Making It Real

My Exit Strategy

My exit strategy would be to stay with the company for a while to make sure it launches correctly and maintains the values that I will instill in the culture and community of the company. After a few years, while it is still exciting and valuable, I would hopefully have offers from other social media companies to be bought out. I would like to sell the company for enough money that I could retire early and live a luxurious life without having to pick up work. Maybe I could take this money and reinvest it to other entrepreneurial ideas. I would like to have enough from the company to provide for my children. If possible, I would like to maintain a portion of the company. My exit strategy has influenced other decisions for the company to make sure that it is adaptable to growing social media trends and people's interests. I think the pet social media website can be updated to continue to be innovative and relevant. 

Venture Concept No. 1

Opportunity

My potential group of customer’s unmet needs would be an outlet to share stories, photos, and information about their pets. People who have this need are pet owners who clearly love and obsess over their pet and want to share things with friends, family and the Internet world. My potential customers are people who have this need or desire to share things about their pets via social media without bombarding their personal accounts, annoying non-pet loving friends. Users would also be able to meet other pet owners over the use of the social media site if they decide to make their accounts and posts public. The nature of the need is adding a social aspect to a pet owner’s life and routine. There are thousands of pet social media accounts like Instagram and Facebook, but these accounts mix in with other people who are not pet-lovers and may get annoyed with the pet posts.

Some changes in the social media environment that made me think of this opportunity was the desire to share photos of my puppy, but some of my friends thought I was posting too much about him. Thus, I made an Instagram account dedicated to my dog. I quickly found out that there are thousands of other accounts that only post photos and stories about their dogs. There are also plenty of other pet-only accounts, so I realized there was a market and a large amount of people who may be interested in a new type of pet-social media.

The demographics of market for this product would most likely be teenagers to adults who have pets and adore them. Users could be world-wide.

Some customers are currently satisfying this need by using existing social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. They may be loyal to these accounts, but I would like to develop a way to have the user be able to share on the pet-social media account and their existing pet accounts, so they don’t have to make multiple posts and effort.

I think this could be a big opportunity because there are so many pet owners who want to continue to share photos and stories about their pets online. It would also be a great opportunity for other pet owners to meet and share information with each other. The web world is massive and continues to grow. There are also big opportunities for pet companies to share their businesses by advertising. I think the window of opportunity will be open for a while until someone else thinks of this idea and implements the platform.

Innovation

My innovative idea is to create a pet social media website and app similar to Facebook and Instagram that is dedicated to pet owners and pet lovers. A user would create an account with their basic information along with their pet’s information like type of pet (dog, cat, rabbit, etc.), name, breed, age, etc. The user could also allow location services to activate a feature that could tell you other users that are near you or in the area. Users would share photos, videos, stories, and information about their pet to friends, or if the account is public, to the web.

The way I plan on making money by this website is to have enough users that companies become interested in advertising. Companies would pay to have their ads shared on user’s feeds based on what type of pet they have and what they are interested in. There would be multiple levels of fees that companies could pay to promote their advertisements based on how often and how big they want the ad to be.

Users would also be able to rate and share local pet friendly businesses, similar to Yelp. This would be another benefit for users to turn on their location services so they can learn about new places they can board, groom, or take their pet. I would like to have a focus on this for dog owners so that people would be able to take their dogs places, like to lunch or get some dog-friendly ice cream.

Similar to how businesses would be able to share advertisements, eventually I would like to have shelters promote their adoptable dogs, cats and more. If my social media website could be connected with pet-finder (a site to find adoptable pets), that would be ideal because there is already a massive database. Adoptable pets would be able to be advertised for free.

Venture Concept

My innovation will solve the opportunity identified above because it will give pet owners and outlet to share their pets online. Customers would use this social media account because it will be dedicated to people similar to themselves and they can make new friends who have similar interests. I think customers would switch to this new social media account from their previous ones because it will be dedicated to just pets and they would be able to share with other pet owners besides letting their posts get drown in other non-pet posts or annoying other friends. I don’t think it would be hard to get customers to switch because I would make sure to make it easily integrated with their current accounts so they don’t have to feel like their giving up one account to create an entire new profile.

There are no current competitors unless you count Facebook and Instagram, but I think they are different enough that the pet-dedicated social media account can stand out on it’s own. The possible weakness of this venture idea is that people will not want to create a new social media account because they may believe they already have too many or that they think it could be too much effort. I would have to make sure it’s clear that it would be an easily adaptable site similar to current platforms.

I would organize a business by having web developers, a marketing team, advertising specialists to help when businesses want to buy in, and a support team. I believe I could get this started with a few people like myself and some experienced web developers, but if the site continued to grow I would need additional support.

