The segment that I am picking is those in the age group of 17-25 who are struggling to adjust to new schedules or new points in their lives.
What I found in my interviews: I interviewed those who were in this segment of their lives. Most of the people within this age group are either developing to a new school, new job, or both. These changes normally come with a change in schedule, and for that, normally a new time to wake up in the morning. The first person that I interviewed just started grad school at UF. She said that over the course of her college career she was able to pick her classes to be later in the day so that way she would avoid the struggle of having to wake up in the morning. However, now that she is in grad school she is finding that she doesn't have as much flexibility with her scheduling and has to start waking up early for some classes. She said that she has always struggled with waking up on time because when she sets her alarm it goes off, but then she just keeps hitting snooze. I asked her about an idea like my product that has vibrations and wouldn't stop trying to wake up you up until you got up out of bed. She said she would probably hate that in the morning and not being able to stop the alarm system without getting up, but she said it would be very effective on her. She said she would probably invest in it to see if it would help her wake up better, even if there is no snooze option, since, that is the cause of all of her problems in the first place. I also interviewed someone who just got a job at Starbucks. He said that the shifts can be incredibly early in the morning and he has never had to wake up that early before. He said that he has already slept through his alarm clock a couple of times just in the short time he has had the job. He thinks that a product like mine would be an ideal situation for someone like him who probably would never get out of bed unless the alarm mechanism absolutely made him. He believes that the vibrations paired with the sensor would be really useful in helping him wake up in the morning. The third person I interviewed just started undergrad in college and said that she is used to waking up early for high school, but that doesn' mean she doesn't struggle to do so. She thinks that without her parents with her at college to help make sure she gets up for school on time, that she will not have the proper motivation to wake up for classes in the morning. She said the vibration mechanism may be the perfect kick-start that she would need because it would basically shake her to wake up and wouldn't stop until she did similar to what her mom did. She also said that this product would also be useful because the vibrations and motion wouldn't necessarily disturb her roommate since it is only going to be shaking her bed so it would be useful in a dorm. When I talked to all three of these people about what they did when this problem was presented to them, they all had very similar answers.
All 3 of them told me that they have told other people to call them and wake them up before. Which of course comes with a fault, because if that person forgets to wake you up or doesn't wake up themselves, then that option is gone. One of them told me that she has used multiple alarms before and sometimes that works but it is a lot of trouble to have to set more than one alarm before bed. The guy who just got the job says that he has tried to go to sleep earlier but it's just too early and to large of a schedule adjustment to make and he has been unable to solve the problem. They said that they have all googled for better alarm clocks, the grad student even googled tactics to wake up in the morning, but nothing like this product had ever come up and if it had they all would've at very least considered it.
I think that this segment is clearly in need of this product, as I had predicted, and is probably the leading segment to need this product. I think that this segment's awareness of the problem is very real and known to most of them and if the product was used by people in this segment, I think that it could become very popular very quickly. This segment would probably be my target group to focus because I believe their need awareness is high and it would be easy to spread the information of this product quickly and effectively throughout this segment.
Friday, June 15, 2018
11A- Idea Napkin 1
1. I am a third-year journalism major and business minor at the University of Florida, one of my professional talents is being able to communicate effectively, along with building strong relationships and connections. My aspirations for this business idea that I have come up with are very high. I truly believe that this is a product that many people will have in the future, this could turn into the normal thing people use to wake up. As far as my life, I believe that I would use my product in my life too, and I think that this business idea could be successful and could lead to other business ideas as well.
2. The product I am offering to customers is a new way of waking up in the morning. This new way will help people wake up more effectively. Ordinary alarm clocks will soon be in the past and my product will be at the mainstay to wake people up. This product sits on the mattress and uses vibrations along with the alarm noise to help wake people up, and will not stop until you get up.
3. The people who will find this product most useful will be those in the younger demographic who do not have as much experience waking up early. This can be utilized for kids of all ages going to school or college. This could also be used for younger adults who are going into or are already in the workforce. This will help them wake up on time for work. This can also be used by folks who have trouble waking up erratically early to make an appointment or anything like that. These customers will all have trouble waking up due to a deep sleep or just somewhat laziness, this will help give them the boost they need.
4. The customers will care because they need this product to effectively wake up on time. Many possible customers who I have interviewed have said they this is something they need and there is nothing like it on the market. They need an extra jolt to wake them up in the morning or else they can not be productive with their lives.
5. The fact that this wake-up mechanism utilizes the motion aspect rather than just the sound aspect is something that sets this product apart from the others. This product not only uses motion which is unique, but it also uses a sensor to make sure the user gets out of bed, unlike most products which have a snooze button, which normally leads to being late to whatever the function is.
I believe that all of these elements to fit together and form a great problem/solution situation with this product. There is a clear need, in the world of waking up early, for a better more effective product to the typical alarm clock that has gone unchanged for decades. This product is not only newer and innovative but will also be more comfortable and easier to use. This business plan will be successful because there is a clear problem and opportunity, and I believe this product meets that oppurtunity's needs.
