30A Final Reflection

I have had a lot of fun with this class. It has opened a new way of thinking about customers and found it very fun to think of solutions. One of the assignments I found to be somewhat of drag was the unfair advantage. It was somewhat tedious but not a bad assignment. All others I had a blast doing. I think the most memorable experience I will have with this class is the elevator pitches. I had a blast doing those. I found myself trying to perfect my pitch along with having a good time with them. It was interesting to watch others pitch their ideas. All the pitches were different and unique. I am very proud of my pitches and think they were my best work in this class.

From the start of the class, I think I have developed more of an entrepreneurship mindset. Going in I have always had a business mindset but I never thought of having the customer's viewpoint. I have learned the importance of knowing the customer's unsatisfactions along with their needs. It is important for a product to satisfy a need and I have learned the importance of that through this class.

My recommendation for students for this class is to stay on top of assignments. It can be very easy to lose track of time and miss an assignment. I never had this problem but the one thing I struggled with was the cupcakes. Watch the lectures and be prepared for them. Take good notes is the key! If you do not procrastinate and keep up with lectures. This class is an easy A. To get that entrepreneurship mindset, you must be open to learn and portray yourself as the customer. It is important to understand the customer's want more than your own. 

29 Venture concept 2

Opportunity

The opportunity of my idea is to focus on cities like Gainesville who have strict laws on plastic straws. As most know, Gainesville has a ban on plastic straws. There is a huge market for paper straws but most know how inferior they are to plastic straws. The only benefit of paper straws is that they are good for the environment. My product would capitalize on the need of companies and regular customers who want the best of both worlds. My biodegradable plastic straw would not only be good for the environment, but it would also be stronger, longer-lasting, a superior in every aspect of paper straws.

Innovation

My innovation is biodegradable plastic straws. As stated before, nothing is worse than a straw that falls apart or breaks in half as you put it into a lid. My biodegradable straw would be strong and long-lasting like a normal plastic straw but be good for the environment like paper straws. They currently make them but they are not used anywhere in Gainesville. I believe my product could be sold at smoothie places and other similar places to appeal to companies that want higher customer satisfaction.

Venture Concept
Customers and big companies would buy my product because it is superior in every way to a paper straw. A straw that dissolves in a drink is no straw to me. People find that paper straws are awful for smoothies and milkshakes because they do not hold up. My product would not be cheaper, it would serve as a premium to paper straws because it is more durable and will serve a better experience. People will pay for my product because it is superior.

Three Minor Elements

The advantage I would have over companies is that I am the first to market the idea. I would consider my marketing my "secret sauce". People are unaware of the product and if I brought it to these companies and people's attention. My marketing could bring awareness to the product and they would want to buy it from me. I firmly believe that it is innovative to sell to cities with strict laws on straws because the market is so small yet dense. After targeting big corporate companies in places in plastic straw bans, I would focus on all companies to maximize profits. After a couple years I would like the business to run itself or sell it. I would like to move on to another project. I get bored quickly with most things I do and have to do new things to keep myself interested.

Feedback

The feedback I got was very supportive and reinforcing. People agreed with me and I am glad to see my product is well thought out. I have spent lots of hours planning my project and I think it could take off it I put forth the effort. Most people are unaware of biodegradable straws and I believe we could bring it to the market successfully. There was a lot of support to sell to restaurant chains. I think it is important to have big customers because they could be what my company heavily relies on.

Changes
I listened to my feedback and it led me on focusing heavily on who to sell my product too. My feedback was very supportive but not I would not consider it constructive criticism. I appreciate all the support but I did not change much because my feedback was so minimal. I changed my elements but not much more passed that. I am proud of my venture concept.

28A Exit Strategy

1.) I personally find myself running my business for a couple years and then just selling it. I get bored with projects very quickly and do not find myself having a long term interest in my business.

2.) I selected it because I want to explore more business ventures and make money before the company fails. Yes, it could succeed more but I rather not risk it.

3.) I do not think my exit strategy influenced my opportunity. I identified a problem and wanted to take advantage of a market that wasn't there. I think it would grow normally and stay uninfluenced. I think it would only change the overall attachment I would have to the company.

27A Reading Reflection 3

1.) The general argument for the book, The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users by Guy Kawaski is that social media is an important aspect for all business and we must capitalize on it. If not, we are losing a big part of the market.

2.) It connects well with ENT3003 because it thought me the importance of taking advantage of tools around me. I can better myself and the company by using social media. Everyone uses social media.

3.) The exercise for the class would be to have everyone make social media accounts and have an event-based off of only social media invites. Then have another one where people must personally invite people and compare the outcome difference. I personally think social media will have a higher turnout. It would show the power of social media.

