30A- Final Reflection

1) high- first coming up with this business idea and being able to be so creative
low- determining the barriers and obstacles I'd face in pursuing the idea
I had fun imagining what could come of the business, but I found some of the assignments to be more time consuming than beneficial.

2) I'm proud of myself for creating a realistic business and then trying so hard to understand the market for it. I think this practice will benefit me with any future marketing or entrepreneurship. I enjoyed reading about the other creative ideas in the class too. I also appreciated the feedback they gave me.

3) Unfortunately, I am stubborn and do no think I have developed much more of an entrepreneurial mindset. I now understand how the process works better, but I am not exactly inclined more to become and entrepreneur than I was before. I may have had this feeling to begin with so there wasn't much more convincing to do.

4) I would recommend that students set aside time each week for this course because it is more time consuming than it seems. I would also advise them to really bring in the concepts and values in the course and try applying them to their own lives, rather than only to the assignments. There is a lot to learn from the course and it can be shown in just these assignments. I think it may be difficult with this online course. I'd also recommend that they keep an open mind.

29A- Venture Concept No. 2

My onsite scooter repair service, Riley's Scooter Repair, is a great opportunity for the Gainesville market and the University of Florida because there is a large number of consumers who need the repair because the own scooters and also because the students have demanding schedules and desire convenient solutions. There is an increasing number of students who are purchasing scooters. There also is an increasing number of students at the University of Florida, which could lead to greater scooter sales overall. Having a scooter is a convenient transportation solution. It is inexpensive (relatively), easy to operate, and allows a student to park in more areas on campus than a car would. This demand for my service arises from the fact that because these consumers have purchased a convenient product, they probably also want a convenient solution to their problem (when their scooter needs to be repaired). My market can be defined as the University of Florida campus. If this service was to succeed here, it could be replicated in other college towns. The customers would be college students who own a scooter. These people are typically 18-24 years of age. These customers are typically fast-paced and are always looking for innovative new products and services. These customers are typically reliant upon their parents for some financial support and make purchasing decisions with this in mind. The window of opportunity for this service will probably be open until students are no longer purchasing scooters that need repair. This service is innovative because there is not currently an onsite scooter repair service that has a strong market share in Gainesville yet. This service provides an innovative solution to repairing scooters by doing them onsite, so that the customer doesn't have to worry about time their scooter spends in the shop or having to transport it to the shop. This service would cost the customer whatever the cost of parts is plus a $15 per hour charge for labor. There are already many scooter repair services in Gainesville. Some of them have a much stronger hold on the market than others do. There is demand for scooter repair in general, so by providing a service that stands out to customers as more convenient than the competitors is what will bring in demand. The competitors are well established but do not provide the convenience this business would offer. They typically have the customer bring in the scooter or charge a fee for transporting it. The scooter then sits in an office for an extended period of time. If my business can provide the same quality of service as the typical repair shop, I think that customers will gladly switch to my service. Customer service and price will be the most important factors to my customers. My business would need to start small, with few employees before I could expand. This startup doesn't require too many employees at first. My most important resource is the convenience. This convenience is the difference between my service and other services. My next business venture would be to offer a sort of membership to customers. This would make it so that customers could have their scooters checked up on, washed, maintenanced, etc on a recurring basis, onsite. Assuming this business was to succeed, I'd be most concerned with increasing market share in my current market and then extending to other college campuses. This way I could increase my revenues and acquire enough capital to continue creating startups or manage this money better. I think that I may have underestimated the start up costs for this business. I will need to purchase many vans and hire skilled mechanics in order to keep up with demand. I also will need to get the repairs done quickly so that customers don't decide to go somewhere else for service. This may be difficult.

My feedback was positive for the idea. They liked how I differentiated my product and said that I could find customers. I personally found that I will need a lot of start up capital and will also need to be very efficient to keep customers pleased. My workers will also need to be very skilled in order to address the range of problems that may arise in the field. It may be difficult to satisfy customers if we cannot do the repair onsite as promised.

Based on the feedback, I couldn't change much. I just have to prepare for when these problems arise and find a way to still provide customer service by offering discounts if things go wrong or take preventative action.

28A- Your Exit Strategy

I plan to hold onto this business until my children can take it over. If they were not to take it over, I would sell it to someone else and use the money I earn to invest in other businesses or portfolios. Hopefully this business is enough to provide me with the lifestyle I desire. I think that I would be content working in this business for my entire career if I could also responsibly invest and get large returns elsewhere. I have decided to do this because it provides me with stability and also allows to provide my children with a job with an income they like. I also would have pride in this business, so I wouldn’t like to see anyone else take it over. Considering the fact that I will be holding onto this business for many years and then watching my children take it over, I am going to find ways to create long term growth. This may include making large capital expenditures now so that later on, the company is prepared for growth. This also may include setting lower prices for market penetration, establishing a large customer base for later on when I can start setting higher prices. I plan to look at the business as a progression and may be more forward looking than focused on the present. This exit strategy means that I need to treat this business as my main priority and that I need to save my money wisely so that my kids are in a good position.

