-$40 profit and be thrilled. Seeing that lemonade stands can not be shut down at all in the state of Texas just stood out as an opportunity to me to make money from my past experience.
Opportunity 3
2. The rise of mobile devices in job search
a) The source where I found this information is from a powerpoint by Glassdoor, an economic research company.
b) An opportunity might exist due to the lack of optimization for mobile users when it comes to company's websites. Most websites and job sites are designed to be viewed on a computer so an opportunity would be present in creating a way to make any website in mobile form.
c) Mid career workers are most likely to be the customer's for this opportunity. Since they are in their career, they spend a majority of time on their phone and in job seeking would do the same.
d) I think the opportunity is difficult to exploit due to the many different types of phones that people use. With iPhones, Samsungs, Google phones, the list goes on it would be hard to create something adaptable to all the different devices.
3. The reason I formed an opinion about this being an opportunity is due to my Uncle and how he just went through a job change which took some time. He was stable with his job but wanted more so he job searched online. He tends to be out a lot and always has his phone so that is why this opportunity stood out as something that has potential.
Opportunity 4
2. Significant cyber attacks worldwide
a) The source where I found this information is Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on an online article.
b) An opportunity of more advanced and protected firewalls are present when it comes to these major cyber attacks. What leads me into believing this opportunity exists is the major information that needs protection due to government involvement. These attacks are happening on an international scale and sensitive information may be getting released.
c) I think major business owners or governments would be the customer to this opportunity as they would like to keep their records and sensitive information protected. The prototypical customer would be business owners who run an online business or holds records there.
d) This opportunity is difficult to exploit. It would take a significant amount of coding and preparation in order to implement this solution which makes it extremely difficult.
3. I have had experience with cyber attacks due to my information being leaked from the facebook hacking years ago. That is what makes me believe there is a major opportunity for this solution to be implemented as people's personal information should not get released like mine did from facebook.
2. Trump's ban on flavored vaping products
a) I found this information from an online article on USA Today.
b) An opportunity might exist with teens looking to use something else to replace the flavored vaping products. Since Trump is banning the sale of these products, it opens the doors to something else that teens will go to instead of vapes.
c) The prototypical customer will be teens and young adults from the ages 15-25. They are the majority demographic of people who use these vaping products and who I would target with this opportunity.
d) I think this opportunity is relatively easy to exploit. Teens and young adults are all about "the new thing" and flavored vaping grew so quickly that I think an opportunity is present to exploit.
3. I formed the belief that an opportunity is present due to personal experience from kids my age and people I know. Not necessarily my work experience, but just seeing what vaping has done to some of my friends and how addicted they are to the idea of having the new thing is what leads me into believing there is an opportunity here.
Opportunity 2
2. Texas lemonade stand law prevents police from shutting down any lemonade stand.
a) I found this opportunity from an online article on abc news.
b) I believe this is an opportunity for kids mostly, but anyone to take selling lemonade seriously and make money from it in the state of Texas. This law was placed in effect September 1st, 2019 which means people could start making money from it today.
c) The customers would most likely be people in the neighborhood for kids or could be anyone based on the location of the lemonade stand. The prototypical customer would be adults living in the neighborhood or kids wanting lemonade.
d) The opportunity is most likely difficult to exploit. While there will definitely be profit from a lemonade stand, it would be hard to create a major successful business from it. The demand would not be significant to exploit.
3. What helped me find this opportunity is from past experience as a kid. Every once in awhile growing up I would have a lemonade stand and come out with $20-$40 profit and be thrilled. Seeing that lemonade stands can not be shut down at all in the state of Texas just stood out as an opportunity to me to make money from my past experience.