4.) I think what I found most interesting when reading the book was the most active time to post. It makes sense but most businesses should take advantage of when everyone is online and they do not. I personally think my business could thrive in the social media department.

26A Celebrating Failure

1.) I am taking marketing this semester and found myself struggling to keep up with the first exam. The first exam comes around and I do not do so hot. No great but not what my standards are. I felt as if I did not study enough and was unprepared.

2.) I learned I must not procrastinate and study efficiently to do well. I must focus on the end goal and take the necessary steps.

3.) I felt disappointed and upset with myself. I knew I could have done better and pushed myself harder on the next one which I did better on. It taught me that it is okay to fail as long as I grow from it. It takes time and effort to grow and I think failing an exam is okay as long as someone works hard for the next one. This class has taught me the importance of hard work and dedication. I would not take the risk of procrastinating because I learned from my mistakes.

25A What next?

Existing Market

The existing market is very limited to none. The market is strictly paper straws because there is no competition. I believe my product could compete and even outsell paper straws if it marketed enough. My product would speak for itself.

My product would heavily compete against paper straws because they are stronger and longer-lasting. Paper straws dissolve and are flimsy compared to biodegradable straws. My straws would be more expensive but it would be justifiable. Premium products are never cheaper and my product is good for the environment while offering the benefits of plastic straws. Our biggest potential customer would be restaurants and customers who hate paper straws and want a true fix to the problem. I would distribute my product to them. The market needs more diversity and I would be willing to compete in it.

New Market

The market I tend to target is cities with strict laws on straws. The new market that I could focus on is all restaurants. Most companies are moving towards becoming more environmentally friendly and my product could help with that movement. I could campaign that we care for the environment and donate for efforts to help the environment after we hit a certain sale mark.

In this new market, I would focus more on big corporations. This would help establish bigger sales while also attaining the long term goal of helping the environment. If any corporation like McDonald's or any like that would work with me. My company would easily succeed in this new market. It is no easy task but I firmly believe it could be done.

I've learned that to emerge into the new market we must be open and forward-thinking. It is important to focus on bigger corporations as our company gets bigger. We must adapt to the market and it is important to do so.

24A Venture Concept

The opportunity of my idea is to focus on cities like Gainesville who have strict laws on plastic straws. As most know, Gainesville has a ban on plastic straws. There is a huge market for paper straws but most know how inferior they are to plastic straws. The only benefit of paper straws is that they are good for the environment. My product would capitalize on the need of companies and regular customers who want the best of both worlds. My biodegradable plastic straw would not only be good for the environment, but it would also be stronger, longer-lasting, a superior in every aspect of paper straws.

My innovation is biodegradable plastic straws. As stated before, nothing is worse than a straw that falls apart or breaks in half as you put it into a lid. My biodegradable straw would be strong and long-lasting like a normal plastic straw but be good for the environment like paper straws. They currently make them but they are not used anywhere in Gainesville. I believe my product could be sold at smoothie places and other similar places to appeal to companies that want higher customer satisfaction.

Customers and big companies would buy my product because it is superior in every way to a paper straw. A straw that dissolves in a drink is no straw to me. People find that paper straws are awful for smoothies and milkshakes because they do not hold up. My product would not be cheaper, it would serve as a premium to paper straws because it is more durable and will serve a better experience. People will pay for my product because it is superior.

The advantage I would have over companies is that I am the first to market the idea. People are unaware of the product and if I brought it to these companies and people's attention. My marketing could bring awareness to the product and they would want to buy it from me. I firmly believe that it is innovative to sell to cities with strict laws on straws because the market is so small yet dense.

23 Unfair Advantage

1.  Determination

• V- Yes, very valuable in the business world.
• R- Not too rare but necessary for a business.
• I- Can be copied but requires a lot of effort.
• N- Can not be substituted

2. Charismatic

• V- Yes, very needed to sell a product
• R- Not common, but helps persuade
• I- Hard to copy, more of a natural aspect of a person.
• N- Hard to substitute

3. Respectful

• V- Helps get clients and customers
• R- Common but necessary
• I- Can be, but not practiced much
• N- Necessary and can not be substituted

4. Honest

• V- Wanted and valued
• R-  Not common
• I- Companies try but fail
• N- No, nothing can replace it

5. Gainesville Restaurant Owner connection

• V- Very crucial
• R- Not rare but necessary
• I- Yes with effort
• N- No, connections can not be substituted

6. Adaptive

• V- Needed
• R- Not rare but necessary
• I- Can be but not as much as I can be
• N- No, must innovate to stay ahead of the curve

7. Organized

• V- Yes, shows people you are serious
• R- Somewhat, companies fail to be organized
• I-Yes, but many companies do not do it
• N- No, companies that are efficient are organized

8. Creative

• V- Yes, very needed in any company
• R-Yes, companies do not tend to have it
• I- No, can not be copied
• N- Can not be substituted

9. Loyal

• V- Customers love loyalty
• R- Yes, companies only care about money
• I- Few companies do it
• N- No, people want loyalty

10. Independent

• V- Yes, people want someone they can count on
• R-Yes, companies depend heavily on others
• I- Somewhat, most companies depend on too many others
• N- No, can not be replicated

After looking at all my resources, I would say my connection to restaurant owners would be most important. Without these big businesses and other customers, my product could not succeed. This connection would help keep my business afloat at the start as I find more clients.

