Venture Concept No.2

Opportunity:

The opportunity in my venture is the fact there are over 50,000 students plus more faculty and staff at the University of Florida and only a select group can find parking on campus, despite if they have a parking decal or not. I want to expand parking on UF's campus so that whoever paid for a parking decal, can actually park with no worries. The potential consumers of this service are faculty, staff and students of the University of Florida. The opportunity is huge because of the magnitude of people on this campus, now with the growing number of commuting students that attend universities. This window of opportunity is now and will be ever-growing, as long as our campus keeps expanding.


Innovation:

This innovation, which is really just an expansion of an idea, will help thousands of UF faculty, staff and student. By creating more parking on campus, whether this is adding on to existing parking places, or building completely new ones, will create more ease for those who need to commute to work or class. This also will solve problems for students who actually live on the campus and need a place to park close to their dorms or campus housing. Our goal for this venture is to keep parking prices relatively the same. We believe that people are willing to pay the money for decals if they will actually find a parking spot. From this payment, we will be able to take a portion out to maintain the new parking garages and facilities.


Venture Concept:

With the addition of the parking available on this campus, peoples worries about moving their cars, buying scooters, or even walking places will be lifted. The competition to this expansion of parking includes the rise of students who now travel around campus via scooter. I believe that there is still enough people who will need to park their cars, whether it be because they live on campus or they do not want to spend the money on a scooter. This expansion will also heighten security at the university. No longer will people have to park far from where they live. If people get home late at night, they do not have to worry about being unsafe walking home in the dark. The problems and worries that the expansion of parking are limitless. This will heighten the attitudes of all who are affected by the parking issue on campus. As for finances, my initial goal here is not to makes as much money as possible. It first and foremost is to correct the problem that is on our campus. Once it is corrected, when I will look into turning a larger profit from what I will be making in the meantime.


I believe that the most important resource I have is the support of so many people. People are aware of the issue and need a solution to fix it. This venture could be around for a long time. With the continuous expansion of our campus, there will always bee a need for more parking. After UF's campus, I would love to expand my services to other places that struggle with the same issues.


Reflecting on my first post, I had a lot of support in the comments that were excited and supportive of my idea because of their personal experiences with parking on UF's campus. One question asked is how I will make money. I addressed this in my updated concept. My first goal is to correct the problem, then I will look into turning a higher profit once things have been corrected. In regards to my whats next post, Many agreed that my expansion was a great idea. I think once finding the right person, the expansion of parking in places other than college campuses is a great investment.

Final Reflection

Reading through all my past assignments in this class I can see growth in myself and the concept I have created this semester. One of my favorite assignments was interviewing 5 friends, and having them tell you what they think of you. This was really eye-opening for me because it made me what great relationships and friends I have in my life. I am most proud of the concept I have created and the ideas that have come up through my posts. I also appreciate all of the feedback that my classmates have given me, as they have helped shape my experience and growth in this class. 

Being a public relations student with a little business background, I think my mindset has definitely grown to be more of an entrepreneur. I now think of things with a more business point of view and am able to ask questions that I never would have asked before. I know that I do not fully think like business professionals, but I feel like this class has brought me one step closer to being like-minded with them. 

For a future student, my advice is to stay organized and on top of assignments. It is easy to procrastinate and get behind, so time manages and create a plan for how you will successfully complete this class. Actively responding and trying to understand other peoples business concepts is something that I think really enhanced my learning experience in this class. Lastly, be creative with your concept. The more creative, the more fun you will have with your weekly assignments. 

Your Exit Strategy

In five years, I would consider selling my business concept. This is something I would consider because while parking is an issue that I encounter right now in my college career, it is not one of my main passions. I aspire to help people and make a difference in lives. This is why I would consider selling, not because its not an important issue, but because I have other things I want to accomplish in my life.

I don't think that this exit plan has affected any aspect of my plans. I still believe my concepts and strategies can be used on other campuses to help students and faculty with their parking issues. I believe that someone with a better-related degree and passion could take the concept over and make it even more successful. I still hope that the concept is successful and grows beyond UF's campus and I would encourage whoever takes over the company to do just that.

Reading Reflection No. 3

Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald’s by Ray Kroc

Ray Kroc was an entrepreneur who didn't take no for an answer. He was a true salesman, selling whatever he thought would be useful to people, for a large amount of his time, he sold paper cups. What was surprising to me about Kroc was that he was not actually a McDonald's brother, but just someone who discovered them and their business. Something I admire about Kroc was his drive and passion. He never gave up. Something that I don't admire about him was how he treated his relationships. I am a big family person, so knowing that he valued his business more than his family is something I do not agree with.

