5A-Identifying Local Opportunities

Opportunity 1:

• Article: Helicopter in Kobe Bryant crash wasn't certified to fly in poor visibility
• Link: https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/ct-nw-nyt-kobe-bryant-helicopter-crash-20200131-p4rid47lxfcilmaxt74xd3yelq-story.html
• The article shifts focus from the victims of the horrendous crash that killed 9 people, including basketball legend Kobe Bryant, towards the helicopter itself and the pilots that operate said helicopter. 
• The issue found within the article is not necessarily in the conditions of the environment that established the crash, but with the certifications that pilots are expected to complete as well as the practices that the organization has decided to execute. Not only are these privatized pilots not given the same amount of training and certifications that other helicopter companies are made to complete because this is a private organization, but there was a lack of a second pilot that would have potentially been crucial in a time of crisis. The article states that there is a clear conflict of interest that outweighs the safety of the client in exchange of saving the costs of having multiple pilots as well as extended training. This creates a rift between the desires of the company and the desires of the customers that use this service.
• The "who" of the matter is the helicopter company itself, Island Express. Not only did the company take a direct hit from the crash of one of its luxury helicopters, but the organization now has to reevaluate its practices in regard to its certifications as this creates a huge public relations scandal in the aftermath of the the tragic event. 

Opportunity 2:

• Article: Sewage spilling to Middle River after another pipe break in Fort Lauderdale
• Link: https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fort-lauderdale/fl-ne-george-english-park-sewage-leak-20200130-bajdm5clwva67l36vivynpweu4-story.html
• The city of Fort Lauderdale has had issues with sewage pipe bursting. The last pipe break was the seventh one in the past 2 months. This generated a myriad of issues, even potentially contaminating the Middle River and a park.
• A few issues that arise from this happening is the lack of preventative tasks that may be completed to ensure that the pipes do not burst, as well as a deescalation of the problems associated with the already broken pipes. Furthering these sentiments, a number of other problems arose such as sewage contaminating a nearby river, and devastation of further land such as the George English park. Environmental, and health concerns are very present in this problem, so the city is tasked with first reacting to the current crises and then turning towards adding preventative measures to ensure that this does not continue to happen.
• The "who" established in this issue is the city of Fort Lauderdale for first having to create a solution to expediently correct the lingering issue, and then creating novel ways to produce a maintenance or enhanced effort so that the problem does not continue to burden the city and thus the people of Fort Lauderdale.

Opportunity 3:

• Article: U.S. reports first case of person-to-person spread of new virus
• Link: https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fort-lauderdale/fl-ne-george-english-park-sewage-leak-20200130-bajdm5clwva67l36vivynpweu4-story.html
• The article details a man's infection of the coronavirus as the first reported case of a person-to-person spread in Chicago after his wife returned from Wuhan, China.
• The key issue is not only in the dangers of the illness itself, but also the efforts to prevent said issue and create a way to cure these people inflicted by the illness. As of today it is reported that the virus has spread to thousands of people that are mostly in China, killing roughly 170. If not treated or prevented, this could become a catastrophic illness that takes the lives of many more.
• The "who" of the article is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who are given the daunting task of creating a cure, mitigating the spread, and then creating preventative measures for ensuring that this illness does not become a larger epidemic. 

Opportunity 4:

• Article: Amid backlash over anti-LGBTQ schools, Florida lawmakers push even less voucher oversight
• Link: https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2020/01/30/amid-backlash-over-anti-lgbtq-schools-florida-lawmakers-push-even-less-voucher-oversight/
• The article presents a dissatisfaction companies have over schools that present anti-LGBTQ policies. These companies thus decide not to support providing funding for voucher programs that allow students that are low income to select a private school of their choice in order to have a more pleasant school experience if public schools are not providing the same level of care they desire. This issue is then taken up with Florida's legislature in which they proposed a bill that would trim the oversight the main nonprofit has over the administration of private school vouchers.
• The issue in the article deals with the passing of legislation in Florida in response to companies withdrawing funding to voucher programs as they no longer support the tolerance of private schools with anti-LGBTQ policies.
• The "who" affected by this are the schools who are now forced to answer to the new legislation as well as political and value-based oversight that blocks or challenges their beliefs regarding LGBTQ students and/or students of LGBTQ parents. 