27A- Reading Reflection No. 3

Cognitive Surplus by Clay Shirky

This reading is about how people can improve the world they live in by utilizing time, networking, and technology better. It is about being more efficient with the tools available to them and how they can benefit society. Shirky argued that in order to maximize our abilities, we need to utilize the advice and conversations we have with others and use them to fix our current lives. We can take feedback and understand other people’s views. This is important when trying to market your ideas or products to other people. Understand other people allows you to tailor to their wants and needs. Technology can help in this by making communication with many people at once more possible. You can also collect more opinions from many areas with this. The idea is that you need to take advantage of how information is shared in the world around you. In order to apply these concepts in class, I would ask students to identify the encounters they have every day with other people, technology, the world, etc that provide them with new, beneficial information. I would then ask them to see if any of this information could be applied to their business idea or another business idea. I would then ask them to determine which types of mediums (technology vs person to person etc) that provide certain types of information. I would also have students identify time they spend wasting (like watching TV) and then ask them what they would be doing instead if they weren’t wasting it. They then could realize how much they may be missing out on. I was interested in seeing how much time we all waste and what would happen if we all took a bit of that wasted time and put it towards a common goal. While I think it would be difficult to convince many people to be more productive, I was surprised by how much time people actually wasted watching television. Television can provide beneficial information or stress relief, but it is used in excess.

26A- Celebrating Failure

Earlier this semester I failed when searching for internships. I must have pushed them off too late or had been applying to the wrong ones because up until this month, I was afraid I wouldn’t have one at all for the summer. I tried applying to a few different type of internships and in different areas as well. I began to get desperate and anxious once I heard all of my peers were starting their interview process or even accepting offers. Some of the places I applied to said they were full by the time I had applied. Other places decided to cancel the internship all together. Some just flat out didn’t reply to my applications. After speaking with advisors and friends, I was told to start applying through the UF Career Resources Center. After my first application sent through UF, I was interviewed and offered the internship. I learned that I need to be more proactive with such things that require interacting with other people. There are some things you can push off that only require your own effort; but when you push things off that require other’s efforts, things may go wrong. This is because not everyone operates on the same timeline and schedule as each other. I think that failure is scary. I think that is a natural feeling that almost everyone feels. The difference is that some people are more acceptable with certain levels of failure than others. When I fail, I have to sometimes numb myself to the pain and then hopefully I can determine whether I did something wrong or if risk just took it’s course. I think it’s important to understand what you have to lose with each possible failure, the odds, and the period of time that the failure will affect you. While over time I am better able to judge the risk of things and the repercussions of a potential failure, I do not think I am more likely to take higher risks than I was before. I think risk taking has to do with personality traits, which are difficult to alter.

25A- What's Next?

Existing Market

I think that I could offer more services than just a traditional scooter repair that occurs when something goes wrong. I think I could provide continuous maintenance by offering "memberships" of some sort that offers customers frequent checkups, preventative maintenance, cleaning, etc. This would be an opportunity that isn't currently available in Gainesville and would appeal to those who do not understand how to take care of their scooter.

Current customers in my market say that they are content, for the most part, with how scooter repairs are currently done and also with my new innovative ideas for onsite repairs and memberships that offer preventative maintenance. These customers emphasized improving my current processes rather than offering totally new ones. They said that if I could offer quality service that is affordable and convenient, I would win their business. They focused more on the fact that current providers of scooter repair take a long time, are expensive, and are time consuming. According to my current market, I should focus on these things. They were open to the preventative maintenance service though (assuming I could prove that a scooter needed continuous maintenance).

Based upon my consumers and my own ideas, I should work on perfecting my current idea. I need to appeal to consumers by offering a service that they can afford and also one that won't require much of their time. This comes down to minimizing costs and offering great customer service. These two objectives are somewhat difficult to do at the same time, but if I can do so, I will have a great advantage in the market. 

I would need to start small and hire labor that isn't expensive. My rent would also need to be cheap. My employees would need to be customer oriented. I would need to decrease the amount of time I spend working on scooters and also would need to repair scooters onsite, sooner than the competitors. 

New Market

I think that the next step, after increasing market share in Gainesville, is to extend to other college campuses. The needs and wants that students have at the University of Florida are probably the same of those at other campuses. While the amount of scooters purchased and the size of the school may differ, it is safe to say that anyone who need a scooter repair will want a convenient one that saves them time and energy.

These new customers would experience the same benefits my current ones do. They'd be pleased by a repair service that is convenient and affordable. If I were to pursue a more affluent market, I could possibly raise prices or offer more memberships. Everyone who owns a scooter needs repairs to be done, but my service would make it more convenient than other services could. 

The customers I spoke to on another college campus in Florida said they like the idea of having a convenient and cost sensitive repair. They spoke about how much trouble they had getting to class or work while their scooters were in repair. My onsite repair would decrease this amount of time that a customer spends without their transportation. They emphasized that if I can also make it affordable, I would beat the current providers because they are apparently overpriced.  

I learned that my new market has the same wants and needs as my current one. They want an affordable repair that isn't time or energy consuming. My assumptions were correct and these new customer seem similar to my current ones. I was surprised to hear that all of the current providers were overpriced. I figured someone would come in and offer lower prices if that were the case. This is somewhat of a red flag for me in this new market. Maybe it's got barriers to entry that I do not know of. 

This new market is attractive but it is more risky. I'm worried that there is a reason for why  new businesses haven't come in to offer lower prices to win over customers. Maybe there is something I don't know. It is attractive in that I would be able to differentiate my business by offering both convenience and affordable service though. 