Kroc demonstrated determination and drive. He was set out to sell people things and be successful no matter how many failures he had. Nothing in the book confused me. For the most part, the book was easy to follow and understand. If I could ask Kroc a question, I would ask him if he regretted valuing his business more than his family and relationships. I would want to know if he was really happy where he ended up. I think Kroc's opinion of hard work is not giving up. He poured everything into every endeavor he set out on, and I think that says a lot about him as a person and as an entrepreneur. I share this opinion to some extreme, but I think that relationships are key to every success in life.

Celebrating Failure

At the beginning of the semester, I failed in one of my classes. Because it was the beginning of the semester, I thought I had all my due dates and assignments planned out, but in the midst of trying to get organized, I missed a date for an assignment. I did the initial portion of it but forgot to reply and participate in the discussion post. This resulted in me receiving a poor grade on one of my first assignments and making a bad impression on my classmates and teacher. I only discovered that I missed part of my assignment when it was graded a few weeks later. This failure has motivated me to be even more diligent in my studies this semester. I am lucky that it was not a larger assignment worth more points that would have affected my grade even more. This class has helped me realize that failures can always be turned into a good thing. I am able to Take my failures and grow from them, not sit and wallow about them. Failure is definitely a hard part of life, but I think it is important to not let it get you down. Everything in your life should be a learning experience - the good and the bad.

What's Next?

Existing Market:

Parking will always be an issue on UF's campus due to the ever-growing nature of the campus. Even when we expand the parking, they will admit more students and hire more faculty and staff. It will keep growing. My market will be around and alive on UF's campus for a long time.

After speaking to 3 people on UF's parking services team, they agreed that the expansion is a great idea. They also said no matter what, someone will complain about not having a spot to park in. I challenge to change that by only selling a certain number of decals, or creating enough spots for students in the area.

I think what makes the most sense in expanding my venture further is analyzing the effects of the expansion and fine-tuning it to what works best for locations on campus. Our ultimate goal is to make students, faculty and staff live easier by this expansion.


New Market:

A radically different market than a college campus would be parking in a downtown area of a city. Parking in downtown areas of cities is always a hassle, so the expansion of parking by building more parking garages would be something that man people would benefit from.

My two uncles run a successful parking business in the Tampa area, so I interviewed them about this business idea. They informed me that dealing with cities and getting permits is much more complicated than just dealing with a university. They said I would need a great team to work with me to make sure I would succeed.

I appreciate the honestly that my uncles gave me about the parking indusry! After research, I think I would be more intrested in expanding my services onto other college campuses who also have similar parking issues to UF.

Venture Concept No. 1

Opportunity:

The opportunity in my venture is the fact there are over 50,000 students plus more faculty and staff at the University of Florida and only a select group can find parking on campus, despite if they have a parking decal or not. I want to expand parking on UF's campus so that whoever paid for a parking decal, can actually park with no worries. The potential consumers of this service are faculty, staff and students of the University of Florida. The opportunity is huge because of the magnitude of people on this campus, now with the growing number of commuting students that attend universities. This window of opportunity is now and will be ever-growing, as long as our campus keeps expanding.


Innovation:

This innovation, which is really just an expansion of an idea, will help thousands of UF faculty, staff and student. By creating more parking on campus, whether this is adding on to existing parking places, or building completely new ones, will create more ease for those who need to commute to work or class. This also will solve problems for students who actually live on the campus and need a place to park close to their dorms or campus housing. Our goal for this venture is to keep parking prices relatively the same. We believe that people are willing to pay the money for decals if they will actually find a parking spot. From this payment, we will be able to take a portion out to maintain the new parking garages and facilities.


Venture Concept:

With the addition of the parking available on this campus, peoples worries about moving their cars, buying scooters, or even walking places will be lifted. The competition to this expansion of parking includes the rise of students who now travel around campus via scooter. I believe that there is still enough people who will need to park their cars, whether it be because they live on campus or they do not want to spend the money on a scooter. This expansion will also heighten security at the university. No longer will people have to park far from where they live. If people get home late at night, they do not have to worry about being unsafe walking home in the dark. The problems and worries that the expansion of parking are limitless. This will heighten the attitudes of all who are affected by the parking issue on campus. 


I believe that the most important resource I have is the support of so many people. People are aware of the issue and need a solution to fix it. This venture could be around for a long time. With the continuous expansion of our campus, there will always bee a need for more parking. After UF's campus, I would love to expand my services to other places that struggle with the same issues.

Your Venture’s Unfair Advantage

Resources in my venture:

1.  A large group of people who meet the need of my service - this is valuable because I have a large group of people supporting this cause. This also can be intimidating because, if it goes wrong, I will have disappointed a large group of people. This is rare because a lot of times people do not have a following right out the bat.

2. Funding from the University- this is valuable because I will not have to raise much funds for this project. The main focus of this will be to find the right people to get the job done. This is also rare because a lot of times people are low on funding.

