Friday, September 28, 2018
9A Testing the Hypothesis Part 2
Interview #1
My dad, a lawyer
My dad said that he would not buy stickers for a reason other than to support me (lol). He is a lawyer and feels like using stickers on his belongings would appear unprofessional. He has never seen another lawyer or judge or client who used stickers either. He thinks they would appeal to college students, but not to business/working people. He says that he can differentiate himself by the way he dresses, the tie he wears, or his briefcase. He thinks the way people express themselves as they get older changes a lot.
Interview #2
My mom, a doctor
My mom said that my idea to make stickers is cute, and she thinks my friends and other college students would be interested. She said that she and her friends may use stickers on their personal belongings, but that they wouldn't use very many. At the hospital she works at, she would not be able to put stickers on the hospital's equipment and property. She says that she is not able to express herself in that way at work because nail polish is not allowed, and she has a uniform/scrubs to wear.
Interview #3
My aunt, professor at UF
She said that while she may not use stickers very much, she would be open to the idea. She has colleagues that have stickers on their laptops. She thinks the main people who would be interested would be students rather than teachers, but that there may be some potential. She teaches a language, so she said that may make a difference as well.
Interview #4
My friend, STEM major
He said that he does not currently have any stickers on his belongings because he doesn't want to look unprofessional. He says that if he has an interview or something important, stickers may make people take him less seriously. He likes science-themed stickers, but he would not use them himself unless it was on items like a water bottle he would not have to use all the time. Also, he thinks people may not want to spend the money on a sticker to decorate their belongings if they are not already interested.
Interview #5
My dog's groomer
She does not really have the need to put stickers on her belongings because she owns her own dog grooming business. However, she thinks the idea of dog stickers could be cute for her clients, or a sticker with her information on it to promote her business. She personally would be interested in stickers of her dogs.
Inside the Boundary Outside the Boundary
Students, some teachers Business/working professionals
self- expression To express themselves in the workplace
to be different, connect with others Priorities change
My dad, a lawyer
My dad said that he would not buy stickers for a reason other than to support me (lol). He is a lawyer and feels like using stickers on his belongings would appear unprofessional. He has never seen another lawyer or judge or client who used stickers either. He thinks they would appeal to college students, but not to business/working people. He says that he can differentiate himself by the way he dresses, the tie he wears, or his briefcase. He thinks the way people express themselves as they get older changes a lot.
Interview #2
My mom, a doctor
My mom said that my idea to make stickers is cute, and she thinks my friends and other college students would be interested. She said that she and her friends may use stickers on their personal belongings, but that they wouldn't use very many. At the hospital she works at, she would not be able to put stickers on the hospital's equipment and property. She says that she is not able to express herself in that way at work because nail polish is not allowed, and she has a uniform/scrubs to wear.
Interview #3
My aunt, professor at UF
She said that while she may not use stickers very much, she would be open to the idea. She has colleagues that have stickers on their laptops. She thinks the main people who would be interested would be students rather than teachers, but that there may be some potential. She teaches a language, so she said that may make a difference as well.
Interview #4
My friend, STEM major
He said that he does not currently have any stickers on his belongings because he doesn't want to look unprofessional. He says that if he has an interview or something important, stickers may make people take him less seriously. He likes science-themed stickers, but he would not use them himself unless it was on items like a water bottle he would not have to use all the time. Also, he thinks people may not want to spend the money on a sticker to decorate their belongings if they are not already interested.
Interview #5
My dog's groomer
She does not really have the need to put stickers on her belongings because she owns her own dog grooming business. However, she thinks the idea of dog stickers could be cute for her clients, or a sticker with her information on it to promote her business. She personally would be interested in stickers of her dogs.
Inside the Boundary Outside the Boundary
Students, some teachers Business/working professionals
self- expression To express themselves in the workplace
to be different, connect with others Priorities change
Thursday, September 20, 2018
8A Solving the Problem
The problem I have identified is people's need to express themselves.
1. The opportunity- College students decorating their laptops, water bottles, backpacks, etc.
2. Product/Service- Selling unique, hand drawn stickers to decorate personal belongings. I would draw the stickers based on popular television shows, quotes, patterns, and designs.
1. The opportunity- College students decorating their laptops, water bottles, backpacks, etc.
2. Product/Service- Selling unique, hand drawn stickers to decorate personal belongings. I would draw the stickers based on popular television shows, quotes, patterns, and designs.