A secret sauce that my company would have would be that users will already have this account and it would be hard for another website to come in and copy the same format and ideas and have users transfer. I would make sure that my website is very user-friendly and protected from hackers. I would also make sure that my marketing is top-notch so my users feel special when they see that they’re a part of a huge pet community.

What’s next for the venture could possibly be developing spots and places that users of the website can come and get a feel for the smaller local community of users.

Assuming that this business idea launches and that it’s successful, I would like to see myself as a successful business owner, continually improving the business and being innovative. I have always wanted to do my part in changing the world some how, and I think if I could launch this and successful find adoptable pets new homes and bring the pet community closer together, I will feel accomplished.

Celebrating Failure

A time that I have failed this past semester has been keeping up with this class. In the beginning I was doing very well keeping up with the assignments, but as the summer went on and my internship got busier with work I started to let this class slip away. I have tried many times to keep myself on a schedule but other things, such as work and summer activities have gotten busier and busier making it harder to keep up with this course. I'm still doing the best I can and hope to pull through in the end with a decent grade. 

I have learned that I need to be more disciplined and realize that this class requires a lot of time and effort in order to do well and get the most out of it. 

I think failure, in general, is a good at teaching lessons. However, I have always been a procrastinator and I wish it was something I could fix. I have continued to try my best at keeping up with this class and I think I can make it to the end successfully. Other failures I have encountered make things more challenging and intimidating, but you just have to figure out a new way to approach a problem and continue working at it. 

Growing My Social Capital

*Note, I have chosen to leave names out for privacy purposes.

Domain Expert in Industry. 

1) My contact's background is working as a marketing agent for a private company. He used these skills to build a start-up of his own. 

2) My contact for an expert in the industry is someone who runs a website that has a listserve of other businesses. This is similar to one of the lines of businesses I'd like to run on my social media site. 

3) I found this contact because I have been working with him building his business. I haven't used his feedback for any other assignments, so I thought this was a perfect time to contact him.

4) There isn't a direct exchange, but I have been doing work for him for a few months now, so he was happy to help with my assignment. 

5) Including this contact in my network will enhance by abilities because he knows how to run a directory website with many contacts and businesses. 

2) Expert on the Market. This would be someone who is targeting your market with similar products services -- or knows a lot about conducting customer research in your area -- or represents a major piece of your market (this might be most applicable with B2B markets).

1) My contact's background is with customer service for the pet supply industry. They work for a pet products supply company.

2) My contact for the expert on the market is someone who is constantly working with pet owners and supplying them with products and information. This is beneficial to me because I need these types of businesses on my social media site. 

3) I found this person because I contacted the company a while back looking for internship positions. I use the company a lot to buy my dog's food and toys. 

4) There was a simple exchange of information when I asked for help with this assignment. 

5) Including this person in my network for this business opportunity is crucial. I would love for them to be a top advertising company on the site. 

3) Supplier to Industry. 

1) For this supplier I chose a person who is a supplier of usage to the social media industry as whole. My specific contact is someone who supplies stories and pet information to their current social media accounts. 

2) My interpretation of supplier for this category is a person who is supplying businesses to social media sites. My contact would be considered a customer for my pet social media site. 

3) I found this person because they run a popular dog-instagram page, therefore they are supplying the social media industry with the type of information I would like shared on my site. 

4) The exchange is that if I were to have my website running someday, that they could help be a sponsor for the project so, in return they can market themselves too. 

5) Including this person in my network will enhance my ability to pursue this opportunity because they already have loyal followers of the dog-Instagram world. If I could use their expertise to capture that market and transfer them to my site too, it would be a great start. 

Idea Napkin No. 2

1) You. My name is Kelly. My talents include horseback riding, organization, interpersonal skills and a passion for animals. I have owned pets and worked with animals my entire life and I have developed many care-taking skills from my experiences of pet-ownership and working on farms. I would love for this business of an pet social media website to be my full-time job. I love to share my passion for pets and animals and I know there are other animal lovers out there. 

2) What are you offering to customers? My product is a pet social media website similar to Facebook and Instagram combined. There are thousands of facebook pages and instagram accounts dedicated to people's pets already, this would be a specific social media site for these people. I would love to integrate with FB and Insta so that people could share on all sites at once. My social media page would also include information for pet friendly business, local parks and events, a way to make friends with other pet owners, ways for businesses to advertise, etc. Basically I would like to facilitate a pet-owner's community. 

3) Who are you offering it to? My customers could be from any demographic, but I would assume most would be young to middle-aged. Anyone who has a pet and a social media account could benefit from my website. They could use it to share photos or gain information about their pets or both! All of my users would LOVE their pets and want to share them to the online world. 