24A- Venture Concept No. 1, Riley's Scooter Repair

My onsite scooter repair service, Riley's Scooter Repair, is a great opportunity for the Gainesville market and the University of Florida because there is a large number of consumers who need the repair because the own scooters and also because the students have demanding schedules and desire convenient solutions. There is an increasing number of students who are purchasing scooters. There also is an increasing number of students at the University of Florida, which could lead to greater scooter sales overall. Having a scooter is a convenient transportation solution. It is inexpensive (relatively), easy to operate, and allows a student to park in more areas on campus than a car would. This demand for my service arises from the fact that because these consumers have purchased a convenient product, they probably also want a convenient solution to their problem (when their scooter needs to be repaired). My market can be defined as the University of Florida campus. If this service was to succeed here, it could be replicated in other college towns. The customers would be college students who own a scooter. These people are typically 18-24 years of age. These customers are typically fast-paced and are always looking for innovative new products and services. These customers are typically reliant upon their parents for some financial support and make purchasing decisions with this in mind. The window of opportunity for this service will probably be open until students are no longer purchasing scooters that need repair. This service is innovative because there is not currently an onsite scooter repair service that has a strong market share in Gainesville yet. This service provides an innovative solution to repairing scooters by doing them onsite, so that the customer doesn't have to worry about time their scooter spends in the shop or having to transport it to the shop. This service would cost the customer whatever the cost of parts is plus a $15 per hour charge for labor. There are already many scooter repair services in Gainesville. Some of them have a much stronger hold on the market than others do. There is demand for scooter repair in general, so by providing a service that stands out to customers as more convenient than the competitors is what will bring in demand. The competitors are well established but do not provide the convenience this business would offer. They typically have the customer bring in the scooter or charge a fee for transporting it. The scooter then sits in an office for an extended period of time. If my business can provide the same quality of service as the typical repair shop, I think that customers will gladly switch to my service. Customer service and price will be the most important factors to my customers. My business would need to start small, with few employees before I could expand. This startup doesn't require too many employees at first. My most important resource is the convenience. This convenience is the difference between my service and other services. My next business venture would be to offer a sort of membership to customers. This would make it so that customers could have their scooters checked up on, washed, maintenanced, etc on a recurring basis, onsite. Assuming this business was to succeed, I'd be most concerned with increasing market share in my current market and then extending to other college campuses. This way I could increase my revenues and acquire enough capital to continue creating startups or manage this money better.

23A- Your Venture's Unfair Advantage

List of Resources in my Venture:
Human Capital- I already have experience in starting my own business.
Social Capital- I have an understanding of the customer because I can relate to them.
Innovation- My service is new to my market.
Convenience- My service is convenient for the Customer.
Time- My service saves the customer time.
Financial Capital- My service will generate a large amount of revenue.
Organization- I am an organized person who can keep their business the same way.
Deregulated- My industry does not have much regulation.
Risk- My industry does not have as much risk in comparison to other industries.
Low skill- My industry does not require it's laborers to have much professional experience.
VRIN for each resource:
Human Capital: The ability to lead and have experience is very valuable. My experience in starting a business is not very rare. My ability to start a business is imitable and can be attained by many people. Having experience is non-substitutable.
Social Capital: Understanding the customer is very valuable. Understanding customers is not very rare and is necessary for any industry. Understanding your customers is imitable. You cannot substitute knowledge of your market for anything else.
Innovation: Being innovative is what sets your business apart and can get you more customers, so it is valuable. Being innovative is rare. Innovation is not imitable. There are other options for innovative things, such as a product that is simple and easy to use.
Convenience: The fact that my service is convenient may be one of the most valuable traits. Convenience in service is rare in my market but the concept is not. This convenient service could be replicated. Convenient services could be substituted with higher quality ones.
Time: Time is valuable to some customers but not all. Time is a concept that affects all industries and businesses. Understanding how time affects consumers is easy to imitate. Being time conscious could be replaced with higher quality.
Financial Capital: Having financial capital is very valuable and the reason you have a business. Having money is not rare. Attaining high financial capital is not easy to imitate. Financial capital is not easy to replace or substitute.
Organization: Being organized is very valuable. It is not rare, organization is necessary. It is easy imitable. Organization can be substituted with high demand for a product.
Deregulated: Having a deregulated industry is valuable, but not that valuable because the competitors have to deal with it too. Deregulation is not rare. Finding deregulated markets is not difficult but you cannot create one very easily. You can substitute a highly regulated industry with a deregulated industry and the customer will not see much of a difference.
Risk: Risk is valuable and considered by all business owners. Many industries have varying levels of risk. Finding an industry that is more or less risky is very possible. Risk is difficult to substitute but can be compensated by higher returns.
Low skill: Having low skill labor means that it is easier to find employees. This is not rare. It is easy to choose a business that is low skill. You can substitute low skill labor with highly skilled labor but expenses would change.
Top Resource:
My convenience factor is my top resource. It is the reason I will attract customers that typical scooter repair services wouldn't.

22A- Elevator Pitch No. 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NozcNWTahnM&feature=youtu.be

This is my third elevator pitch. I didn't change much from my previous pitch because I hadn't gotten much feedback. I made sure to emphasize why consumers would want to use my mobile scooter repair service. I also made sure to explain how I will overcome the major obstacles that result from doing scooter repairs onsite instead of doing them in a shop. I think the feedback I have gotten over the past few pitches has been fair and reasonable. If I were to correct anything in this pitch, I would probably improve the quality of the video and the angle from which it was recorded. I think I'm becoming more comfortable with these elevator pitches over time, which will benefit me in the future when I have to potentially give a real pitch to customers for a job. Hopefully I can improve this pitch even further and apply what I have learned to my presentations in other classes and interactions at work.

21A- Reading Reflection No. 2

The Art of Social Media by Guy Kawasaki

1) What was the general theme or argument of the book?

The book was about how social media can be used to benefit a business and its image to consumers. The book described how you should use social media professionally. It also described how you need to understand what consumers want to see on the account. For example, your profile should have a positive attitude, people smiling, interesting content, and posts that address your customers.

2) How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?

It further emphasized the need to understand consumers and present your business in a professional manner. The better I can expose my business to consumers, the more likely they are to consider using my product or service.

3) If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve?

I would try to create sample social media pages for your hypothetical business and then show them to the rest of the class and get responses from other students. You could also try showing them to your target market if possible.

4) What was your biggest surprise or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that differed most from your expectations?