21A Reading Reflection 2

1. In, "How to Almost Fail at Everything and Win Big" by Scott Adams is about the failures that Scott Adams faced yet his ability to overcome them. Scott Adams was a very successful cartoon artist at a young age and experienced several failures before his career took off.

2. The book helped me connect and enhance with ENT3003 by expressing the importance of making systems and routines in life. Adams believed that goals were not enough. Systems and routines are something that helps keep us on track along with making us more organized and hardworking.

3. If I had to design an exercise based on the book to help the class learn I would make them right down on one side of the paper what they have failed at doing before. Then on the other side, make them write down what they did after their failure. It would make people realize that they could not succeed without failure and show that experiences help them perfect their flaws.

4. I think what surprised me the most is that someone who was a cartoon artist that worked hard enough became a CEO through his success. It was interesting to learn about his careers and experiences and he shows that hard work can get you anywhere in life if you push yourself hard enough.

22A Elevator pitch 3

Hey guys, here is my third elevator pitch on biodegradable plastic straws.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1raI-x-lYmoptytvC5Yo1jPPrnmGc1rN0/view?usp=sharing

I personally have found my feedback as encouraging and important to me. I find that my product has slowly transformed into the best one I can sell. I find it very easy to record these and have a fun time with them. I have not necessarily changed the product but I have focused more on how I have tried to sell it. I am trying to sell it as a "premium" to paper straws.

20A Growing your Social Capital

I interviewed 3 people who helped grow my social capital.

1. The first person I talked to was the owner of a restaurant while I got to go food. I wanted to understand what an expert customer would think of my product. I wanted to appeal to the customers and he has years of experience with companies and distributors. They have ran this restaurant for 20 years. I asked him a couple questions as I got my food-to-go because no one can eat inside and I had to wait for my meal. They did me the favor of helping how to appeal to small businesses. That being honest and genuine while working hard is my best chance. This person has helped me network better by becoming a potential customer while also bringing me closer to other customers because their close friends own restaurants too.

2. The second person I talked to was a distributor of products for restaurants. This person is a close family friend who delivers supplies to fast food places and other restaurants. He works a lot on selling package deals on plastic silverware, forks, and stuff along those lines. He fills the spot of a supplier for my customers. I got in contact with him through my father. He did me the favor of telling me the best types of businesses to deal with and how to appeal to these bigger companies. He expects me to send him some of my products my way once it is finished. He is not only a good distributor for me but one who has unlimited customers for me.

3. The last person I talked to was someone who buys products in large quantities at wholesale and sells them in smaller packages and makes a profit of them on amazon. I personally find this to be a good route to my business. I firmly believe there is a huge market for biodegradable straws. I met this person by emailing him about his shirts he was selling and asked him some questions stating it was for my school project. He did me the favor of walking me through on how to successfully sell products on Amazon. He fits the domain expert because of his knowledge with customers and Amazon.

I found this networking experience to be pretty easy and fun. People love to talk about themselves and their success as long as you listen and these three people gave me plenty of advice on how to be successful. I am a people person and always love to learn how people think and act.

19A Idea napkin 2

Here is my idea napkin guys,

1. I considered myself to be outgoing and adaptable. I am able to be put into any situation and overcome any struggle. I have experience in some business classes along with working with a concrete company. I am hardworking and dedicated to anything I put my mind to. I see my business as a way to generate a profit on the side. I would find a company to produce my product and sell it to companies as a distributor myself. It would be something I would work on in my free time and weekends.

2. Customers have the unmet need of helping the environment and/or hate using paper straws. My product provides the best of both worlds and is superior to its competitors.

3. The biggest groups I'd target are businesses that reside in regular plastic straw bans or people who care for the environment. There is no specific age group but it mostly would consist of younger generations or older people who own/run these businesses. All my customers would see that paper straws are inferior and need to be replaced.

4. Customers would pay more than paper straws to use my product because it is stronger, more comfortable, and overall better for the environment being biodegradable. Smoothies and other cold drinks would be a better experience with my straws. They also last longer.