7A Testing the Hypothesis
1. I would like to sell unique stickers to college students at UF.
2. People everywhere, especially students and teachers, feel the need to differentiate themselves and express their identity through their personal belongings.
The who- students and teachers in high school and college
The what- They want to express themselves through decorating their belongings
The why- It is a way to stand out and be different in an academic setting
3. Testing the who- From my experience, I think it is mostly college students who have this need. However, I have noticed that teachers, high school students, and other professions have an interest in this need as well. I think the majority of students at UF have this need.
Testing the what- People tend to put stickers/pins on their laptops, water bottles, phone cases, cars, binders, notebooks, backpacks, etc. There is a large variety of items that I have seen people put stickers on. People involved in Greek life, Dance Marathon, and other organizations at UF seem to use stickers frequently. The who does not have to be limited to students in organizations at UF though, I have seen people who only use stickers related to television shows or other interests.
Testing the why- People use stickers to portray themselves, express themselves, and show what their interests are. People also use stickers to make themselves happy or for inspiration, and they can be used as icebreakers when there is something in common.
Interview 1
UF student, my friend- Sydney
She thinks that a lot of students at UF use stickers to personalize their items. She has noticed that many girls involved in Greek life, herself included, use stickers to decorate their laptops and water bottles. She said that it is an easy way to make everyday items more interesting. She has had a couple teachers that used a sticker or two on their laptops related to the subject they teach or a certain organization. She thinks that the need applies to the majority of UF students, but that it appeals to mostly females. She believes that the reason why people use stickers is because it is trendy and that's what everyone else is doing right now. She said that when she sees someone with a sticker related to her chapter she knows that they have something in common even if she does not know them personally.
Interview 2
UF student, my friend- Amanda
She said that all of her friends at UF have stickers on their laptops. She has not noticed if her teachers use stickers. She thinks that there are a lot of UF students who would be interested in cool stickers. She personally thinks the most common kind of stickers are related to popular tv shows like The Office. She says that she uses stickers because they make her happy to look at throughout the day. She thinks that the reason why people use stickers can vary, but mostly to show off the things they like.
Interview 3
UF student, my friend- Fabrice
He said the people who would be most interested in using stickers would be students. He has two stickers on his laptop- one is a basketball team logo and the other is related to an organization at UF. He said that he would only buy a sticker if it wasn't too expensive. He said that he chooses to represent himself through his clothing instead.
Interview 4
UF student, my roommate- Katie
She said that the who would be UF students. She said that stickers would mostly appeal to students who like specific things. She really likes plants, so she said she would be potentially interested in a sticker of a cute plant. She said that people use stickers because they are trendy right now, but she does not feel the need to put them on more items than just her laptop.
Interview 5
My uncle- Hide
He said that the who would be students. He said that he personally would not be interested in putting stickers on his belongings. He thinks that they would not sell to people who care about practicality. He doesn't understand why people use stickers other than to do what everyone else is doing.
Based on the interviews, I learned that the majority of people agree that students would be the "who". I realized that less teachers may be interested than I previously thought. I also learned that the idea seems to mostly appeal to females. There were many different reasons "why" people would or would not use stickers. This was an interesting exercise to see how people really felt about my idea.
2. People everywhere, especially students and teachers, feel the need to differentiate themselves and express their identity through their personal belongings.
The who- students and teachers in high school and college
The what- They want to express themselves through decorating their belongings
The why- It is a way to stand out and be different in an academic setting
3. Testing the who- From my experience, I think it is mostly college students who have this need. However, I have noticed that teachers, high school students, and other professions have an interest in this need as well. I think the majority of students at UF have this need.
Testing the what- People tend to put stickers/pins on their laptops, water bottles, phone cases, cars, binders, notebooks, backpacks, etc. There is a large variety of items that I have seen people put stickers on. People involved in Greek life, Dance Marathon, and other organizations at UF seem to use stickers frequently. The who does not have to be limited to students in organizations at UF though, I have seen people who only use stickers related to television shows or other interests.
Testing the why- People use stickers to portray themselves, express themselves, and show what their interests are. People also use stickers to make themselves happy or for inspiration, and they can be used as icebreakers when there is something in common.