3. Group of trusted architects for the projects- The group of architects for this project were carefully selected for this project to ensure that maximum spots will be provided. This is rare because many times architects try to make things look pretty, and they aren't practical.

4. Capable of creating a better attitude from students and staff- my service will create positive attitude surrounding the climate of parking on campus, which is something I have never experienced here at UF. 

5. Funding from parking passes in the past- we will have money from parking serviced that is left over from past years of selling parking passes on the campus. This is rare because most times people do not allocate to save money for expansion - especially in a department like parking services.

6. Support from President Fuch's and other administrators- we have full in complete support from President Fuch's and administrators. They also agree that there is an issue of parking on campus, and are happy we are taking initiative to fix it.

7.  We have the space to expand parking on campus - this is rare because a lot of times there is a need, but not a way to fix it. We can fix our need by expanding the parking spaces we have and creating new ones where there is empty space.

8. We have the culture needed on our campus- because our campus is so huge, people want to drive and park their cars places. This will get them closer to where they need to be with less of a hassle.

9. We have the capability to solve a problem that has been a part of this campus for years- When talking to UF Alumni from years ago, they have always expressed parking issues. We have the potential to fix a problem that has been at UF for generations. 

10. We have the resources to succeed- We have all the resources to make a positive change in this campus. People need a place to park their car, especially if they have purchased a parking pass.

I believe some of my top resources are the funding from the university, and the support I have from students and administrators.

Elevator Pitch No. 3

This time in my elevator pitch, I tried to be more relatable and upbeat about my product/service. I want people to be as excited and passionate about expanding UF's parking as I am! This is how I changed mine from last time and reflected on peoples comments!

Reading Reflection No. 2

How To Fail At Almost Everything And Still Win Big by Scott Adams

The general theme of this book was how failing is not the end. You can always have a positive outcome come out of a failure, as long as you don't let the failures bring you down deep enough for you to give up. I think it is important to remember that it takes time to be successful, and that failure builds character. Without failure, you can learn from your mistakes. You should always keep trying. These are some ways that this book connected with what I have learned from this class. I have learned to be organized and structured and to find something and run with it. That is what Adams has done in his many ventures. While it took him a while to become successful, he still made it. We should all take notes from him. If I could design an exercise for this class based on the book, it would be to make a system, not a goal. This concept also was my 'aha' moment from the book. I realized that goals can be scary, which is okay, but sometimes they can be depressing. They are in the future, and you are living now. If you make a system, you don't have the potential to fail every day, but you have a system of what you should do, and if you don't do it then it's okay. In this course I think it would be cool to instead of making goals, make a system for yourself and what your aspirations are. My whole life, I always have been told to make goals, so hearing another perspective, really opened my eyes. With systems, there is less pressure on individuals and I believe that will pay off in the long run. 

Idea Napkin No.2

1. Who I am?
I am a confident, driven student here at the Universit of Florida. My skills include being an effective communicator as well as being an empathetic and sympathetic leader in many organizations on campus. I aspire to have a career that helps and inspires others. Right now I am an intern in the strategic communications department at UF Health, and this summer I will be interning at Make-A-Wish. While the parking on UF's campus is not exactly in line with this, I believe it is a great business opportunity to pursue. As a communicator, I hope to effectively use these skills to better the situation here at UF. 

2. What am I offering?
I am offering more parking spaces on UF's campus. These spaces will be easy and accessible, unlike others on the campus. It will solve the problems of never being able to find a spot on UF's campus. e

3. Who am I offering it to?
I am offering this service to all students, faculty and staff of the University of Florida. The parking will also help visitors and guests to the campus. My customers all have the university in common, although they do range in age. 

4. Why do they care?
All of these people care because it directly affects them in their daily lives. People will no longer have to search for parking space when they have paid for a permit. There will be an appropriate amount of spaces available.

5. What are my core competencies?
Some of my core competencies include being organized, managing change, and managing leadership skills. These skills will help me in this expansion of parking on the campus. Being able to effectively manage plans and people is very important, as well as being organized in the process.

I believe that these elements fit together. I have full confidence that this business will be successful because of the support from the public, as well as the well thought out plan that will come along with this project. What I took from my feedback was that so many people experience problems with parking on the campus. Every comment I got was excited that I wanted to make a change in the parking system. Another comment said that because of the way I described myself, that he believed I could get it done. It is great to hear such encouraging words from my classmates! 

Create a Customer Avatar

The segment of UF Students is something I identify with very heavily! Like all of us in this course, we currently are students at the University of Florida. I am targeting all of us. While this segment can be diverse, we all have similar needs and interests. For the most part, we were born in the same time period, we drive average cars, our hobbies include socializing and doing active things.

I have a lot in common with my segment and the avatar! I am part of the segment. This is not a coincidence. The problem I am trying to solve with parking is something I also struggle with.