4) Why do they care? Customers wouldn't pay to use the social media account, but businesses would pay to advertise. Customers would find value in this social media site because they can share photos and stories about their pets without bombarding their personal accounts and annoying their non-pet friends. Customers would learn about businesses who sell pet products and learn new information about pets. Breeders and rescues could also share their information which would help people who are looking to get a pet

5) What are your core competencies? What would set my social media site apart from everyone else would be that it would be dedicated strictly to pets, pet owners, and animal lovers. It wouldn't be for people who are not interested in pets/animals, so we could filter out the cat videos from the typical Facebook feed. Pet information is scattered across the internet, and this could be a localized place to find information and ask questions. 

I believe that these five elements fit together to build a solid business concept. 

Feedback: Some of the feedback I received was that I have a good idea for this pet social media. At first I would direct it towards dog-owners because they stereo-typically seem to be most "out going" looking for things to do with their dogs. Next would be to incorporate cat owners followed by other pet owners and animal loves. 

One of the comments that I really appreciated was potentially partnering with big-name pet store brands like Petco and Petsmart and start advertising with them. These stores facilitate adoptions, so there could be a way to sponsor adoptable pets that will be at the local stores. Also featuring new adoption parents, which may promote adoption!

Reading Reflection No. 2

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

1) The general theme of the book describes different ways of thinking, mostly focusing on a fixed mindset versus a growth mindset.

2) The book connected with the class because it made me realize the different ways of thinking. This helps when it comes to approaching problems that I'm not familiar with, it makes me think about things differently and come up with different solutions. This is helpful to think like an entrepreneur, solving all kinds of problems. 

3) If I had to design an exercise for this class based on this book, I would have a proposed entrepreneurial problem and have students come up with different ways of thinking about a solution. From a fixed mindset, students would think of ways that have solved the problem in the past. From a growth mindset, students would think of new, innovative/different ways to solve the problem.  

4) An 'aha' moment for me was that I have mostly a 'growth' mindset in the sense that I like to continue thinking of new ways to look at the world and solving problems. I like to learn and I'm not stuck in my ways. I am accepting of challenges. I like to be innovative and learn from other creative, innovative people. 

My Customer's Avatar

My prototypical customer would be a woman about 25 who is obsessed with her dog. She would enjoy jogging, hiking, and overall being outdoors. She would have a Starbucks addiction and multiple social media accounts (FB, Instagram, Snapchat, etc). She would drive a white Toyota Rav-4. She would watch everything on Netflix. No children yet, but she has a boyfriend and wants a family in the next few years. She has a steady career as a pediatric nurse and volunteers at the local humane society.

Alternative & Post-Purchase Evaluation

To be completed..

Alternative Evaluation. Figure out how customers do their picking. Does price matter the most? Does quality? Does style? Dose usability matter? Is there more than one factor that is important to your customer segment?

How/where do they use? Are users more likely to post photos or search for information? Do they use the website while at home or on vacation, or planning a trip?

Evaluation. What matters most to your customers when they think back on the 'rightness' of using the website? What helps them determine using the app was a good idea? 

Q Set 1: "When it comes to posting photos of your pet on social media, do you share on more than one source? How often do you share photos of your pet? On average, do you get more, less or same amount of likes on your pet's photos compared to other photos. On your personal social media accounts, do you post more, less or equal amounts of photos of your pet compared to other photos (i.e. selfies, scenery, etc)"

Q Set 2: "Where do you search for: dog parks, dog-friendly businesses, dog-friendly vacation locations. How do you find new toys/food/products for your dog (search, Facebook, pet-store websites)? 

Q Set 3: "Approximately how many of your close-friends have pets? How many of your acquaintances have pets? Are you more likely to take pet advice from your friends/acquaintances or from an internet search?"

Interviews. 

Interview #1

Interview #2

Interview #3

Conclusions. How would you describe this segment in terms of alternative evaluation, purchase decision, and post-purchase evaluation? 

Linner

I have been using the term "Linner" for quite some time now and some people have caught onto it. Basically "Linner" is a combination of lunch-dinner, similar to "Brunch". I started using this word because on Sunday's we would have a huge breakfast as a family, but then still be too full for lunch when noon came around. So instead of waiting until 6pm for dinner, we would make another big meal to eat around 3pm and be full the rest of the day. So basically, on Sunday's we would have 2 big meals, breakfast and linner. My entire family knows my word, and I've shared it with a few of my friends and some it has stuck and some it has not. It's kind of a weird word to say and not as catchy as "brunch". All in all, one of my favorite meal times is "linner" time so you're not too full for the resting part of your day!