I was surprised to hear that some companies or people still don't have a strong understanding of social media. This means that there is an opportunity for people to be employed by many different companies to provide this service.

20A- Growing Your Social Capital

1) Domain expert in my industry
When taking my friend's scooter in to get repaired (he needed help loading it into the truck), I decided to go inside and ask the employee some questions about the average time it took for a scooter to be in and out of the shop and also the amount of repairs that were simple enough to do on site. He replied that the time in the shop varied by the type of repair and the demand, but he also said that many of the repairs could be done on site if there was a means of getting the tools to the scooter (a van, for example). This exchange was just a conversation.
2) Expert on my market
I met with a friend who currently markets promotional items to students at UF. We have known each other since we first started our freshman year. This friend understands the market well because he sells much of his products to students and is a student himself. We were able to meet because we were friends. There was no exchange of favors. I now better understand my market.
3) Supplier to my industry
I asked an employee at a NAPA store about how often people come in to purchase batteries. They said a lot of their business was selling and then replacing batteries because many people are either incapable or don't want to do it themselves. A battery replacement would be an example of an easy on site repair.

Reflect-
From this experience, I found that there are many other industries related to what I am currently pursuing and also that many of them operate similarly to what I would provide. I found that my idea, if feasible, would have a high demand. I also found that it would take a lot of effort to establish, but there are many resources available. This networking was similar to my past networking. I just found people who were conveniently around me who were knowledgeable.

19A- Idea Napkin No. 2

You- I am a business student at the University of Florida who is starting an onsite scooter repair service. I am a driven and organized person who has already had experience in starting their own business. The things I learned from my previous business can be applied to this one. 

What are you offering to customers?

I'm offering a convenient service to customers that isn't currently available. This service makes it so that customers have to put in minimal time and effort into their scooter being repaired.

Who are you offering it to?

I am offering my service to busy college students who want to have a convenient repair.

Why do they care?

They care because they will save time and energy if they do not have to wait as long for their scooter to be repaired and also because they don't have to transport it.

What are your core competencies?

I have a better understanding of the students and their needs than a typical entrepreneur would. This is because I am a current customer of my own service.

Summary-

I think that everything lines up. The fact that I am a typical customer and have experience sets me apart from other entrepreneurs. My ability to understand the customer's needs will help me provide a convenient service.

Feedback- 

The feedback I received commented on the fact that I will need to provide the service more quickly than competitors if I want to remain the preferred service.

17A- Elevator Pitch No. 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StTEvq1usjA

My elevator pitch is about my business idea which is a mobile scooter repair service. The video includes my introduction and then an overview of what my service provides to customers. I was told by my peers that I needed to have a more attentive but informative energy in this elevator pitch. I think I improved on that. I also think my pitch is more clear and understandable in this one than it was in the last. I also think I did a good job of outlining how it will benefit students and gave examples. I think that all the feedback I received was legitimate and beneficial. I found that improving the "mood" of my pitch was very important as well. I improved this new pitch by changing the energy and flow of my pitch. This one was more clear and relatable. I think it'll reach customers better this way and will also be more convincing.

18A- Create A Customer Avatar

The ideal customer for my mobile, onsite scooter repair service is someone who is in a hurry, wearing a backpack, probably on their way to class. This customer is probably between the ages of 18 and 22 and may have a part time job. This customer is probably still dependent upon their parents income and makes their purchasing decisions with this in mind. The typical customer probably enjoys spending their free time watching Netflix shows like Game of Thrones or going out to bars. The typical customer could hold any political beliefs and could follow a variety of religions. My typical customer is probably hard working, energetic, and open minded, as most students are.

My typical customer and I both share some traits. Both of us are college students who own scooters. We are both between the ages of 18 and 22. We both are dependent upon our parents income. We both also like Netflix and going out. It is not a coincidence because we are both in the same demographic.

16A- What's Your Secret Sauce?

1) I'm an open minded person who is able to understand and operate in many different situations
2) I am able to work well with a variety of people
3) I am results oriented and often am able to improve on my mistakes
4) I am an organized and reliable person
5) I am consistent

Interview 1:
https://soundcloud.com/user702966941/recording
Ryan felt that I could improve on my assertiveness/how vocal I am but agreed with some of the characteristics in my list.

Interview 2:
https://soundcloud.com/user702966941/recording-2
Trent thinks that I communicate well with others and am good at winning over people's opinions. Trent thinks I can become one with my emotions.
Interview 3:
https://soundcloud.com/user702966941/recording-3
Brent thinks that I am an organized person (which was on my list) but that I need to adjust my time schedule to fit others better. This makes sense because I tend to be most productive at night while others are usually sleeping.


Interview 4:
https://soundcloud.com/user702966941/recording-4
Alex also believes that I am an organized and open minded person. He thinks that I need to be more assertive, which I can agree with. I am more likely to succeed if I can assert myself.

Interview 5:
https://soundcloud.com/user702966941/recording-5
Lucas is a good friend of mine who believes I create a strong connection with those who I surround myself with. He thinks I am open minded as well. I could improve on asserting myself though.

Reflection:
The people who I interviewed are very close friends of mine. They know me well and they agreed with the traits I listed about myself. The most common trait they also saw was my organizational skills and my ability to develop a reliable relationship with others. I thought it was interesting that they also believed that I needed to be more assertive, because I believe this is true as well. I also agree with Brent that I need to adjust my schedule to where I am more productive during the day instead of at night. These insights will benefit me greatly. I still agree with my previous list.

15A- Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

What is important to my customer segment: My customers would use my on-site scooter repair service because they value convenience and time. They are customers who look for the fastest service that requires the least amount of effort out of them, while still maintaining the quality of service other options would provide. Being college students, my customers would also value the price. My price would still have to be competitive with other repair services in order to stay a reasonable option. Students want this service to be cheap and quick.

