Week 15 Reading Reflection

FINAL REFLECTION EVER!!! LOL

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? 

It wasn't so much as a big surprise, but it was definitely that hooked me to the article: the intro.  From the title I wasn't sure what to expect, but reading about the personal experience of someone with so many negative forces against them, and being able to still continue is amazing.  I admire that Akula's firm fights against all odds to improve the world of microfinancing for the less fortunate, even if it means they may not be on the winning end.  I did not expect the article to be this interesting based on the title.

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

No part was necessarily confusing, per se. If I had to choose something it would have to be the concept of microfinancing as a whole.  I know the gist of its definition, but I don't necessarily know how it works.  While the author was talking about how he was working in microfinancing, he talked about how there had to be a better way to scale up microfinance in India to better help the poor population.  I got what he was trying to say, but I wish I understood more of the logistical parts.

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?
You've done tremendous work in India, do you plan on expanding to other poor countries to improve conditions there in terms of microfinancing? Why or why not?  If you could go back in time, is there anything you would do differently in terms of your own business?

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

This is my final time saying this....no I do not think the author was wrong about anything in particular; my reasoning behind this (for the 100th time) is that I can't really argue on a subject matter I am not proficient in and/or an expert in.

Final Reflection

Here is my final reflection of everything that has gone on this semester!

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.
I think some of the highs of this semester is that I surprised myself with how much I could actually accomplish.  I used to be very shy and I wouldn't really be able to approach people randomly to interview, so being able to confidently interview other students was a big step for me.  Some of my low moments were definitely the times where I would forget a deadline to an assignment; it happened way too often in the beginning and regret that very much, but I was able to recover in the end!  I think I had the most fun being able to develop an idea and see it grow throughout this semester; I never thought I'd be doing something like that but I enjoyed the experience.

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 venture concept, it really allowed me to delve into detail about what I wanted to accomplish with my business idea and it put it into a more organized format.  The experience I will remember the most is the elevator pitches, and how many times I screwed up and had to film all over; I had never done a pitch like that before.  My most joyous experience was the free money assignment; just seeing the smiles on people's faces and approaching them randomly was really fun to me haha.  The thing I am most proud of is this blog itself; I have put a lot of work into these assignments and the blog has showcased all of them the best way possible.

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?
Even though this experience has taught me well, I still don't think I am a full blown entrepreneur...not just yet.  I still think I have much more to learn before I can confidently say I am an entrepreneur, but at least I can say I am heading in the right direction.

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?
My best recommendation is to give this your all; you will only get what you put into it.  Really try your best to complete the assignments to the best of you ability because then you'll be able to really see progress in yourself.  To foster the entrepreneurial mindset, don't be to quick to say no or that you can't do it; if you haven't tried, then you don't know.  Make sure to push yourself outside of your comfort zone, and that's when you will truly see growth.

Venture Concept No. 2

Here goes nothing!!

Opportunity

It feels as time goes on, the amount of pressure and stress college students suffer from increases more and more.  According to an Associated Press survey taken in 2008, 80% of college students from some type of stress at any given time.  Unfortunately, not many students have an outlet for this stress and too much stress can possibly lead to anxiety and other serious health issues. This is where I saw that I have an opportunity to help college students find a positive and fun way to alleviate their stress.  I think the reason so many young students are so stressed is because as the world keeps evolving, the real world gets more competitive; it is not enough to be okay, but we have to strive to stand out and be the best in our area of expertise.  Geographically/demographically the main issues are on or near college campuses and wherever students are really.  I think the current way that students try to de-stress is by exercising, picking up a craft, reading, etc.; the only problem with this is that each method is not as applicable to a wide variety of people or many students still don’t feel relaxed after it, so there’s not much loyalty there.  I think this window opportunity will only continue to open if society and college keeps running the way they does.

Innovation

So my innovation isn’t really new in terms of idea, but it is new in that it has never really been introduced to Western society yet: a dog café.  Dog cafés are a big part Asian culture and society, ESPECIALLY in South Korea (I spent 5 months studying abroad there).  So I thought it would be great to introduce this concept to the U.S: like Starbucks but more fun.  So at this café, people will get a chance to order from a diverse menu (coffees, teas, smoothies, specialty drinks, cakes, cookies, sandwiches, etc) that all have a sort of dog theme to them, all while being able to play and pet loving puppy friends.  The price range, for reference, is similar to what Starbucks offers.

Venture Concept

So with my innovation of the dog café, I really think I can make a positive impact on college campuses and their students.  By locating these dog cafes near the edges of college campuses, I want to be able to give students where they can retreat from their daily school struggles and unwind with a good bite to eat and some happy furry friends that will give them lots of slobbery kisses until they smile.  Research studies have shown that dogs have the ability to lower blood pressure, stress, and anxiety in people; UF has brought dogs onto campus during exam weeks in order to help students unwind.  My concept would be more of a permanent solution.  I think that many students would enjoy my service because the café environment is relaxing and a social area where they can openly play with dogs whenever they want; I don’t think the switch will be hard because many students I have interviewed and talked to have mentioned that they would like to have dogs but their living situations or schedules won’t allow them, so this is a less risky solution.  Currently there are no competitors in my field! This is the most advantageous aspect of my venture.  My possible vulnerabilities would be late competitors or copy cats.  My business concept is defined primarily on the customer experience; I want everyone walking into the café to feel great once they leave.

Final 3 Elements

My most important resources is of course the actual dogs.  I want to be able to work alongside the Alachua Humane Society and other animal shelters in Gainesville to be able to use the dogs; that way we support adoption and give these dogs a better chance at new lives and more human interaction. I think the dogs, alongside with my dog themed menu and design, will make it hard for competitors to surpass me once I hit the ground running.
As for what’s next for the venture, I am not necessarily sure.  I think the next opportunity would be maybe create a cat café? Haha
As for what’s next for me, I am also not sure.  I want to pour my all into this business and make it the best it can be before I move on to bigger and better things.  Whatever I end up doing I hope that it will have a positive impact on at least one person; if I can do that then I feel like I have already won.

**Bau House: top cafe in Seoul, South Korea**

Elevator Pitch No. 4

LAST ELEVATOR PITCH!!!!! AHHHHH!