Opportunity 3
2. The rise of mobile devices in job search
a) The source where I found this information is from a powerpoint by Glassdoor, an economic research company.
b) An opportunity might exist due to the lack of optimization for mobile users when it comes to company's websites. Most websites and job sites are designed to be viewed on a computer so an opportunity would be present in creating a way to make any website in mobile form.
c) Mid career workers are most likely to be the customer's for this opportunity. Since they are in their career, they spend a majority of time on their phone and in job seeking would do the same.
d) I think the opportunity is difficult to exploit due to the many different types of phones that people use. With iPhones, Samsungs, Google phones, the list goes on it would be hard to create something adaptable to all the different devices.
3. The reason I formed an opinion about this being an opportunity is due to my Uncle and how he just went through a job change which took some time. He was stable with his job but wanted more so he job searched online. He tends to be out a lot and always has his phone so that is why this opportunity stood out as something that has potential.
Opportunity 4
2. Significant cyber attacks worldwide
a) The source where I found this information is Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on an online article.
b) An opportunity of more advanced and protected firewalls are present when it comes to these major cyber attacks. What leads me into believing this opportunity exists is the major information that needs protection due to government involvement. These attacks are happening on an international scale and sensitive information may be getting released.
c) I think major business owners or governments would be the customer to this opportunity as they would like to keep their records and sensitive information protected. The prototypical customer would be business owners who run an online business or holds records there.
d) This opportunity is difficult to exploit. It would take a significant amount of coding and preparation in order to implement this solution which makes it extremely difficult.
3. I have had experience with cyber attacks due to my information being leaked from the facebook hacking years ago. That is what makes me believe there is a major opportunity for this solution to be implemented as people's personal information should not get released like mine did from facebook.
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
5A- Identifying Local Opportunities
1. ''School system receives approval for security improvement plans"
https://thebrunswicknews.com/news/local_news/school-system-receives-approval-for-security-improvement-plans/article_0dba476d-284d-5b98-8faa-d3b172b4ccec.html
This story is about school security in the city of Brunswick and the approval of state budget increasing. School security has been a major issue not just in Brunswick, but the United States as a whole. This article goes over the important aspects of how security is going to increase with the new funds and specific schools accomplishments. The problem in this story is school security and the people who have the problem are kids and faculty that are inside the schools. The specific problem is what implements they are going to do to the schools to maximize security. Many school shootings have been present so the parents of these children and families of staff worry about the safety of their loved ones. I believe completely eliminating entrances for example metal fences would be the best option and to monitor people coming in and out at all times of the day. The business I would create would be to implement metal fences that have cameras at every entrance point to go to a security room that can be monitored all day from an individual only allowing people in with a request.
2. "SWFL groups tackle logistics of delivering aid to Bahamas"
https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/local/2019/09/11/hurricane-dorian-swfl-groups-tackle-logistics-delivering-dorian-aid/2265551001/
This story is about a local chef named Brain Roland who started Hurricane Dorian relief efforts in his community which gained a major following. The whole city and even state noticed this relief and many people are participating putting in effort to help out the Bahamas. The problem presented from this story is a tremendous amount of damage to the Bahamas leaving everything completely wiped. The people who have the problem are residents and property owners in the Bahamas. The business I would create would be a construction business that includes building designs specially towards hurricane proof models. My marketing would be exactly that which would appeal to many residents in the Bahamas as they have lost everything. Not only would I build homes geared towards hurricanes, but set up a safety room which a generator, waters, flashlights, and all items needed in a hurricane in that room for when this happens again.
3. "Update on condition of children in Benton County school bus crash"
https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/2019/09/10/benton-county-mississippi-bus-crash-injures-several-children/2273091001/
The story in this article is about a school bus that rolled over in Benton County leaving the driver dead and many students injured. Some students were uplifted in the bus during the crash flying around inside the bus while it tumbled off the road. The children are recovered and doing well now from the accident which is what this article portrays about the several children involved. The problem that is present is the children's safety with seat belts in school buses. The people who have the problem are schools and bus drivers due to the safety issues of the current bus system. What I mean by this is how when something like this happens, they could get sued a lot of money for something that could have been prevented. My business product would be a display in front of the bus driver that indicates which students are strapped in vs not to make sure all are to be safe. This technology is shown in cars so I would implement that into school buses to where it would be easy for drivers to monitor.