Interview 1
UF student, my friend- Sydney
She thinks that a lot of students at UF use stickers to personalize their items. She has noticed that many girls involved in Greek life, herself included, use stickers to decorate their laptops and water bottles. She said that it is an easy way to make everyday items more interesting. She has had a couple teachers that used a sticker or two on their laptops related to the subject they teach or a certain organization. She thinks that the need applies to the majority of UF students, but that it appeals to mostly females. She believes that the reason why people use stickers is because it is trendy and that's what everyone else is doing right now. She said that when she sees someone with a sticker related to her chapter she knows that they have something in common even if she does not know them personally.
Interview 2
UF student, my friend- Amanda
She said that all of her friends at UF have stickers on their laptops. She has not noticed if her teachers use stickers. She thinks that there are a lot of UF students who would be interested in cool stickers. She personally thinks the most common kind of stickers are related to popular tv shows like The Office. She says that she uses stickers because they make her happy to look at throughout the day. She thinks that the reason why people use stickers can vary, but mostly to show off the things they like.
Interview 3
UF student, my friend- Fabrice
He said the people who would be most interested in using stickers would be students. He has two stickers on his laptop- one is a basketball team logo and the other is related to an organization at UF. He said that he would only buy a sticker if it wasn't too expensive. He said that he chooses to represent himself through his clothing instead.
Interview 4
UF student, my roommate- Katie
She said that the who would be UF students. She said that stickers would mostly appeal to students who like specific things. She really likes plants, so she said she would be potentially interested in a sticker of a cute plant. She said that people use stickers because they are trendy right now, but she does not feel the need to put them on more items than just her laptop.
Interview 5
My uncle- Hide
He said that the who would be students. He said that he personally would not be interested in putting stickers on his belongings. He thinks that they would not sell to people who care about practicality. He doesn't understand why people use stickers other than to do what everyone else is doing.
Based on the interviews, I learned that the majority of people agree that students would be the "who". I realized that less teachers may be interested than I previously thought. I also learned that the idea seems to mostly appeal to females. There were many different reasons "why" people would or would not use stickers. This was an interesting exercise to see how people really felt about my idea.
Thursday, September 13, 2018
6A- Identifying Opportunities in Economic and Regulatory Trends
1. Economic trend- there is a labor shortage.
I think the customer of a new machine or production method
would be the big businesses or manufacturers seeking to hire more workers. The customer
could also be smaller, local businesses with the same problem of a shortage of labor.
I think this opportunity is relatively difficult to exploit
because it has a lot of different important and complex factors. Filling a
labor shortage is difficult, and it would require a large business or even the
government to reallocate funding or make new laws to meet the need at hand.
I saw this opportunity because there is clearly a need for
more workers. I think I noticed this because I always hear about the
unemployment rate, and this article about the economy needing more workers
really stood out to me. I think there is a possibility of mobilizing people who
are able to fill in the gaps, or find a way around the shortage by using new
methods or better machines.
2. Economic trend- increase in demand for construction after natural disasters
The past couple of years, natural disasters have caused a
huge amount of damage across the country. I believe there is an opportunity for
construction and other industries to fix the damage these storms have caused.
When the majority of buildings are destroyed, the need for construction
workers, roofers, plumbers, etc increases significantly. This is an economic
trend because the storms have increased a demand for a certain service.
I think the customer in this case would be those whose
property has been affected by a natural disaster. The customer is someone whose
home or business flooded, roof collapsed, or any kind of damage.
I think this opportunity is relatively easy to exploit for
existing construction, roofing, plumbing businesses. They would be able to go
into areas that were damaged after the storm and begin selling their services
to the people who need them. The other thing about this service in particular
is that people want the damaged fixed as quickly as possible.
I see this opportunity for building repair after natural
disasters because I was born and raised in Florida, and I have seen the damage
that hurricanes can do. I have seen flooded streets and homes without roofs, so
I know that there is a huge need for these kinds of services.
3. Regulatory trend- states are approving new energy
regulations to move towards more renewable, cleaner energy
I believe an opportunity exists here because states are starting
to implement regulations that increase renewable energy sources. There is an
opportunity for more renewable energy such as solar panels to become more
widespread. States are also working to decrease coal mining, which opens up new
opportunities for renewable energy to replace the coal market. I think the most
likely customer would be individuals who are concerned about the environment,
but also states themselves and larger businesses. Since coal is being retired,
businesses will have to look for other energy sources. This opportunity is relatively
easy to exploit for already established renewable energy companies, but not
necessarily for individuals. This would be a very difficult market to enter as
an individual. However, companies that already produce solar panels may be able
to fill the place of the coal industry.
