Week 15 Reading Reflection

1) What was the biggest surprise for you in the reading? In other words, what did you read that stood out the most as different from your expectations? 

The biggest surprise to me in this reading is how the loan and borrowing system worked out, especially in the case of the Saryamma family. It really surprised me the two ways they would help families out who could not pay back loans. If a family could not pay back a loan, the other families in the loan program would chip in to help. And if the family, for some reason, did not want to pay back the loan, they would pressure the family into doing so. This really surprises me on how well the families have each other's back and what they have to do for survival. 

2) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

In this reading, there was nothing I was confused about. The journal was well written and clear.

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?

The first question I would ask the author is if he believes Microfinance is a good way to solve poverty indefinitely? I am curious to see why the author believes this would be a permanent solution for poverty. Especially since most of the people who need to take out loans, are not ones to count on.

The second question I would ask the author is what is the best way to know what your customer wants? I want to know what approach or what advice the author has to give to someone if they are trying to target the customer's needs. This is a big one, especially if they emphasized this throughout the article, that a business is open for the customer and what "works" for them.

4) Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?

I would not necessarily disagree with the author about this, but I would dispute that the transportation and meeting up with customers in these third world countries is not expensive. I have visited and stayed in third world countries before and they are nothing compared to the transportation costs here in America. In the article, the author states that transportation costs are expensive, when they are not, compared to how it is in the states. 

Final Reflection

1) Read through your blog from this semester. Recall all of the experiences you've had a long the way -- the highs, the lows -- the fun moments, and the moments of drudgery, and even the moments of dread.

Reading through my entire blog definitely had me recalling some good and bad memories. During the beginning of the semester, I had no clue how this class was ran. I did not know the whole system on to "share before you declare". I just followed what the assignments due dates were and eventually it caught on to me what the declare section was for. Towards the end of the semester around the time of March and April, I missed a few posts because I had back to back exams and I like to put in time and effort in all the posts I write about. Those were definitely the bad experiences, but the good ones were the beginning and when I had time for my blog. 

2) What sticks out to you as the most formative experience? The experience that you'll remember years later? What was your most joyous experience? What experience are you most proud of yourself for accomplishing?

The most formative experience was the post called "Top 5 World Problems". This I find so important because we find our solutions to the world's problems, which eventually have to be resolved. I love this just because I make up my own solutions to stuff but keep them to myself. I wish there was a suggestion box to the people charge of our world wide problems. The post I will remember for years and was the joyous one was what my friends had to say about me. I have the videos saved and appreciate every comment they had to say about me. The experience I am most proud of was my interview between Peggy Adams, the entrepreneur I interviewed in the beginning and the end of the semester. She gave me a lot of insight and is a great role model to have. 

3) At the beginning of the semester, I mentioned that I wanted each of you to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. And we repeated the mantra -- I am an entrepreneur. Now, at the end, do you see yourself as an entrepreneur? Do you think you have moved closer to developing an entrepreneurial mindset?

Now that I finally know the mindset, what it take to define yourself to be an entrepreneur, and what it entails, I am an entrepreneur. For two good reasons. One reason is I finally know how to spell entrepreneur without thinking twice. The second important reason is because I created a product that is unique and that people would use. I would have my own product line, business, income, and I would have to sell it all on my own for it to make it big. That is what entails to being an entrepreneur. Representing and selling yourself at all times, which is something I strongly believe that everyone should be able to do. 

4) What is the one recommendation you would make to the students who are going to journey down this path in the future? What would you recommend they do to perform best in this course? What would you recommend they do to foster that mindset?

A recommendation for students who are serious in the field on entrepreneurship is never back down. If you believe your product is something that is impactful on the community and you have a realistic goal, nothing is impossible. Don't let discouraging words from other keep you from your goals and visions. To perform well in this course, you have to be on top of deadlines and space out your time between assignments evenly. Know what assignments are worth the points and balance all your classes evenly. I know some of my friends who relied a lot on yellow dig, but being good with deadlines and getting accustomed to it will help you for your real world job in the future. To foster this mindset is know what type of student you are. If you forget things easily, put reminders on your phone or on devices you use often. This will get you accustom to not forgetting assignments because it will be in the back of your mind. Hopefully, this will get to the point without you having to make reminders and just remember dates on the top of your head.

Elevator Pitch No. 4

1. https://youtu.be/qdr5ZXUg41Y

Do you like to work out? Do you like to lift heavy things for fun? Well, here is your 2 in 1 water bottle called Evas. Evas has a detachable compartment that stores your personal items such as: your phone, your ID keys and credit cards. This water bottle is perfect for trips to amusement parks and of course, the gym. Never lose your stuff again and trust it with Evas! 

The changes I made in my video was wearing a sports bra and adding that Evas was a heavy water bottle and the ending catch phrase! 