My avatar is a young lady. She is a student at UF who commutes to her classes. She drives a Honda CRV and tries to park in the commuter lot if possible. If not, she parks illegally and has to pay for the ticket out of her own money. She works a full-time job on top of being a full-time student. She is struggling to make ends meet. She has a solid group of friends and whenever she has free time, she hangs out with them, goes on walks, or plays volleyball. SHe would really benefit from the parking problem being fixed so she could have more time in her day to do things that are important, not wasting time to find a parking spot.

What's your secret Sauce?

1. I think I am very unique. Five different ways I am different than others include: my height, my ability to sympathize and emphasize, my work ethic, my passion and my personality. These things make me different from others who may not be as personable. I am an extrovert and I am not afraid to talk to others in any situation. I pride myself in these qualities and use them to my advantage.

2. I had five people who are closest to me try to describe the qualities they think I have. Some things they said included: my passion, my humor, my giving-heart, my ability to adapt to situations, and more. My best friend said that one of my best qualities is how I am constantly there for people, no matter if I am close to them or not. Another friend really focused on my dedication to the things I do.

Interview 1
Interview 2
Interview 3
Interview 4
Interview 5


3. I think that a lot of how I describe myself is how my friends describe me. Some things that shocked, or caught me off guard, is how highly they think of me. They spoke about my heart and dedication to others. I like to think that these types of things come with time. When you truly love yourself, you can love others. I am humbled that my friends and the people that are so close to me think so highly of me.

Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

1.       3 UF Students 

2.       Customers choose their way of getting around campus from a list of alternatives other than driving their cars. Many students drive scooters, some ride bikes or skateboards, some walk and some ride the bus. For many people, the price is a huge factor in choosing what they are going to do. Importance in my sector is based on convenience and time. As college students constantly on the go, they need something that is going to be fast as well as close to where they need to be. Easy access is key to the expansion of parking. 

3.      Customers in my segment are more likely to purchase the new parking passes online. There would also be an option to purchase at a location on campus, but many people will purchase online and wait for the decal in the mail. Since the purchase will not be as expensive as other college needs, students will most likely not finance this purchase.

4.     What matters to the customer is that they will more often than not find a parking spot. If the student purchases the parking pass after the expansion and still cannot find spots across campus, then the purchase would not have been worth it. 

5. I interviewed 2 sophomore students and one senior student at UF. All of these students live off campus. 1 sophomore said they did not bring their car to school, because not only is parking bad at UF, but also in Gainesville. The other sophomore said he has his car, but he rarely moves it in fear of losing his parking spot. He recently bought a scooter so he can commute to his classes, which are far from his apartment. The senior has had a scooter since her freshman year at UF.  She joined a sorority that very far from her dorm room and needed an easier way to get to it for meals and meetings. She has used it every since to get around camups. The senior now pays a very high amount per month to park her car at her apartment complex. All of these students agreed that parking is an issue at UF. They suggested expanding garages, which I told them was my goal. They said they hope that by expanding the parking, the cost for passes would go down and provide better access to campus for students. 

6.  From these interviews, I was able to see that students have a need for more parking, but they do not want the price for passes to go up. If anything they want them to go down or stay the same. I think this is something that I could work out in my business plan, as long as enough people buy parking passes. 

Reading Reflection No. 1

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson Reading Reflection

1. Something that surprised me the most in my reading was knowing that Pixar is what made Steve Jobs a billionaire, not Apple. Something about Jobs that I admire most is his dedication and attention to detail. He was so determined to make things happen, that no matter the circumstance, he got them done. No matter the adversity or failure Jobs endured, he always overcame them. This perseverance is inspiring. An aspiring entrepreneur should learn to never lose sight of your goals from Steve Jobs.

2. Some competencies that Jobs had includes perseverance, drive and tenacity. He used every aspect of his life as a learning experience and always moved forward no matter what happened to him. He was driven to be detail oriented and make the impossible possible. He was tenacious in every endeavor of his career.

3. A part of the reading that was confusing to me was the falling out he had with some Apple cofounders. I wonder what really happened and how he left the company for some time.

4. If I could ask Jobs two questions, I would ask him what inspired him and what was his real, true passion. Inspiration and passion are something that are huge driving forces in my life, so I am curious, with someone as successful as Jobs, was it the same for him?

5. I think Jobs opinion of hard work was never giving up. I agree with this opinion. I think to make a change with the work you do, you should never give up. You should always look for new ways to get things done or more opportunities for success.

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? 

To keep up with this course I have learned that I need to stay very organized. I use my planner heavily and rely on my time management skills to keep me going. With the cupcakes open only on the weekends, finding times to do those is always my biggest struggle. But, I always manage to get it done. 

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?

When you have so much going on in your life with school, involvement and commitments, it is easy to think about giving up. I think it is important to always remember that things will get better and not to give up. See the light at the end of the tunnel and know that things will slow down soon. I feel like in college in general, a tenacious is a necessity to succeed. 