5. What sets us apart is that we resemble the straw that everyone loved but one that is forward-thinking. Our product is strong and more usable than competitors while helping save the environment.

I believe these five elements fit very well together. The only thing we are inferior to compared to our competitors is the price. Our product will not be cheaper than plastic or paper straws. It is near impossible to produce them cheaper than those. What makes up for it is the quality and environmental impact. People will pay more if the product shows clear advantages which it does. I understand we will not take all business but we can take a large majority of it in Gainesville and other areas.

The feedback I received was that my product was more expensive and that it would be hard to implement in the real world. While I agree, I think that the price can be justified if it is far superior to its competitors, which it is. For example, why would anyone get an iPhone when other phones work just as well? My product would speak for itself just like the iPhones do.

17A Elevator pitch 2

https://drive.google.com/file/d/17RX_QTCai2VWP_kfRb1lciFA2I-UFMut/view?usp=sharing

My feedback was helpful and I agree with it but I do not believe it was a big enough impact to change the direction of my company.

18A Custom Avatar

When comes to mind when I think of my customers is the younger generation who cares for the environment. The older generations do not care as much about the environment and the younger generations are too young to understand the need for a healthy world. I firmly believe the people who want plant-based straws would be caring and patient. People who enjoy the outdoors and care about their impact on the world. I see most of them as college students or graduates who want a superior product to paper and plastic straws. I think most of them would not have children yet and I believe they would be in their 20s. I feel like I can relate to my customers because I too care for the environment but want efficient products.  My product can extend across multiple generations but I firmly believe the people who would be most profitable off of would be the younger generations or maybe even big businesses.

16A Secret Sauce

1) I think the five ways that make me truly different when it comes to human capital is my honesty, hard-working skills, outgoingness, open-mindedness,  and ability to solve problems differently. These skills help give me an advantage with real-world problems and lets me build better relationships with people.

2)
https://soundcloud.com/garretttorres/justin

Justin stated that I was creative. He said I also use it to solve problems better.

https://soundcloud.com/garretttorres/jared

Jared stated that I was caring. Also that I was understanding

https://soundcloud.com/garretttorres/img-7234

Chandler stated that I have a strong passion. That I also display strong commitment.

https://soundcloud.com/garretttorres/img-7234-1

Rocky Stated that I am a diverse individual. I can contribute to the business world a lot with it.

https://soundcloud.com/garretttorres/travis1

Travis stated that I have integrity. I also am open-minded which would help me solve problems.

3) I feel as if the views I have on myself reflect very well on the views my close friends have on me. They gave me an outside view on myself and it let me become more open-minded to how people view me. I feel as if this is an important aspect for most entrepreneurs. I did not see any differences on how I view myself and how others view me. This may have changed if I asked people I was not too close with.

15A – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

Alternative Evaluation: From my interviews, I conducted that most people pick biodegradable plastic straws over paper straws but big corporations have paper straws. They use paper straws because they are more common and cheaper. They are cheaper but the quality is also worse. People who buy their own straws would prefer biodegradable straws.

How/Where do they buy?: Big corporations buy from distributors and casual consumers buy from stores and online websites. Corporations are driven by cost while average buyers choose what fits them best.

Post-Purchase Evaluation: Companies want to cut costs and work with local laws. They want to appeal to others and use paper straws. Most do not care about quality. Casual buyers want something good for the environment that offers quality. Paper straws are inferior.

Interview #1 - Personally dislikes paper straws but uses them because of corporations buying paper straws and using them in restaurants. Likes higher quality straws.

Interview #2- Personally is not affected by the plastic straw bans. They do not use straws. Mostly just sip from the cup.

Interview #3- Absolutely hates using paper straws. Would not go out of their way to buy biodegradable plastic straws but rather have big corporate restaurants use them as they are stronger and better. 

Conclusion: The biggest influence on what straws people use is cost and how it affects the environment. Biodegradable straws have a market but not everyone will buy them.

14A Halfway Reflection

1) The behaviors I have developed to use in this course are working ahead and committing to assignments. It is easy to fall behind in this class. Keep up with things.

2) A moment I felt like giving up was when I was behind on lectures. It is important to stay up to date. I personally think my attitude is the same as when I started it. I think knowing that you can only miss 5 points for an A in this class has kept me on track.

3) My 3 tips for this class would be,
Stay on pace with the lectures.
Do the homework ahead of time, it's important.
Take the class seriously, you'll not only enjoy it more, but you'll also learn a lot doing so.