How/Where they buy: In most cases, my customers call in to a repair shop and ask about how long it would take to have the repair done and how much it would cost. During this phone call, the customer decides whether the time and effort it will take the repair to do is worth it or not. Customers usually pay with cash once they receive their repaired scooter.

Post purchase evaluation: My customers determine if the service provided was good if the customer service was adequate, the time it took for the repair was short enough, the scooter was returned with the expected repairs, and they are able to use their scooter as usual again.

Conclusions:
I think it is safe to say that my target customers value customer service and price most. They expect that any repair done is going to "work", so the quality of the repair usually isn't even evaluated because it's just expected. My customers want a service that doesn't inconvenience them and is affordable. Customers seem more likely to give a bad review than a good review as well.

14 A- Halfway Reflection

1) In order to keep up with the requirements of this course, I have made sure to schedule time each week to work on the assignments. I have also spent time studying the course material with my peers to make sure I am up to date on what has been covered in class.

2) There have been moments when I was having trouble balancing the workload between this course and my other courses. In order to keep myself motivated and on track, I had to remember why I wanted to study at UF and how I got here in the first place. I remembered that I got here by staying focused in school and balancing my time well. I remembered that I had to find a reason to be motivated and to hold myself to the same standard I had in the past.

3) I'd recommend to other students that they imagine what they want to do with their future and then ask themselves if their current behavior is reflective of what someone in their dream job would show. I'd recommend that they plan out time each week for theses assignment and course material and also to consult other students in the class if they find any of the material to be confusing. I'd also recommend that the student evaluate their effort consistently so that they don't develop bad habits or become complacent.

13A- Reading Reflection No. 1

Steve Jobs- Walter Isaacson

1)

I was most surprised by Jobs' decision to attend a less prestigious university instead of attending Berkeley or other recognized schools. I admired his tenacity and ability to take what he learned from his previous jobs and apply it to his Mac computer. I least admired Jobs' addiction to LSD. I think that having an addiction or a part of your life that you cannot control is unhealthy and can get in the way of your goals. Jobs' ability to come back to Apple after having been kicked out and improve it to a better state than while he was gone shows Jobs' ability to overcome adversity.

2)

Jobs was skilled in developing technology and learning how to apply his skills developed from other work to his Mac computer. He was successful in identifying who would benefit his work and bringing them with him. He was also good at designing and appreciating simplicity that is elegant. This is what helped make the Mac so popular. 

3)

I was confused by Jobs ability to work with other team members despite his RDF. I wondered how someone so delusional could relate to and motivate his employees. 

4)

I would ask Steve Jobs when he realized it was time to leave his current jobs and start Apple. To me, that seems like a risk that must take a lot of thought to make. I would also ask him how he was able to work with his employees despite his RDF and narcissistic attitude.

5) 

I don't think that Jobs was concerned with how hard people were working. I think he expected results and if they were not met, then that meant more work was required. 

12-A Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

Segment: I decided to pick students who own scooters on Fraternity Drive in Gainesville, FL.

When the need is present: After conducting the interviews, I found that the need came up at random, unexpected times. Students can't always predict when their scooter will need repair. They often realize that they need a repair when they try to start it on their way to class or when a tire goes flat on their drive to the library. These issues happen wherever the scooter is parked or wherever the scooter is being driven.

Information search: When my potential customers experience this issue, they first try to find a way to drive the scooter despite the issue. They then go online or ask their friends which repair shop is best. They ask the repair shops how long they'll be without their scooter and often pick the ones with the shortest repair time.

Summary: I found that the people who I interviewed cannot predict when their scooter will fail and that they also value the amount of time it takes to get the repair done.

Conclusions: I found that in order to meet these customers needs, I would need to be very efficient and quick to repair their scooters. I would need to be able to repair them before a competitor could.
These customers use word of mouth to find solutions and I would need to have a good reputation in order to have their business.

11A- Idea Napkin No. 1

You- I think that my past experience in founding a lawn service business has prepared me to start this scooter repair business. I am an organized person who is skilled in recognizing problems and finding effective solutions to them. I think I also work well with customers and can balance their wants and needs with the needs of the business. My aspiration would be to have the greatest market share and highest customer service. With that accomplished, the profits are more likely to increase.

What are you offering to customers?
I am offering a convenient scooter repair service that will allow customers to use their scooters up until the moment they are repaired. This will prevent them from being without transportation for extended periods of time. By repairing scooters on site, I will be the most convenient option.

Who are you offering it to?
I'm offering this service to UF students who own scooters and need a repair. All of my customers value convenience and time.

Why do they care?
They care because as students, they need to transport themselves to classes, work, meetings, etc. If their scooters spend days or weeks in the repair shop, they are without their normal mode of transportation and have to find other ways to get around.

What are your core competencies?
The fact that students can have their repair done without having to worry about dropping off or picking up their scooters is what sets me apart. Student won't be without their transportation for long and won't worry about when they'll get it back.

Summary:
I think that all of my components fit together well. The service matches the fast paced life that many students have and many of the customers want the service for the same reason. I believe that I understand the customers well enough to provide this service and that the desire for this service is strong enough to have a company run off of it.