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 tips I would give to future students would be to be organized, be confident and be open to ideas and opportunities. All of these help you he open as a person, as well as a student and communicator.

This photo is from a leadership conference, YLC, that I recently attended at the beginning of February. It always inspires me to be the best version of myself. 

Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No.1

1. Segment: UF students

2. For this, I have interviewed 3 students from UF. One lives in her sorority house, one in his fraternity house and one off campus.

3. The needs are most needed at popular hours of the day. According to my interviews are research, at high points of the day, before classes start, at dinner time, late at night parking spots are harder to find. If you are looking in an off period of the day, you may be more likely to find one.

4. The people I interviewed said they continue to circle around until they find a spot. Some said that they stop on the side of the road and wait for people to walk to their car. Some ask in group chats if they know if anyone is leaving, or some just simply give up.

5. Through these interviews, I learned that some people are willing to go to different measures to find a parking spot. Some people simply park illegally and accept the fact that they will get a ticket, some stop and watch for people who are walking to their cars, some just go back to where the came from and skip whatever they are on the way to go to. These all should not have to happen, and I was surprised to see that people actually go to these measures.

6. This segment is the segment that is affected the most by parking. This segment can be desperate for a parking space, and some may even uber instead of moving from their secured parking spot. This segment is desperate for more available parking on this campus.

Idea Napkin No. 1

1. Who I am?
I am a confident, driven student at the Universit of Florida. My skills include being an effective communicator as well as being an empathetic and sympathetic leader in many organizations on campus. I aspire to have a career that helps and inspires others. While the parking on UF's campus is not exactly in line with this, I believe it is a great business opportunity to pursue.

2. What am I offering?
I am offering more easy and accessible parking spaces to the faculty and student of UF. We will solve the problems of many who can never find parking on this campus.

3. Who am I offering it to?
I am offering this service to all students, faculty and staff of the University of Florida. My customers all have UF in common. They range in age, but all have the need to be on this campus, and should not have trouble getting here.

4. Why do they care?
These people care because it directly affects them. No longer will they have to circle trying to find parking spaces. There will be an appropriate amount available.

5. What are my core competencies?
Some of my core competencies include managing change, managing leadership and organizational skills. These skills will help me immensely in this expansion of parking on the campus. Being able to effectively manage plans and people is very important, as well as being organized in the process.

I believe that these elements fit together. I have full confidence that this business will be successful because of the support from the public, as well as the well thought out plan that will come along with this project.

Elevator Pitch No. 1

Here is my elevator pitch about UF Parking!

Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Interviews:
I interviewed five more people to find out more information on the parking situation on UF's campus. One law student, one graduate professor, and 3 other students. Interestingly, the law student says she rarely experiences parking issues. She said that by the law school, there usually is enough parking for everyone. The graduate professor says he struggles daily with parking. He often is late to the classes he is teaching because of the amount of time it takes him to find a spot. He said he feels really bad that he is constantly late for his students, but he has no other way of getting on campus. He is very frustrated with the parking system and wishes UF was working on a solution. 2 students interviewed are freshmen who live in the dorms. One lives at Broward and the other at Jennings. They said it is a struggle for them to find parking. If they cannot find parking in the garage next to Rawlings, then they have to park in the commuter lot, which is very inconvenient for them. They believe that students, who live on campus, should not have to park as far away as they have to. The last student I interviewed lives off campus behind midtown. He said that he chose this location for its convenient location. He knew he did not have the money to purchase a scooter, so he had to pick a location where he could walk to all of his classes. He says that it is not the best area to live in, safety-wise, but he had no other option if he wanted to be able to make it to his classes.

Inside the boundary	Outside the boundary
Who is In: students and faculty.	Who is Not: law students, people who live in areas where they can park.
What the Need Is: More parking.	What the Need Is Not: the need is not useful for those who do not have cars on campus.
Why the Need Exists: There is not enough parking spots on campus.	Alternative Explanations: expanding parking will save students and faculty money.

The Second-Most Important Part of Entrepreneurship

Problem: not enough parking at UF.

The solution to my problem is constructing more parking spaces for people who have purchased parking passes at UF.

I intend to create more parking on the campus by contracting a construction company to innovatively design more spots and places for garages. This will expand parking campus-wide. Not just in certain places. This will ultimately let the university sell more parking spots, but more importantly help student and faculty reduce their stress of finding an alternative way to park on campus.

Testing the Hypothesis Part 1

The University of Florida is unable to provide enough parking spaces for the number of parking passes they sell each year.

The who: University of Florida

The what: There are not enough spaces for people who purchased parking spots

The why: The University sold too many parking passes

                                                                                                                      

Testing the who: Students and faculty of the university have this problem.

Testing the what: Boundaries for the challenge include space and funding. Where will the extra parking be located? Where will it fit on the campus? Is there enough funding from the University?