Halfway Reflection

1) Tenaciousness is a competency. What are the behaviors that you have used (or developed) to keep up with the requirements of this course? 

Some behaviors that I have learned to adapt for this course are being consistent and staying on top of the workload. Also to continue developing the entrepreneurial ideas in more depth. It is one thing to have a "blue sky" idea, but to actually put it in writing and come up with some details takes a lot more effort and innovative, creative thinking. 

2) Tenaciousness is also about attitude. Talk about a moment or two when you felt like "giving up." What pulled you through? Do you feel like you've developed a tenacious attitude during the past two months? What experience or experiences most contributed to this?

A moment that I felt like giving up is when it came to conducting interviews. It can seem very scary to put yourself out in the "real world" and share your ideas with strangers. Sometimes ideas that they have never even thought of and you're not sure what the stranger is thinking of you or your idea. What pulled me through was my passion for my idea. You have to believe in yourself first because anyone else can also feel confident if you. I think throughout this course thus far, I have developed more confidence in myself and my ideas. 

3) Three tips. What are three tips you would offer next semester's student about (1) fostering the skills that support tenacity and (2) developing the 'tenacious mindset' ?

Some advice that I would offer next semester's students would be to develop and idea and stick with it. But don't stick to it so much if you come to realize that you've exhausted the innovation. If you find something you're passionate about, you will never get bored of trying to make it better and better. If you start going down one road and realize that it might not have the outcome you want, then make a change and start a new path. That's what great about this class is learning how to put your thoughts in writing and gain information without spending anything put your time. 

Idea Napkin No. 1

1) You. I am Kelly Hodges, a senior at the University of Florida and I have passion for animals. My talents include horseback riding, people-skills, and caring for animals. My skills and experience with animals is from owning pets and working at a farm. My aspirations for my business would be to share my love for animals with other animal lovers, specifically dogs for this business. I would like the business to be a large part of my life because it would also be my passion. 

2) What are you offering to customers? The product/service I am offering is a social media networking platform for dog lovers and owners. Customers may not realize they have an unmet need for a dog social media site until it becomes available so that they stop spamming their regular Facebook friends with photos of their pets.

3) Who are you offering it to? I would be offering this product to anyone who loves social media and is a pet owner or loves pets/animals. Ideally this website would be connected to the user's personal facebook, so facebook users with pets would be the perfect customer. 

4) Why do they care? Customers won't have to pay money for this product/service, but they will find it valuable because they can share photos and stories about their dog/pet with other dog/pet owners. They can learn about other pet information like pet-friendly businesses, vacations with pets, product/food recalls, new products for sale for their dog/pet, etc. This dog-social media website would be a source for all kinds of information for your dog.

5) What are your core competencies? My main "competitors" for a social media platform like this would be existing accounts on existing social media websites like facebook and instagram. I think if I were able to integrate these two websites with mine so users could easily share to either or both accounts people would be more likely to use it. Something my website would have that FB/Insta do not have would be the ability for companies to advertise their pet products/services. My main revenue driver would be from advertisements from pet companies, who would want to advertise with me because of our target markets. 

I think these elements fit together well for my business. I think there is a huge market of pet owners who love their dogs and want to share photos, stories, and gain information about/for their pet. There are a ton of people who have created instagram and facebook accounts for their dog. This would be a social media website specifically for these types of people. 

Thank you for any feedback! 

Elevator Pitch No. 1

This is my elevator pitch for my idea to of a dog social media website. This pitch is a bit different than the other idea I've been researching because I'd like to get a feel for what others think about this pitch. Thank you for your constructive feedback.

https://youtu.be/vcMo4n3ZccM

Tweaking the Innovation

Product Service Mix for my idea of a dog-care business.

• Revenue Drivers
• Items

• Day Care
• In-Shop Daycare - customers could drop off their dog for daycare, can combine with a grooming service and basic training
• Home Visits - customers could sign up for an employee to visit their home once or twice a day to take the dog out, play, feed/water, etc, can combine with basic training
• Basic Training - customers could pay to have their dogs learn basic commands like sit, stay, come, paw, etc either in the shop or at home.
• Overnight Boarding
• 1-3 Nights in Shop - customers who are going out of town for a short period of time can board their dog overnight, can combine with other services for additional fees
• 1-3 Nights at Home - same service as in-shop, but the dog stays home. Would be home alone overnight.
• 3+ Nights in Shop - customers could bring their dog to the shop for long-term boarding, can combine with other services for additional fees
• Grooming
• Bathing - dogs will go home clean and fresh
• Nail Clipping - basic grooming
• Body Clipping - certain breeds need their coats trimmed regularly, we would have trained groomers on staff
• Dry Shampoo - a quick way to freshed up the dog without going through the bathing process
• Pet Shop/Supplies - all of these items would be sold at the shop for the convenience
• Food - Different Brands
• Treats - Different Brands
• Toys - Kong, etc
• Leashes
• Collars
• Shampoos

A benefit of doing business with me would be the convenience of having many options of things to do with your dog. You could bring them to a physical shop location, or you can have an employee do a house visit to make sure your dog is cared for. I would only employee people who have a passion for animals and genuinely care about the well being of people's pets.  

Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

This assignment is to continue exploring our entrepreneurship opportunity.

People in the Gainesville area have to leave their dogs home alone while they are away at work or school.

Testing the Who: Are there others who have this need? Does everyone have this need?
Testing the What: What are the boundaries of the need? Do only certain breeds of dogs need care during the day?
Testing the Why: Does everyone work a full day and need dog care during the day? What about part time workers? Do you only sometimes need dog care during the day?

Interview 1:
Has a 1 year old terrier dog that likes to chew on things when left home alone. They have to make sure important things are put away so that they're not destroyed while they're not home. Chris believes he could benefit from a dog daycare/sitter, but is hesitant because of the costly commitment.
https://soundcloud.com/user-681102951/chris

Interview 2:
Has a 3.5 year old German Shepard dog, who destroys the house while home alone for extended periods of time. She wishes there was an alternative to leaving him home alone, but isn't aware of any way to care for him during the day. She wishes she could hire a pet-sitter.
https://soundcloud.com/user-681102951/kate-1

Interview 3:
Has a 12 year old mix dog, has a cat at home with her during the day so she is not alone. She does not tear things up. Owner doesn't believe she can really take her dog to daycare because the dog is not sociable with other dogs. Is content with leaving her dog home alone.
https://soundcloud.com/user-681102951/delores-1

Interview 4:
Has a 7 year old Lab mix that stays at home alone during the day. Owner says he is lucky to have a good dog that can be home for extended periods of time without destroying anything. Would consider a pet-sitter or daycare type business if it was convenient and didn't cost too much.
https://soundcloud.com/user-681102951/craig-1

Interview 5:
Has a 6 year old poodle dog that she leaves crated for 8-hours a day. Wishes there was an alternative but is very price conscious. The dog seems to be fine but may be bored. Used to leave a mess in the crate when he was a puppy, but does not cause any problems now. She has friends who utilize dog-sitters and day-cares. She doesn't want to drive dog to daycare because she has he hands full with all of her children.
https://soundcloud.com/user-681102951/julie

I learned that not everyone believes they have an unmet need for something to do with their dogs during the day. Some dogs, especially the older ones, are able to care for themselves for the period of time that the owners are away. Dog owners are wary of using day-cares or sitters because of the price. Most would be open to the idea of caring for their dog during the day at the right price point.

My Solution

The problem that I have identified during previous assignments is that people of Gainesville have to leave their dogs home alone during the day.

My solution to this problem is to create a pet-care business. I haven't decided if it would be best to have a physical location, or be app-based. If I were to have a physical location, it would have to be centralized with easy access for picking up and dropping of your dog at daycare. If it were app-based, it would be where people can register themselves as pet-sitters, they would have to go through a series of background checks and pet knowledge assessments in order to be an approved sitter. People would then request that they need someone to watch their dog on a certain day for a certain period of time and the person would go on call.

There are a lot of details that I would have to work out, but I am gaining a lot of valuable information from the interviews we are hosting for the class. For example, I have learned that cost is a main factor as to why people prefer to leave their dog home alone versus taking them to daycare. So this would mean that I would have to ensure that my service is affordable while maintaining great care.
A pet day-care service is important because dogs need stimulation throughout the day. It is very easy for them to get bored, depressed or overweight when they are left alone for long periods of time.

Any feedback on my ideas are greatly appreciated! :)

Looking for Opportunity

This assignment is to continue exploring how to identify opportunities; economic trend opportunities and policy change opportunities.

Economic Trend Opportunities:

1) An economic trend to watch in 2016 is that consumers are starting to spend more money on goods which will continue to help grow the economy. I believe this could lead to many opportunities for businesses who have been struggling during the bad economy, when people weren't spending as much. There could be an opportunity for financial advisers to help people track their spending so that they don't overspend. There could be an opportunity for new housing developments, because people are making more money and they'd probably want to buy a nicer house. I see these opportunities because I know what I would spend my money on if I was comfortable with my stable income.