10A- Elevator Pitch No. 1

https://youtu.be/Bu8X5gybTkQ

9A- Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

WHO: Many students were in favor of a mobile scooter repair service. They mentioned how inconvenient it was to bring the scooter in themselves and that they would appreciate it if they didn't have to do that. The students who I spoke to said that the only reason they wouldn't mind taking their scooter in themselves was in a situation where they weren't as pressed on time.
WHAT: The main reason that students have a problem with bringing their scooters in themselves is that it is time consuming. The act is not necessarily difficult or tiring, but it can be time consuming. Waiting for you scooter to return is also an issue. Repairs where the scooter is makes the process more simple for the customer. The people who may lie outside the boundary may find the need to be transportation though, but this was not usually the case.
WHY: For those inside the boundary, this issue is important because it saves them time in transportation and with the availability of their scooter. Those outside the boundary may simply find transporting their scooter to the repair store a hassle.

INSIDE THE BOUNDARY	OUTSIDE THE BOUNDARY
Who: Those who find the time without their scooter to be inconvenient	Who: Those who find the transportation process of their scooter to be a hassle
What: Students are without their scooter for days or weeks when it goes in for repair	What: Transportation may take energy that the customer does not want to exert
Why: Students have classes multiple days a week and other reasons for needing transportation. They have to find alternatives when their scooter is being repaired.	Why: Repair shops may be further away than the customer is willing to travel. The customer may rather the repair come to them.

8A- Solving the Problem

There is an opportunity to provide students in Gainesville with a scooter repair service that doesn’t hassle its customers when it comes to getting the scooter to the repair shop. Finding a way to transport the scooter to and from repair can be inconvenient for students and the current providers of this transportation are not as efficient as they could be. This could be solved by providing the majority of small repairs on-site, where the scooter is parked. This eliminates the need for transportation and can shorten the amount of time a student is without their scooter. Ideally, a repair man would fill up a van full of the necessary tools and parts and the customer could call the repair shop, describe the problem to the repair man, and they could bring the necessary tools or products to do the job. This would allow the scooter to stay where it is or be used until the time of the repair; rather than sitting in a shop for days or weeks.

7A- Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

Students are inconvenienced when they have minor scooter issues because they are required to have their scooter transported to a repair shop.

The who: students whose scooters require repair

The what: the need to transport the scooter to the repair shop increases the repair time

The why: because finding a time to use your own truck or the repair company’s truck to transport the scooter is difficult

Testing the who:

-After interviewing 5 fellow students, both the students and I concluded that students who own scooters are the only market in Gainesville. I am unaware of many staff members or local adults in the Gainesville area who own scooters.

Testing the what:

-After my interviews, I found that most students had trouble with getting their student to repair. Not many students have trucks that they can use themselves to transport the scooter, and the repair companies do not have many available time slots for pickup. This makes it so that you may need to schedule pickup many days after you experience issues, which would mean you need to find other transportation for a longer period of time. Some of the larger repairs may not be able to be done where the scooter is parked, but small ones such as a battery replacement or replacing a tire could be.

Testing the why:

-This difficulty in transporting the scooter to repair is usually because the student cannot do it themselves and they rely on repair companies to pick them up. There is not much availability for pickup, so this makes scheduling difficult. If the company could perform some repairs on the spot of where the scooter is parked or offer more options for transporting the scooter, this problem could be solved for some people.

Summary:

I learned that many students have the same problem I do when it comes to scooter repair. They also find the process inconvenient. Much of the information I received from the interviews I already assumed was true. The only new information I received was that there may be current providers of the service I already listed above.

6A- Identifying Opportunities in Economic and Regulatory Trends

Health Care Trend:
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/042915/5-industries-driving-us-economy.asp

While the rest of the economy is expected to grow at 3%, jobs in health care are expected to grow at 18%. This increase is due to the fact that our population is becoming older and health care insurance coverage is increasing. I am convinced this trend will continue because Investopedia is a reputable site and this field has been growing for years. I think current health care providers, such as hospitals, and patients will benefit from this. People studying to become doctors will as well because they will have jobs to apply for once they graduate. There is a high barrier to entry for this field so it will not be easy to exploit. Becoming a doctor requires a lot of education and hospitals are expensive to establish. I see this as an opportunity because I recently have needed to visit the doctor many times.

Construction Trend:
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/042915/5-industries-driving-us-economy.asp

Construction is growing faster in the economy than other industries; especially in Florida. The economy in Florida is growing faster than most, which brings new families to the state. This influx of people results in a demand for more housing and more construction. Investopedia believes this trend is due to both economic and population growth. Investopedia has a good reputation and is why I trust the source. New families moving to Florida would be the typical customer. Getting into construction has high barriers to enter but customers can easily benefit. I see this opportunity because my dad works in construction as does a lot of work in new developments

Tobacco Regulation Trend:

https://www.wuft.org/news/2019/01/23/alachua-county-approves-ordinance-making-it-illegal-to-sell-tobacco-to-anyone-under-21/

Alachua County just recently banned the sale of tobacco products to people who are under 21 years old. This is due to the increased usage by young people and the negative health affects that come with this usage. This information came from a local radio's website. I think that this regulation will lead to an opportunity for chewing gum. Instead of smoking, people will need to distract themselves with something such as gum. The typical customer would be someone under 21 who does not have access to tobacco. I believe that this industry is very difficult to get into because the FDA has to approve of your chewing gum before it can even go on shelves. I see this as an opportunity because I have many friends under 21 who currently use tobacco.

Car Emissions Regulation Trend:

https://www.c2es.org/content/regulating-transportation-sector-carbon-emissions/

Over time, cars have become more and more regulated in order to protect the environment. Their emissions, their weight, their efficiency, etc have all been set to standards established by the US government. This information is found in many places, but I used the C2ES site to learn more. This regulation provides an opportunity for companies like Toyota to create vehicles that are already meeting the standards. Their Prius is very environmentally friendly and is appealing to people who want to help protect the environment. Toyota's early dedication to find innovative solutions will put them ahead with certain consumers. This opportunity would be difficult to take on because there are many barriers of entry in the car industry, such as capital start up costs. I recognized this opportunity because my parents own a Prius and are environmentally friendly.

