Identifying Local Opportunities

Opportunity #1

• Title of the article: Bike Infraction Leads to Drug Charges 
• Link: http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/16C3A4ED69DE3F18?p=WORLDNEWS
• Description of story: On Sunday, May 28th, a man riding a bicycle without proper lighting attempted to avoid a police officer by riding into a residence. The officer pursued the man and stopped him at the porch for questioning; it was during this time that the man was discovered to be in possession of cocaine and synthetic marijuana, known as spice. The man, Henri Hart, was charged with two counts of possession and bail was set at $20,000. 
• Description of problem: Although the Gainesville Police Department focusses it's efforts on preventing the possession of illegal and dangerous drugs in Alachua County, individuals are still able to find ways to acquire them. 
• Who has the problem: Gainesville Police Department 

Opportunity #2 

• Title of the article: High Springs Woman Charged in DUI Crash 
• Link: http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/16C3A4ED579016D8?p=WORLDNEWS
• Description of story: On Sunday, May  28th, a woman from High springs was arrested and charged with driving under the influence. A Gainesville police officer found the woman after she had hit a U.S Postal Service mailbox and light pole. The woman, Lawanaka Mosley, refused a breath sample however when she executed her sobriety tests, she performed poorly. 
• Description of problem: Public safety has been and still is threatened by drunk drivers, although efforts have been made to reduce the number of drivers who get behind the wheel while intoxicated, there has been no complete solution. In a town full of college students, drunk driving is prevalent in Gainesville. 
• Who has the problem: Gainesville Police Department 

Opportunity #3

• Title of the article: Alachua County Opposes Coastal Connector Plan
• Link: http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/16C3F9EDCD260B08?p=WORLDNEWS
• Description of story: A potential new roadway referred to as the Coastal Connector is being opposed by Alachua County as well as Marion County. The Coastal Connector plan was created in order to alleviate traffic along I-75 however it is being opposed because the plan doesn't show a substantial amount of improvement for the various costs. Alachua County is pushing for other alternatives due to the increased traffic and environmental impact that the Coastal Connector would have on Gainesville.
• Description of problem: The Florida Department of Transportation's Florida Turnpike Enterprise is planning a Costal Connector that will bring problems to Alachua county such as increased traffic and intrude on regionally significant environmental areas. 
• Who has the problem: Gainesville/Alachua County Metropolitan Transportation Organization 

Opportunity #4 

• Title of the article: Gainesville, UF Anticipate Upcoming Hurricane Season 
• Link: http://www.alligator.org/news/gainesville-uf-anticipate-upcoming-hurricane-season/article_ac483354-62fa-11e8-b46e-df025f57b2fd.html
• Description of Story: June 1st marks the beginning of another hurricane season and although Florida still continues to recover from the impacts of hurricane Irma, it is crucial that citizens are preparing for the upcoming threats associated with hurricane season. The city of Gainesville is working on releasing AlertGNV which will be an emergency alert system that aims to increase communication with citizens. 
• Description of problem: Citizens are still recovering from hurricane Irma however it is time to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season.
• Who has the problem: Citizens that are unprepared for future hurricanes

Opportunity #5 

• Title of the article: Gainesville Wants to Regulate Local Gun Laws. So it's Suing Gov. Rick Scott. 
• Link: http://www.alligator.org/news/gainesville-wants-to-regulate-local-gun-laws-so-it-s/article_7ff95ec2-4770-11e8-b723-6bf26cb38091.html
• Description of story: The city of Gainesville, along with numerous other Florida cities are linking up to show their disapproval of restrictions on local gun regulation. The City Commission has signed off on a law suit against Gov. Rick Scott challenging portions of the state statue that do not allow gun regulation on a local basis. 
• Description of problem: Laws are restricting local communities from being able to protect their citizens. 
• Who has the problem: The communities that are trying to protect their citizens are facing this problem as well as the citizens that are going without protection. 

Forming An Opportunity Belief

I do have a feeling that an opportunity exists because of my frequent experience of an unmet need. This unmet need is a coffee delivery company. Oftentimes while I'm at work I need more energy or need to compensate for lack of sleep, although coffee could quickly solve this problem, I'm not allowed to leave work to retrieve it. Although this opportunity became apparent to me because of my personal experiences, I've heard others complain relentlessly at work about their need for coffee which leads me to believe that there would be many more people also in need of a service that delivers coffee. I believe that this need has always existed, however it was not until recently that we began attempting to make things more readily available through outside delivery companies such as Uber eats and 352 delivery. Companies such as these are attempting to create convenience by delivering food to various locations however I believe that coffee shops are underrepresented. At this point, I would say I am 50% sure that an opportunity exists in coffee delivery. I would say that the prototypical customer would be individuals at work who do not have access to coffee, or potentially just individuals that want to indulge in their favorite coffee without leaving their house.

For my prototypical customers I interviewed my manager, a coworker, and my friend who enjoys studying at home rather than the library. Through these interviews I learned that my opportunity is large in certain contexts and small in others. These interviews helped open my eyes to things I hadn't considered. For example, my customer pool would be narrowed down to those who drink coffee, those who are willing to spend more money in order to do less work themselves, and those who have mobile devices that allow them to download apps. My opportunity belief did indeed change as a consequence of my customer interactions; I believe there is probably closer to 15% of my original opportunity remaining. My new opportunity is more accurate than when I started because I was forced to take into account why people would not use this service rather than why they would. Through my interviews, I learned the many ways that others would most likely find ways around the service, most importantly I realized that my unmet need might not be of as much importance to other individuals therefore other individuals might not be willing to spend the money on this service. I believe that entrepreneurs should adapt their opportunities based on customer feedback because that is where the opinions matter; even if you think your opportunity is justifiable, if others do not then it is not much of an opportunity. At the end of the day, the customers are who bring in profit so if they are not satisfied then you will not be successful.