2) Another economic trend that has been going on for a while now is the eCommerce, people doing most of their business on the web. Web businesses may seem to be easier to start but it's difficult to gain traffic through the website which would lead to actual business. This could be an opportunity for tech-savvy individuals who know how to build efficient websites and market online. This seems to be a growing business because people have ideas but they're not capable of coding their own websites or are not effective in marketing their business through social media or google searches. I see these opportunities because I am interested in learning how the eCommerce businesses work, I think that online sales are the way of the future because it is so much easier to buy something online where you can quickly see all the information, research and reviews versus wandering around a store to find an item.


Policy Change Opportunities:

1) There has been a recent change that states undocumented immigrants that have family in the US may now become permanent residents. This could lead to a business opportunity because these people are going to need jobs, but in order to get jobs in the US, they will most likely have to be able to speak English well. There could be a pop-up of companies who help these new residents learn English and gains skills that could help them get jobs. I see these opportunities because if we're going to have all of these new residents in the US, we're going to need to put them to work instead of them being around and not contributing to the US nation and economy.

2) Since the US and Cuba are now allowed to interact and do business trades, this could lead to an infinite amount of opportunities. We are able to share information for scientific research, trade goods, and learn from each other's economies. US markets could find places where Cuba needs help and that could be an opportunity to help and start a business. I think this relationship is important because Cuba is so close to the US and they would be good trade partners. I see these opportunities because I have read some articles that Cuba has been working on cures to cancer and other scientific research and they have some resources that the US has not touched upon yet, I see that we could share this information and help the world as a whole.

Forming an Opportunity Belief

This assignment is designed to have us start forming beliefs about opportunities that exist.

I believe that there is an opportunity to help many dog owners in Gainesville. A lot of working people and students have dogs. Many of these dogs are left at home by themselves or crated throughout the day while the person is away for multiple hours in a row. I am currently dealing with this issue since I started a new job and I'm away from home from 7:30am-5:30pm Mon-Fri. I feel horrible leaving my dog home for this extended period of time, especially when my roommate is not home to take him out a couple of times.

1) What is the unmet need:
The unmet need is something to do with my dog while I am away from work, so he is not left alone and bored.
2) Who has this unmet need:
Dog-owners who work, go to school or have to leave their dogs for extended periods of time.
3) Where did this need come from:
This need has always existed for dog owners.
4) What are people doing to meet this need now:
People can currently take their dogs to day-care, hire a pet-sitter or just leave them by themselves.
I am 80% sure that this opportunity exists.

A prototypical customer would be someone who doesn't want to leave their dogs at home for extended periods of time.

I interviewed local dog owners in Gainesville. I asked them if they believed they had an unmet need to have something to do with their dogs while they are away from home. I also asked them to tell me about a time when they had to leave their dog for multiple hours in a row. Had they tried other options, such as day-care or a pet-sitter? I concluded with asking them what would be the ideal solution to helping their dog.

To be continued....

Identifying Local Opportunities

This assignment is to identify local "opportunities". I am originally from Orlando, FL so I pulled my articles from the Orlando Sentinel.


Home Prices Slip
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/classified/realestate/os-orlando-home-prices-20160516-story.html
The article describes how the market for houses in Central Florida is becoming unbalanced. There is not enough supply and there are more buyers.
There aren't as many housing listings so buyers are having to compete with other buyers for the limited options. This is causing house prices to increase, good for the seller but buyers are becoming frustrated because they are paying more than the market price.
Home-buyers are having this problem.

Clean up of Downtown Orlando pollution gears up
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/environment/os-orlando-superfund-cleanup-20160428-story.html
This article describes efforts to start cleaning up old buildings in DT Orlando.
Many of these old buildings used to be production factories that have been contributing to the pollution in the area. One of the byproducts was coal tar and some of it was seeping into the water supply. The cleanup will have to haul all of the building materials and contaminated soil out of the area, costing upwards of $20M.
The city of Orlando and the residents living downtown have this problem.

Indian River Lagoon declines trigger alarm
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/environment/os-indian-river-defining-crisis-20160407-story.html
This article describes the issues with the dying fish and other animals in the Indian River Lagoon.
The fish and animals are dying because of pollution to the water from fertilizers and the fish don't have enough oxygen. There is also a new species of algae that is taking over making the water very smelly and a brown-color.
Residents that live near the Lagoon are directly effected by this dead-fish outbreak. But I believe that it's a problem for everyone. We need to be more concious of our impacts to the environment.

Aspiring Marijuana entrepreneurs turn out in force at expo
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-marijuana-business-conference-2016-20160510-story.html 
This article describes entrepreneurs in the medical marijuana business.
People who want to sell the drug held a convention with vendors who supply methods and materials to grow the plant. Cannabis has become more "mainstream" now, and many business people want to cash in on the opportunity. However, marijuana is still illegal in the state of Florida for medical and recreational purposes.
Because the drug is still illegal is poses a problem for the potential entrepreneurs. I think another problem is for the people who are fighting to keep the drug illegal in all forms.