5A- Identifying Local Opportunities

Title: Gunman kills 5 at Sebring bank

https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AFTUB%21Florida%2BTimes-Union%252C%2BThe%2B%2528Jacksonville%252C%2BFL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0124%21January%2B24&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/17127DFA8FE40DE0

This article describes a shooting at Sebring bank that killed five people. The gunman was a student currently enrolled in an online university and his motive is still unknown. The incident was not stopped until the gunman surrendered to the SWAT team. The community is currently mourning.

The problem: When people rob banks, they often bring weapons that can pose a threat to others. Banks can be a dangerous place to be because of the large amounts of money they hold and people's desire to steal from them. Anyone at the bank during a robbery is at risk. Some banks need better security to prevent people from causing harm to others.

The people: The people affected include the bank which had to close work and received poor publicity, the people killed and those who knew them, and the community who may now fear future incidents.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Title: Cleaning up after the hall came tumbling down

https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AFTUB%21Florida%2BTimes-Union%252C%2BThe%2B%2528Jacksonville%252C%2BFL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0124%21January%2B24&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/17127DFA9AFEF708

This article describes the demolition of the old City Hall building. The demolition created a large mess that workers now need to clean up. Neighboring buildings were also damaged from the explosion. The photo displays the ruble left over.

The problem: After destroying the building, many people now need to clean up this mess. This may cause traffic jams or be in the way of sidewalks. The explosion damaged another building, which now needs to be fixed. The business it affected may now be set back from this.

The people: The workers who are cleaning this up are affected. The building and business now needs to clean this up. Neighboring buildings now have to look at a mess until it is cleaned up.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Title: Next steps eyed in woes against water war

https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AFTUB%21Florida%2BTimes-Union%252C%2BThe%2B%2528Jacksonville%252C%2BFL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0124%21January%2B24&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/17127DF9D5C37CC8

This article describes how Florida's state government is attempting to fight the red-tide and protect fish. The main causes of the death of fish seem to be runoff from agriculture, specifically the sugar industry. Florida's government is putting millions towards combating these issues.

The problem: Florida's waters are being polluted with algae and toxins that are harmful to marine life. This is bad for wildlife overall and specifically the fishing industry.

The people: The farmers whose waste drains into water are a cause of the problem. The fish living in the water are killed from this waste. The people whose income depends upon fishing and selling healthy fish are hurt by the lack of healthy fish available. The people who consume fish are also impacted as well because prices may rise due to less of a supply.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Title: Former firefighter jailed after 2nd battery arrest

https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AFTUB%21Florida%2BTimes-Union%252C%2BThe%2B%2528Jacksonville%252C%2BFL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0124%21January%2B24&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/17127DFA0A3426F0

This article describes the arrest of a firefighter who strangled and beat a woman while on probation from previous charges. The man pulled a woman off of a firetruck and drug her on the ground in St. Augustine. He was found intoxicated by police and put in jail afterwards.

The problem: A man failed to obey the law after breaking probation rules and hurting a woman.

The people: This affects the man who is now in jail, the woman who was hurt, the police department whose reputation is now hurt, and the police officers who have to watch over this criminal.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Title: Expert: Timber industry faces a long recovery

https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AFTUB%21Florida%2BTimes-Union%252C%2BThe%2B%2528Jacksonville%252C%2BFL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0124%21January%2B24&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/17127DF9A448AA70

This article describes how Hurricane Michael destroyed valuable forestry. Many trees are now dead, covering land in rural areas that need to be used for other purposes. The article describes how money is being allocated to clear these rural areas.

The problem: Trees are covering land and homes in rural areas. These communities need help to clear the mess. These trees are also no longer contributing to the environment in the same way that they used to.

The people: This affects the timber industry who no longer can use the trees, the homeowners who have fallen trees on their property, and the wildlife and air that no longer has the housing for animals or oxygen that these trees used to give off.

4A- Forming an Opportunity Belief

1.      With the increase in music streaming services and the trend of purchasing vinyl records I see an economic opportunity by using these streaming services to purchase vinyl records that are made into your favorite playlist. Streaming services such as: Title, Spotify, Soundcloud, and Apple Music would be able to license music and be able to press the songs on to a record and sell directly to their consumers. Furthermore, I feel that casual music listeners, collectors, and record stores would enjoy being apple to acquire unique records that are derived from their specific taste.

2.      A friend from class

a.      What do you think of being able to buy a record that has your favorite streaming service playlist on it?

                                                     i.      “I believe it would be a really good gift as it is unique to the person that has their own taste in music.”

b.      Do you see any downsides to being able to buy records off of streaming services from your personal playlist?

                                                     i.      “Hmm, I think that the downside would be that I wouldn’t be able to skip any songs and since I have a massive playlist It would have to be several records.”

3.      Student that plays guitar.

a.      What do you think of being able to buy a record that has your favorite streaming service playlist on it?

                                                     i.      “Wow, I really like that idea, but wouldn’t the records be expensive to produce? I think that it would be really cool because artist could upload their songs to streaming services and be able to record their own music and make records.”

b.      Do you see any downsides to being able to buy records off of streaming services from your personal playlist?

                                                     i.      “I probably would think that the possibility of legal issues would arise from it because of all the artist contracts. Also, I think that most recording companies have the sole legal right to print and distribute music.”

4.      Student wearing headphones

a.       What do you think of being able to buy a record that has your favorite streaming service playlist on it?

                                                     i.      “I personally own a turntable at home and it’s hard to transition from record to record and listen to different songs without transitioning records. It would be cool to make a record with different music genres on it and listen to it and have your own personal spin to it (no pun intended).”

b.      Do you see any downsides to being able to buy records off of streaming services from your personal playlist?