2. The product I am offering to customers is a new way of waking up in the morning. This new way will help people wake up more effectively. Ordinary alarm clocks will soon be in the past and my product will be at the mainstay to wake people up. This product sits on the mattress and uses vibrations along with the alarm noise to help wake people up, and will not stop until you get up.
3. The people who will find this product most useful will be those in the younger demographic who do not have as much experience waking up early. This can be utilized for kids of all ages going to school or college. This could also be used for younger adults who are going into or are already in the workforce. This will help them wake up on time for work. This can also be used by folks who have trouble waking up erratically early to make an appointment or anything like that. These customers will all have trouble waking up due to a deep sleep or just somewhat laziness, this will help give them the boost they need.
4. The customers will care because they need this product to effectively wake up on time. Many possible customers who I have interviewed have said they this is something they need and there is nothing like it on the market. They need an extra jolt to wake them up in the morning or else they can not be productive with their lives.
5. The fact that this wake-up mechanism utilizes the motion aspect rather than just the sound aspect is something that sets this product apart from the others. This product not only uses motion which is unique, but it also uses a sensor to make sure the user gets out of bed, unlike most products which have a snooze button, which normally leads to being late to whatever the function is.
I believe that all of these elements to fit together and form a great problem/solution situation with this product. There is a clear need, in the world of waking up early, for a better more effective product to the typical alarm clock that has gone unchanged for decades. This product is not only newer and innovative but will also be more comfortable and easier to use. This business plan will be successful because there is a clear problem and opportunity, and I believe this product meets that oppurtunity's needs.
Friday, June 8, 2018
9A – Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2
1. The interviews: The first person I interviewed is a stay-at-home mom who told me that she wakes up around 7 every morning to walk the dog and start the day. I asked her if she uses an alarm to wake up and she says she does but doesn't always need to rely on it. She said she had slept through her alarm before, rarely albeit, but it had happened. She says that she has trained her internal clock to wake up at around this time just about every morning now because she has to, she didn't have a choice. She said that the product would probably be a good thing for her kids, but she herself would not need it because she wakes up fine already. I interviewed two coworkers who have to report to work every day by 7:30. They both said at first this was hard for them to adjust themselves to doing. One of them said he hadn't needed to be consistently up at that time since high school, and the other said he was just never a morning person. I asked them both how they adjusted to the early wake-up call that they have to deal with. One of them said that it took a lot of time to get used to the change, he said that he had to set multiple alarm clocks to wake himself up and it took him a couple of months to get adjusted and did sleep through alarms in the past. Both of them now say that they are comfortable with getting up at that time and struggle to sleep-in when they don't have to be up at 7:30. They said that the product is good and they may have been able to use it earlier in life but neither one of them would purchase it now. The last two people I interviewed was a retired couple. Obviously, these people were those who may not have this need and I wanted to talk to them and see what they thought about it. The wife told me that she said normally doesn't sleep very late, but that there are also times when she does need to wake up earlier than she normally does, she said the product wouldn't be something she would pursue because she feels that if she has to get up earlier, than the alarm clock is enough. The husband, however, said that the product would indeed be useful to him. He said that sometimes he sets the alarm incorrectly and does still have to wake up early for miscellaneous things. This product is something that seems simple to him and he said he would always wake up with the motion. Now the question becomes, how would we be able to have it for one person and not the other if they are in the same bed. These were my findings with the people who may not have this unmet need and I wasn't all that surprised by the information. I thought it was interesting that one person wanted it and one didn't who sleep in the same bed. I also am aware that many people have built-in internal clocks to wake themselves up early and this product would not really be for them. This would reach the people who are probably younger or who are deep sleepers and have trouble waking up to just sound.
Inside the boundary | Outside the boundary |
| Who is In: People who have trouble with waking up early, people who don't have experience waking up early, people who are deep sleepers and sound alone is not enough to wake them up, people who want to be woken up more effectively | Who is Not: People with an internal clock, People who have experience with waking up early, People who use their alarm clocks just fine, people who don't have to wake up early. |
| What the Need Is: To be assisted in waking up, to be assisted in coming out of a deep sleep, to be assisted in having a reliable alarm clock. | What the Need Is Not: To be assisted to wake up, To use motion to be woken up, To need to wake up early at all. |
| Why the Need Exists: People sleep through their alarms, their alarms are not effective, their alarms are not strong enough, people have to make appointments on time and can't if they are sleeping. | Alternative Explanations: Experience of waking up early, More mature internal clocks, the need of waking up early isn't present. |
8A – Solving The Problem
1. The opportunity that I have identified and formed a hypothesis through the previous assignment is the fact that people regularly sleep through their alarm clocks or the ineffectiveness of modern alarm clocks.