Venture Concept No. 2

The world we live in today has evolved into the world of health and fitness. Now a days, many people follow on social media fitness fanatics and healthy food gurus. This transition of incorporating health and fitness into our every day lives is a positive turn out, especially due to the amount of financial costs the realm of healthcare, the government, and people in society have to pay and fund. Eating healthy and exercising consistently will help reduce that burden on the system of healthcare, but that is only if everyone contributed to keeping that promise to themselves. Lots of people who try and get into the routine often end up falling out of it. That is why my product Evos provides people with no excuses and a safe and organized way to keep their personal belongings at the gym or wherever they are practicing their healthy lifestyle. 

Evas is a 12 ounce water bottle that I have created. This water has a detachable bottom portion that is 3.75 inches long. In this detachable bottom, there is a mold that will be custom made for the phone the customer has and will also hold the individual’s credit cards, debit cards, keys, and ID’s. The water bottle will be able to hold 7 ounces of water and is quite aesthetically good looking. The water bottle is heavy, which is why I have a specific customer demographic. The water bottle can be used as a weight, since it will hold the material, the water, and their personal belongings. The reason for the 7 ounces of liquid capacity is due to the mold in the bottom compartment, which fits the person's smartphone, ID's, and cards. This is also due to how tall the water bottle is, which is 14 inches long. This type of water bottle is for someone who is all about fitness and keeping their items in one place. 

The purpose of the detachable bottom is to be able to remove it from the actual water part of the water bottle and place it in a secure place like a locker or safe, that way your belongings will remain in one place and do not distract you or inconvenience your work out. There have been some questions about people being able to identify the water bottle for having valuables and having them stolen, but the detachable bottom was a 4 digit code before anyone can have access to it AND also has a GPS location like Find My iPhone has for Apple products. The service will be able to notify and tell the person exactly where the water bottle is, so if there is someone who takes your valuables from you, you know where they are headed to. 

This water bottle was designed to fit and make the lives of gym goers more at ease and organized. I know I am one to misplace and lose things at the gym, such as my phone. I am also one to use a water bottle, and if I were to this water bottle, it would be a 2 in 1, since I always have my phone on me AND I always have a water bottle with me. The reason for the name Evas is the purpose of the water bottle. Evans means “one” in Greek. One for being two in one product. I know this product would improve the lives of many, such as organization and optimization of space and having your valuables in one place. 

If we are getting into specifics, I am targeting muscle heads who carry their protein shakes with them in their hands. I would consider a person as dedicated to their fitness somewhere around the age of 26-37. For women, it would be a little younger, from 24-34. I know this because I used to work in a facility where there would be older men and women working out around those ages. I also go to the gym a lot with people around these ages, and they are super passionate about their bodies, staying healthy and fit, and staying hydrated. I know with this product, their lives would be easier to handle and maintain their passions and goals. 

This product means a lot to me, because it is a solution to a careless act to one self; which is loosing valuables. If you pay a lot of money for a well made water bottle that is basically carrying your wallet, keys and phone… there is a very low percentage of misplacing or loosing this water bottle. Even if it does get misplaces, you know where to find it due to the app created like thinned My iPhone one, to retrieve your valuables. It also has the 4 digit code as an extra form of protection. So if your water bottle is misplaced, no one can have access to your belongings without knowing your code. 

2. Most of my feedback contained positive remarks about my idea and improvements to make on my product. The students who commented on my post said that "it was a very good idea" and that "they had never heard of [this] before". Which is what I was aiming for this entire semester. People definitely understood the concept of being hydrated and not loosing their items. Some of the improvements students suggested was presenting a photo and here is a sketch of the water bottle below. 

3. For this venture concept, I kept everything the same except I changed more of the reason why the water bottle is 7 ounces of liquid capacity. I explained and hopefully give a more logical reason and will attract more costumers who live this type of lifestyle. 

Google Gold

1) A discussion of your general approach and strategy to search engine optimiation (SEO). What were some of the activities you did for each blog post to pursue SEO? 

Ways that I promoted my SEO was definitely making sure I had something written in the labels of each post. This is a target strategy that people use to narrow down their results. Another way I promoted SEO was posting my blog on my twitter account profile. When you search my name on google, my twitter account pops up and there is an easy access to my blog!

2) What were your keywords. How did you select those keywords? Did you change or refine your keywords through the semester?

Some keywords I used were #gators, #uf, and #entrepreneurship. Gators because, well GO GATORS. And of course, UF is one I use at least 10 times a day when I am on a search engine because it entails my UF email, UF e-learning, and UF self services. Throughout the semester, I did not refine any of my keywords. Other keywords I used were #waterbottle and #2in1 because my product is a water bottle and is something that is 2 in 1. Holds everything!  