Opportunity 5:

•  Article: Person hospitalized after being struck with sword in Hillsborough County
• Link: https://www.tampabay.com/news/nation-world/2020/01/30/person-hospitalized-after-being-struck-with-sword-in-hillsborough-county/
• The article centers around Kurtis Lawson, who decided to assault another person with a sword.
• The issue in the article is the ease of access people of prior convictions of assault-related charges being able to obtain weapons. This not only applies to guns, but in this case something less modern, the sword.
• The "who" of the issue is a combination of the state of Florida for allowing this person to obtain such a weapon (with a lack of monitoring his dangerous habits), as well as the victim of the assault who received multiple upper body injuries.

4A: Forming an Opportunity Belief

     I believe that there is a large business opportunity to establish a notification system for the school's laundry machines.
     The unmet need primarily stems from the large disconnect between modern technology systems and the current laundry machines used here at the University of Florida. This need extends to nearly every student at the University of Florida that lives on campus, especially those that live in dorms. This is definitely not a new need as there has always been an antiquated system for performing weekly or biweekly laundry duties. In order to meet this need now, people simply watch their laundry and/or attempt to time the machines. Although this is certainly feasible, this is not ideal as many times an alarm or intended time may not reflect directly to the actual time that the machine is finished, thus costing the user real time that can be better spent on other ventures. By establishing a system that sends direct text notifications to laundry users, students will save themselves time in knowing exactly when to return to their laundry without question. In my perspective, there is a 100% guarantee that this opportunity exists and is plausible to implement given the right circumstances.

Interview 1: Student at Trusler Hall

1) How efficient do you feel the process of doing laundry here on campus is?
A: Honestly it really sucked. Back home I have a decent machine that cleans well and effectively. Hard to say how efficient it is, but I guess its not that efficient.

2) How often do you do laundry and is time a major factor?
A: I try to do laundry every two weeks. I kinda slack off so I usually have a fat load to take care of. And time is a big factor. It takes forever to get my clothes clean and I have no idea when it'll be done.

3) Do you ever incorrectly estimate your time doing laundry?
A: Yeah for sure. Sometimes I'm busy with other work and I forget or I think its going to be done at a certain time and the machine is just wrong.

4) How was your first experience with the current machines?
A: Honestly I had my mom do it for me back home so doing it by myself here is a pain. And the machines just suck in general so I'm not really too happy about it.

5) What is your current process in determining your laundry duration? Is this ideal for you?
A: I just set my alarm on my phone and it might not be ideal like I said because it either goes off and I forget to go or I go on time and the laundry is still wet. Never a good time.

Interview 2: Student at Murphree Hall

1) How efficient do you feel the process of doing laundry here on campus is?
A:  I think it works for me. but obviously its not the best!

2) How often do you do laundry and is time a major factor?
A: I try to do laundry every week and yeah I would say time is a major factor for me.

3) Do you ever incorrectly estimate your time doing laundry?
A: All the time! It's the worst.

4) How was your first experience with the current machines?
A: I've always done my own laundry at home, so I can say the machines here aren't that great.

5) What is your current process in determining your laundry duration? Is this ideal for you?
A:  I usually wait in the laundry room and study in the mean time. I don't mind it because it gives me time to think and relax and do multiple things at once.

Interview 3: Student in Fraternity House

1) How efficient do you feel the process of doing laundry here on campus is?
A: I live in the fraternity house so the machines are old and some don't work well at all. I've also lived in dorms and they're slightly better but not great.

2) How often do you do laundry and is time a major factor?
A:  I try to do laundry once a week. Might seem like a lot but I like to keep a clean house.

3) Do you ever incorrectly estimate your time doing laundry?
A: Always. I never get it right and sometimes I feel like I have the right time and then I get there and the machine is still going.

4) How was your first experience with the current machines?
A: Not a good one. Can say for sure that I wish I was home.

5) What is your current process in determining your laundry duration? Is this ideal for you?
A: I usually set the stop watch on the alarm app on my phone. It's not great, but it sorta works. Can say without a doubt there should be a better method

Reflect: From these interviews I can say that my prior conceptions about the opportunity are well grounded and hold merit. All 3 people I spoke to appeared to have similar issues when the idea was brought up, however the second person did seem to be more accepting of that fact and used it to her advantage in contrast to the other two that did not. Regardless, I believe that adding the system would benefit all parties.