So once again, I decided to not deviate that much from my second or third elevator pitches because a lot of the feedback I have received from all of you has been positive and all constructive criticism I adjusted to in the earlier pitches.  I think for this pitch my main focus was to seem more relaxed and approachable; I know it may not sound so professional, but I didn't want my tone to come off so stiff like it had in previous videos. Also, I think it's super hard to fit all that I want to say about my business in 60 seconds haha. Hope you all enjoy and let me know what you think!!

** sorry for the awkward thumbnail of my face xD **

Google Gold

Hello everyone! Here is my overview for my blog and the work I've done for SEO

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

To be honest I don't think I really had and SEO strategy, which is unfortunate.  All the way during this class I was so focused and being able to complete my blog posts and work on my skills, I never really thought of how to make my blog more visible online.  I think the one strategy I actually did try was to make sure I had a unique name for my blog and not a generic "ENT3003" name so that way I would show up online.

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

Like I had said, I didn't realize much for keywords.  I think the only real key words that I used were in my blog's title because if you looked up the words in the title my blog would show up on Google. As for other keywords, I used very generic ones, like entrepreneurship, innovation, elevator pitch, etc., but that doesn't really help me reach the top for Google searches.

3) How did you use social media to enhance your SEO efforts? What your 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?

This is one thing I was actually very active on.  So I constantly shared my blog posts every week to my Facebook page and family and friends would then share my post.  I think that because I was able to share on social media, I got a bigger view count on my blog; it was more than just the 2 or 3 students from the class that HAD to comment on my post (no offense guys).  I think social media was receptive depending on how interesting the content of the post was, and even more receptive when there were videos involved. 

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

My most viral post was actually a tie between my first and second elevator pitches haha.  I think because a lot of us students in the class had a different approach to our own pitches that we looked to other people's pitches for comparison or to see what we liked in their pitch that we would like to incorporate into our own in the future.  This was one of the bigger assignments we had this semester so I think that's why it might have been my top post.

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?

I most definitely did not make the first page of the Google results for my keywords; I didn't even make it to page 4 so it is a lost cause.  What I do make the top of the page for is if you type in my blog's title into Google haha.  I will try to pay more attention to SEO for future reference, because maybe if I had been more attentive my blog's traffic could have been higher.

Week 14 Reading Reflection

Here is my reading reflection for chapters 3 and 4 for this week.

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? 
I thought it was incredible reading about the Arkenstone Reading Machine.  I really admire how people believed that there wasn't enough of a customer base for those who needed and wanted to understand different things but couldn't because they were blind and there was no braille available.  Yes they may be a minority but they are still a part of the whole. I thought it was phenomenal that Benetech was able to create something that would actually be cheaper and more helpful to these people, and in the end they were much more successful than others' expectations. That was my my favorite part of the reading.

2) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.
I think the one part of the reading that I found somewhat confusing was the section explaining obstacles to corporate venturing, especially the chart that detailed the traditional management practices, the adverse effects, and the recommended actions.  It was much more detailed than I thought so I didn't think it would be that extensive.  Also the figure demonstrating the integrative model of corporate entrepreneurship strategy; it was slightly chaotic where it felt like a pain trying to follow it.

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?
You talked about corporate venturing and corporate entrepreneurship, so I am curious if there are any companies (today in the 21st century) you think need to implement this strategy or that will benefit from it? Please be specific.  On the topic of ethics, do you believe that ethics and morality are lost as someone climbs the corporate ladder or as a corporation becomes more successful? Why or why not?

4) Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?
As I say every week, I don't necessarily think the author was wrong about anything. Why? Because this is a subject matter that they are an expert in and I am not.  This is not my forte so I can't really argue  that they are wrong if I am not an expert.

Very Short Interview Part 2

Hey everyone! So I unfortunately did not complete the first "very short interview" assignment since I missed the deadline for it. So for this assignment with this assignment I will do my best with what I have done so far.  I decided to reach out to Valentina Devia, she is an architect, real estate agent, and started her own interior design company couple years back.  Since she lives in South Florida, I wasn't able to go see her in person and she said due to her reputation and the company, she did not want to be recorded in video or voice.  However she was more that happy to respond to all my questions via email so her responses will be seen below!

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?
Like I said, I unfortunately did not complete the first interview so I don't have much to talk about in that aspect.  In a broader view, I think all the experience that I have gained in the class has made me more knowledgeable about entrepreneurship and maybe if I did do the first interview, I would probably notice very basic questions, slight nervousness, and uncertainty.

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! 
*her responses are in quotes*:

Q: Is there anything you wish you had done differently with your start-up?
A:"There's not a moment where I haven't thought about that.  I think the one thing in particular I wish I had done differently is network more with other interior design firms and try to create a better network BEFORE opening up business.  I guess I was too timid at that time, maybe not as confident in the work I was doing, that I didn't want to talk to people about it until it was done.  Now I regret that decision, because it was a lot more difficult creating my network once my business was up and going.  Its been years, and now I am just starting to really see my network; maybe if I had done it earlier I could have been more successful,who knows."

Q: How did you keep your momentum going during the whole process of coming up with and building your company?
A:"It is all a mental game.  I know this sounds harsh, but starting your own business is not for the overly emotional or the weak.  I had 2 years during the creation of my business, where I was losing more money than I had expected, no investors wanted to invest in my company, and I had to juggle another job just to stay afloat.  Thankfully I had a great group of people encouraging me, along with the fact that once I start something, I need to see it to the end."

Q: Any comments or advice on my business concept? (showed her my work)
A: "You are heading in the right direction.  I think what I admire most about your idea is the reason why you are working for it.  You want to help others with your concept; the selflessness you radiate will keep you going and fighting for this business and it's success. Of course there is MUCH more you need to do in order to actually get this going in the next few years, I can see that it is something worth pursuing."

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 think anyone, including myself is uncomfortable talking about a subject matter they are unfamiliar with or know nothing about; at the beginning of this semester I wasn't entirely sure of what I was getting into, so I am sure my first interview would have been nerve wracking.  Now that I have gained some experience and confidence, I feel much more comfortable to go and talk to ANY entrepreneur and learn from them in the future.  Valentina, who has known me for a long time, said she noticed there was a new found confidence in myself; she saw a sort of spark in the way I talked about the work I had done this semester.

Thanks for reading guys, and feel free to check out my other posts!

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 the reading was the Due diligence section where there was a figure that demonstrated the checklist for Analyzing a Business; I was so shocked that there was such a long list and how each of the section went into such detail about what to analyze and how.  I imagined analysis would be extensive but I didn't know how much until I saw the list.

2) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.
Once again, the text is not that difficult to understand, so I wouldn't say I was confused.  If I had to pick something then it would have to be the section that mentioned the Roll-up frenzy and how entrepreneurs would sell their business and then later on buy them back with the value being less than when it was acquired.  I think the way it was written, it took me more than one reading to really understand it

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?
What tip or suggestion would you give to overcome the emotional bias of the seller? I think that being able to overcome the emotional bias could make a business owner better.  Why is the control factor so important? I get the effect it has but I just don't see why so I'd like an explanation.

4) Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?
I didn't see anything that the author was wrong about, in my opinion.

Celebrating Failure

Well guys here is my failure for the semester!! 

1) Tell us about a time this past semester that you failed -- whether in this class, or outside of this class. Don't spare any details! It'd be even better if there was something you tried several times this semester, and failed each time.
This semester I have been trying to find an internship for digital marketing and I have applied to maybe over 20 different positions.  It has been very frustrating because I really want one for the summer but so far I haven't been called back for interviews or anything so I really feel like I've failed.  I have a pretty good resume with a lot of experience in the field so I don't know why I still haven't been called back. There are times where I think, "what more can I do?",

2) Tell us what you learned from it.
I am not used to failing, and I say it in the most sincere form, so what I have learned from this experience is that I am no where near perfect and that it's okay if I haven't been called back. It is not because I'm not good enough, so I just gotta keep trying until I land one.  I can't give up no matter what.

3) Reflect, in general, on what you think about failure. Failure is hard, isn't it? It's embarrassing, sure, but it also means that we have to change something about ourselves. Talk about how you handle failure (emotionally, behaviorally). Finally, talk about how this class has changed your perspective on failure -- are you more likely to take a risk now than you were four months ago?
Failure is most definitely hard.  Whenever I came across failure I would always immediately get discouraged and I would let it manipulate me.  Through this class I became better with accepting failure and that it's normal and to just keep going.  I am much more likely to take risks now than I would have 4 months ago because my new philosophy is "it is better to take the risk and fail, then to not take the risk and always wonder what if".

My Exit Strategy

Well here is my exit strategy!
feel free to check out some of my idea napkin to see what my business concept is! lovetravellives.blogspot.com

Identify the exit strategy you plan to make. Do you intend to sell your business in the next 5 years for a large return? Do you intend to stay with the business for several decades and retire? Do you intend to protect the venture as a family business, and pass it down to your children? Why have you selected this particular exit strategy?
I am not 100% sure whether I would sell my business of if I would intend to stay with it.  If I start my business now, or in the next year, I think I would sell it after 5 years or so of business.  My reasoning is that I am barely 21 and my business is aimed for the UF area and other college towns, so I still want to grow and experience things in other places instead of settling in Gainesville; I would just stay throughout my graduate school and then leave Gainesville to find a better place where I can fit in.  Although, I am not sure how attached I would become to my business and if I would be willing to let it go.  If I start the business once I'm older and settling down, then maybe I would be more willing to stay with the business until I retire.  It would be nice to have it as a family business, but I wouldn't want to pressure my children to take over, so whatever happens I don't care as long as it's someone who can do what is good for the business and employees.

How do you think your exit strategy has influenced the other decisions you've made in your concept? For instance, has it influenced how you have identified an opportunity? Has it influenced your growth intentions or how you plan to acquire and use resources?
I think throughout this whole process of developing the business concept, the idea napkins, the elevator pitches, etc., I never really thought about what my exit strategy would be.  I think now that I have considered what my exit strategy would be, I feel my concept would still stay the same, its just I'd have to better prepare my team of employees; so I guess more thought and effort would have to go into finding the ideal management team that could take over once I decide to move on.  I think it has influenced my growth intentions because it will motivate me more to make this business the bestit can be and network early on to find the best connections out there.

It is kind of hard to think of the end of things because we are so focused on jut moving forward, but I hope that if this business comes to life and once the time comes to end it I will have a better understanding of what I would like to do with it. Thanks for reading!

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? 

I found interesting the Entrepreneurial Strategy Matrix, because it detailed each of the 4 sectors, and then it explained what strategies were best fit for each of the 4 sectors; it simplifies the decision process for which strategy works best for your business.  I also found the section on community pressure interesting because I never really though about the effects a community can have on a start up business.

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

I wasn't really confused by the chapter's content, it was not that hard to follow.  If I had to say something it would have to be figure 13.1 that explains the strategic management process.  It is a flow chart of sorts but it is really detailed that it kind seems confusing but I think once you get the hang of it, it is a lot easier than it looks.

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?
At one point in the reading you mention how whether it is a high performing or low performing firm, a lot of them have issues with long-term/long-range planning; what are some tips to combat that issue and help firms acquire the skill?  You also mentioned the emergence of global entrepreneurs; in your personal opinion do you believe local entrepreneurs (in the US) have a higher success rate, or do global entrepreneurs? and why?

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

I don't think the author was wrong about anything, not from what I read in the chapter.

Amazon Whisperer

So the article was pretty interesting I have to admit.  Now for this exercise, my business is not product based but it is service based.  For those of you who have not seen my blog before,  my concept is a Dog Cafe in Gainesville that will give people, primarily students, a nice place to hang out and de-stress while playing along with some loving dogs.

Describe the revenue drivers you currently include in your business concept for this class. Revenue drivers are the different ways you make money. 
I think the revenue drivers of my business concept are the dogs themselves, the unique menu offered, and the motif that is consistent throughout the business from the interior design to the presentation of the food/drinks.

Describe what kind of product offering you believe should be next. What's the next thing your customers want?
I am not entirely sure, to be honest, what customers might want next.  Maybe offer coupon cards for free menu items of discounted items when they are frequent customers.  Maybe sell dog treats (store bought or maybe organic in house treats) that they can purchase to feed the dogs to get more aqcuainted with them or maybe take home to their dogs.  Maybe slowly offer a FEW goods they might find a pet store.  Like I said, I am not sure what customers would want next, but these are some ideas (if you have any suggestions let me know).

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.? 
Coupon books/cards increases loyalty of customers and gives them more incentive to come back to the cafe.  As for the dog treats I think that it might make the customer experience more fun because if some dogs are not as social, giving them treats may give the dog a chance to get more comfy and playful. What dog doesn't like treats?! and it would be fun for the customers to play with them.