2. The product that I have come up with is something that will be much more effective and useful than the current alarm clocks we use today. This product will combine motion into the wake-up process along with being unable to be turned off until the user is up and out of bed. This will be the MattressRise. This product will be able to effectively enable you to rise up in the morning so you are not late for anything. This product will act as a mattress pad, it will be placed on top of the mattress and will be strapped to it. Then, at night, the user will set the time and vibration level that they want to be woken up to in the morning. Once the morning hits, the product will play an alarm sound along with the vibration of choice to wake the user up, and with a sensor built in, the alarm will not stop until the user is out of bed not laying on the mattress.
2. The product that I have come up with is something that will be much more effective and useful than the current alarm clocks we use today. This product will combine motion into the wake-up process along with being unable to be turned off until the user is up and out of bed. This will be the MattressRise. This product will be able to effectively enable you to rise up in the morning so you are not late for anything. This product will act as a mattress pad, it will be placed on top of the mattress and will be strapped to it. Then, at night, the user will set the time and vibration level that they want to be woken up to in the morning. Once the morning hits, the product will play an alarm sound along with the vibration of choice to wake the user up, and with a sensor built in, the alarm will not stop until the user is out of bed not laying on the mattress.
Friday, June 1, 2018
7A- Testing the Hypothesis
1. Alarm Clock Opportunity
2. Many people struggle every day with waking up on time for school, work, or appointments because their alarm clock is not powerful enough and they sleep through it.
3. Hypothesis: I believe that by making a powerful alarm clock such as an alarm clock mattress, where it creates motion to awaken the sleeper, would provide a solution to this problem. To be clear, the who are those who are impacted by waking up early for school, work, or appointments. The what is the fact that people are typically challenged when they have to wake up early for multiple reasons including their alarm clock is not powerful enough to wake them up. The why for this is because the alarm clock is simply a sound and many people can sleep through sounds, even loud ones. People do not necessarily get woken up by their alarm clocks and they need a solution.
4. The interviews I conducted were wide-ranging. I interviewed 2 people who are in school, 2 people who go to work, and 1 person who had an early-morning appointment. These were my results: When I talked to the people who were in school (college and high school students) they said that they never wake up perfectly and they normally have multiple alarms set on their phones or other devices to ensure that they wake up on time. They said that they have slept through their alarm on several occasions and also know of people who had done the same thing. I then proposed my solution to them. The college student thought it was a great idea especially if the mattress was also comfortable. He said he believed that it would "correct the problem" he has of not waking up on time. The high school student said that she thinks it would be a good idea but also suggested having varying vibrations or movements because if it is the same movements than it acts as more of a soothing thing rather than something trying to wake you up. I then talked to the two people who are in the workforce. One of them told me that he regularly had problems waking up early for his meetings or shifts he had to make. However, because he had this problem early in his life he has worked to correct it and has been able to nearly eliminate this problem through a different sleep schedule and more powerful alarms. The second person I talked to said she still has problems waking up early for work. She said that she is an incredibly deep sleeper and loud noises tend to not wake her up, especially if she is really tired when she goes to bed. She said that she frequently has to have her husband come and wake her up so that she can get to work on time. Both of these working people said they would welcome a new alternative to the traditional alarm clock. When I told them about my idea involving the mattress that moves/vibrates, the woman thought that it would really help her and she thinks that it could solve her problem. The guy said he thinks it’s a good idea but probably wouldn’t buy it because he thinks the alarm clock he now uses normally does the job. When I talked to the women who was making an early hair appointment, she said that she struggled to get up for this appointment but that was just because she went to sleep late the night before. She said that her alarms do normally wake her up, but she worries that they sometimes do not go off. She said she gets nervous when she has to wake up early because her alarm clocks don’t always go off. When I told her about my solution she said it sounds like a great idea and she would consider it, but she also would like to have a more reliable traditional alarm clock as well.
5. These interviews that I conducted were very helpful and insightful to the early stages of my opportunity. I believe the market and target consumers are out there for a product like this. Although the older crowd may have waking up early solved, I think that for many people waking up early is still a struggle. For some, simply not having a reliable alarm clock is the problem, but for many it is just not strong enough or they are too much of deep sleepers. Overall I was satisfied with the information that I received from my interviews about this opportunity.
6A – Identifying Opportunities in Economic & Regulatory Trends
1. Economic Opportunity- Unemployment
2a. Found on Tampa Bay Times website
b. I believe there is an opportunity because the article states that unemployment is currently at an 18-year low. This presents an opportunity to employ people in an effort to kick-start a business and the economy. This may be a very good time to start a business because of all the people looking to be employed.
c. The customers that would like this opportunity would be those who would be interested in the business that has been created along with those who feel very passionately about unemployment. If a company was employed completely by people who were unemployed, I think it would be very attractive to the average American consumer to be a customer of this business.
d. This particular idea may be hard to exploit because talking about hiring a staff of unemployed people means there will be a lot of inexperience with the business.
3. I was able to identify this as an opportunity because this is something that I feel is very important and I was already thinking of ways that the United States could help solve its unemployment problem.