4. "Vaping-linked lung problems surface in Florida"
https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2019/09/10/e-cigarettes-vaping-being-linked-lung-problems-florida-elsewhere/2277230001/
This story talks about all the issues with "vaping" that teens are experiencing now more than ever. This idea of juuling or anything involved with direct nicotine cause many issues for teens and their liver which is explained in this article. This story also provides numbers of kids reporting illnesses and the fatalities that have resulted from "vaping" recently. The problem presented in this story is clearly the addiction of teens to nicotine and devices that give out this addiction. The people who have this problem are retailers and gas stations who distribute these devices because the fall down is going to come on them. We've seen this happen with cigarettes in some stores were they stopped selling them as a public reform to hopefully gain more business. I think this issue would get resolved if all devices were banned from being sold period. Since these addictions are so new to society we haven't seen the long term effects and the short term effects are already having fatalities. One example of my idea would be to eliminate selling in gas stations and promote medical marijuana to kids who have a serious problem. The attention needs to be off nicotine and focused on something else for teens who have the problem.
5. "Police: 3 men used stolen credit cards on cruise ship in Florida"
https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida/2019/09/11/police-3-men-used-stolen-credit-cards-on-cruise-ship-in-florida/
This story talks about three men who stole peoples credit cards and spent over $100,000 on the Carnival Cruise ship. The cruise departed from Tampa and was set on a voyage to Cuba and back. The men acquired the credit cards before boarding the ship and bought items such as a Rolex and many other pieces of jewelry thinking they would get away with it. The problem presented in this story is people not being able to locate their credit card if stolen or unsure where it is. The people who have the problem are any who have a credit card with a bank and take it out in public. My business idea would be to implement a tracking device into credit cards so that if it gets outside a 5 mile radius of the owner they will be notified. This also would be good for disputing charges on an account if someone gets the numbers because the location of the card would be provided to the bank so there would not have to be an investigation. If the card was used online from a user in Georgia and the person lives in Florida then the bank would know it was a fraudulent charge.
https://thebrunswicknews.com/news/local_news/school-system-receives-approval-for-security-improvement-plans/article_0dba476d-284d-5b98-8faa-d3b172b4ccec.html
This story is about school security in the city of Brunswick and the approval of state budget increasing. School security has been a major issue not just in Brunswick, but the United States as a whole. This article goes over the important aspects of how security is going to increase with the new funds and specific schools accomplishments. The problem in this story is school security and the people who have the problem are kids and faculty that are inside the schools. The specific problem is what implements they are going to do to the schools to maximize security. Many school shootings have been present so the parents of these children and families of staff worry about the safety of their loved ones. I believe completely eliminating entrances for example metal fences would be the best option and to monitor people coming in and out at all times of the day. The business I would create would be to implement metal fences that have cameras at every entrance point to go to a security room that can be monitored all day from an individual only allowing people in with a request.
2. "SWFL groups tackle logistics of delivering aid to Bahamas"
https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/local/2019/09/11/hurricane-dorian-swfl-groups-tackle-logistics-delivering-dorian-aid/2265551001/
This story is about a local chef named Brain Roland who started Hurricane Dorian relief efforts in his community which gained a major following. The whole city and even state noticed this relief and many people are participating putting in effort to help out the Bahamas. The problem presented from this story is a tremendous amount of damage to the Bahamas leaving everything completely wiped. The people who have the problem are residents and property owners in the Bahamas. The business I would create would be a construction business that includes building designs specially towards hurricane proof models. My marketing would be exactly that which would appeal to many residents in the Bahamas as they have lost everything. Not only would I build homes geared towards hurricanes, but set up a safety room which a generator, waters, flashlights, and all items needed in a hurricane in that room for when this happens again.