3) How did you use social media to enhance your SEO efforts? What were your surprises or general impression of using social media to improve your blog's profile? Was social media generally receptive of your blog, or did it get ignored?

I mostly used twitter, since I follow a lot and am followed by a lot of UF students. Another reason I used twitter is it is a spontaneous blog that just allows only a certain number of characters in the box. The google blog is one that takes time but is unlimited in the amount of characters you can write. My impression of using social media was definitely increasing the amount of blog views and getting my name out there. 

4) What was your most "viral" post? In other words, which post obtained the most traffic? Why do you think?

The post that obtained the most traffic was the one where I chose 5 of my friends to talk about what was my unique quality. I think the reason for that was because I promoted that on twitter and tagged my friends when I shared that link. They definitely enjoyed seeing themselves on my blog. 

5) Finally, did you make it to the first page of Google results for your keywords? If not, what page of results did you make it to?

Sadly, I did not make it to the first page of Google results, but I did make it for the results for #entrepreneurship and #uf together. 

Week 14 Reading Reflection

1) What was the biggest surprise for you in the reading? In other words, what did you read that stood out the most as different from your expectations? 

The biggest surprise in this reading was the explicit saying of "not punishing" failures. I have always thought failures should be punished, but in this section the author explains why we should not punish ourselves, but learn from them.

2) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

In this reading, the reference to corporate entrepreneurship throughout the beginning of the chapter confused me, but I eventually distinguished it correctly as I read more. 

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?

The first question I would ask the author would be if he has ever used strategic entrepreneurship before? I want to know his experience in planning. The second question would be what obstacles has he faced in corporate entrepreneurship/innovation? I want to know this because I want to know what obstacles he faced and how he handled them.

4) Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?

In this chapter, I do not disagree with anything the author stated. 

Very Short Interview, Part 2

For this exercise, I would like you to revisit that first conversation you had with an entrepreneur. In that initial interview, you asked an entrepreneur three questions. Now, revisit this interview and think about the questions you asked and the answers they provided you. From where you stand now, what is your impression of that initial interview?

I revisited my Very Short Interview No. 1 and found that my questions sounded like a beginner in an entrepreneurship track/class. From that interview, I learned a lot of advice from an entrepreneur that accomplished herself through her ups and downs. 

Second, visit the entrepreneur again. Record the interview if possible. The three questions you ask this time are entirely up to you. Let your experiences in this course drive what questions you ask -- and that will be very different for each of you! 

I interviewed Peggy Adams, who is a mother of two and was a fashion designer for children's clothing for decades and also, an author. She is well experienced in the field and is very wise. What makes her an entrepreneur is her fashion design for children's clothing was all created and designed by her.

1. How did you handle being a mother and an entrepreneur at the same time?
It was hard at first, like anything usually is. But I knew it was something I wanted to do, so I had to sacrifice going out with friends and a lot of my free time was dedicated to spending time with my kids because that was the only time I was able to. My mother helped out a lot in raising my kids.

2. Was there ever a time you felt like giving up?
Yes, and that is normal. Especially in the field of entrepreneurship, you will feel alone and down at times. But when you finally make it, it feels right and worth it.

3. Do you think entrepreneurs have to have good connections/networks?
Absolutely yes. You need to know and meet certain people in order to stay afloat in this business. There are some people I could not imagine not meeting because they were a part of my successful business. 

Third, after the interview, try to gather some sense of how far you have come in this class. In your post, discuss your comfort level in talking about entrepreneurship in this interview now, compared to three months ago. Did the entrepreneur convey a sense that they thought you had progressed in your journey?

I feel very comfortable in talking about the business of entrepreneurship. Compared to three months ago, I definitely have learned a lot about what it takes to be an entrepreneur and the strategic planning, money talk, and persuasion that has to come within a person to be a successful one. I have progressed a lot and I know I can approach anyone in this field with ease, which Peggy brought out of me. 

Celebrating Failure

This semester has been a tough one. I am a person who is involved but always keep my academics first before anything else. This semester was hard to balance that, especially since I am taking even hard courses as I go on through my journey here at UF. I had to drop a class this semester. It was not due to not knowing the material, but performing bad on the exams. That was due to having my volunteering for Shands on Wednesdays before my exams for that class. Shands is a very competitive programs to get into and stay in, which is why I could not miss volunteering the days of my exams. My volunteering was a 20 minute drive from campus and from 8:30 am to 11:30 am and my exam time was at 12:50 pm. My biggest failure was time management and not moving around my volunteering to avoid performing bad on the day of exams.
I learned that it is okay to drop a class, because you will know better for next time you take it.
Failure is definitely embarrassing and not something I feel like sharing with people. I learned that I am human and that humans make mistakes. Clearly, I know that this will never happen again because I never want to feel embarrassed from sharing how I am doing in school. This is a learning experience so I can learn more about myself and how to balance failure and success. Although, this class is very difficult and lots of my friends have also dropped it, this class has shown me that I can take risks for the better.