Testing the why: The range of why for this issue could be that they do not regulate the number of parking passes sold. Some people who buy the passes early enough should be able to park always. What about the others who also have a pass too? For the most part, the why identifies for everyone.

For this exercise, I interviewed 5 people: Meaghan Norus, Isabella Dohse, DJ Kerwin, Caroline Cash and Ben Latinberg. All five students believe that parking is a huge issue on UF's campus. 4 out of 5 of these students had to purchase scooters to combat the parking problem, but say they still face issues with scooter parking as well. Isabella and Caroline both live in their Sorority house and said in the area parking and especially hard. People are always circling the Red One spots for almost 30 minutes to an hour on any given day. Ben and Meghan live off campus and don't ever bring their cars onto campus. That is the reason they bought scooters because they live too far from their classes to walk. The closer to campus, the more expensive, so students are left not having many options. DJ is the only one out of the five that used to take the bus before he got his scooter. He said the bus isn't that bad but takes a very long time. He said you may as well walk if you are contemplating it because of all of the stops the bus has to make. 

Overall, all five different interviews made me realize even more that parking is an issue on this campus. Students should not have to buy a scooter to get around our campus. People should be able to get in their car and park if they have paid for it. I believe that there is an opportunity to make more students and people effected happier. I think that with the growing size of this campus, more parking is a necessity. 

Identifying Opportunities in Economic & Regulatory Trends

Economic Trends:

1. Diverse Payment Options

a) https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/325070
b) An opportunity may exist here for consumers and businesses. The alternate currency may be an accepted form of payment to pay for goods or services, which could attract more consumers.
c) The customer who may take advantage of this opportunity is someone who understands alternate currency and prefers to use it. Another customer that could take advantage of this is someone who is intrigued by it and wants to test it out.
d) The opportunity may be difficult to put into action. People are so used to traditional currency that they may be hesitant to try something new.

2. The ending of Ownerships

a) https://www.forbes.com/sites/stephaniedenning/2018/12/27/2019-business-trends-executives-need-to-consider/#52d6b951229e
b)An opportunity may exist here for people who will rent out their homes. This is already gaining popularity in companies like Airbnb. People can make a profit from renting out the spaces they own.
c) The customer who may take advantage of this is the young customer who is still getting their feet on the ground. These people may not want to be buying property right away. Older consumers will benefit from this as well because they will be making a profit of the land they own.
d) This opportunity is not very hard to put into action because many people know already rent out their spaces. What may become an obstacle is when fewer people own properties.

Regulatory Trends:

1.  Artificial Intelligence

a) https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/325070
b) An opportunity may exist here for large companies who are trying to expand their customer service experience. With artificial intelligence, chatbots answer questions of consumers, getting back to customers much quicker than normal.
c) Any customer may take advantage of this opportunity. If this is the option for customer service from companies, then customers will have no choice but to use this feature.
d) Obstacles with this opportunity include taking the time to code the artificial intelligence to know the answers to all the questions and know at which point the customer may need real life help.

2. I want it now mentality

a) https://www.forbes.com/sites/stephaniedenning/2018/12/27/2019-business-trends-executives-need-to-consider/#52d6b951229e 

b) An opportunity exists here for smaller businesses to join the bandwagon of instant delivery of goods and services. This opportunity for small businesses could be in a certain region or area to make it more attainable for the service. 

c) Customers will take advantage of this type of service because it is the shifting way of mind of society. No longer do customers want to wait for things they order, they want them instantly. 

d) Obstacles for this opportunity is competing with large companies like Amazon. But, many customers like to shop local so if smaller businesses provide the same convenience, then they would be likely to purchase from them.

I saw the opportunity in all of these things because of the attraction to the ever-changing consumer. All of these things are new ways that companies are becoming successful, with the consumer in mind. If the consumer is happy, they will continue to take advantage of the opportunity and more profit will be made. For new currency, I think it is a unique and new innovative way people will be able to pay or exchange something for goods. For the ending of ownership, I think that the future of our society is moving towards a more renting society. If we can recognize that, we can take advantage of the business opportunity. For artificial intelligence, if companies can adopt this technology, they can cut costs in one area of their business and put it towards something more useful for the consumer. This will also help the consistency of their business. For the "I want it now" mentality, if we give the customer what they want and keep them happy, this is an opportunity for business to have repeat customers who share their great experiences with others.

Identifying Local Opportunities

Here are 5 Tampa local news problems:

1.  Al's Finger Looking Good Soul Food Opens in Ybor
https://www.tampabay.com/hillsborough/als-finger-licking-good-soul-food-opens-in-ybor-20190117/
The story is about the popular Tampa restaurant opening its second location in the Tampa area, but with a new concept. The new restaurant will be in the same area as the old one but in a more popular location. The food will be items such as fried pork chops, baked chicken, pot roast and more. The problem presented is as hopeful as the owners are, will it be successful? Was it worth opening a second restaurant so close to their first? This problem is for the store owners. 