3. "Update on condition of children in Benton County school bus crash"
https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/2019/09/10/benton-county-mississippi-bus-crash-injures-several-children/2273091001/
The story in this article is about a school bus that rolled over in Benton County leaving the driver dead and many students injured. Some students were uplifted in the bus during the crash flying around inside the bus while it tumbled off the road. The children are recovered and doing well now from the accident which is what this article portrays about the several children involved. The problem that is present is the children's safety with seat belts in school buses. The people who have the problem are schools and bus drivers due to the safety issues of the current bus system. What I mean by this is how when something like this happens, they could get sued a lot of money for something that could have been prevented. My business product would be a display in front of the bus driver that indicates which students are strapped in vs not to make sure all are to be safe. This technology is shown in cars so I would implement that into school buses to where it would be easy for drivers to monitor.
4. "Vaping-linked lung problems surface in Florida"
https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2019/09/10/e-cigarettes-vaping-being-linked-lung-problems-florida-elsewhere/2277230001/
This story talks about all the issues with "vaping" that teens are experiencing now more than ever. This idea of juuling or anything involved with direct nicotine cause many issues for teens and their liver which is explained in this article. This story also provides numbers of kids reporting illnesses and the fatalities that have resulted from "vaping" recently. The problem presented in this story is clearly the addiction of teens to nicotine and devices that give out this addiction. The people who have this problem are retailers and gas stations who distribute these devices because the fall down is going to come on them. We've seen this happen with cigarettes in some stores were they stopped selling them as a public reform to hopefully gain more business. I think this issue would get resolved if all devices were banned from being sold period. Since these addictions are so new to society we haven't seen the long term effects and the short term effects are already having fatalities. One example of my idea would be to eliminate selling in gas stations and promote medical marijuana to kids who have a serious problem. The attention needs to be off nicotine and focused on something else for teens who have the problem.
5. "Police: 3 men used stolen credit cards on cruise ship in Florida"
https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida/2019/09/11/police-3-men-used-stolen-credit-cards-on-cruise-ship-in-florida/
This story talks about three men who stole peoples credit cards and spent over $100,000 on the Carnival Cruise ship. The cruise departed from Tampa and was set on a voyage to Cuba and back. The men acquired the credit cards before boarding the ship and bought items such as a Rolex and many other pieces of jewelry thinking they would get away with it. The problem presented in this story is people not being able to locate their credit card if stolen or unsure where it is. The people who have the problem are any who have a credit card with a bank and take it out in public. My business idea would be to implement a tracking device into credit cards so that if it gets outside a 5 mile radius of the owner they will be notified. This also would be good for disputing charges on an account if someone gets the numbers because the location of the card would be provided to the bank so there would not have to be an investigation. If the card was used online from a user in Georgia and the person lives in Florida then the bank would know it was a fraudulent charge.
4A- Opportunity Belief
1. One opportunity that I think exists right now is eliminating plastic bag usage at major stores.
2. A major issue with plastic bags today is the harmful effect they have on the environment. Plastic bags do not easily decompose, therefore they often sit in landfills for long periods of time. Some bags can end up polluting the ocean, which can affect marine life by killing animals. The unmet need is the treatment for the environment. Wildlife as a whole and especially marine wildlife has the need to prevent death numbers. This need has always existed and we are just seeing the major effects it has in society now rather than before. Plastic bags have always been used in major stores and people now are using alternative methods to meet this need. Im 100% sure that this opportunity exists as we are seeing the affects it is having on marine wildlife and the environment.
1st Customer- Shopper at Publix, Ally
3. The prototypical customer is a younger person specifically college student ranging from 18-26 years of age. This audience of the younger generation is interesting to talk to as the issues of climate change and pollution grow stronger each year. Most seem to be aware of the current issues in society but tend to not change their habits or ways to make a difference. The most popular reason to using plastic bags is how much easier it is than other methods and what is wrong with the younger generation.