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.
I decided to go with the organic dog treats, in this case they are "Fruitables Crunchy Dog Treats" (keep in mind that customers would not pay the list price of a whole pack, they would pay around $2 for a small pack to feed the dogs ).  They come in 4 different flavors shown in the screen shot below.

What are the customer reviews for the product? What, exactly, do customers not like about the product? What do they like about it?
LIKE:  Customers say their dogs love the snacks, they even say they love the product because they smell good (no dog smell to it; one customer says the smell like "people" cookies), great ingredients, convenient size of snack
DON'T LIKE: they tend to crumble easily (can make a bit of a mess), one customer mentioned that if left out in the open worms and moths can grow on it.

Describe what design/usability changes you'd make to the product. 
well its not my specialty, but if I were to make organic treats for the cafe probably use organic ingredients that seem more resistant to bugs and try to make them in a way where their consistency would make less of a mess without being rock solid.

Describe why you think this product would make a good addition to your current product/service offering.
Giving customers a product that will help them interact better with the dogs at the cafe is essential.  At the dogs cafes in Asia, they charge you $1-2 dollars for a small pack and dogs that may not be so social immediately can feel more comfortable and social around you, making your experience much better.

Now, some of you may have service-based businesses or B2B businesses; for you, finding a consumer product that compliments your existing services or products may be a challenge. If this applies to you, simply complete the exercise, but do not worry about trying to align the new product with your existing business. If you can align the new product with your existing business, so much the better!
Well even though my business is a Dog Cafe (service), at least I tried my best to fit this with the assignment.

Let me know what you guys think or if you have any better suggestions than what I did! :)

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? 
Not that it was a big surprise but that I thought it was interesting was the section that explained about the four different types of innovations: routine, radical, disruptive, and architectural.  I didn't know there was something so systematic like that to help with choosing an innovation strategy.  I think having them categorizes makes it simpler for businesses to see what works for them.

2) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.
There was no real part of the reading that was confusing to me, it all seemed very well explained. I guess I would say the labels for each of the types of 4 innovations; to me the names that were given don't exactly explain what each of them does correctly.

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?
You mention in the article twice, that two of the companies you used in the article you used to be a consultant for but that the information provided was not your opinion but from outside resources.  Does your personal opinion from working with them differ than the info from the sources? What would you have liked to have added (opinion wise), in terms of their innovation strategies?

4) Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?
I did not see anything that I thought the author was wrong about. It was a pretty interesting article :)

My Unfair Advantage

To understand my post go to my idea napkin 2 post And look over it so What I explain Makes more sense. http://lovetravellives.blogspot.com/2016/03/idea-napkin-no-2.html

Generate a list of all of the resources in your venture (produce a list of at least 10 resources that you already possess). This can include your human capital, social capital, financial capital, and capabilities. You may also discuss the organizational culture you intend to create (but, obviously, it's not a resource that you have, now.) 

1. My first resource is that I have several people in my network that are or have been entrepreneurs. 4 of my family members , including my dad, and several family friends have had their own businesses so they are useful assets

2. My Business Culture. so even though it is not existent yet, my emphasis is to make it a Family environment , especially among employees. Possibly have company retreat or group building exercises; I want to be efficient but I also want to be Someone my employees Can confide in. That Will be reflected in the customer service provided.

3. I have excellent networking skills. A lot of the jobs I have had and Current leadership positions have all been attained through networking. I have Volunteered with the Alachua humane society , SO if I Volunteered more and go to Know the people in charge, I can establish a Connection For having the dogs at the Cafe.

4. I am a person who is very selfless and I love being able to help Others, which makes Me a sincere person. This Will help me With investors who want to do good and for the animal shelters who want the best for their animals. that way eventually the dogs at the care will hopefully become One of my unfair advantages

5. Aside from entrepreneurs I personally Know, the business I plan to design is new to the United States, but it is completely common in Korea. I Spent 4 months in Korea And I Observed their business model, and even talked to some owners. So I've Seen what is needed to succeed.

6. I have experience in digital marketing. Making videos, flyers, social media posts and events, emails, Etc. This is extremely beneficial for promotion of my business, especially for my target audience.

7.I have connections in other countries. I have friends all around the world in business Who I can Contact to help me see if what My business needs in terms of goods is Cheaper to access than in the US or if it is belter quality; Some friends in Colombia can put me in Contact With coffee distributors For quality coffee.

8.Something that I Consider to be a very useful resource is that I Am a current college student so that makes my business more relatable to Other Students ( my target market) and can help me develop and improve the business in the future. Being younger also gives businesses a fresh perspective.

9. My dedication and perseverance are Key. Once I start something I need to see it through until the end, no matter what , Which will be useful because Start ups are no easy task And people Can lose Confidence and give up.

10. Although I do not have much, I have already started saving money for a Startup which is beneficial in the long run. Its a Startin the right direction.

Conduct a "VRIN" analysis for each resource. That is, describe, for each resource, how it is valuable, rare, inimitable (how hard it is to copy by others), and non-substitutable (are there other resources that can provide the same benefits?). 

1. So I think . this is extremely valuable, rare, not easily Copied, and cannot be substituted. I think this is an attribute that needs to come naturally from a person or needs to be developed because having a network of Self Starters is a great aid.

2. Very Valuable, not rare, Can be copied, no substitutes. Lots of businesses are family oriented just in different ways

3. very valuable, Somewhat rare depending on the personality Of a person, hard to copybecause It has to come naturally, and no substitutes. Networking is a Skill that can make or break you.

4. very Valuable, Somewhat rare, cannot be copied because it comes naturally, NO substitutes.

5. very valuable, not rare Because anyone can do it, can be easily copied, not much substitute to observing an existing business Other than having research on it but not as useful.

6. Very Valuable, not rare AT ALL ) can be Copied, one substitute Could be Word Of mouth and press Coverage of business ( Maybe?)

7. Extremely Valuable, rare for Startups, can't be copied, no substitutes. Connections are crucial around the world in a global economy.

8. Valuable, Somewhat rare, can be Copied since there are several young entrepreneurs , no substitutes really.

9. Essential (very valuable) ,rare in some types of people, cannot be Copied, no substitutes.

10. Valuable in the future, not rare ,can be copied, sutstitutes Would be loans or Other forms of borrowing money.

After conducting the VRIN analysis, determine what your top resource is. Explain why it's more important to your venture than all of the other resources.