Week 13 Reading Reflection

1) What was the biggest surprise for you in the reading? In other words, what did you read that stood out the most as different from your expectations? 

The biggest surprise in this chapter was the amount of planning and time it takes for managing entrepreneur growth. I never knew there were life cycles for managing them. 

2) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

In this chapter, nothing really was confusing to me. I understood everything discussed.

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?
One question I would ask the author is what type of tips would he give entrepreneurs for keeping their time manageable? The second question I would ask the author is why innovation is so important in the entrepreneur world?  

4) Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?

In this chapter, I do not disagree nor think the author is wrong about anything mentioned in this chapter. 

Week 12 Reading Reflection

1) What was the biggest surprise for you in the reading? In other words, what did you read that stood out the most as different from your expectations? 

The biggest surprise in this chapter for me was the research about entrepreneurial and strategic actions often intended to find a new market place for a firm to create wealth. There is a lot of studies and proven facts about how important the quality of planning must be in order for events to run smoothly. 

2) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

In this chapter, there was nothing confusing to me. I absolutely love the way the author organized the chapter and I love organizing! 

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?

First question would be, when has he ever seen strategic planning fail?" And the second question would be, "What strategic positioning does he use?" because he explains how important it is to have one and I would like to know what his is. 

4) Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?

I do not think the author was wrong about anything in the chapter. Especially sine he gave a lot of facts and information I did not know about strategic planning before. 

Venture Concept No. 1

In today’s society, we have evolved into the world of health and fitness. Now a days, many people follow on social media fitness fanatics and healthy food gurus. This transition of incorporating health and fitness into our every day lives is a positive turn out, especially due to the amount of financial costs the realm of healthcare, the government, and people in society have to pay and fund. Eating healthy and exercising consistently will help reduce that burden on the system of healthcare, but that is only if everyone contributed to keeping that promise to themselves. Lots of people who try and get into the routine often end up falling out of it. That is why my product Evos provides people with no excuses and a safe and organized way to keep their personal belongings at the gym or wherever they are practicing their healthy lifestyle. 

Evas is a 12 ounce water bottle that I have created. This water has a detachable bottom portion that is 3.75 inches long. In this detachable bottom, there is a mold that will be custom made for the phone the customer has and will also hold the individual’s credit cards, debit cards, keys, and ID’s. The water bottle will be able to hold 7 ounces of water and is quite aesthetically good looking. The water bottle is heavy, which is why I have a specific customer demographic. The water bottle can be used as a weight, since it will hold the material, the water, and their personal belongings. 

The purpose of the detachable bottom is to be able to remove it from the actual water part of the water bottle and place it in a secure place like a locker or safe, that way your belongings will remain in one place and do not distract you or inconvenience your work out. There have been some questions about people being able to identify the water bottle for having valuables and having them stolen, but the detachable bottom was a 4 digit code before anyone can have access to it AND also has a GPS location like Find My iPhone has for Apple products. The service will be able to notify and tell the person exactly where the water bottle is, so if there is someone who takes your valuables from you, you know where they are headed to. 

This water bottle was designed to fit and make the lives of gym goers more at ease and organized. I know I am one to misplace and lose things at the gym, such as my phone. I am also one to use a water bottle, and if I were to this water bottle, it would be a 2 in 1, since I always have my phone on me AND I always have a water bottle with me. The reason for the name Evas is the purpose of the water bottle. Evans means “one” in Greek. One for being two in one product. I know this product would improve the lives of many, such as organization and optimization of space and having your valuables in one place. 

If we are getting into specifics, I am targeting muscle heads who carry their protein shakes with them in their hands. I would consider a person as dedicated to their fitness somewhere around the age of 26-37. For women, it would be a little younger, from 24-34. I know this because I used to work in a facility where there would be older men and women working out around those ages. I also go to the gym a lot with people around these ages, and they are super passionate about their bodies, staying healthy and fit, and staying hydrated. I know with this product, their lives would be easier to handle and maintain their passions and goals. 

This product means a lot to me, because it is a solution to a careless act to one self; which is loosing valuables. If you pay a lot of money for a well made water bottle that is basically carrying your wallet, keys and phone… there is a very low percentage of misplacing or loosing this water bottle. Even if it does get misplaces, you know where to find it due to the app created like thinned My iPhone one, to retrieve your valuables. It also has the 4 digit code as an extra form of protection. So if your water bottle is misplaced, no one can have access to your belongings without knowing your code. 