4. I talked with a girl named Ally in Publix and she currently is a sophomore here at the University of Florida who transferred from Florida State University. After talking with her for several minutes, she told me she cared a lot about the environment and does different methods herself to try and make it a better place. A specific example would be she had recyclable bags with her to use at checkout instead of the plastic bags Publix provides. I asked Ally questions that were tied to the criteria and her answers were quite interesting. Unlike most people in her prototypical category, she was well aware of the current issues and already participating in alternative methods. When asking whats the nature of the effects of using plastic bags and how often does she encounter it, her response was that most people do not realize what it does to the environment since they simply just throw the bags away and forget about it. She encounters it all the time as she said every Tuesday is her grocery day so sees people using and taking plastic bags every week. Ally stated that she became aware of the need at a young age do to her mother making the change from plastic to recyclable bags and she addresses the need by continuing to bring recyclable bags herself. She is very satisfied with the solution of people using recyclable bags but is frustrated because not many people do so.
2nd Customer- Shopper at Publix, Martin
3. The prototypical customer is a middle aged person from around 30-50 years old. This generation seems to be very aware of the issues with plastic bags as they keep up with news and problems in society. Most people in this age group are aware of the problems plastic bags have in the environment and take action to make a change. Majority of people this age have children so they tend to be the ones involved with plastic bags the most in places such as grocery stores or warehouse stores.
4. I talked with a middle aged man named Martin before he checked out at Publix. Our conversation was a few minutes and I learned that he is a father of 2 kids and has a wife at home. Before I got into questions for the criteria I asked if he does most of the shopping for the family and he told me he does because his wife picks up the kids or drives them to where they need to go at night. When asking him about plastic bags and the issue they have for the environment, his response to the nature of the need was how stores like Publix or Walmart should completely eliminate plastic bags in their stores. He said he became aware of the effects of plastic bags from the news and images of sea turtles caught by plastic bags dead. He experiences involvement with plastic bags all the time as he gets groceries or things like electronics from Walmart. His main address to the issue was how sometimes he forgets recyclable bags due to just being busy and the stores should have alternative ways instead of only providing plastic bags. Martin addresses the issue of plastic bags by using recyclable when he remembers to grab them or is not in a hurry. Sometimes he said its just to hard to remember or would be going out of his way adding time to using recyclable bags.
3rd Customer- Shopper at Publix, Gloria
3. The prototypical customer is an elderly person from the ages of 60-80 years old. With this generation, most people tend to stick to the method of using plastic bags due to either lack of awareness or just not wanting to change their ways. Habits and methods have been used for a long time in their life and they tend not to break these kinds of things even if it means helping the environment.
4. I introduced myself and talked to an elderly woman by the name of Gloria. She is married and it is just her and her husband that live in Gainesville. I asked if she does most of the shopping between the two and she told me yes she always has. When asking about the problem of using plastic bags she seemed unaware of the harms they have for the environment. Her answer was she just uses what the stores gives her as she does not own any recyclable bags and has always just gone with what the store has. Gloria was not aware of the effects plastic bags had in society and respectively I told her some of the issues they have. Being that she has her ways, I do not believe she is going to change so she addresses the issue of plastic bags by continuing to use them since it is given to her which is a problem.
5. Reflection
What I learned about plastic bag usage and people's experiences with them in Publix was very interesting. I learned that most people are aware of the issues that plastic bags cause in the environment and to wildlife, just do not act on it. People in the younger generation ages 18-25 tend to know a lot about plastic in landfills and what it is doing to animals but just do not go to alternative methods. People in the middle generation ages 30-50 tend to act on these issues by having recyclable bags they take everywhere to use instead of plastic provided by the store. The older generation people ages 60-80 tend to not know much about the harms of plastic bags and keep using them just due to the habits and ways. The most surprising thing I learned about plastic bag usage at major stores is how all three people I interviewed agreed on how it is majority the stores fault for this being an issue. Ally, Martin, and Gloria all stated in a way they believe the store should put more effort into either eliminating plastic bags or having alternative methods available.