My top resources are my network Of fellow entrepreneurs. It's like When doing a research paper; you can look up secondary data, but primary data right from the Source Will give you the last results. Entrepreneurs Know what to do and can advise me from their previous experiences. It's like having a Sort of hint Sheet to not Make the Same Mistakes they did. Who Knows, they may even have Connections that they can introduce you to.

thanks for reading and let Me Know if you agree or disagree!

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? 
It wasn't really a surprise but it was nice to read since it gave useful tips on how to get paid what you deserve and not becoming a pushover in your startup.  The tips given seem to be really help and can prevent startups from losing a lot of their receivables.  Anytime the textbook mentions real life tips or practical applications, those are the things that stick out most to me.

2) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.
Nothing was inherently confusing; a large majority of it seemed to be a review of what I had covered at the beginning of both my accounting classes.

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?
You mentioned how some startups and small ventures handle situations when the national currency loses value, but what would YOU PERSONALLY suggest to those startups? and Why? Do you think when this occurs, are they at more of a advantage or disadvantage? I want to hear what the author personally thinks on the matter rather than just spitting out facts.

4) Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?
I did not see anything I thought was wrong, like I previously mentioned, a lot of the material I had already seen in both my accounting classes and there were even a few topics from my business statistics class.

Elevator Pitch No. 3

Hey guys so this is my third elevator pitch, check it out! (sorry for the awk thumbnail of my face hahaha xD)

So unfortunately ( or not, depending on how you see it) I did not change much from my second pitch because a lot of the students' feedback was positive in the way I had edited it from the first pitch.  A lot  of the comments mentioned  how they loved the concept or they have had to leave pets behind, so they reinforced my pitch idea.  So since none of them really gave any constructive criticism, I tried finding errors on my own.  So the edits I made were that I tried to cut out some unnecessary words/details; basically cut out some fluff that was time consuming.  I also put on my suit because I thought it would give me a more professional look and it did give me more confidence while giving the pitch.  I also tried to be more dynamic with my hand gestures, facial expressions, and emotions instead of sounding like a robot.

Let me know what you guys think and if you have any feedback (good or bad), I am all ears!!!

My Secret Sauce

So as for my human capital here are the 5 things that I think make me different:

1. Diplomatic personality.  I am a person who absolutely hates conflict and if there is a more rational way to solve an issue, then I will figure it out.  That is why I am able to get along with almost everyone and why I have such a diverse network of people.  Usually in my group of friends or family, I am the voice of reason that settles any argument, to the point they make jokes about me being a Buddhist monk in my past life hahaha.

2. Open-minded traveler. So lots of people can say they are open minded, but I have never met anyone as open-minded as myself.  I have had the blessing to travel all around the and immerse myself in the cultures.  There is a saying that a tourist sees what they want to see and a traveler sees the world for what it is.  My philosophy to traveling is to become like the locals and live like they do.  I've gone through Buddhist rituals, Muslim rituals, eaten zebra, etc... I mention those things because there are things that most people would not be open to because of their own beliefs. My mentality is that by my participation in differing beliefs doesn't mean I am disrespecting mine, rather I am learning to appreciate others' beliefs and gain a sense of knowledge.  That is why I am a very adaptable and easy going person.

3. Selfless.  Basically all my loved ones and those in need come before me.  I tend to go out of my way to help others in whatever way I can, and sometimes I am perceived as a pushover.  I never expect anything out of return, I do it purely for the other person.  I am a firm believer that whatever you do will come back to you in due time.  Sure sometimes I am taken advantage of, but it doesn't matter because at least I know I did the right thing and I learned from the situation.

4. Love to be challenged.  I am a very competitive person, especially with myself.  I'm not someone who likes to be idle for very long and I love to challenge myself in new things that I had never tried.  I always think that no matter how well I do, there will always be room for improvement and growth. Whether in school or in life, I am usually the one who embraces a challenge because the satisfaction of overcoming it is a lot greater than my fear of it.

5. I am an onion.  The longer you get to know me, the more layers of my personality you get to see.  Also depending on the people I hang out with, depends on what layers they get to see.  Some say that sounds like I am a hypocrite with my friends, but I don't think so; I am not lying to one group and not the other, its just that one group of friends has been able to peel off more of my layers than another. It all depends on your trust and comfort level with people.


So next I interview the 5 closest people to me: My mom and dad, my aunt, my best friend of 7 years, and my other best friend of 10 years.
*Some of them are in Spanish, but I included subtitles
*some of them I had to nudge to get a more detailed response
*sorry for my mother's long winded answer....she likes to brag....just like any other mom lol

MAKE SURE TO VIEW FULL SCREEN IN CASE SUBTITLES ARE TOO SMALL

I think compared to what my interviewers said, I can see that the diplomatic personality is something we said the same.  Also the fact that I embrace challenge is true.  I found it interesting how they mention spontaneity which I never really thought of.  They also mentioned I have a fighting spirit which I thought was interesting.  There is a difference in what they assessed for sure because like I said I am an onion, so there are only certain thing I allow some people to see of me.  I think others comments on you is what you are able to show them, it is way they can see and perceive from you, while you are able to assess the things about yourself they can't see.  I wouldn't make any corrections to my list but rather, take their comments and mine and make a new revamped list!

Thanks guys and make sure to comment down below!

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 to me was not so much from the concepts in the chapter, but rather the real world examples. For example, the case of the 2008 Olympics in China and the whole PR disaster it caused them. I remember the Olympic events but I actually don't remember all the chaos and I definitely don't remember all other nations protesting as well.  The fact that not only were the Chinese and Tibetan people were protesting, but also other citizens of other nations were also protesting and disrupting the torch relay show that power of people when they unite for a common cause.

2) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.
this part wasn't necessarily confusing it was just new to me.  I'd gone over pricing strategy briefly but I didn't know that each stage of the product life cycle there are different strategies and each with different names like skimming and penetration.

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?
In your opinion, what percentage of successful entrepreneurship is marketing? In the reading guerrilla marketing is show to have some advantages, but do you think it can also have disadvantages? everything has pros and cons.

4) Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?
I didn't see anything that I disagreed with during the reading.  As a marketing major, a lot of the topics covered are ones that I have already gone over.

Idea Napkin No. 2

Hey everyone! So this is round two of my Idea Napkin, hopefully you guys like the adjustments.

