Assignment 9A- Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Assignment 9A- Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

• Who- Through my interview process I did find people that did not fall into the type of opportunity that I am trying to find a solutions to. Although I found many that completely agree with this and think this problem should be dealt with.
• Some business may only use strictly air hand dryers in order to save the environment or possibly lower costs.
• What- Like discussed in the who, some business may not need nor want this specific product based on their needs. There may be some need for paper towels for other problems such as if there was a spill etc.
• Why- Yes the underlying need could be different but in a sense it is not a necessity. This product would be an addition to customers to appease their customers needs not necessarily the business’ needs.

Inside the boundary	Outside the boundary
Who is In- People who are extra cleanly (like all water to be gone from hands) People who it bothers People in a rush	Who is Not- People who are germaphobes People who just don't care People who it doesn’t bother People who have time
What the Need Is To help efficiency	What the Need Is Not To slow down things
Why the Need Exists People need to clean their hands in order to be cleanly People need to do things in an efficient and orderly fashion	Alternative Explanations

Assignment 8A- Solving The Problem

Assignment 8A- Solving The Problem

• My product has to do with the lack of paper towel given on the first swipe of an automatic paper towel dispenser in public bathrooms.
• I want to create an affordable paper towel dispenser that would give the perfect amount of paper towel in order to optimally dry hands in an efficient manner.
• This paper towel dispenser would also include a faster dispense time as well as thicker paper towels to absorb water better.
• I have considered just streamlining hand dryers for purposes of being environmentally friendly, but this would not work in the case of their being a large spill or someone getting a stain on their shirt etc.
• This product would be mass produced in order to replace all standing paper towel dispensers already in place.

Assignment 7A- Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

Assignment 7A

Paper Towel Dispensers

Opportunity:  Everytime I go to use an automatic paper towel dispensers I need to get at least 2 sheets in order to completely dry my hands.

Paper towel dispensers should have atleast 5 inches more of paper come out with the first sheet.

• The who: Everyday people who use public bathrooms
• The what: Waste of paper or left with wet hands
• The why: Possibly trying to cut down costs

Testing the who: The who could be any person who needs to use a public bathroom. Everyone in my current who share the need. The only person who would probably not need this would be small children whom have small hands.

Testing the what: This what can range from knowing that you are going to need more paper because you are used to needing more and in turn wasting paper to being in a rush only getting one sheet of paper and being left with wet hands.

Testing the why: Maybe paper towel dispenser companies are unaware of this problem. Maybe they want us to continue using their machines in order to satisfy the need of swiping your hand and automatically receiving a paper towel.

Interview #1- This person spoke about how they also felt this small annoyance all the time and didn’t understand why this was the case. We also discussed and wondered whether other people find this as annoying as well.

Interview #2- This person did not agree with this problem and felt as though it was not a problem at all.

Interview #3- This person completely agreed with this problem and said it has been bothering her for years. She said she always needs to get 2 or 3 sheets from the automatic dispenser and it's annoying how long it takes to dispense.

Interview #4- This person said that they agree that it can be a problem and annoyance for some but it didn’t bother him.

Interview #5- This person agreed that it is very annoying to have to deal with the automatic dispensers at public restrooms. They don’t understand why it just doesn’t dispense enough paper towel in order to properly dry hands.

Given your interviews, what do you know about the opportunity that you didn't know before?

• The interviews that I conducted gave me a better perspective on what people believe about automatic paper towel dispensers in public places. This is a mere annoyance to seem and not a bother at all to others. It seems that something should be done to fix this problem. It would be relatively easy to fix as well.

Assignment 6A- Identifying Opportunities in Economic and Regulatory Trends

Assignment 6A- Identifying Opportunities in Economic and Regulatory Trends

Economic Trend #1

A Start-Up Slump Is a Drag on the Economy. Big Business May Be to Blame.

• https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/20/business/economy/startup-business.html?mcubz=1

• Why- Start up companies are at a decline and may be blamed by big companies. Start ups fuel the economy and help bring jobs to the middle class.
• Who - The middle class and entrepreneurs
• This problem is easy to exploit but difficult to make a change.
• Why did you see the opportunity- As a young college student taking an entrepreneurship class I am very interested to see how things will change for start up companies.