13A Reading reflection

1.  I read about Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, by Ashlee Vance. I have always found Elon Musk as an interesting yet humble guy. I genuinely think he is trying his best to push the whole world in the right direction. What surprises me the most is that he started PayPal. I have used Ebay and PayPal for years and never realized he started it. What I admire the most about Elon Musk is his willingness to accept failure. There have been several projects that he failed yet he still overcomes his few failures with many successes. I least admire the ability to repair teslas. They are known to be difficult or impossible to repair. I see this as a step backward for such a forward-thinking company. Yes, Musk has encountered failure and he has not only overcome it, but he has also exceeded all expectations. He put in a lot of hard work and money into his projects to make them succeed.
2. Elon Musk is a true entrepreneur, the competencies he exhibited were creativity and open-mindedness.
3. A part in the book I found confusing was where Vance went into detail about Musk having a birthday party at a Castle? I feel like it was unnecessary.
4. I would ask Elon Musk what are his goals are in 20 years and is there any technology that he created and sold for government use? I am curious to see where he wants society to be in 20 years and if he would work with any governments.
5. Elon Musk would find that with dedication and hard work anything is possible. I share the same opinion and admire what Elon Musk is doing for us.

12A Figuring out buyer behavior

1) The segment I picked was businesses have a need for a better straw, paper straws do not satisfy customers.

2) I interviewed 3 different people. A manager as a fast food place, a waitress at a restaurant, and a manager at a smoothie place to get a wide viewpoint of the potential market I could reach.

3) There is a clear need for each person I interviewed. The waitress stated that customers complain heavily about having to use paper straws, especially older folks. She said her tables complain about them being soggy and falling apart. The manager of the fast-food place experienced the same issue. The smoothie place manager stated that paper straws do not work well with their products. That customers state that paper straws ruin the experience because of how fragile they are.

4) The businesses located in Gainesville were unaware of plant-based biodegradable straws and did not think of looking for other solutions because of the plastic straw ban. The order paper straws because the ban is countywide and had no other options they were aware of.

5) I have found that there is awareness of the problem and that people are desperately looking for a better solution.

6) I find that the product that I would sell to these businesses would be a great way to compete in the market while offering a better product. The ban is recent and the quicker we get the product out there, the more sales we could make. I firmly believe that plant-based biodegradable straws are superior in every category compared to paper straws.   

11A Idea Napkin

You: I am a business major who comes from a family who has a business of their own along with being surrounded by fellow entrepreneurs. I have seen the set of skills it takes to start and run a business successfully.  I see the business of selling biodegradable plastic straws being time-consuming and difficult at the start, but once taken off, it'll be easy. The hardest part will be to become relevant. I see it becoming easily a full-time job along with school which would be hard to manage.

What are you offering to customers: Consumers who eat out at public restaurants or fast food places desire a better option than paper straws. My product, being environmentally friendly yet durable solves the environmental issue and durability issue.

Who are you offering it to? I would offer it to food establishments in Gainesville than expand further as time goes, and people who care about the environment. My customers need a straw that is better than paper straws.

Why do they care? Paper straws do not work well with smoothies and milkshakes and are flimsy and break. They also have a weird texture. Plant-based biodegradable straws would fix those issues. They will pay for a better experience for their customers or environmentalists will pay for a straw that's stronger and good for the environment.

What are your core competencies? I offer a superior straw. One that has the same benefits as paper straws yet more. Being durable is important and it is no surprise paper straws are weak and inferior.

I think my 5 elements fit very well together. I feel as most people think paper straws are not a good substitution in a durability aspect. It is hard for companies to find a good paper straw. I think it would be easy to capitalize on the need of all these businesses in Gainesville have. A county ban is serious and it will only be soon enough that other places ban plastic straws. I think we can move to a better future without risking anything.

10A elevator pitch

https://drive.google.com/file/d/155MyDK9mf2jg6IRodW7p8ei6dm11yJwh/view?usp=sharing

9A Testing the hypothesis

Who? Throughout my past couple of assignments, I have talked about the idea of replacing paper straws with biodegradable ones and firmly believe that people and companies need to adopt them. The who are people and companies who are either environmentally friendly or forced not to use plastic straws. The reason there is such a big market in Alachua county is because of the plastic straw ban.

I took 5 new interviews and found that 4 of the 5 had a need and want to change while the other one did not care to change but was open to it. I have found it to be a common complaint among other students and companies that these paper straws are truly not a good substitute for paper straws. In every interview, people agreed that it is a step toward being environmentally friendly but was not the product they wanted to replace plastic straws. A product that would be both environmentally friendly and just as strong as plastic straws would be biodegradable ones. It lets people drink frozen drinks while also not being uncomfortable to drink from.

What? Is there a need for biodegradable straws? I firmly believe there is. With all these restaurants in Gainesville and people who want better straws. There is a clear business for it. It just comes down to finding the right customers who are willing to pay more for a better product. The majority of the interviews expressed the want for a better straw.