1.  *** This is directly from my first post since I haven't changed and my mentality has been the same for a long time haha ***
My name is Camila. I am a third year marketing student here at UF.  I could talk about my marketing skills, networking skills, etc, but you can just look at my resume for that. Aside from marketing, I am someone who loves to travels the world and experience new things.  I love helping people and animals most of all.  You can say I have weakness for those who need help. While I have traveled, I have always come across people and animals in need, and I think nothing fulfills me more than knowing I was somehow able to help them or at least make them feel better, no matter how small or big the situation.  As for aspirations, I hope that whatever I end up doing in the future will have a positive impact on other lives (human or animal), no matter how small that impact may be.  In terms of the concept I have for my dog cafe, my reason for it was to not only help college students in alleviating their everyday pressures but also help shelter animals receive more affection and possibly find their forever homes.  If this concept does come to life, I think it will play a huge role in my life, because I am a firm believer that whatever you do in life with love and dedication will impact someone else in a positive way.  (if you want a look at the initial idea before the edits, make sure to check this post! http://lovetravellives.blogspot.com/2016/02/idea-napkin-no-1.html )

2 & 3.  So the service I am offering is still the same as last time: a dog cafe. So like I had mentioned in my last napkin, lots of students on campus or in college in general suffer from a lot of stress and many of them don't really have an outlet for it.  My interviews confirmed that many students suffered from stress on a daily basis.  Studies have shown that dogs have the ability to lower stress levels in people, so I wanted to take advantage of these two topics and combine them into one.  Originally I wanted to give students a new place where they could study and relax in a fun way with dogs.  The comments from my first napkin were very positive on the concept, lots of students love the idea.  Not many gave me criticism so I took some comments from my other posts and students mentioned how making the place somewhere to study wasn't very appealing and could be distracting, so I made the concept more broad; my main focus is having a relaxing place for students to alleviate their pressures and hang out with friends with the company of dogs.  Although my main target audience is for students, anyone in the Gainesville area is more than welcome to come and be possible customers! I bet many UF faculty or even Gainesville employees also have daily stress of their own!  A lot of comments mention of liabilities or health concerns with regards to food.  I have been to very successful dog cafes in Asia, and the key to solve liabilities is just making customers aware of rules and making them visible so there is no confusion or possibly sign something before having access to the dogs (let me know what you think); also security cameras are installed to guarantee the safety of the dogs and customers in case of any liabilities.  As for health the kitchen and food prep areas are closed off and the dogs will not have access to those areas whatsoever.  Also my plan is the make the food like any other cafe, not restaurant style.

4. So why would college students even care? ***In regards to this section, not much has changed.  I decided to use parts of my previous napkin because they are relevant to what is going on now and to give a better idea and the comments on the first just further confirmed the interest I had gotten initially***: From the feedback of interviews, and even on my elevator pitches, many students actually like the idea of having somewhere to play with some furry friends and have it more accessible to them.  Some students mentioned how Gainesville apartments and UF dorms are very strict about having pets, so many students have to leave their furry friends behind at home or don't even get a chance to adopt one even after the first napkin.  I also had students mention how UF does the dogs events but its maybe one time a semester/year, and its inconvenient; they said it would be nice to have somewhere daily and near campus that they can go to have a little retreat from daily stress.  My comments on the info above from my first napkin further confirm the interest in being able to have a place to play with dogs and how some students can't have pets where they live in Gainesville.  Even after the first napkin, I kept receiving positive feedback from students and how they would definitely go to it if it were to open.

5. *** again, this has bits from the first napkin since the feedback I got did not really change the core competencies of my concept**: What sets this cafe apart from others like Panera or Starbucks is the dogs.  Theses dogs will not be pure breeds, but rather we will have dogs from the Alachua Humane society and other shelters.  So what makes us unique is that these animals will have the opportunities to be adopted and find loving homes, and students will have a unique environment to de-stress and have more accessibility to these furry friends that Gainesville seems so determined to keep away.  Something new: not sure if this is also a competency but I thought possibly making our menu more diverse than average cafes, with interesting names related to dogs and even food designs and presentation to resemble dog related objects (dog bone shaped cakes, or plates that look like bowls ahahha).  I think what makes a business stand out is also its presentation of all its aspects, so I thought of this a possibility. Let me know what you think!

At first you would think that all these elements don't quite exactly fit together, but I while in Korea, this type of business was very successful.  I want to be able to introduce this concept here.  The feedback I have gotten is very similar every time: students constantly think highly of the concept but worry about liabilities and health regulations haha.  So those are still parts that need work but I've businesses abroad do this business concept so it is just a matter of learning from them and research for these issues.

Feedback memo:  So since the feedback I recieved on my first napkin wasn't that diverse, I decided to include feedback I have gotten from both my elevator pitches and the interviews I have done.  The five main points from my feedback:

1. Don't emphasize it as a study area, because it is not appealing and can be seen as distracting.  Just focus on making a relaxing place.
2.Look into possible liabilites: dogs that may be dangerous, what if a person gets hurt, what if a dog gets hurt, etc.
3. Look into health code regulations and violations; make sure to see what restrictions can affect the business.
4. Students love the concept, especially those who are not allowed to have pets when in Gainesville; definitely creates a greater appeal to the concept.
5. Lots of positive feedback about the animals being shelter animals; helping them find homes has given students a more positive outlook on the business rather than seeing it as a money making machine.

From the feedback, you can see these points incorporated not only into this idea napkin but you can also see it reflected in my second pitch and other material.

Sorry if the post repeated things from the previous, but some of you never saw the first and also the fact the the feedback I have received has not altered the original concept by much, only a few minor tweaks here and there.  If you have any other suggestions to this, by all means let me know! I'm open to new feedback!

Week 8 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 the reading for me was the section mentioning Social Lending/ Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Lending.  I didn't even know this was even a type of lending that was possible.  Usually everyone thinks that the only way to obtain funds for businesses is through banks, but it's really interesting that this type of social network banking has allowed potential entrepreneurs and small businesses gain the funds necessary to fund their ventures.

2) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.
The part that confused me the most was the section on debt financing, specifically all the different types.  I know the definitions are all there and so are the explanations, but for me the concepts were really detailed and there were so many varieties I felt like I didn't really understand that section well.

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

In your personal opinion what would be more beneficial for a business, Business Angels or Venture Capitalists? Why? Also, I know sometimes business angels approach a business, but how would one go about approaching a business angel ? (since there is a method for how to approach venture capitalists)

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

I don't disagree with the author on anything particular in this chapter, especially because I don't have much knowledge in this particular area.