2. Economic Opportunity- Retail Store Trend
2a. Found on CNN
b. This is a relatively small opportunity, but an opportunity nonetheless. This one involves retail stores closing. It's no secret that online shopping is the new norm and retail stores are closing or slowing down at a record pace. The opportunity then comes in the idea of combing the store and the online version into something that hasn't been created yet. A merging of worlds in a way.
c. The customers would be a large group because so many people enjoy shopping on the web or in the store. The consumers would be those who enjoy shopping for any product, similar to the Amazon customer.
d. This opportunity would be hard to exploit because nothing like this has been done before along with combing it with an industry that is facing a negative shift and losing business.
3. I was able to identify this as an opportunity because I used to really like going to retail stores as a kid and always wanted to have my own store. With stores closing it makes that nearly impossible so I had thought of how to save the retail business and came up with the combination plan as the best way.
3. Regulatory Opportunity- Environmental.
2a. Found on CNN
b. This is a regulatory opportunity that has continued to grow with the republican congress. This regulatory change or rather de-regulatory change is coming to the environment. As the government refuses to regulate businesses and companies from hurting the environment, many citizens are outraged and want this. This raises an opportunity of environmentally-friendly alternatives to things that hurt the environment and companies don't want to change.
c. The customers would be the large population of people who care about hurting and preserving the environment. They would be the ones driving this business to succeed as well.
d. The opportunity would be fairly simple to exploit because most items and products can be made in an alternative environmentally-friendly way.
3. I was able to identify this as an opportunity because I have always been passionate about the environment and don't like how it's currently being treated by our government. I've always tried to come up with ways to help the environment.
4. Regulatory Opportunity- Businesses
2a. Found on Fox News
b. This is a regulatory opportunity because it has to do with the way businesses are regulated by the government. This story is about kids being unable to profit from their lemonade stand because they were not in possession of a permit. This is an opportunity to teach young Americans about the way of the world in regards to starting a business. This could be a class-type opportunity on how to successfully start a business in your area based on your cities' specific laws and ordinances.
c. The customers of this business opportunity would be those who are trying to start a business in their area but worry about getting sued or not being in correct legal standing when they begin things.
d. This opportunity would be extremely useful to many who are trying to start a business but do not know the legal ramifications or procedures to follow in their area, so I feel it would be easy to exploit.
3. I was able to identify this as an oppurtunity because as a kid I did the exact same thing with my friend. I think it's really an important thing to understand as well in regards to the rule of your city.
2a. Found on Tampa Bay Times website
b. I believe there is an opportunity because the article states that unemployment is currently at an 18-year low. This presents an opportunity to employ people in an effort to kick-start a business and the economy. This may be a very good time to start a business because of all the people looking to be employed.
c. The customers that would like this opportunity would be those who would be interested in the business that has been created along with those who feel very passionately about unemployment. If a company was employed completely by people who were unemployed, I think it would be very attractive to the average American consumer to be a customer of this business.
d. This particular idea may be hard to exploit because talking about hiring a staff of unemployed people means there will be a lot of inexperience with the business.
3. I was able to identify this as an opportunity because this is something that I feel is very important and I was already thinking of ways that the United States could help solve its unemployment problem.
2. Economic Opportunity- Retail Store Trend
2a. Found on CNN
b. This is a relatively small opportunity, but an opportunity nonetheless. This one involves retail stores closing. It's no secret that online shopping is the new norm and retail stores are closing or slowing down at a record pace. The opportunity then comes in the idea of combing the store and the online version into something that hasn't been created yet. A merging of worlds in a way.
c. The customers would be a large group because so many people enjoy shopping on the web or in the store. The consumers would be those who enjoy shopping for any product, similar to the Amazon customer.
d. This opportunity would be hard to exploit because nothing like this has been done before along with combing it with an industry that is facing a negative shift and losing business.
3. I was able to identify this as an opportunity because I used to really like going to retail stores as a kid and always wanted to have my own store. With stores closing it makes that nearly impossible so I had thought of how to save the retail business and came up with the combination plan as the best way.
3. Regulatory Opportunity- Environmental.
2a. Found on CNN
b. This is a regulatory opportunity that has continued to grow with the republican congress. This regulatory change or rather de-regulatory change is coming to the environment. As the government refuses to regulate businesses and companies from hurting the environment, many citizens are outraged and want this. This raises an opportunity of environmentally-friendly alternatives to things that hurt the environment and companies don't want to change.
c. The customers would be the large population of people who care about hurting and preserving the environment. They would be the ones driving this business to succeed as well.
d. The opportunity would be fairly simple to exploit because most items and products can be made in an alternative environmentally-friendly way.
3. I was able to identify this as an opportunity because I have always been passionate about the environment and don't like how it's currently being treated by our government. I've always tried to come up with ways to help the environment.
4. Regulatory Opportunity- Businesses
2a. Found on Fox News
b. This is a regulatory opportunity because it has to do with the way businesses are regulated by the government. This story is about kids being unable to profit from their lemonade stand because they were not in possession of a permit. This is an opportunity to teach young Americans about the way of the world in regards to starting a business. This could be a class-type opportunity on how to successfully start a business in your area based on your cities' specific laws and ordinances.
c. The customers of this business opportunity would be those who are trying to start a business in their area but worry about getting sued or not being in correct legal standing when they begin things.
d. This opportunity would be extremely useful to many who are trying to start a business but do not know the legal ramifications or procedures to follow in their area, so I feel it would be easy to exploit.