2. Is St. Pete ready for a 50-story skyscraper on Central Avenue?
https://www.tampabay.com/business/is-st-pete-ready-for-a-50-story-skyscraper-on-central-avenue-20190122/
The story is about a potential skyscraper being built in the heart of downtown St. Pete. Many people do not want this large od a building to be built. They want to keep the downtown small, and not like a large city. Obstacles that are still in place for the developer include having to get it approved by the Federal Aviation Administration and a public hearing. The problem is skyscrapers ruining the beauty of downtown St. Pete. There also is a potential problem of backlash to the developer from the citizens if it does get approved. This problem is for the developer and the citizens.

3. Grocer games: Will it be Sprouts of Lucky's that comes out on top in Florida?
https://www.tampabay.com/business/grocer-games-will-it-be-sprouts-or-luckys-that-comes-out-on-top-in-florida-20190122/
The story is about the development of Spouts and Lucky's stores across Florida. The problem in this article is for the chain grocery stores. They are both opening stores in close proximity to each other, so the question is who will be most successful? The problem is for the store chains and their owners. Is it worth for them both trying to expand into the same area?

4. Holland America drops Tampa as cruise ship port, but maybe not forever
https://www.tampabay.com/business/holland-america-drops-tampa-as-cruise-ship-port-but-maybe-not-forever-20190122/
The story is about the cruises ship line Holland America who is no longer leaving out of the Tampa port. The destinations from Tampa went to the Caribbean and to Europe but will stop in April.  The Tampa port can only accommodate ships that can fit under the sunshine skyway bridge, so smaller ships with more charm are the market for cruise-goers. The port is still in communication with Holland America to eventually come back to the port in the future. The problem in this article is the port of Tampa losing business. Holland America was one of 4 cruise lines that sailed out of the port. Now the number of cruise lines shrinks to 3. The problem is for the port to gain more business or get more out of the cruise lines it already has.

5. Never mind: 'Big mistake' cited as USF St. Pete takes back 430 admission letters.
https://www.tampabay.com/education/never-mind-big-mistake-cited-as-usf-st-pete-takes-back-430-admission-letters-20190122/
The story is about the error USF St. Pete made when accidentally sending admission acceptances out to over 400 people who were not actually accepted into the college. Hundreds of excited and hopeful students thought they had their future school in their hands but then got an email hours later saying it was an error. Chancellor Martin Tadlock said they regret that this mixup happened and that it was a mistake. He hopes it never happens again. The problem in this story is the clear error that happened from the admissions office. The admissions office and the university have the problem. They need to work on their relations with these students and the community.

Forming an Opportunity Belief

Forming an Opportunity Belief:

1. One problem on our college campus is parking. Students and faculty are constantly looking for parking spaces. The university sells so many parking decals, but there seem to be not as many spots.

2. The unmet need in this situation is spaces for all students and faculty who bought a parking pass to park their cars. This need involves all those on UF's campus. This may not have been a problem in the past, but with the continual growth of the people on this campus, the parking needs to continue to grow as well. People now are parking in places where they can get tickets, or even towed because they have nowhere else to go if they can't find a spot.

3,4,6. I interviewed 3 students from different areas of campus on this issue. The first one is a friend, UF Junior, Amy Cook. She currently lives in her sorority house and, last semester, she constantly struggled to find parking. She now is the president of her sorority and gets her own designated spot, but said last semester was frustrating for her. She said she would spend some time close to 45 minutes circling sorority row and norman garage for a parking space. She said it was the most inconvenient when she had somewhere to be, so because of the parking issue she was clate to class or other meetings. This was her first time ever experiencing the need for more campus parking as a student here. Before, she parked at her apartment complex. She believes that more spots should be added in areas all around campus, especially at sorority row. She suggested adding another parking garage next to norman garage.

The second person I interviewed is UF junior Jack Tamashiro. Jack said the parking issue at UF prompted him to purchase a scooter. Because he lives far off campus and there is no central place for him to drive his car to class, he decided to get the scooter. Jack said he wishes he did not have to purchase another mode of transportation just to get to and from class. He wishes there were more parking spots available for students in a centralized area of campus. The commuter lot is not realistic for him because his classes are in the business school. Jack thinks that UF should build another garage, or add on to others creating more red on spots closer to centralized locations.

The third person I interviewed was UF senior DJ Kerwin. DJ lives on fraternity row and says he rarely has trouble finding parking when coming home to his house. But when it comes to going to class, he takes the bus because of the lack of parking on campus. He, like Jack, resorted to buying a scooter to get around places on campus. But, DJ said there is also a lack of scooter parking on campus. DJ said that he believes the best solution for the university is to add onto existing parking garages, making them more accessible to students. DJ also pointed out that while adding more parking make be costly, they would be able to sell even more parking spaces, making them more money in the long run. This also will make students much happier, he said.