Why? The need is there because people can not leave paper straws in drinks too long or drink thick cold beverages. Smoothies, for example, are almost unbearable and it ruins the experience in my opinion. I think people who want the straws along with those who do not see the need to change will both benefit.



 Inside

Who is in: 4 of the 5 people who I interviewed. Food establishments and people who care about the environment.

What the need is: A better substitute for paper straws but one that is good for the environment.

Why the need exists: Comfortability, long-lasting, stronger, and can be used in frozen drinks.

Outside

Who is out: 1 interview person and others who do not care about the environment.

What the need is not: Why be biodegradable when plastic or paper is just fine. Preference basically.

Alternative explanations: May not see the need to switch from paper straws or plastic ones. But I feel as if they would not be against it. Just no need.

8A The Solution

1) The opportunity arose when Alachua county banned plastic straws because they are bad for the environment. Companies chose paper straws because it was their only choice. Bringing more options to the table would let companies figure out which represents their values along with their customer's values better. It is common people are unhappy with the change and money could be made with a better alternative.

2)  The solution to the opportunity is biodegradable straws. I have been repetitive about this idea only because I think it speaks for most when I say that paper straws are not the future. Biodegradable straws are stronger, feel like what we are accustomed too, and environmentally friendly. The hardest part would be making the product unless it is already made and serve as a middle man and sell to all these big corporate companies. If one company bites, it will be easier to persuade others.

7A Testing Hypothesis

1) I have heavily repeated myself on the idea of replacing paper straws with biodegradable plastic straws. I firmly believe this is a better future for us because of durability and still offers the benefits of paper straws by being good for the environment.

2)

Who: Fast Food companies, Restaurants, People who care about the environment, and people who eat out.

What: People are fairly upset with paper straws. They are not durable and feel weird to drink from and also break apart. Which results in people drinking paper bits.

Why: Better Alternative to paper straws and to keep people happier. A way to create competition in the market where regular plastic straws are banned. Gain market share.

3)

Testing the who: It is fairly easy to test the who. I would ask fast food places, restaurants and customers if they are happy with paper straws. Gaining feedback is key but I think most people are unsatisfied with paper straws.

Testing the what: I would ask customers who use paper straws and ask how they like them and if they would be open to trying plastic biodegradable straws. I've found a lot of people to be upset with paper straws as the only straw to use.

Testing the why: Some people may still like to use paper straws. I firmly believe that most would switch to biodegradable plastic just because it would be more durable. The only thing that'd really would hinder the change is the price.

4)
Interview 1)

• Does not like the feel of paper straws
• They do not last long
• They are smaller than plastic straws
• Keep food on them

Interview 2)

• They dissolve in to-go cups, can't sit too long
• Not good for smoothies
• Plastic is stronger

Interview 3)

• Cares about the environment and sees biodegradable as the better option
• Would buy them for their restaurant if they are not too expensive
• A big complaint from customers

Interview 4)

• Does not care about the environment
• Mad about the plastic straw ban
• Hates paper straws because they are awful to suck on once wet

Interview 5)

• Does not see a problem with paper straws
• still open to other alternatives
• Just wants a healthy environment

5) Summary: After conducting the interviews, I found most people do not like paper straws or just do it for the environment. Biodegradable straws offer both benefits while not risking any flaws. I never thought about paper straws in smoothies or any other type of thick liquid. I think competition is always good in the market and if I do not do it, someone else will.

6A Identifying opportunities in economic and regulatory trends

1. Regulation on Atlanta E-Scooters and other main cities.

A bill is being made because of frustrations about E-scooters in large cities. To obtain them is fairly easy and there is no true regulation on them. Complaints from locals have risen and the cities plan on trying to lower the number of e-scooters or have users be more responsible. There may be an opportunity to rival the e-scooters. It'd be a hard opportunity but we could compete in business with them.

I noticed this opportunity because about two weeks ago I was in Atlanta and on the local news I saw they were working on a bill to regulate them more. E-scooters being so new have such little regulations and the cities are stepping in for the locals.

2. Regulations on people leaving China for the Corona Virus.

After the recent outbreak of the deadly Corona Virus. Plane restrictions and border control have risen. The capabilities of the virus are unknown and while China has spoken about how severe the issue is I personally have trouble believing them. They have been known to keep secrets about the severity of things before and I have some doubts with them on how honest they are. There is a clear profit to be made from health devices to transportation. The opportunity is not easy but there is one there.

I realized this opportunity because of the news. It is a very popular topic at the moment because everyone is unsure of how dangerous the virus is. Time will only tell but profit will be made regardless.