So far, the only competitors would be the company Contigo, since they have a place to hold your phone, but ONLY your phone. Also the water bottle holds more water than Evas, but is not as aesthetically good looking as Evas is destined to be. It would be hard for customers to switch to my product, since people are not used to having all their valuables out in the open in one place out there like that. But the switch would be revolutionary and change the way people create ordinary water bottles. We need to get people into drinking more water and getting more physically active in order to have an over healthier population. My water bottle keeps people who already dedicated people to health, dedicated to health. People who are not as dedicated might get influenced and buy one and start to live the lives of fitness fanatics, and might be considered one by the time they consistently are seen at the gym and see improvements in the way they feel and their body. 

This water bottle sets mine apart from every other water bottle because it actually has a separate compartment made for person values. No other water bottle on the market has the separate entity. I have received great feedback from my fellow peers. The only suggestions I have gotten are about creating the actual model, which I have done, and having actual dimensions for the water bottle to be created and measured for. With all this feedback, I know Evas would be a new way of using a water bottle and advocating for healthy lifestyles. 

Amazon Whisperer

• Describe the revenue drivers you currently include in your business concept for this class. Revenue drivers are the different ways you make money.
  
  The way I would make money off my water bottle would be to sell it in certain stores that target my specific demographic of customers. These stores would be Sports Authority, Vitamin Shoppe, FootLocker, etc. I could even sell it at book stores on campus, which is where a lot of parents and students buy things to take home.  
• Describe what kind of product offering you believe should be next. What's the next thing your customers want?
  
  The next thing my customers would want, after my water bottle, would be a modification/upgrade in protein shakers. I always see committed people in the gym with their protein shaker and a water bottle because they are both used for different purposes.
• Describe how this "next" thing will enhance your existing product/service offering. Does it improve the user experience, does it increase customer switching costs, does it foster customer loyalty, etc.?
  
  My "next" thing would enhance the loyalty of the customers to my company's line. They know how well my water bottle is built and what type of conveniences it offers, so a modification in a protein shaker would enhance their experience at the gym, which is my target audience. 
• Go to Amazon and try to find a product that is similar to the one you want to offer next. Describe the product. Include a picture of the product.
  
  This is similar just because all the protein shakers on amazon used the generic metal ball to separate their protein thoroughly. This one does NOT use a metal ball, which I would modify because the metal ball does and bottle start to smell bad. 

• What are the customer reviews for the product? What, exactly, do customers not like about the product? What do they like about it?
  
  Two consistent flaws that customers rated about the product was "no airflow which makes drinking out of the small mouthpiece difficult" and the batteries are drained if you use the bottle often. They love how professional looking the bottle is and how it is geared for USE of professionals. 
• Describe what design/usability changes you'd make to the product.
  
  Changes I would make to this product is the change of battery life, straw size, and the blade to be easier to clean. There were some complaints of cleaning the blade and how it affected the taste of the protein after a couple of weeks. Overall, the design according to customers and experts is "professional" looking. 
• Describe why you think this product would make a good addition to your current product/service offering.
  
  This product would make a great addition to my current product because it goes a long with the theme of my first product, which is to stay healthy and live a healthy life style. Both these products are made for people to maintain their shape or get back into shape. This offers the best of both worlds for two different people with common goals; their health.
  
  

Week 11 Reading Reflection

1) What was the biggest surprise for you in the reading? In other words, what did you read that stood out the most as different from your expectations? 

What surprised me the most in this reading was the definition of strategy. I loved the way the author of this article stated it and said that it was a "commitment of behaviors and policies that one chooses and plans to abide. Some people in this day in age, do not know the true definition of what a strategy is. Pisano describes it perfectly.

2) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

I understood everything in this article. Well written and lots of pictures and timelines helped!

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?

The first question I would the author is what are good steps to creating and building a strategy? The second one would be, what advice who he give to someone who has fallen off track of their strategy and commitments?

4) Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?

For this article, Pisano stated both views and shared evidence against claims. I do not disagree with any of his points.

Growing My Social Capital

1) Who they are and what their background is.

My business is the world of fitness. I interviewed one of my good friends Devin Goodkin, who recently earned a certification in Fitness Training. He is a huge advocate for weight lifting, eating healthy, and living a healthy life style. My product and him go hand in hand, where he can sue my water bottle for this personal belongings at the gym, and still live his passion through weight lifting as well. 

The second person I interviewed was my other good friend Kenzie Conol. She is another gym fanatic and goes to UF with me. She is currently taking classes in health and nutrition. 

The third person I interviewed coincidentally was Kenzie's sister, Savannah Conol. Savannah actually works for a protein company and of course, enjoys the gym just like her sister does.

2) Which 'slot' you are filling with each person (i.e., domain expert, market expert, supplier), and how the person fills the spot.

Devin is an expert on the market, since he not only is taking classes in health education, but also trains people at the gym and on their diet. He also is a huge water bottle and protein user. So he would definitely use my water bottle, since it keeps everything together and can also be used as a weight. 