UCF, Full Sail tackle growing data analytics field 
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-marijuana-business-conference-2016-20160510-story.html
This article describes the growing studies of data analysis.
Universities are starting to offer more data analysis courses because there is a growing need for people to be able to collect, organize and interpret data to better target customers and market products. This is very interesting to me personally because I love looking over data and organizing data in excel to try to make sense of patterns and forecast outcomes.
Many, if not all, companies can benefit from hiring a data analysis so that they can see patterns and make better projections for future sales, markets, etc.

Bug List

This assignment is to list out 20 things that bug me!  I have a bit of OCD and weird things bother me so please bare with me on my list :)

DISCLAIMER: As I reviewed this post I realized that it can come off super rude. My apologies in advance, I'm actually a really nice person! There are just some things that really bug me and this was a place I could vent about them.

1)   A Panera that I visit frequently to pick up breakfast is usually very very slow and inefficient

Why is it slow??

I believe it's so slow because when a certain employee is working, she does not delegate work correctly. She just shouts orders and nobody knows who she's talking to so the orders aren't completed. When I order a bagel toasted with cream cheese I expect it to take a maximum of two minutes.. but when I'm waiting more than 10 minutes for a bagel I get very annoyed..

2)  Getting stuck behind slow people on the highway - in the left hand lane.

Why is the left hand lane so slow??

I don't think people know the rules of the road.. especially on the highway. The left lane is the passing lane for faster cars. If the speed limit is 70mph, and you are driving 70 you are not
(at least should not be) passing anyone, and thus should not be in the left lane.

3)  Waiting 30 minutes for a Publix sub

Why does it take so long??

The Publix at 34th and Williston took over 30 minutes to take my pub-sub order. Needless to say I haven't tried ordering one again from there because I was so annoyed by this experience. It took so long because Publix did not have enough staff at the deli and customers placing orders were not very efficient when ordering. It takes two to tango when placing an order.. A customer should know what they want if they are standing at the front of the line so they don't hold up the employee taking the order and there rest of the line. Publix should realize that between 12-1pm is lunch time and many people love pub-subs so they should have had more staff.

4)  The fact that GRU utilities cost so much

Why is it so expensive??

I don't really have an educated guess on the cause of the cost.. except that GRU is the only utility company in Gainesville, and since they are a monopoly they can charge whatever they want because people need electricity.

5)  When wifi won't connect or is slower than it should be

Why is wifi sometimes unreliable??

When you don't want to use up all your data from browsing facebook, instagram and snapchat you typically connect to wifi.. but when the wifi connection is so bad it's even more frustrating. I'm not sure why wifi is sometimes so spotty but it's probably something to do with the old router that Cox gave me..

6)  When someone is telling you something but they keep saying "Umm"..

Ummm...??

Both my time and their time is valuable.. if you're going to take 20 minutes to tell me something that could have been said in 2 minutes or in an email, then please do so. I understand if you forget what you're about to say - it happens to all of us - but please try to remember then come back, don't stand there and wait forever. I prefer to be efficient with my time.

7)  People who have long, unkept nails, especially toenails

Ew, Why??

I'm not sure why some people don't manicure their nails but I take it as a sign that they don't really take things seriously or care a lot. That could be a bad way to think about it, but I believe that you have to take care of yourself before you can take on much else. 

8)  Calling a company for a quote but they don’t get back to you in a timely manner

Why don’t they respond??

Everyone is typically busy at work, so I get it. But if you’re required to respond for someone else to continue their work it’s kind of inconsiderate to ignore them. If you’re busy and need more time then communicate that to the person waiting so they can get more time or move on to another person. (Something I’m struggling with at work right now..)

9)  When people ask for advice but they do the complete opposite

Why don't they listen??

Sometimes people ask you for advice because you've been through a similar situation and got through it. When they want advice on how you handled it the right way, but then they go and do the complete opposite thing you said to do and they fail, it's a struggle to not say "I told you so". Some people just have to learn the hard way on their own.

10)  Construction that seems to last forever: I4 and LAX Airport

Why isn't it finished yet??

I'm not sure exactly what puts the delays in these specific projects being completed, but it must be something to do with budgets and disorganization. I think construction managers for these large scale projects need to be very organized and clear at delegating work to the construction workers. 

11)  Screaming children

Why won't they stop crying??

Some people were not meant to be parents, as bad as that sounds. If you don't take the time to raise your child to be respectful, have manners and be disciplined then you're introducing a poor human into society. 