3. Economic Trend of 2020 Census

The 2020 Census is coming up. The forms need to be distributed and sent to the right addresses. We could make a profit from creating a third party business to help keep track of forms and delivering them. Act as a middle man. The government is a great customer to have.

I saw the opportunity from several ads asking for census help because of it being right around the corner. It is well known but I doubt many people care to see the business aspect of it. I personally think there is a profit to be made.

4. The economic trend of companies and cities going more environmentally friendly.

I touched recently on the problem with paper straws a couple of blog posts ago. I still firmly believe that paper straws are still not part of the future. They lack the strength and durability of sitting in fluids over time. I think it is important for companies to work towards an environment-friendly alternative. I firmly believe that biodegradable plastics are the future. We can make straws and also make biodegradable plastic utensils to eat with! The customers would be restaurants and fast food places. As more people buy, the cheaper it would be to make the products.

I personally saw the opportunity after the plastic straw ban in Gainesville. I agree it is progressive but puts us back a couple steps in productivity. It is not the easiest task but once made. It could take off rapidly.

5A Local Opportunities

GPD says Matthew Dover, 27, stole and pawned an elderly woman’s jewelry while working as a contractor.

Theft is a common yet serious problem that communities face. This elderly woman was taken advantage of because of her age from a contractor who was supposed to do good work for her while getting paid. Dover stole jewelry from her and pawned it. She realized several pieces of jewelry were missing and reported it to the police and led to Dover being arrested. The people who are affected by this are elderly people and homeowners. It is hard to trust people nowadays.

https://www.gainesville.com/news/20200130/gainesville-pd-contractor-steals-elderly-womans-jewelry

Census needs workers, encourages participation

As we enter the new decade. We need new statics and data to find out how well our country is doing. The government is asking people to help volunteer and apply to help get census sheets out there. Also, people can now for the first time ever, can do it online. The who in this situation is the Census organization. They need workers and good participation. It affects everyone.

https://www.gainesville.com/news/20200129/census-needs-workers-encourages-participation

Florida authorities: Man’s body found, baby still missing

In Miami, two people went missing. A father and daughter were missing but the father's body was just found. The child is still missing. Police are continuously looking for the infant and ask everyone to keep an eye out. They sent out an amber alert also. The who in this situation that is affected by this is all of Miami residents and parents. A killer is on the loose and they need to find him.

https://www.gainesville.com/news/20200129/florida-authorities-mans-body-found-baby-still-missing

Gainesville police says a 16-year-old pedestrian died after sustaining injuries in a crash Monday afternoon.

On Monday a young teen was hit by a car off of Southwest 20th Ave. He was in critical condition and was taken to the hospital. He passed the next day from the injuries he encountered from the accident. Police are still looking into what actually happened and who is at fault. The people who are affected by this are the kid's family, friends, and community. It also affected pedestrians who walk and brings awareness to people who drive.

https://www.gainesville.com/news/20200130/pedestrian-16-dies-after-being-hit-by-car

Gainesville man points gun in woman’s face during argument, deputies say

On Wednesday, a woman got in an argument with a man and he pulled a gun on her. They were arguing in his apartment and things got heated and he pulled a gun. He has now been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Who affected by this is the victim along with the attacker and his family. Domestic abuse is a serious problem that many face. This may also affect people who are looking for the courage to speak out and this story helps them find it. 

https://www.gainesville.com/news/20200130/gainesville-man-points-gun-in-womans-face-during-argument-deputies-say

4A Forming an opportunity belief

1) Beginning point: I believe that there needs to be a better solution to paper straws. While I agree it is a better solution than plastic. I do not believe that paper straws are a true solution. I think the future is moving to plant-based biodegradable plastic straws. It offers the best of both worlds. Being durable yet environmentally friendly.

2)Describe belief:
Unmet need: Needing an environmentally friendly solution but still offers the same benefit as plastic.
Need: People who care about the environment and Gainesville residents since plastic straws are banned.
Where did the need come from? People want to help the environment and Alachua county residents have to use straws that are not plastic.
What are people doing to meet this need now? Companies are switching to paper straws to help the environment and not get finned.

3)Identify the prototypical customer: Food restaurants that need straws and people who care about the environment.

4) Iterations

#1 potential customer)  Potential customer feels that to move forward as a country we must start to focus heavily on our environment. She felt the need for it because she became aware of the situation with plastic straws. The need came recently. She appreciates the change the county is making and does not mind paper straws compared to plastic straws. She is open to the idea of trying biodegradable straws because plastic straws feel better on her lips compared to paper. She thinks it is a great solution.

#2 potential customer) The next potential customer hates paper straws. He became aware of the situation once Alachua county started to enforce no more plastic straws. He hates how flimsy the straws get when they are wet and once the plastic straws back. He is currently just dealing with the issue because it is out of his control. He believes that biodegradable plastic straws would be a great alternative to the far inferior paper straws.