Kenzie is a domain expert, since she values the gym so highly and is someone who is strongly engaged in the activity of fitness and.. using water bottles and protein shakes. 

Savannah is my supplier of the industry, since her company also distributes water bottles, protein shakes, and is well known in the state of Florida. Her company is called Lenny and Larry's! 

3) A description of how you found the person and contacted the person.

I actually first met Devin at the gym back at home. At the gym, he really helped everyone with weights and how to properly do certain exercises correctly, without too much strain on joints and muscles. I stay in contact with him since he is a really good friend of mine and we both like to workout together. 

I met Kenzie during my freshman year of college and I met her sister recently. 

4) The nature of the exchange you have with the person -- what favor did they do for you? What is the return expectation? 

Devin spoke to his gym junkies at his university in St. Louis and got a lot of friends interested in my product. The return expectation is just to get Devin's name out there as a certified trainer. 

There was no favor to return to Savannah and Kenzie. 

5) How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity?

Keeping Devin in my network, keeps future customers close and in reach, since Devin is a good friend of mine and is strongly dedicated and passionate for fitness. He also keeps friends with similar interests very close to him as well. 

Keeping both Kenzie and Savannah in my network will keep my supplier and my future users of my product near me and on good terms. 

Reflect: This network experience was a personal one, only because I am a part of the fitness world as well, so my friends are also strongly connected. This experience differs from experiences in the past because this field is something I created and chose, while other experiences of interviewing were assignments I had to complete. 

Week 10 Reading Reflection

1) What was the biggest surprise for you in the reading? In other words, what did you read that stood out the most as different from your expectations? 

The most shocking thing that I encountered during this reading was all the financial explaining and documents entrepreneurs had to not only understand, but explain and figure out. Before, I would have thought that entrepreneurs in this department just hired someone to do the financial work for them. But, in actuality it does make sense for entrepreneurs to do their own financial statements as mentioned in the chapter because they have to understand everything that incorporates their business. 

2) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

To this day, it is still confusing to me about what exactly the liability of accounts payable is. I know that the goods are purchased on credit, but I still do not udnerstand what the 30 day net means. 

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?

The first question I would ask the author is if he has ever met any entrepreneurs that do not do their own financial recordings? And if so, does Kuratko think they are just as successful as someone who is responsible for their own financial records? I want to know if there is an advantage or disadvantage to doing your own financial statements.

4) Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?

I do not disagree with anything in this chapter because in this chapter there was a lot of information given, especially on financial methods and accounting terms, which I am not as knowledgable as someone who is studying accounting. 

Elevator Pitch No. 3

1. Here is my 3rd Pitch on my product!

https://youtu.be/lRclXVREoo4

2. Feedback from classmates: I received a lot of positive reinforcement from my peers. Especially on how I started my videos with questions and tried to make them entertaining. I think everyone can relate to humor, and I am glad I have that ability and incorporate that in my pitch.

3. I changed the background and this time wore work out clothes! In the other videos I was wearing my regular clothes for school that day. No one ever commented on my outfit, but I decided to go with the scene of my product.

My Secret Sauce

1) Describe five ways in which you think you have human capital that is truly unique. What is it about you, exactly, that makes you different? Write this up in a detailed list. 

I believe what sets myself apart from others is my determination and my loyalty to my decisions, friends, family, organizations, and most importantly myself. What I believe in, is what I reflect. I believe in making things happen, not just spitting out ideas. I am the person that executes events and lives at the library studying for my classes. Without my inner determination, I would not be the successful, happy person that has the most special friend group. You can see I am a loyal person as well, because of the trust my friends, family, co workers, and past bosses have in me would speak for itself. 

The third quality that makes me different is how caring I am for everything I believe in. When I see my friends throw a water bottle on the street, I tell them that is not right. Pick it up and throw it away in a trash bin/recycling bin. That no matter what my friends do, I have to stand up for what I believe in and educate them.

My fourth and last quality would be my connections and how I am a great influence on people. My friends who work at a news paper station in Gainesville always come to me to find people in different majors and colleges. I always provide them with great connections because I have lots of friends in different areas. I am in a sorority, I am in Student Government, I am involved in lots of organizations on campus, and know a lot of people around the world. Last is my influence. Its not that I get people to do what I want, which is a horrible thing to do, but I know how to teach, educate, and get people to understand certain issues and stories that they can not seem to grasp. 

These 5 qualities are what make me different.

2) Interview the five people who know you the best. Ask them what they think makes you different -- remember, focus on your knowledge, skills, abilities, emotions -- in other words, your human capital. Try to stay away from discussing your other types of capital (such as who you know). Record each interview. In your blog post, please post each interview, as well as a two-three sentence summary of each interview, explaining what your key takeaways are.

1. https://youtu.be/9gXPzrKU4ao
My very close friend Yaima. Known her for 6 years.