5. I have learned through these interviews that not everyone may struggle with this issue in the same way. Amy struggled with parking where she actually lives, whereas Jack and DJ only had an issue when they were trying to go to class. Collectively, the consensus from all of them is that more parking is needed, regardless of your circumstance. I was surprised that there also is issues and debates about scooter parking when it is a substitute for cars which are hard to bring on campus.

7. My original opportunity is still here. I still believe that parking is a major issue on UF's campus, whether you live on or off campus. By providing more parking, it will save students money by not having the need for them to purchase scooters, another means of transportation. The opportunity for parking is validated by these experiences from students. With more research and interviews, I am confident that 9 times out of 10, a person will agree that parking is a major issue. I think it is important for entrepreneurs to listen to customer feedback. I do not see the point in doing something is customers don't see the need for it. To be successful, it is important to meet customer needs.

My Entrepreneurship Story

Hi Everyone!

Here is my Entrepreneurship Story:

In my life, I have had numerous entrepreneurship inspirations in my life, one, being my dad. My dad has always been an inspiration for me. He has dreams and he keeps going until he reaches them. And when he gets there? He makes new dreams and goals to meet. Growing up, he was always successful in the mortgage business, but in recent years he has gone above and beyond - exceeding every expectation or dream he could have had for himself. He has expanded his branch and manages numerous different offices in the area where I am from. He also has worked hard to make meaningful relationships with those he works with. This, making his business filled with family and friends. Not only is he a successful businessman, but an inspiring leader as well. He now coaches other aspiring mortgage professionals on leadership, business and generosity. I aspire to be as motivated and driven as my dad in my professional and personal life. He truly is an inspiration to so many people!

I am taking this class to learn more about the many possibilities of entrepreneurship. I love hearing peoples stories and learning from them. I am hoping to not only meet new people in this course but learn valuable lessons that I can use in my personal and professional life.

Bug List

Hi Everyone!

Here is my bug list:

1. when people chew loud: Why does this happen? people chew differently and are raised to have manners in different ways.

2. when people don't take care of their feet: Why does this happen? people don't cut their toenails or get all the dead skin off their feet and still wear open-toed shoes.

3. when people aren't motivated: Why does this happen? people do not get inspired to get up and do the things they need to do. Maybe because of their upbringing.

4. being uncontrollably cold: Why does this happen? even when you are wearing 4 layers, the cold still gets in. But, you can't fit any more clothes on your body. Maybe its the climate you grew up in.

5. not having a plan: why does this happen? people don't think of the future and the possibilities of things that could happen or come up.

6. canvas not working: why does this happen? canvas may be having issues on the back end of the website, something users cannot control.

7. no car parking on campus: why does this happen? UF does not provide enough parking spaces for the number of decals it sells.

8. Archer during rush hour: why does this happen? so many people leave work to go home at the same time creating unavoidable traffic.

9.  being unprepared for weather conditions: why does this happen? not checking the weather before leaving for your day and then ending up in a rainstorm.

10. running out of medicine: why does this happen? you aren't responsible enough to remember to buy more or your doctor won't give you another prescription until you come in for a follow-up.

11.  not being able to share your opinion: why does this happen? people discriminate against you and make it so your opinion can't be heard or acknowledged.

12. feeling forgotten: why does this happen? people forget their self-worth and that they have people who love them and think of them.

13. when you arrive at a class that has been canceled: why does this happen? you didn't check your email to see the announcement from the professor that he canceled class.

14.  not being taken seriously: why does this happen? because you may be different from the majority or unique in a way someone cannot recognize.

15. food taking too long at a restaurant: why does this happen? the restaurant isn't prepared for the volume of people they have and the kitchen gets behind.

16. when your clothes come out of the dryer still wet: why does this happen? maybe the dryer is too old or you put too many clothes in? this is especially annoying when you have to pay for your laundry!

17. when a restaurant gets your order wrong: why does this happen? your waitress puts your order into the chefs wrong.

18.  when you're trying to sleep but your roommates are being loud: why does this happen? they have a different schedule than you and don't have to wake up early in the morning.

19. When your phone dies and you don't have a charger: why does this happen? you weren't responsible to pack a phone charger with you for the day.

20. When your laptop won't connect to wifi: why does this happen? there is probably something wrong with the wifi settings on your laptop.


Writing 20 bugs was definitely a challenge! I did not think it would be this hard to think of 20 things that annoyed me. By number 7, I was stumped. It took me a few days to think of the rest. I learned that a lot of the things that bother me cannot be controlled. Sometimes it's easier just to take a deep breath and let go! Don't worry about the small stuff.

Test Post

Testing!!!