12)  People who let their dogs take control of them

Why don't they control their dog??

To go off of bad parents, some people are bad dog parents too. If you're going to have a pet dog you need to be able to control it, or take it to classes to learn. Dogs can be very dangerous animals and cause accidents that you will have to deal with. It's important to teach a dog how to walk on a leash properly and have manners for your safety, his/her safety and the public's safety. 

13)  Long lines at Theme parks

Why is the wait for space mountain always 70 minutes??

Waiting in long lines at theme parks is always a struggle. The lines are especially longer in the summer when kids are out of school and people are on vacation. 

14)  When Chipotle skimps you on your toppings..

Why does my burrito bowl feel so light??

Chipotle is very popular and usually has a really long line, so when you're stuck in the middle of it and the employees are just trying to keep the line moving sometimes they skimp you on your toppings. This is annoying because you expect to get a full bowl of meat, cheese and guac. 

15)  Expensive airline tickets

Why does it cost so much??

When you really want to get out of Gainesville and take a trip somewhere, but plane tickets cost too much #thestruggleisreal.. The rise in the cost of plane tickets is due to the cost of oil and gasoline, and they put the cost on the consumer.

16)  Gainesville during summer

Why is nobody here??

Gainesville clears out for 3 months after spring semester because all the lucky people get to go home. I usually am lucky enough to get to go somewhere else, but this summer I landed and internship in Gainesville. Apparently more people come when Summer B starts.

17)  When work is slow because there's not much work

Why am I here??

Work can get slow when you do all of your assignments too fast. I usually finish all my work immediately when I get it, except when I'm waiting on people to call me back (See #8). At least I have time to do my homework, right..?

18)  Not having enough time to take a nap

Why am I so tired??

I usually try to take a nap to get me through the day, but when my days are packed busy there is no time for napping. I have to have some type of caffeine but then it keeps me up at night so it's an endless cycle of tiredness.

19)  When you buy something for full price and it goes on sale the next week

Why didn't I wait to buy this??

When you see something you just have to have and splurge on it despite the price, but then it goes on sale the next week and you kick yourself for not being more patient. I am a very bad impulsive buyer but I also like to try and find sales. So typically if I buy something on impulse I end up finding out it went on sale later. I should just learn to be more patient with some things. 

20)  When you walk into a room and forget why you walked in there

Why did I come in here??

I believe the cause for this phenomena is when you have so much on your brain and you're working on multiple tasks you just blank on everything for a moment. You become overwhelmed for a moment and just need to take a step back and retrace your steps to remember what you were looking for.

I had some difficulties completing the list after number nine. I typically remember things that bug me because I try to think of ways to change them, or not let them bother me. Most of the things that bug me are out of my control.
Coming up with additional things that bug me was somewhat difficult because I try not to let too many things bother me. Especially when things are out of my control, there's not much use in stressing over them. I try to ignore many other things that bug me.

My Entrepreneurship Story

This first assignment is to talk about an entrepreneurial experience we have had in the past. Closing with why we decided to enroll in ENT3003.

My entrepreneurship experience is with a close family friend.  Willy and Sharon have a passion for air boating, and they saw a need for Florida experiences for locals and tourists.  They started their own air-boat company called Wild Willy's Airboats.  The name "Wild Willy" came about because when I was younger, I was riding in the car with them and my mom and Willy didn't know where he was going and kept making all these wild turns, so I called him Wild Willy.  The name stuck, later to be turned into their business name for the air-boats.
Willy and Sharon run their small air-boat business in Kissimmee/St. Cloud Florida and have a few employees.  They're located on a fish camp where there are a lot of locals that like to hang around helping the business.  They also attract many customers from all around, some even coming from Europe!  Sometimes when I have free time I like to go down and help with the register and welcoming guests.  There are small gators that people can hold and pose for photos with, and that's always fun to watch.  It is inspiring to see their business continue to grow, all from Willy following his passion for air-boating and the love of outdoors.


I enrolled in ENT3003 because I wanted to learn more about what it takes to be an Entrepreneur.  I am not naturally creative in the sense of coming up with designs or artwork, but I'm always looking for new creative ways to help businesses and systems.  All businesses start with an idea and an entrepreneur to make the idea turn into reality and I wanted to learn more about this process.  I am excited to have hands-on, real-life experience in this course.  I look forward to further developing some of my own entrepreneurial ideas and getting feedback from the professor, TA's, peers and the public.  I am always looking for self-improvement and this class seems like it will help with my creative thinking and experiences.

First Blog - Test!

Testing out blogger for the first time for my entrepreneurship class!