7. Summarize
My original opportunity has not changed as I am still 100% that this opportunity exists and can be acted on. Since nothing has changed, I believe my initial opportunity and statement is correct with eliminating plastic bag usage in stores. I think entrepreneurs should adapt their opportunities based on customer feedback heavily. What makes a successful product and business is customers purchasing it so having feedback would be crucial to see if it will succeed. If you ask different people if they like and would buy your product and they say yes, you know you are on to something and can progress the process. Adapting to the customer wants or needs is what every entrepreneur should do so they will sell their product and have a cash flow from it.
2. A major issue with plastic bags today is the harmful effect they have on the environment. Plastic bags do not easily decompose, therefore they often sit in landfills for long periods of time. Some bags can end up polluting the ocean, which can affect marine life by killing animals. The unmet need is the treatment for the environment. Wildlife as a whole and especially marine wildlife has the need to prevent death numbers. This need has always existed and we are just seeing the major effects it has in society now rather than before. Plastic bags have always been used in major stores and people now are using alternative methods to meet this need. Im 100% sure that this opportunity exists as we are seeing the affects it is having on marine wildlife and the environment.
1st Customer- Shopper at Publix, Ally
3. The prototypical customer is a younger person specifically college student ranging from 18-26 years of age. This audience of the younger generation is interesting to talk to as the issues of climate change and pollution grow stronger each year. Most seem to be aware of the current issues in society but tend to not change their habits or ways to make a difference. The most popular reason to using plastic bags is how much easier it is than other methods and what is wrong with the younger generation.
4. I talked with a girl named Ally in Publix and she currently is a sophomore here at the University of Florida who transferred from Florida State University. After talking with her for several minutes, she told me she cared a lot about the environment and does different methods herself to try and make it a better place. A specific example would be she had recyclable bags with her to use at checkout instead of the plastic bags Publix provides. I asked Ally questions that were tied to the criteria and her answers were quite interesting. Unlike most people in her prototypical category, she was well aware of the current issues and already participating in alternative methods. When asking whats the nature of the effects of using plastic bags and how often does she encounter it, her response was that most people do not realize what it does to the environment since they simply just throw the bags away and forget about it. She encounters it all the time as she said every Tuesday is her grocery day so sees people using and taking plastic bags every week. Ally stated that she became aware of the need at a young age do to her mother making the change from plastic to recyclable bags and she addresses the need by continuing to bring recyclable bags herself. She is very satisfied with the solution of people using recyclable bags but is frustrated because not many people do so.
2nd Customer- Shopper at Publix, Martin
3. The prototypical customer is a middle aged person from around 30-50 years old. This generation seems to be very aware of the issues with plastic bags as they keep up with news and problems in society. Most people in this age group are aware of the problems plastic bags have in the environment and take action to make a change. Majority of people this age have children so they tend to be the ones involved with plastic bags the most in places such as grocery stores or warehouse stores.
4. I talked with a middle aged man named Martin before he checked out at Publix. Our conversation was a few minutes and I learned that he is a father of 2 kids and has a wife at home. Before I got into questions for the criteria I asked if he does most of the shopping for the family and he told me he does because his wife picks up the kids or drives them to where they need to go at night. When asking him about plastic bags and the issue they have for the environment, his response to the nature of the need was how stores like Publix or Walmart should completely eliminate plastic bags in their stores. He said he became aware of the effects of plastic bags from the news and images of sea turtles caught by plastic bags dead. He experiences involvement with plastic bags all the time as he gets groceries or things like electronics from Walmart. His main address to the issue was how sometimes he forgets recyclable bags due to just being busy and the stores should have alternative ways instead of only providing plastic bags. Martin addresses the issue of plastic bags by using recyclable when he remembers to grab them or is not in a hurry. Sometimes he said its just to hard to remember or would be going out of his way adding time to using recyclable bags.
3rd Customer- Shopper at Publix, Gloria
3. The prototypical customer is an elderly person from the ages of 60-80 years old. With this generation, most people tend to stick to the method of using plastic bags due to either lack of awareness or just not wanting to change their ways. Habits and methods have been used for a long time in their life and they tend not to break these kinds of things even if it means helping the environment.