3. I was able to identify this as an oppurtunity because as a kid I did the exact same thing with my friend. I think it's really an important thing to understand as well in regards to the rule of your city.
5A – Identifying Local Opportunities
1.
Title: From Truckers to CEOs. here's what Tampa Bay Earns
Link: http://www.tampabay.com/data/2018/06/01/what-we-earn/
This article talked about the economic status of the Tampa Bay area. It talks about individual people rather than just raw numbers, showing what they do and how much they make doing it. It gives an outlook on what businesses people make the most money in around the area and what fields people are struggling in as well. The problem that I found was presented in part of the story where an artist from St. Petersburgh was talking about all of the opportunity for artwork growth there and how he was not interested in it for so many years but the city brought it back to him. I think that there may be a problem that could be targeted at younger adults, which make up the majority of the St.Pete population, in regards to expressiveness and a creative environment. I think young residents of this city want to express themselves in ways the city does not and maybe there is a solution for them that I come up with.
2.
Title: Tampa Bay area ranked 10th most vulnerable U.S. metro to cybersecurity threats
Link: http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/Tampa-Bay-area-ranked-10th-most-vulnerable-U-S-metro-to-cybersecurity-threats_168770539
This article talked about the growing concern of cybersecurity threats within the United States, but specifically from my home are- Tampa Bay. The article revealed that Tampa is the 10th most vulnerable city in the U.S when it comes to cyber attacks. The article talks about how some residents go on high-risk sites. It says Tampa is also at risk more because of their high amount of defense and financial services firms. This is an obvious problem as people need to be able to trust the internet when they go online to look at normal, or important personal information. This is a problem that needs to be solved and poses a large opportunity because it targets everyone in the Tampa Bay area. This problem of being at risk of a cyber attack is something that is very troubling to everyone in this area.
3.
Title: Nearly 460,000 Tampa Bay homes at risk for storm surge damage
Link: http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/realestate/Nearly-460-000-Tampa-Bay-homes-at-risk-for-storm-surge-damage_168771457
This article talks about how so many Tampa Bay homes are in dangerous areas and are in danger of being flooded or washed away during a storm surge. Because the area is already near or below sea level, along with Pinellas county being surrounded by water, there is a huge threat to homes in this area. Especially during hurricane season. This is a big problem because people need to be able to live in peace and not have to worry about their homes being swept away from water. The people who this problem impact is everyone who's home is at risk for the storm surge.
4.
Title: Republic Services admits poor garbage service in Hernando County, pays fine
Link: http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/Republic-Services-admits-poor-garbage-service-in-Hernando-County-pays-fine_166948781
This article talks about the lackluster garbage service in this county, but also in other areas of Tampa Bay that don't have to pay a fine. The garbage problem in an ongoing one as it involved bad service, slow service, or just not picking up the proper amount or any trash at all. This is a problem that is obviously in dire need of being corrected or changed altogether. There is an opportunity there because since this problem impacts everyone in this area, the residents may be in favor of having a new method to their trash and waste problems.
5.
Title: Big Recycling Trucks Big Problem for St. Petersburgh
Link:http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-big-recycling-trucks-big-problem-for-st-petersburg/2233484
This article talks about how the recycling trucks in St. Petersburgh are not good for the roadways and neighborhoods. The majority of the roads in St. Pete are small and narrow so trash pick up may be done by neighborhood dumpsters in smaller areas and the recycling trucks have to go to individual houses. This is a problem because revyvling is very important to the country and planet and it needs to be encouraged and maintained in every way possible. This is an oppurtunity targeting the problem that all the St. Pete residents have in easily and correctly recycling their recyclable materials.
Title: From Truckers to CEOs. here's what Tampa Bay Earns
Link: http://www.tampabay.com/data/2018/06/01/what-we-earn/
This article talked about the economic status of the Tampa Bay area. It talks about individual people rather than just raw numbers, showing what they do and how much they make doing it. It gives an outlook on what businesses people make the most money in around the area and what fields people are struggling in as well. The problem that I found was presented in part of the story where an artist from St. Petersburgh was talking about all of the opportunity for artwork growth there and how he was not interested in it for so many years but the city brought it back to him. I think that there may be a problem that could be targeted at younger adults, which make up the majority of the St.Pete population, in regards to expressiveness and a creative environment. I think young residents of this city want to express themselves in ways the city does not and maybe there is a solution for them that I come up with.
2.