2. https://youtu.be/qg4riWxTFQI
My best friend who I only met last year at UF, Thomas.
3.https://youtu.be/JslfwAXJVXg
My friend Miguel. Met him last year at UF.
4. https://youtu.be/WkPsHeOUiUc
My first friend Olivia in my sorority.
5. https://youtu.be/izpSLLyG9ko
My big Bianca!!!

3) Reflect on the differences. How do you see yourself, and how do others see you? Are there differences in how you assess yourself compared to others? What do you think causes these differences? Do you think your interviewees are correct about you? Finally, going back to your list from part 1, would you make any corrections to the list? How? 

The way I see myself, is similar to what my friends say about me and I am content. My interviewees are correct about how they view me. I am caring, I love to volunteer, and I love to stand up for what I believe in. 

I would not make any corrections, I stand by what I say because it is all very similar of what my friends said about me. 

Week 9 Reading Reflection

1) What was the biggest surprise for you in the reading? In other words, what did you read that stood out the most as different from your expectations? 

The biggest surprise in this reading for me was how important social media is for marketing companies. It all seems very simple, but this tactic can make it or break it for a company and in this chapter, Kuratko makes that clear by listening what a marketer has to incorporate in his idea. 

2) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

In this chapter, nothing was confusing to me because it was all about social media and I am a very tech savy person. I understood everything very well. Mostly because most of my friends are marketing majors and have explained all of their topics discussed in class. 

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?

The first question I would ask the author is when was a time he had to come up with a marketing idea for anything? I want to see what approach he took and what his idea was. The second question would be what is his favorite type of marketing tactic? Just curious!

4) Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How? 

I agree with everything the author wrote about in this chapter. He is write about how entrepreneurs should price their idea, service, etc and the information and advice he speaks about is something I would follow. 

Idea Napkin No. 2

1) You. Who you are. What your talents are. What your skills and experiences are. Also: what are your aspirations? Specifically regarding your business concept, how do you see this business (if you were to start it) playing a role in your life?

Well, incorporating my business of my water bottle that holds your valuables, I think this would help my skills of being organized and not loosing my personal valuables. My aspirations are is to be a healthy person (physically and diet wise). My water bottle would help me in doing so as a constant reminder of drinking plenty of water and going to the gym daily.

2) What are you offering to customers? Describe the product or service (in other words, how you'll solve customers' unmet needs). 

To customers, I am offering a motivational piece that also serves as a container for water and their personal values such as their phone, credit cards, keys, and ID's. The product is the water bottle that has a removable mold that fits their phone and has space for their valuables. 

3) Who are you offering it to? Describe, in as much detail as possible, the demographic and psychographic characteristics of your customers. Think especially of this question: what do your customers all have in common?

I am offering this product to students who go to the gym often, ages 18-24. Students can be undergrad and graduate. This will most probably be males and females who share the same aspirations of body building. They all care about having everything with them at the gym.

4) Why do they care? Your solution is only valuable insofar as customers believe its valuable to them. Here, explain why customers will actually pay you money to use your product or service. 

I care about this problem because I know how it is to lose cell phones, ear phones, water bottles, and money at the gym and have it lost forever. This water bottle has a removable bottom and can be safely put in a locker, but the other half is your water bottle. The water bottle also acts as a weight. Two in one!

5) What are your core competencies? What sets you apart from everyone else? Also: what do you have that nobody else has? 

Water bottles now a days do not have a removable mold that can contain your phone, credit cards, ID's, and keys. Also, this water bottle is a weight, and not all water bottle are that heavy to be considered that heavy. 

From all these 5 points, I think the main thing that ties everything together is the fact that everything is in one place and has to be valued, because all the person's valuables are in the container. These aspects are not weaker joints, and not out-siders, but just components into a product that make it what it is and attracts customers. 

The feedback I received was to show a picture of my model, which I do have and created on a program called AutoCAD (engineering/architecture program). The water bottle looks aesthetically in the image as a voss water bottle, but is made out of stainless steel. The removable bottom is a mold, that would be chosen under what phone the person has. So they would chose a water bottle with a mold for an iPhone5, not an iPhone6, because the 6 is bigger than the iPhone5. 

Half-way Reflection

Hello future ENT3003 student. You aren up for a challenge. A challenge of keeping up with dates and assignments that may seem pointless, but have shown me that I have come a long way.

1. In this course, I kept up with every single assignment and completed it before the 9pm deadline. How I did this you ask? I check canvas every day, no matter how hard I partied the night before or stayed up late studying for my Orgo exam.. I still checked to see what assignments I had to complete for ENT. I guess the behavior to stick with is consistency of checking canvas every day, and discipline of actually doing so. Those two are key behaviors to obtain and express in this course. 