                                                     i.      “I think that the only downside is that I constantly update my playlist with new music. However, I will argue that it would make my record more personal than having it on my phone since it would make it a tangible thing.”

5.      Reflection

a.      I think it’s a great opportunity in theory, however I soon learned through the various interviews that there are some legal issues when streaming music and the distribution of record label songs. The most surprising thing I found through interviewing people was that people were overwhelmingly supportive of the idea. Furthermore, the interviewers gave insight into the different takes on being able to print and record music. Specifically, the second interview gave fruition to a new idea for having streaming companies offer recording for artist to have their own music printed. It gave me a better understanding of how to approach said opportunity to garner greater support and fix any downsides that may arise from the printing o records from streaming services.

6.      Summarize:

a.      How much of your original opportunity is still there?

                                                     i.      Most of my original opportunity is still there, because the interviews gave fruition to the want for records derived from their personal Spotify playlist. However, I believe from the second interview it gave the idea to expand the opportunity to allow music artist to be able to record and print their own music by uploading their own music.

b.      Do you believe that your new opportunity is more accurate than when you started?

                                                     i.      I think so, reason being that by allowing more consumers to upload their own music and being able to purchase records of their own music it allows for a greater market to open up for artist that may not have the capital to get recorded professionally and signed with a label.

c.      How much do you think entrepreneurs should ‘adapt’ their opportunities based on customers feedback?

                                                     i.      I think it would be a smart move on their part since it would allow for greater markets to be available in relation to being able to press records from streaming services. Additionally, I think that through the licensing issues streaming services have been able to navigate many issues and would surely be able to adapt to new markets such as record selling.

3A- Your Entrepreneurship Story

My family is full of entrepreneurs. My parents have started multiple businesses and currently have a roofing business. My brother and myself are also entrepreneurs. When I was a freshman in high school, my neighbors asked my brother and I to mow their lawn as a favor. Over time, more and more people would see us mowing lawns and we would be referred to other neighbors. Once we had enough customers, we began to advertise with fliers and purchased more equipment to grow. We ended up accumulating over 70 customers whose lawns we took care of 2-4 times a month. This was a very rewarding experience for the both of us and came with the help of our parents.
I enrolled in this course to learn about how I can become a better entrepreneur. I'd like to have my own business someday so I'm hoping this class will help.
Attached is a photo of the mower we used when we first started.

2A- Bug List

2A-Bug List

Bug List:

11)      I often have to wait to use equipment at Southwest Rec. This problem exists because there are many people in the gym who want to use the equipment at the same time I do and I tend to go at the same time that most other students are free.

22)      My car often has door dings and scratches from other cars in the Fraternity Row parking lot. This problem exists because the spaces are small and people aren’t always considerate of other people’s vehicles.

33)      I sometimes wake up to the sound of my roommate’s alarm clock. This bug exists because we share a room and our beds are located directly above and below each other, without any insulation or sound barriers.

44)      My headphones often die at inconvenient times. For example, when I’m at the gym or watching a class lecture. This bug exists because I try to complete activities all at once that extend past the life of the headphone battery.

55)      I am frustrated when I sleep past my alarm in the morning. This bug exists because I am a heavy sleeper and am often too deep into sleep to hear it.

66)      The light is out in my bathroom and I have to use a phone light to see. This bug exists because I do not regularly change the light and also do not have spare bulbs to replace it with.

77)      My printer is not working. This bug exists because I have not been regularly updating the software on it.

88)      My shoes get covered in drinks and dirt when I wear them out to a bar or other crowded area. This bug exists because drinks are spilt and people step on each other.

99)      I’m annoyed when I have trouble finding products in stores. For example, the last time I went to CVS I had trouble finding ice packs. This bug exists because I do not know the location of all the products and sometimes they are placed in an area you wouldn’t expect.

110)   I am annoyed when people send messages in GroupMe chats that don’t relate to the purpose of the chat. This bug exists because people try to find answers to questions that aren’t relevant or they use the chat to advertise.

111)   I am bugged when my shirts end up having wrinkles after they have been folded in my dresser for a long time. This bug exists because the clothing is being pressed by other clothing and folding naturally can create creases.

112)   I am annoyed when my charger stops working. This bug exists because my chargers are damaged or torn when I stretch them out and cram them into my backpack.

113)   I am annoyed when I do not have good cell phone service. This problem exists because my provider does not provide service everywhere or because I try to use apps that require a strong connection.

114)   I am annoyed when I lose my keys. This problem exists because I set them down somewhere without consciously identifying where they are.

115)   I am annoyed when I get stuck behind a bus when I’m driving because it slows me down. This problem occurs because they use the same roads that I do.

116)   I don’t like when people take up two parking spots with their car. This occurs because people want to park in a way that prevents door dings and having space to get in and out of their car. They also may not care enough to correct it.

117)   I don’t like when my drinks become watered down because they don’t taste as I’d like. This occurs because I don’t finish them fast enough before the ice melts.

118)   I am frustrated when I’m congested. This occurs when there is more pollen in the air than usual.

119)   I am frustrated when I have a headache. This often occurs because I am dehydrated or stressed.

220)   I am annoyed when ads are inserted into YouTube videos I am watching. These ads are inserted into videos so that YouTube can generate revenue from companies who want to showcase their product or service.

I think that this assignment was a bit more difficult than usual.  It was a simple concept but I had to walk myself through my daily routines in order to find the things that annoy me. Sitting down in front of a computer did not provide me enough examples so I had to use my imagination. I feel like I’ve identified a good amount of things that could be easily fixed by a new product or service. I felt negative when writing this.

Test Post

Welcome to my blog!