Title: Tampa Bay area ranked 10th most vulnerable U.S. metro to cybersecurity threats
Link: http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/Tampa-Bay-area-ranked-10th-most-vulnerable-U-S-metro-to-cybersecurity-threats_168770539
This article talked about the growing concern of cybersecurity threats within the United States, but specifically from my home are- Tampa Bay. The article revealed that Tampa is the 10th most vulnerable city in the U.S when it comes to cyber attacks. The article talks about how some residents go on high-risk sites. It says Tampa is also at risk more because of their high amount of defense and financial services firms. This is an obvious problem as people need to be able to trust the internet when they go online to look at normal, or important personal information. This is a problem that needs to be solved and poses a large opportunity because it targets everyone in the Tampa Bay area. This problem of being at risk of a cyber attack is something that is very troubling to everyone in this area.
3.
Title: Nearly 460,000 Tampa Bay homes at risk for storm surge damage
Link: http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/realestate/Nearly-460-000-Tampa-Bay-homes-at-risk-for-storm-surge-damage_168771457
This article talks about how so many Tampa Bay homes are in dangerous areas and are in danger of being flooded or washed away during a storm surge. Because the area is already near or below sea level, along with Pinellas county being surrounded by water, there is a huge threat to homes in this area. Especially during hurricane season. This is a big problem because people need to be able to live in peace and not have to worry about their homes being swept away from water. The people who this problem impact is everyone who's home is at risk for the storm surge.
4.
Title: Republic Services admits poor garbage service in Hernando County, pays fine
Link: http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/Republic-Services-admits-poor-garbage-service-in-Hernando-County-pays-fine_166948781
This article talks about the lackluster garbage service in this county, but also in other areas of Tampa Bay that don't have to pay a fine. The garbage problem in an ongoing one as it involved bad service, slow service, or just not picking up the proper amount or any trash at all. This is a problem that is obviously in dire need of being corrected or changed altogether. There is an opportunity there because since this problem impacts everyone in this area, the residents may be in favor of having a new method to their trash and waste problems.
5.
Title: Big Recycling Trucks Big Problem for St. Petersburgh
Link:http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-big-recycling-trucks-big-problem-for-st-petersburg/2233484
This article talks about how the recycling trucks in St. Petersburgh are not good for the roadways and neighborhoods. The majority of the roads in St. Pete are small and narrow so trash pick up may be done by neighborhood dumpsters in smaller areas and the recycling trucks have to go to individual houses. This is a problem because revyvling is very important to the country and planet and it needs to be encouraged and maintained in every way possible. This is an oppurtunity targeting the problem that all the St. Pete residents have in easily and correctly recycling their recyclable materials.
Friday, May 25, 2018
4A Forming An Opportunity Belief
1) I believe that there is a problem with the type of alarm clocks that people use.
2) My belief is that there needs to be a new kind of alarm clock that wakes people up properly for school or work. There are people everywhere who miss important work meetings or classes/exams that people sleep through. I believe that this is an unmet need in society that happens to millions of people across the world. The people who have the need are anyone who needs to be up early, this will target people who are getting up for school or work early in the morning, including important appointments. I think that this need has always existed and people have tried to fix it with different sounds but I have another approach to fix this problem. People are currently combatting this problem by trying different techniques to wake up on time, whether that is setting multiple alarms, telling their friends to call them, or even trying different ringtones to wake themselves up. I am 90% sure that this opportunity exists.
3.1) Identify Prototypical customer- Someone who has to get up for class.
4.1) Interview: school student at St. Petersburgh College, name: Kellie Zambrano. Kellie said that she can normally make her late morning classes without any problems but also trouble getting up for classes or exams that are before 9 am. When I asked if she had ever slept through her alarm she said he had "many times". She became aware of this need when she slept through her alarm for an early morning exam and had to bed her professor for a retake. She said she doesn't always experience this need but she sometimes does. She said she sets multiple alarms at multiple times to try to combat this need and she said that if there was a different solution out there other than a typical alarm clock, she would entertain the idea of purchasing that product.
3.2) Identify Prototypical customer- Someone who has to get up for work or early morning appointments.
4.2) Traveling Marketing Manager who has to also make many early morning flights, name: Dave Faupel. Dave said that he has had experience over his years learning how to wake up early. He has had to wake up early for flights in addition to appointments all over the world. He said that he is now used to using his alarm and has slept through his alarm in the past, but he has seemed to correct the issue as of late. He said he is not necessarily aware of this need but would welcome a stronger alternative to a typical alarm clock. He has addressed this need by setting multiple alarms and going to sleep early the previous night to ensure that he is able to wake up. He said he also places his phone close to his head when he sleeps so that he is sure to hear the noise. As I previously stated he said he doesn't always experience this need but also hasn't known of any other alternative to the alarm clock.
3.3) Identify Prototypical customer- Someone who has sporadic morning appointments.
4.3) For this interview, I went to a doctor's office early in the morning and outside I talked to someone. Name: Erjola Toska, College student at UF. First off, I asked Erjola how she made her early morning doctor's appointment and she said she had used the alarm on her phone to wake up. She said that slept through one of her alarms because she isn't used to waking up early. She said that she has been aware of this need for a long time because she tends to stay up late and misses her early affairs. I asked her if she would be open to an alternative other than an alarm clock to address this need and she said she would welcome it. She said that she wasn't aware of this need until she got to college and became used to sleeping in and lost her ability to wake up early. She said she frequently experiences this need because she does not normally wake up early. She tries to combat this need by using different alarm clocks and different ringtones. She said she would be very satisfied with this a new solution.