2. For one assignment, it was due 2 days before one of my big Orgo exams. I needed to study and that was the day the "Free Money" assignment was due. I thought about not doing it, but my friend convinced me to do the assignment during my study break and I thought it was a great idea and completed the assignment. I was really happy that I decided to do the right thing and actually do the assignment. 

3. Three tips I would offer next semester for a student enrolled is: 1) find a buddy in the class to remind you about dates due for certain assignments and to do the recordings with. 2) Be persistent. No matter how many people deny you for interviews, don't stop. Find your 5 people to get full credit for the assignment. 3) Have a portable video camera or lots of space on your phone. You will be taking lots of videos of interviews and pitches.  

Week 8 Reading Reflection

This weeks reading was interesting because it was more focused on business and capital.

1. The biggest surprise to me in this chapter was how commercial banking worked and their slow decline in the economy. Currently there are only 7,000 commercial banks, and by the end of the decade there will be a predicted 4,000 left. Commercial banking give out a certain number of loans, and that includes to entrepreneurs.

2. One part of the reading that was confusing was crowdfunding. I have witnessed social lending between parents and stories told by my parents, but never heard of crowdfunding. In the book, crowdfunding is defined as banking 2.0. I had to google it after my reading of that section and then reread it after.

3. The first question I would ask the author is if he thinks social lending is a positive action for the economy, or does it affect the economy negatively? The second question I would ask if he had no other choice to debt finance, would he do it, or not? He jots down advantages and disadvantages in the book.

4. In the chapter. the author talks about equity financing, which is the process of the entrepreneur sharing the company with the person who funded his idea/service. The author describes the process as time consuming, difficult, and expensive. Now, with all of the adjectives listed, I agree with except, expensive for who? Not exactly the entrepreneur, but for the person lending and investing the money into the product. That is the only thing that I found that I would disagree with the author.

Week 7 Reading Reflection

1. My biggest surprise in this reading is the huge dedication and field built around researching consumer's buying patterns. I figured there would be another level of research in this type of field. For example, studying what the consumers NEED and making/creating products for that. The type of people researching the field of market segmentation just does not seem as essential as finding what consumers need. Then again, it is a "vulnerable technique".

2. The part that was extremely confusing to me was the part where it focuses on senior management. I have no idea what the difference is between senior management than management. Yes, we are in a society where we are very technology savvy, but is that what the author is referring to? Seniors as in the elderly or just management that is ranked higher than regular employees? This part confused me.

3. A question I would ask the author is which research field is most effective in finding what consumers will buy?  I would like to know what approach works best for researchers. Another question I have for the author is what type of advice would he give to a person starting a business? Just something I would like to know!

4. The part thatI do not think the author was wrong about, but I believe that the which attitudes matter to the buying decision is not as good as the reason I cam up with. Yes, it is easier to sell something to a person who is considered a push over or a recessive personality compared to a dominant personality, but I feel that, attitude does not have as much emphasize as much as mood coming into the store.

Free Money

For this assignment, I went to Turlington. A place where students are walking in and out of the library. Probably to go out to exercise or go out to eat. I approached students with earphones on, on their phones, and walking by me. To get the conversation started, I used 2 methods. Two of them I bluntly asked them if they wanted a $1. The other method that was way too long to compress the videos, I told them good luck on midterms and to take this dollar. That one worked way better to take my money than the first approach. Out of the five attempts, I gave away $2.

Here are the videos of the first approach:
1. https://youtu.be/EzwGp7N3pxw
2. https://youtu.be/1wAvroNEZBU

Elevator Pitch No. 2

1. https://youtu.be/QFNhLO8rR9E

2. What stands out to me that is very important in a pitch is getting the potential's customer attention. Thats why in the beginning of my pitches, I always ask the customer a question that will lead to a yes and target the specific kind of audience I want to intrigue. At the time of comments, my video for some reason was not working so I did not receive any silly comments about my first pitch video. But I did receive positive feedback about my idea!

3. What I changed was: the scenery and made it a lot of shorter, but still contained the same amount of information that I used in my first video.

Interviewing Customers No. 3

Before I state my interview strategy, my product again is a water bottle that a had a detachable bottom compartment has a mold that fits smartphones, IDs, keys, and credit cards. This water bottle weighs 7.5 pounds with 12 ounces of water it it, as well. My interview strategy is to get people to realize that having an item that carries all your valuables in one place is a necessity and worth carrying the weight. 

I asked again, random people in different places. 

2. 
https://youtu.be/4TJHp12wKUc
https://youtu.be/ikIEmLC8umU
https://youtu.be/gCgAkXepUPohttps://youtu.be/wtNo-I5rERg
https://youtu.be/70KWV05dpik

3. From this interview, I learned that when you change the strategy for questions to get people to realize what they need, the answers become exactly what you need to hear. I expected people to realize that even though the water bottle weighs, they still can benefit from having all of their valuables in one place.