Economic Trend #2
Amazon Plans Second Headquarters, Opening a Bidding War Among Cities

• https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/technology/amazon-headquarters-north-america.html
• Why- Amazon plans to open a second headquarters to expand its empire in another city. This could add almost 50,000 jobs in another city but could take away jobs from those within that city from other employers.
• Who- Possible contenders include, San Diego, Chicago and Dallas.
• This problem would not be to easy to exploit because Amazon has such a stake in the retail economy
• Why did you see the opportunity- Amazon is a massive retailer that can change the retail environment and economy.

Regulatory Trend #1

Saudi Arabia opens itself to Skype, WhatsApp and other internet calling services

• https://techcrunch.com/2017/09/20/saudi-arabia-voip-ban-internet-calling/?ncid=mobilenavtrend
• Why - Saudi Arabia has lifted the longtime ban of online calling services. This will provide opportunity for calling service to enter this market but will be a problem for those calling companies that previously dominated the market.
• Who- Any Saudi Arabian who wants to call within the country and out of the country
• The opportunity was not relatively easy to exploit because it had very heavy regulations.
• Why did you see the opportunity- This opportunity has just come to light and I am sure many companies are aware of it

Regulatory Trend #2

China is planning a crackdown on ICOs, the red-hot digital-coin-issuing trend

• http://www.businessinsider.com/r-chinas-regulators-preparing-new-rules-for-digital-coin-offerings-caixin-2017-8
• Why- Chinese are planning new regulations on the digital coin trend and may ban them until rules are in place. Because these coins are new and in a legal gray area, regulators need time to come up with a proper solution.
• Who- Chinese users of digital coins.
• The opportunity is not relatively easy to exploit because regulators don’t know much about this new trend.
• Why did you see the opportunity- This new trend that many are talking about and it is interesting to see how government officials are planning to regulate it.

Assignment 5A- Identifying Local Opportunities

Assignment 5A- Identifying Local Opportunities

Family-friendly renovations underway at Hogtown Park by Brooke Henderson

• http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/166BA7B018B272E0?p=WORLDNEWS
• In this article the author discusses the new renovations beginning at Hogtown park, which used to contain cows and milking barns. It will now be converted to a family friendly park that everyone can enjoy.
• Problem: Renovations may take a long time and there won’t be space for children to play in the park.
• People: Families that want to bring their children to a park that everyone can enjoy.

Do more to prevent flood damage by Judy L. Tipton

• http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/166C4A1B37DCCFD0?p=WORLDNEWS
• In this article the author talks about her own experience with flooding in the Gainesville area and her hopes for others to take precautions. The author has first had knowledge of flooding and has since gotten flood insurance.
• Problem: People live in high risk flood zones knowingly and our local government does nothing to stop this safety issue.
• People: Those who live in high risk flood zones.

Civic duty: Get back to class by Brooke Henderson

• http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/166BF4282A493DB8?p=WORLDNEWS
• In this article is promoting a new class hosted by Community Coalition for Older Adults and the League of Women Voters to educate people on the government and encourage more informed voters. This class was formed after our recent presidential election that caused so much unrest.
• Problem: Many
• People: Those who want others to understand their civic duty.

Prevent Credit Card Photo-Bombs on Your Social Media by Kimberly Palmer

• http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/166F3BA495807C70?p=WORLDNEWS
• In this article the author discusses the problem with social media and accidently sharing your credit card information with the world. It can easily happen to anyone if you are not careful with what is in your photos. This article provides tips on how to prevent this from happening.
• Problem: Social media and credit card fraud.
• People: Anyone who uses social media and has a credit card.