Iteration No. 1: Manager
My manager is a huge coffee drinker, she enjoys cinnamon almond macchiatos from Starbucks and sometimes desperately craves a coffee pick-me-up while at work. However, when I asked her about her need for a coffee delivery company, it was low. My manager's reasoning was that she is allowed to leave work when she wants, and she doesn't have to drive more than 3 minutes to make it to the nearest Starbucks so she would rather save the money on delivery fees and drive herself. Although she is a coffee drinker, she does not have an unmet need for a delivery company and would therefore not make a reliable customer.

Iteration No. 2: Coworker
My coworker is always lethargic at work, he complains frequently about the lack of availability of coffee while at work. Although he said he feels a strong need for a company that delivers coffee he also pointed out that most offices or places of employment likely provide coffee or a coffee maker for their employees, therefore someone would have to really want a certain type of coffee in order to invest in having it delivered. Because our place of employment does not provide a coffee maker, my coworker said he would get a lot of use out of a delivery service that picked up coffee from your favorite shop and brought it right to your door.

Iteration No. 3: Friend who studies at home
Lastly, I talked to my friend who studies at home. She told me that she really prefers drinks with expresso in them such as lattes and macchiatos however does not own an expresso machine because it is too much of an investment. She said that she often wakes up in the morning and goes out into her kitchen to cook breakfast and start doing her homework and studying. Because she does this from home, she prefers to stay in her pajamas and oftentimes feels too lazy to change in order to go into public to pick up coffee. Because she ends up buying coffee at some point everyday, she said tht she would love to have a company that delivers her coffee at the same time every morning so that she doesn't have to leave the house.

Entrepreneurship Story

One memory I have of a time where I was exposed to entrepreneurship of some sort was around the age of 10. My sister has been very crafty her whole life and has always enjoyed making things, especially jewelry. When we were kids she would spend all of her chore money at craft stores so that she had supplies to make her jewelry. At first, she just made things to give to her friends and family, but eventually she decided to begin trying to make profit from her creations. My sister would set up a jewelry stand in various places and sell her bracelets, necklaces, and earrings at reasonable prices. Although she left her jewelry business in her childhood, she still enjoys making things as presents for friends and family, I've attached a picture of a bracelet she made me recently.

I enrolled in ENT 3003 because it is an approved elective for my major: Applied Physiology and Kinesiology. Although I had other options for electives, I rarely have the opportunity to take business classes in order to gain experience in the field. The main thing I hope to gain from this class is a changed perspective, I've never felt that I have the creative mindset to be in the business world so I'd like to see the ways in which this class can pull the creativity out of me and start making me see things in a different way.

Bug List

1) I have to get up to turn the lights off when it's time to go to sleep
-Because there is no remote to control the lights in my room
2) When my toothpaste is running out, it's nearly impossible to get it out of the tube
-My hands aren't strong enough to squeeze it while also holding my toothbrush
3) When I'm tired at work, I have no way of getting coffee
-There are no coffee shops that deliver
4) My hair gets wet when I scoot in the rain
-Hoods and hats fly off when moving quickly
5) If my roommates are doing laundry at night, I can't sleep because of the noise
-The walls in my house are too thin/not soundproof
6) If I don't scrub my plates before putting them in the dishwasher, it will not get them completely clean
-The dishwasher is not powerful enough to completely clean dishes
7) The treadmills at the gym do not accurately measure your calories burned
-You can't hold the heart rate handles while running
8) My iced coffee leaves rings from condensation on every surface I put it on
-It is in a plastic cup
9) Going to the gas station is a hassle
-It takes too much time when you're in a rush
10) My feet hurt when I work full-time
-I don't have anything/anyone that can massage them
11) I have to carry around multiple highlighters when I want color diversity
-There are no highlighters that contain multiple color options
12) Sometimes I need to charge my phone or computer but I can't because there aren't any outlets around
-There aren't any wireless chargers for circumstances like this
13) When my spray tan starts coming off, it is blotchy and uneven
-There isn't a spray tan remover
14) Sometimes I leave my key at home and get locked out of the house
-There isn't a code on my door that allows keyless entry
15) The floor mats in my car get dirty quickly and take a long time to clean
-They are carpet so they attract hair and sand
16) I oftentimes sleep through my alarm
-It stops ringing after a certain amount of time, it is also too easy to snooze
17) When I'm sick, I have no way to get medicine without leaving my house
-There is no medicine delivery service or mobile pharmacy
18) My suede shoes get destroyed when I wear them out
-Suede shoes don't automatically come coated with protectant
19) In order to find the cheapest option for purchasing something, you have to search multiple websites individually
-There is no universal website for automatic lost cost calculations
20) If I accidentally leave the house without turning my flat-iron off, I have no way to do so
-It doesn't turn off after a certain time period or have any way to turn it off when you aren't within range

I did find coming up with this list difficult because I'm usually not "bugged" by much. I've found ways to live with all of the "bugs" on this list so I found this assignment challenging just because I felt that I was being petty about insignificant issues. Although creating my list of bugs took a lot of thought, I found that coming up with the root of why those bugs exist was fairly easy and an interesting way of viewing the issues.

Test Post

Hello, Welcome to my blog for ENT 3003!
My name is Ashlyn Gorton and I'm going into my senior year at UF. I will be graduating in spring 2019 with a degree in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology and have hopes of beginning an accelerated nursing program over the summer. I'm excited to see what this class has in store!