5) Reflect- I was reasonably satisfied with the interview responses that I received. However, I was somewhat surprised that the interview of the working man, Mr. Fuapel. When he told me that he had all but solved this problem with years of experience, I was somewhat nervous about whether or not this need still existed. I was more confident in this need when I got responses from Ms. Zamabrano and Ms. Toska. When they both told me that they have had trouble waking up before and have slept through multiple alarms, it gave me confidence that this need was still out there. This is my target consumers: Anyone who has ever slept through an alarm before. Since my solution involves motion, it would be interesting to see the impacts it could have on the open market since all 3 of these people said they would entertain the idea of buying it. I was overall interested in the responses I got, as I know how to better tailor this product to consumers.
6) Repeat steps (I did above)
7) Summarize- I believe that my original opportunity is still there; however, I think that I overestimated the population that would be interested in the product. It seems that this product may suit the younger population more because the older population may have solved this problem due to experience.
I do believe that new opportunity is more accurate because I have narrowed it down to my target-consumers and have looked into different needs that they may desire.
I believe that entrepreneurs should adapt to what the target-consumer is and what the need or opportunity is for that product. I think that you can stay firm to a minimal extent, such as if you really believe this product will help in this certain way, but otherwise, I think it is best to adapt based on feedback and the opportunity that exists.
2) My belief is that there needs to be a new kind of alarm clock that wakes people up properly for school or work. There are people everywhere who miss important work meetings or classes/exams that people sleep through. I believe that this is an unmet need in society that happens to millions of people across the world. The people who have the need are anyone who needs to be up early, this will target people who are getting up for school or work early in the morning, including important appointments. I think that this need has always existed and people have tried to fix it with different sounds but I have another approach to fix this problem. People are currently combatting this problem by trying different techniques to wake up on time, whether that is setting multiple alarms, telling their friends to call them, or even trying different ringtones to wake themselves up. I am 90% sure that this opportunity exists.
3.1) Identify Prototypical customer- Someone who has to get up for class.
4.1) Interview: school student at St. Petersburgh College, name: Kellie Zambrano. Kellie said that she can normally make her late morning classes without any problems but also trouble getting up for classes or exams that are before 9 am. When I asked if she had ever slept through her alarm she said he had "many times". She became aware of this need when she slept through her alarm for an early morning exam and had to bed her professor for a retake. She said she doesn't always experience this need but she sometimes does. She said she sets multiple alarms at multiple times to try to combat this need and she said that if there was a different solution out there other than a typical alarm clock, she would entertain the idea of purchasing that product.
3.2) Identify Prototypical customer- Someone who has to get up for work or early morning appointments.
4.2) Traveling Marketing Manager who has to also make many early morning flights, name: Dave Faupel. Dave said that he has had experience over his years learning how to wake up early. He has had to wake up early for flights in addition to appointments all over the world. He said that he is now used to using his alarm and has slept through his alarm in the past, but he has seemed to correct the issue as of late. He said he is not necessarily aware of this need but would welcome a stronger alternative to a typical alarm clock. He has addressed this need by setting multiple alarms and going to sleep early the previous night to ensure that he is able to wake up. He said he also places his phone close to his head when he sleeps so that he is sure to hear the noise. As I previously stated he said he doesn't always experience this need but also hasn't known of any other alternative to the alarm clock.
3.3) Identify Prototypical customer- Someone who has sporadic morning appointments.
4.3) For this interview, I went to a doctor's office early in the morning and outside I talked to someone. Name: Erjola Toska, College student at UF. First off, I asked Erjola how she made her early morning doctor's appointment and she said she had used the alarm on her phone to wake up. She said that slept through one of her alarms because she isn't used to waking up early. She said that she has been aware of this need for a long time because she tends to stay up late and misses her early affairs. I asked her if she would be open to an alternative other than an alarm clock to address this need and she said she would welcome it. She said that she wasn't aware of this need until she got to college and became used to sleeping in and lost her ability to wake up early. She said she frequently experiences this need because she does not normally wake up early. She tries to combat this need by using different alarm clocks and different ringtones. She said she would be very satisfied with this a new solution.
5) Reflect- I was reasonably satisfied with the interview responses that I received. However, I was somewhat surprised that the interview of the working man, Mr. Fuapel. When he told me that he had all but solved this problem with years of experience, I was somewhat nervous about whether or not this need still existed. I was more confident in this need when I got responses from Ms. Zamabrano and Ms. Toska. When they both told me that they have had trouble waking up before and have slept through multiple alarms, it gave me confidence that this need was still out there. This is my target consumers: Anyone who has ever slept through an alarm before. Since my solution involves motion, it would be interesting to see the impacts it could have on the open market since all 3 of these people said they would entertain the idea of buying it. I was overall interested in the responses I got, as I know how to better tailor this product to consumers.