Summary: The original opportunity still exists and is supported by the 3 people that I interviewed. This new opportunity is definitely accurate, but may appear more difficult in application. I know for certain that other schools such as Florida Gulf Coast have systems similar to the one I mentioned, however I propose a more efficient means to find that same resolve. I believe that entrepreneurs should certainly consider customer feedback, however I do believe that if the entrepreneur is certain of the success of their endeavor that they should continue on and capitalize on that as the concept or theoretical implementation may not be as well contrived as the actual implementation in practice.

3A: Entrepreneurship Story

     In high school, I recognized that I had a huge necessity for money as my parents were urging me to pay for more of my own things so that I learn the value of a dollar. Unfortunately, despite my definite need to spend more, I was also at an age where I could not have a part time job yet (14-15). This dilemma brought me to establish an idea for which I would market myself as a dog walker. Although this is seemingly simple in concept, the marketing as well as the acquisition of clients was difficult at first to ascertain.
     With the help of my mother in casually speaking to other people with dogs in my neighborhood as well as posting signs throughout the community, I received a few calls for specific ventures. Eventually, I was received with positive feedback and the jobs became more frequent. Not only was I walking dogs, but also dog and house sitting along with a myriad of other odd jobs that follow in the area. With this, I was making enough money to spend on casual endeavors with my friends and family.
     This was a profound experience in that it taught me a positive work ethic as well as the concept of engagement in understanding the "who" of my natural market in order to seek an unmet need that I may fulfill. Eventually, this would lead me to have an efficient working mind in retaining 4 different part time jobs that I transition between in Gainesville and South Florida.



I enrolled in ENT3003 in order to fulfill an outside concentration requirement for my telecommunication: production major. Hopefully, I will be able to utilize these concepts in entrepreneurship and express them throughout my time outside of college as I am soon to be graduating (hopefully).

Assignment 2: Bug List

1) Scooter parking by Keene-Flint Hall is too packed, making me late to class. A: Many students have scooters, but not enough parking to accommodate. It is also more packed depending on if a class period is about to start. 2) Attempting to start up a scooter in the early hours of the morning. A: The cold weather damages the engine and makes it more difficult to start. 3) Working at Newell Hall and having a late night shift from 2-7am. A: My work is open 24/7 and someone is needed to supervise the building. 4) People that blindly accept viral news as truth. A: Misleading headlines that catch attention combine with inherent laziness. 5) People hanging out in my room that leave game cube controllers and food on my table without putting them away. A: People are lazy and assume that I will clean up the mess regardless. Also forgetfulness and believing in someone else taking care of the problem attribute. 6) Paying $12 at Level 2 Club for a Moscow Mule after already paying $10 for cover. A: The business needs to make a profit among an already competitive market. 7) Seeing hamburger helper on my fraternity chef's menu. A: While I may not enjoy the meal, a majority of others might. 8) Drunk brothers attempting to sleep in my bed. A: Alcohol lowers inhibitions and distorts mental states. 9) Receiving weekly projects for Electronic Field Production. A: It is necessary to teach many concepts within a short time span. 10)Running out of toilet paper over the weekend at the fraternity house. A: The janitor does not work on weekends and brothers frequently use the restroom. 11) Having to lug my laundry to the laundry room on the outside of the fraternity house. A: Less frequent trips to do laundry allow for mass clothing build up. 12) Not allowing the use of computers of phones in Electronic Field Prod. II class. A: Allegedly it is more beneficial to write on a pencil and paper to boost creativity. 13) Being ghosted on tinder. A: People largely use the application when they are bored and thus rapidly lose interest. 14) Forced "ice breaker" exercises at Newell Hall. A: These exercises foster connections and allow for a larger pay check. 15) Children kicking seats during movies. A: Children can be oblivious and unaware of their actions causing harm to others. 16) My neighbor's dog Chloe constantly pulling at the leash and going everywhere except forward. A: Poor training led to improper walking routines. 17) Excessive service fees for food delivery applications like Uber Eats. A: Applications like Uber Eats attempt to turn a profit by tacking on service fees. 18) McDonald's on University forgetting items I ordered. A: Sometimes items get lost in translation, especially with a business that has many customers. 19) Having no clean underwear to wear the next day. A: Personal laziness leads to laundry not being taken care of. 20) People spitting while talking. A: This is involuntary and accidental, but happens to those more prone to salivation. In coming up for this list, I realized that it was more practical to think of basic things that I do daily instead of solely attempting to think of things that "bug" me. In going about this task with that method, I was much more successful and thus did not find it so difficult. Sometimes in order to solve an issue, looking at things from a new perspective greatly changes the results of the scenario.

Test

Test