4. I introduced myself and talked to an elderly woman by the name of Gloria. She is married and it is just her and her husband that live in Gainesville. I asked if she does most of the shopping between the two and she told me yes she always has. When asking about the problem of using plastic bags she seemed unaware of the harms they have for the environment. Her answer was she just uses what the stores gives her as she does not own any recyclable bags and has always just gone with what the store has. Gloria was not aware of the effects plastic bags had in society and respectively I told her some of the issues they have. Being that she has her ways, I do not believe she is going to change so she addresses the issue of plastic bags by continuing to use them since it is given to her which is a problem.
5. Reflection
What I learned about plastic bag usage and people's experiences with them in Publix was very interesting. I learned that most people are aware of the issues that plastic bags cause in the environment and to wildlife, just do not act on it. People in the younger generation ages 18-25 tend to know a lot about plastic in landfills and what it is doing to animals but just do not go to alternative methods. People in the middle generation ages 30-50 tend to act on these issues by having recyclable bags they take everywhere to use instead of plastic provided by the store. The older generation people ages 60-80 tend to not know much about the harms of plastic bags and keep using them just due to the habits and ways. The most surprising thing I learned about plastic bag usage at major stores is how all three people I interviewed agreed on how it is majority the stores fault for this being an issue. Ally, Martin, and Gloria all stated in a way they believe the store should put more effort into either eliminating plastic bags or having alternative methods available.
7. Summarize
My original opportunity has not changed as I am still 100% that this opportunity exists and can be acted on. Since nothing has changed, I believe my initial opportunity and statement is correct with eliminating plastic bag usage in stores. I think entrepreneurs should adapt their opportunities based on customer feedback heavily. What makes a successful product and business is customers purchasing it so having feedback would be crucial to see if it will succeed. If you ask different people if they like and would buy your product and they say yes, you know you are on to something and can progress the process. Adapting to the customer wants or needs is what every entrepreneur should do so they will sell their product and have a cash flow from it.
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
3A- Entrepreneurship Story
One entrepreneurship experience that I have been exposed to
is the brand RocketFizz by a family friend. A close friend of my mom started
this store named RocketFizz and her name is Marianne. RocketFizz is candy and
soda store that has almost every single candy you could imagine and so many
options for soda. I’ve known Marianne for most of my life and about 2 years ago
talked to her about the startup of her business. I told her one day I planned
on creating my own business and she gave me insight on what her startup process
was like. The best piece advice she gave me was to find something that you
think doesn’t exist in the world that people would want and just go for it. She
has 4 kids and told me when they were growing up the two main things they
wanted all the time were candy and soda. After looking around and doing her
research, she found there were no places in the Tampa region that existed with
this concept. She told me one of the most important aspects of starting up is
the location after getting a concept you see working. The Tampa RocketFizz
store is located in a big complex next to major restaurants such as Kobe’s
Japanese Steakhouse and GrillSmith. This location brings in customers due to
people going in after dinner and just general people going to the store. Marianne
has a great concept and business going which is why I wanted to talk and learn
more from her about creating a business.
I enrolled to ENT3003 because the concept of
entrepreneurship has always intrigued me. Outside of that cliché, the concept
of creating something from scratch and building it up into something that can
be very successful is very interesting to me. Seeing new inventions and brands
blow up in society is eye opening and motivating to learn more about how it all
gets started up. I hope to get basic principles of what it takes to create a successful
business and learn about many business models or specific examples along the
way. So far, this class has been very interesting to me and one of my favorite parts
is learning about real life examples one being Ronnie from Bluebird Wings.
The photo below is a picture taken from inside the store RocketFizz. As you can see the many different options for candy and soda.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
30A- Final Reflection
2) Experiences The most formative experience I had this semester was attending lecture and learning about Ronnies wing shop experience when...