6) Repeat steps (I did above)
7) Summarize- I believe that my original opportunity is still there; however, I think that I overestimated the population that would be interested in the product. It seems that this product may suit the younger population more because the older population may have solved this problem due to experience.
I do believe that new opportunity is more accurate because I have narrowed it down to my target-consumers and have looked into different needs that they may desire.
I believe that entrepreneurs should adapt to what the target-consumer is and what the need or opportunity is for that product. I think that you can stay firm to a minimal extent, such as if you really believe this product will help in this certain way, but otherwise, I think it is best to adapt based on feedback and the opportunity that exists.
3A My Entrepreneurship Story
I have always been interested in entrepreneurs since a very young age. I think when the show "Shark Tank" became big, that is when I really began to take an interest in inventing things and/or business ideas. Every so often I will come across a problem and come up with a new way of fixing it. I write it down in my notes on my phone, but one day I hope to pursue one of these ideas. The closest I came was when I entered an entrepreneurship competition in my sophomore year of high school. My invention: the SmartPack. I would always be annoyed in school when things would happen like my phone would die with no way to charge it, or I would get wet if it rained and I forgot an umbrella. This backpack solved things like that with features like a built-in cell-phone charging port and a buit-in umbrella. Along with other interesting features that you wouldn't find in a normal backpack. This invention was a little abitious and ended up placing third at this competition, but it was a fun experience for me. It was my first real entrepreneurship experience and I hope to have more in the future...maybe even in this class. I am taking this class not only to fulfill my business minor but to also learn more about entrepreneurship. I hope to expand the ideas that I have already come up with and generate some new business ideas that I hope to pursue.
Bug List
- The road I live on (20th Ave) is always clogged and creates problematic traffic.
- Why?- Because the builders and developers of Gainesville did not account for the population size that it is today.
- When going to the movies, people always leave dirty things or wrappers in the cup holders.
- Why?- Because there is no trash can that is convenient for them to get to during their movie.
- The windows on my windshield are always dirty when I come out to my car in the morning.
- Why?- Because there is nothing covering my windshield during the night when it is just sitting there.
- My windshield wipers are unable to actually clean anything but rain off of my windshield.
- Why?- Because the wipers are not strong enough and the water the car uses to clean is also too weak.
- After 11 p.m. there is only fast-food open and nothing healthy to eat.
- Why?- Because most people have eaten dinner by then and it expected they will not eat again before going to sleep.
- My alarm does not always wake me up in the morning.
- Why?- Because it is not strong enough to wake me up from my deep slumber.
- People always sit at the lights in their cars when it turns green.
- Why?- Becuase they are distracted and not focusing on the lights.
- When walking a dog outside there is always dog poop left behind by other people's dogs.
- Why?- Because people do not clean it up properly.
- When there is a plethora of litter and trash alongside the road.
- Why?- Because people throw it out of their cars and there is no one to clean it.
- When there are large trucks emitting plumes of exhaust into the atmosphere, polluting it.
- Why?- Because the trucks are not environmentally friendly.
- When you are in a classroom and someone gets 's up and creates a loud distracting noise.
- Why?- Becuase the chair scrapes the ground and there is no other way to get up.
- When I take a picture and the lens does not focus on a highly lit target (i.e. screen, scoreboard)
- Why?- Becuase the camera is unable to focus properly because the technology is not advanced.
- When I am at the beach and the sand sticks to the towel I am trying to use to dry off.
- Why?- The towel's fibers does not repel the sand.
- When I am at the beach and sunscreen acts like an attractor to sand and it sticks on me.
- Why?- Because the sunscreen's material is too stick.
- When I am putting a packet of sugar into my coffee and it goes everywhere and I barely have enough to put in my coffee.
- Why?- Becuase the packaging is not easily opened by the consumer.
- When every day I have to throw away my plastic coffee instead of recycling it.
- Why?- In our area, we are not permitted to recycle plastic.
- When the condensation from my cup gets my desk/table all wet.
- Why?- Because the cup's material cannot stop the condensation from escaping.
- While driving, the bus that is in front of me stops in the middle of the road causing a major backup in traffic.
- Why?- Because there is no separate place for the bus to stop or any other way for civilians to get on the bus.
- After I am done cooking, when I do the dishes, the soap does not always work to get the food or ingredients off the dish.
- Why?- Because the soap or sponge used is not harsh enough to clean the dish properly
- When the light bulb burns out and I have to continue to buy new ones.
- Why?- Because light bulbs are not rechargeable or reusable once they burn out.
Reflection/ Challenges with coming up with the Bug List:
As stated in the video professor Pryor posted, you can't just do this assignment all at once because it is hard to come up with these things. However, jotting them down as I go through my day was a lot easier and I was able to come up with things that bugged me and reasons why they exist. Although it was hard to think about the bugs throughout the day, living through them was much easier, and I was even able to come up with a few that could be good business ideas. All together, this was a really interesting assignment as it opened my eyes to some things that bug me that I didn't even know about.
Friday, May 18, 2018
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