Hurricane Irma brings business and woes by Daniel Smithson / Staff writer

• http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/166F3BA4F22288A0?p=WORLDNEWS
• This article discusses the hit some business had or boom in business’ during hurricane Irma. Some business saw the busiest day in over 15 years like Mi Apa and others lost a lot of money due to loss of power.
• Problem: Companies lose a lot of money during the hurricane unless they have prepared properly with things like generators which are very expensive
• People: Small business owners and employees

Assignment 4A- Forming an Opportunity Belief

I believe there is an unmet need in regards to parking on UF campus. Anyone on UF campus knows how difficult it is to find a parking spot and would not dare to move their car in the middle of the day. It's very unfortunate because this can cause so many other problems besides just a mere annoyance. Lack of car parking forces more students to purchase scooters in which can cause many accidents or force students to walk alone especially at night. I believe there is an opportunity for UF to build more parking garages close to campus in order to not only increase convenience but also safety.

#1

Do you have a car on campus?

• “Yes.”

Do you ever have trouble finding parking on campus?

• “Absolutely it's almost impossible. I live on sorority row and there is never parking. I can barely move my car on weekdays.”

Do you think UF should do anything in order to give students more parking?

• “Yes just build higher parking garages or something.”

Do you think it's a safety issue?

• “Yes… I have had to walk home from the library late at night because I wouldn't be able to find a parking spot if I moved my car.”

Do you have another mode of transportation to combat the lack of parking?

• “No but I should probably get a scooter.”

Reflect : UF students could be at risk of something happening when walking home late from the library ect. It's a safety issue for students to be walking home alone at night.

#2

Do you have a car on campus?

• “No”

Do you ever have trouble finding parking on campus?

• “No because I don’t have a car”

How do you get around place to place?

• “I bike”

Do you think UF should do anything in order to give students more parking?

• “It hasn't really affected me but I know people complain about it a lot.”

Do you think it's a safety issue?

• “I guess”

Do you have another mode of transportation to combat the lack of parking?

• “Just my bike”

Reflect: The parking situation may affect some more than others. Some people may have a job they need to get to, to pay their rent etc. For others it is just a mere annoyance.

#3

Do you have a car on campus?

“Yes, ugh are you going to ask about the parking? Cause don’t get me started.”

Do you ever have trouble finding parking on campus?

“Yes, obviously. UF has the worst parking and the amount of times I have had to drive around for more than an hour looking for a spot is absolutely ridiculous.”

Do you think UF should do anything in order to give students more parking?

“Yeah, just build a couple more parking garages. Simple solution”

Do you think it's a safety issue?

“yes … anything could happen when I have to walk home from midtown or from the library.”

Do you have another mode of transportation to combat the lack of parking?

“Yeah, I have a scooter but that parking also sucks.”

Reflect: Some feel that this is a simple solution that can be combated with a couple more parking garages. But where would UF put them?

Summary

I believe that there is still an opportunity to increase parking on UF campus. I do think that it depends on everyones needs because some people may live extremely close to campus and not need a car, while others live very far. It depends on the prototypical customer. I do believe that this is a problem that a majority of UF students face and it should be addressed in the near future. I think that UF should adapt to this need and make changes.

3A- Entrepreneurship Story

Entrepreneurship is all around us. Although it may not be recognizable at first, you notice it all around you once you have been exposed. From the local coffee shop to an app designer, these were all created with an entrepreneurial spirit.

Growing up I was surrounded by an entrepreneurial mindset. My father owns a small business and has always inspired me to follow my dreams. His hard work ethic to build his business always pushed me to excel in school and work hard for what I want in life. Throughout my life I always played competitive sports. Always competing to win a trophy as a child may not seem like the ideal way to some to build character, but it shaped me into the person I am today. I grew up very competitive. Always concocting a game with my friends such as a relay race or a nail painting competition. If there wasn't a winner in a game, it didn't seem fun to me. Winning is just as important and losing. As I grew older, I started to see the importance of wanting to win, but not always needing to win. My father always told me to surround myself with people that are better than me. At first, this was very frustrating because I was no longer the best. After a while I started to realize that because I surrounded myself with people that were better than me, I started to get even better. This mindset got me to where I am today and I am extremely grateful.

I decided to take this class to further my entrepreneurial mindset and discover what I can accomplish. It is important to self reflect, and this class has allowed me to do that in an effective way. I took this class to learn in general what entrepreneurship is and what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. I hope to learn to take my ideas to the next level.