I see the opportunity because I have heard about the
benefits of renewable energy, especially solar panels since I live in Florida. I
care about the environment, and I believe regulatory trends that promote renewable
energy could be positive.
4. Regulatory change- California legalizing marijuana
I believe there is an opportunity here because the legalization
of marijuana opens up a new market. There is an opportunity for people to sell
it, buy it, and regulate it. It will reduce the amount of people imprisoned for
matters related to marijuana as well.
I think the most likely consumer would be a young adult or
just the average person. The opportunity is relatively difficult to exploit
because there will be new laws surrounding the production and selling of the
product. Since this is a new law, it would take existing capital to start up a
business. I think there are many opportunities with this new regulation to
create new businesses and jobs.
I saw this opportunity because there has been a lot of talk about
the legalization of marijuana in the news for the past couple of months. I have
heard about the pros and cons of this decision. Whether people agree with the decision
politically or not, it does open up a new market and create an opportunity for entrepreneurs.
5A- Identifying Local Opportunities
Identifying Local Opportunities
I am from Tampa, FL, so I chose the Tampa Bay Times as my local newspaper.
The Tampa Bay Times
1. “Judge Orders Sample Ballots in Spanish”
A judge ordered Rick Scott to provide 32 counties with
ballots in both English and Spanish. Since so many Puerto Rican people had to
move due to the hurricane, having the ballots in Spanish would make it much
easier for them to vote in the upcoming election. They are trying to find a
balance between accommodating Spanish speakers, and not overburdening election
supervisors.
The problem- After the hurricane, many Puerto Ricans had to
relocate for safety, and many came to Florida. Elections are approaching, and
it would be much easier for them and other Spanish-speaking people if the
ballots had an option in Spanish. However, this will make the jobs of election
supervisors much more difficult.
Who has the problem- Spanish-Speaking people trying to vote
in Florida
2. “We Have Jobs But Pay’s Low”
Wages in the Tampa Bay Area are lower than the national
average. Wages go to housing and transportation costs. The workforce in Tampa
is growing rapidly. There is a difference in the average wages paid by the hour
across different types of work. Jobs in the private sector are more common and
available, and some industries seem strained.
The problem- wages in the Tampa area are lower than the
national average, especially considering hourly wages.
Who has the problem- people who make hourly wages-
waiters/waitresses, construction workers, landscapers, retail workers, cooks, cashiers,
etc. The majority of people working for an hourly wage in the area
3. “City Proposing Road Diets”
City planners are thinking about narrowing four lanes of
traffic on busy streets down to three. This would allow for the creation of a
bike line or angled parking. The idea is to make the streets useful for
everyone- drivers, bikers, and pedestrians. However, local businesses located
on those streets think they may lose some business as a result. It could also
increase the effects of traffic.
The problem- eliminating driving lanes to make space for
bike lanes or angled parking could negatively impact local businesses, and
increase gridlock traffic.
Who has the problem- business owners in the area, commuters
(because of increased traffic), visitors, drivers in general.
4.
“Parents Start Multifaceted School Safety Effort”
After the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High
School, parents all over Florida have been increasingly worried about their
children’s safety at school. One mother of a child who was nearby the horrific
incident decided to take action, and organized a group called the Coalition for
School Safety. This nonprofit organization seeks to increase funding for safety
in schools. The first project for this organization is taking place at Newsome
High School.
The problem- school shootings have increased the need for
safety in schools. People are afraid for the children at schools.
Who has the problem- students, parents, their families,
teachers, staff, entire communities.
5. “Florida Gas Prices Drop Despite Impending Hurricane
Florence”
Usually gas prices rise when there is an incoming hurricane,
but Florence hasn’t seemed to affect gas prices in Florida. The price of
unleaded gas has actually gone down this past week. Natural disasters can
affect the regional supply of gasoline, making prices higher, but this has not
happened yet.
The problem- natural disasters usually make gas prices go up,
but they have actually been decreasing in the Tampa Bay Area this week.
Who has the problem- gasoline providers, gas station owners,
people who need gasoline, drivers, people evacuating from hurricane Florence
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)