#3 potential customer) The last customer mirrors the same opinion as customer #2. She cares about the environment but does not think that paper straws are the future. She feels like they do not work well with super hot or cold drinks since they fall apart easily and ruin the experience. She also became aware when every place she ate started to use paper straws and realized there was a ban that went into effect. She is willing to try other solutions especially biodegradable plastic straws because they would be better than paper straws.

Reflect 5) They learned that they can have plastic straws that do no hurt the environment. Using plant-based biodegradable straws lets customers and food establishments have durable straws while being environmentally friendly. I found it amazing that people were unaware of the ban that went into effect yet were upset with a lot of the restaurants for getting rid of plastic straws.

Summarize ) I think the opportunity in the market is high. More places are only going to continue to ban plastic straws and we should team up with franchises to make a deal and get ourselves into the market. I believe my opportunity is to focus more on the restaurants rather than customers. Buyers who buy big quantities would be the ones to offer our product. I think it is important to adapt to feedback. We need to provide the best product we can. It is similar to updating a phone or laptop. Things change and we must adapt before we get left behind.

3A Entrepreneurship Story

Recently, a close family friend opened a tire and automotive place in my home town. I was there every step of the process to help open the store. It gave me a glimpse of what an entrepreneur thinks of when it comes to opening a new business. The family friend was tired of dealing with one of the few tire shops in town and decided to take it upon himself to compete against them. The most important thing about opening a business is to build relationships and connections. Word of mouth is everything in a somewhat small town and about 10 months of being open they still continue to have good business. I personally enrolled in ent3003 with somewhat low expectations. I needed the elective credits and figured it would do but I have found myself enjoying this class. I like the idea of starting a business and it has helped me get an outside view on what really makes an entrepreneur successful. I hope to gain the knowledge to be able to come up with a product/service that will let me open up my own business one day.

Below is a picture of different sets of tires. One must be knowledgeable about their products to be a successful entrepreneur. It is important to know what product best fits the customer's needs.

Bug List

1. People who are slow drivers and go under the speed limit.
 why? Most likely either old and trying to be safe or not pay attention to the road and on their phones.

2. People who don't use turn signals while driving
Why? Most people just forget to use them or just are inconsiderate and in a rush and don't care about other drivers.

3. People who just sit on their phones when you try to talk to them.
why? They are either selfish or don't value your company as much as what's on their phone.

4. Learn Smart practice problems.
Why? The school most likely has a contract and helps students study even though they are annoying.

5. No parking on campus
Why? There are more students than parking spots and its hard to create more parking because there is no space for it.

6. Florida's bipolar weather, being hot one day and cold the next.
Why? Cold fronts and other environmental factors affect the temperature

7. How expensive college textbooks are
Why? Lots of research and work go into them but the companies who make them price gouge students because they have written contracts with the schools.

8. The idea of cancel culture. Digging up someone's past to cancel their career or success.
Why? To feel power over someone and because they hate their success and want to bring it down because of jealousy even though people grow from their past.

9. Waking up in the middle of the night
Why? Have to use the restroom or need to drink water. My body needs something

10. People who spam my phone text after text.
Why? They want my attention right away even though I am busy and will respond when I can.

11. People who complain about their grades yet did nothing to help their grades.
Why? They don't have accountability and feel that it can't be their fault that they didn't study.

12. My phone won't charge unless it's sitting in a certain way.
Why? The charger port is slightly broke and I do not want to pay to fix it because it somewhat works.

13. Clickbait videos that don't include anything the title or thumbnail includes.
Why? People want clicks and views and don't care about being honest.

14. Food places that are switching to paper straws. They absolutely suck.
Why? To help save the environment and sea turtles but mostly to appeal to customer values rather than their own.

15.People who things for you but then hold it over your head.
Why? They want to feel powerful and needed. Yet it is annoying and morally wrong.

16. Phone battery dying quickly after 3 hours of use.
Why? My phone is old and needs a new battery.

17. My sleep schedule being so awful.
Why? I constantly go to bed super late and let my friends keep me out too late.

18. Being physically out of shape.
Why? Because I am too lazy to work out and love food a lot.

19. People who are obnoxiously loud in the library on the upper floors.
Why? They do not care about others and rather goof off than study.

20. Having to stand on the bus because of no seats.
Why? There are only so many seats and the bus companies try to fit as many people on there regardless of comfort.

Reflection: I personally found it decently easy to list all the things that annoy me. I complain a lot in general and these came quickly to mind. My bugs have a common theme too which helps me remember them easily. I can see this being hard for someone who is genuinely kind and a positive thinker.

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Testing to see if this works.