Half-Way Reflection

Well everyone we are finally at the half way point of the semester!!! (I can't believe this semester is passing by so quickly O.o )

I do have to say that this class has been a very interesting experience for sure.  It has been a new style of teaching that I was not necessarily used to but I definitely embrace it.  Throughout these first 8 weeks I was able to push myself out of my comfort zone and I was to think more creatively, which I thought I couldn't really do.  For those of you considering on taking ENT 3003 next semester, I highly suggest you do.  But I warn you, don't think you don't have to work at it.  It is a class that if you give it the effort it deserves, you will be pleasantly surprised at the things you can accomplish. 

1) Tenaciousness is a skill

At the beginning of the semester, I will admit, I had difficulty keeping track of assignments and due dates.  But I began listing the assignment on my personal calendar and when they were due during the week, that way I was always up to date.  I also tried my best to look into the assignment details BEFORE the due date, so I knew whether the assignment could be done in a short amount of time or if I needed to dedicate a few days to it.  To keep up I also checked Canvas daily and any announcements or emails that were sent, along with watching class lectures.  For me the best way to keep track is to transfer all due dates onto a personal calendar that you use daily, so you have no chance of forgetting or falling behind.  My agenda is my bible haha.

2) Tenaciousness is also about attitude

I definitely had a moment this semester where I just wanted to give on this class in general.  I just felt like my work wasn't good enough compared to some other students and I thought that I just wasn't cut out for the class.  I think I put myself into this little box of what I thought I could do, and my mentality didn't let me go outside that train of thought.  What pulled me out of my slump was the realization that some of the best ideas don't start off that way, and the people who develop these ideas have to work on perfecting and developing them. I realized that I needed more time to really develop in this class, it wasn't just a night and day thing.  I also stopped limiting myself to what I could do or couldn't do; let me try it out and then see if I can or can't.  As I changed my self-perception and way of thinking, I saw that my business venture idea started to come together and as time goes on I get more positive feedback from my classmates on it, so I feel I am heading in the right direction.

3) Three tips

My three tips for futures students would be:

-Put in the effort.  Trust me, when you really put in the effort and push yourself you will realize that you can do things you never thought of doing or thought you could do.

-Keep up with the pace.  Keeping up with the assignments and whats going on in class is key!  If you fall behind you will miss out on a lot of important things.

-Mentality is key.  Your mentality and view of the class can impact what you learn and do.  If you want to get the most out of the class then you need to have an Eager and open minded mentality.  If you have a lazy mentality, you will gain nothing at all.

Looking forward to the next half of this semester, and good luck to my fellow classmates!

Week 7 Reading Relfection

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 surprising thing about the article was the the whole theme of it. As a marketing major, I have studied marketing strategy and segmentation a lot and it is quite shocking to see that the way it is taught to us is not the way that real world marketers and companies are doing it. It's interesting how now segmentation is more concerned with how to advertise and reach people than actually focusing on developing a product or service that customers would actually buy.

2) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.
There was nothing really confusing. The only section that I found slightly annoying was the one talking about the shallow, middle, and deep ends. The chart at the beginning was a little too detailed for a chart but it gave a clear idea of the concept; I thought the paragraphs that detailed each section were slightly lengthy that I felt like I was missing the main concept I was supposed to grab, in my opinion.

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?
I reference to the section on senior management, do you believe that it might be that sometimes management does not seem to understand the marketers decisions (like the text says) or could it be that they just refuse to accept their decisions? Why? What would be some suggestions to improve the communication of ideas between marketers and senior management when it comes to segmentation?

4) Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?
I don't think that I necessarily disagree with anything. I think that this opened my eyes to something that I was not really aware of, and it is just one general perspective on the issue.

Free Money

For this exercise I decided to approach students in the Turlington Plaza area who seemed to be distracted and were heading somewhere important.  They were either wearing headphones walking somewhere, carrying things, or sometimes texting/talking on the phone.  To get the conversation going I would start off with something along the lines of "hey I am sorry to bother you but do you have a quick second? won't take long promise!".  After they agreed I would just say "I just wanted to give you this" and then I hand them the dollar.  A lot of the students seemed caught off guard and they ALL asked me "why?".   My reason that I gave was that I was doing a social experiment of sorts for my YouTube channel, and that I am paying it forward and that I would hope that they would do the same; I also mentioned how it's a way to start off the week well for them and hopefully they can do the same for someone else.  Some people would at first reject but because of the reason I was giving it to them they were willing to accept it.  Out of the 5 bills I was able to give away 4 of them.  I liked the exercise and it was not as hard to give away the money because the reason I gave them was something I believed in and I really hoped they would pay it forward.  At first some of the people I approached seemed to look upset or serious, but the minute I talked to them and explained why I gave them the dollar, they walked away with a smile.

Overall I enjoyed the exercise and it showed that people are more open to help others than they seem.

And sorry for some of the audio, in one of the videos Century Tower decided to go off haha.

Elevator Pitch No. 2

Hey guys so here is my second attempt at my elevator pitch!
(so sorry guys for the dark-ish lighting but it was the only place in my room where I could put the camera on the table and stand away from it without holding it haha I tried adding a filter on YouTube to make it look less dark so hopefully it works!)

So I decided to edit my concept slightly because at first I mad the concept of a dog cafe to be an alternative place to study and alleviate stress with dogs, but some students mentioned how studying may not be a selling point because it could be more distracting to play with dogs while studying. So I focused more on helping students find a place to unwind and alleviate some stress from their hectic days; that was the msot helpful commentary I got from my first pitch.  Also some of the feedback on my first elevator pitch, the students mentioned how they loved the concept because they are not allowed to have them in their apartments or dorms in Gainesville and have had to leave their pets behind or are not able to adopt, so I wanted to incorporate that into my pitch as well because I never even thought of that!  Lastly, I wanted to start off with a statistic about stressed college students because it makes it more important and serious; it is also good to mentally visualize data for impact.  Some of the feedback from the previous one was also just possible health and liability concerns about the business, which I thought was beneficial but not really to mention it in my new pitch. If I were to get positive response from an investor on my pitch, then I would go more into detail about all the logistics.  I think I felt more motivated with this pitch than the first one because I was able to get some useful feedback from my classmates, so it motivated me to put more effort into the wording and delivery of my second pitch. Hopefully you guys like it! :)

Week 6 Reading Reflection

Here is the reading reflection for the reading on Michael Porter's Five Forces Strategy:

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?
Nothing really surprised me because while studying abroad, a large portion of my Marketing Strategy class covered Porter's 5 Forces model.   What I did find interesting in the article was the section mentioning the difference between Forces and Factors.  It mentioned how just fast growth rates or highly innovative technology or development were not enough on their own to make an industry attractive.  It's funny because usually those are the things that makes us believe that they are attractive, when in reality they're not.

2) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.
There was no real confusion on the reading, it stated everything pretty clearly.  I had studied this previous and with HBR articles as well so there was no confusion.

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?
Which of the Five Forces would you consider to be the most influential in affecting business? Why?
It would interesting to hear from him which of the 5 he thinks is the most powerful out of all them, because in a realistic world, they do not all have an even amount of power.

4) Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?
I don't disagree with Porter on anything, I did a lot of work with his model for class assignments and analyses so I can agree with a lot of the points mentioned in his article.

Idea Napkin No. 1

Hey everyone! So here we go....

1.  My name is Camila. I am a third year marketing student here at UF.  I could talk about my marketing skills, networking skills, etc, but you can just look at my resume for that. Aside from marketing, I am someone who loves to travels the world and experience new things.  I love helping people and animals most of all.  You can say I have weakness for those who need help. While I have traveled, I have always come across people and animals in need, and I think nothing fulfills me more than knowing I was somehow able to help them or at least make them feel better, no matter how small or big the situation.  As for aspirations, I hope that whatever I end up doing in the future will have a positive impact on other lives (human or animal), no matter how small that impact may be.  In terms of the concept I have for my dog cafe, my reason for it was to not only help college students in alleviating their everyday pressures but also help shelter animals receive more affection and possibly find their forever homes.  If this concept does come to life, I think it will play a huge role in my life, because I am a firm believer that whatever you do in life with love and dedication will impact someone else in a positive way.  (if you want a look at the initial idea, make sure to check this post! http://lovetravellives.blogspot.com/2016/02/elevator-pitch-no-1.html )

2 & 3.  So the service I am offering is a dog cafe.  So what I have noticed is that many students in college suffer from stress, whether it be a little or a lot.  Even all of the students I interviewed agreed that they suffered from stress.  When asking student if they had an outlet, some did, but others didn't really have a method for easing the stress.  There are several research studies showing that dogs have been known to reduce stress and blood pressure in humans; UF has even brought dogs onto campus during exam weeks to help students unwind from the pressures of their exams.  So I wanted to offer students a place where they can go to study or  unwind from the day with a bite to eat and be able to have some fun playing with some dogs.

4. So why would college students even care? From the feedback of interviews, and even on my elevator pitches, many students actually like the idea of having somewhere to play with some furry friends and have it more accessible to them.  Some students mentioned how Gainesville apartments and UF dorms are very strict about having pets, so many students have to leave their furry friends behind at home or don't even get a chance to adopt one.  I also had students mention how UF does the dogs events but its maybe one time a semester/year, and its inconvenient; they said it would be nice to have somewhere daily and near campus that they can go to have a little retreat from daily stress.  So many students already go to a crowded Starbucks to study or hang out with friends,  imagine having the same atmosphere with the added bonus of having some furry friends to make your day a little brighter!

5. What sets this cafe apart from others like Panera or Starbucks is the dogs.  Theses dogs will not be pure breeds, but rather we will have dogs from the Alachua Humane society and other shelters.  So what makes us unique is that these animals will have the opportunities to be adopted and find loving homes, and students will have a unique environment to de-stress and have more accessibility to these furry friends that Gainesville seems so determined to keep away.

At first you would think that all these elements don't quite exactly fit together, but I while in Korea, this type of business was very successful.  I want to be able to introduce this concept here.  Some definite considerations that other students have pointed out is how would U.S. FDA regulations affect the business, etc.  These are things that I would have to look deeply into, however the animals would be restricted from food prep areas and there would be specific employees for only food service or only dog service to avoid health issues.  I have also had suggestions about liabilities, such as what would happen if a person or dog got hurt.  This was something really interesting that I would have to look into and research more.  The concept fits, but I feel like its tiny moving parts have little glitches that need some alterations.

It is a work in progress but I hope to receive more feedback to see if this can come to life!

Interviewing Customers No. 2 (technically No. 1)

Hey guys so after doing my elevator pitch for the last post, I went out to interview students on the University of Florida Campus to see if I would be able to get useful information.

To understand the idea behind my business venture, please go to the blog post and read it briefly BEFORE listening to the interviews: http://lovetravellives.blogspot.com/2016/02/elevator-pitch-no-1.html

Unfortunately my video was not working so the audio is only available for the interviews :'(

Here are the list of questions asked for reference:

1. Do you prefer studying in cafes (such as Panera or Starbucks) or on campus/ libraries? Why?
2. Do you suffer from stress often? Do you have a way of alleviating it?
3. UF has brought dogs and puppies on campus during exams to alleviate stress, what is your opinion on that?
4. If there was a dog cafe, where you could study, eat, and play with dogs, near campus, would you go?

I did not interview customers the first time around, so this is my first time and I would appreciate the feedback

So as for my opportunity I had some people say they were interested in the cafes but maybe not for studying. Still it does offer an opportunity for students to wind down.  I ask UF students in general, but I feel like I would have better luck if I interview students who actually studied at cafes to get a better response since it seems like they are the ones I am trying to reach out to.  Since this is my first interview I am open to suggestions on better questions or maybe rephrasing the ones I asked.  What I realized is that lots of students are actually willing to help out, and its not that scary to approach them for an interview; a lot of my interviewees enjoyed it.

Thanks guys and comment below for feedback!

Week 5 Reading Reflection

Here is this weeks reading reflection based off of Chapter 9 of the textbook:

1. The thing that surprised me the most about the reading was the concept of importing someone else's ideas; everyone thinks that entrepreneurship is just whatever you come up with on your own.  It was interesting to find that it can also be bringing someone else's venture somewhere else in the world and making it profitable.

2.  What slightly confused me was the difference between the Feasibility Criteria Approach and the
Comprehensive Feasibility approach; I know the latter takes into account external factors to the previous one, I guess it was very detailed and it took me a couple of times to read through.

3.  My questions to the author would be: Do you also agree with Suzanne Mulvehill on Emotional Endurance?  How much of entrepreneurship is emotional endurance ( in terms of percentage)?

4. I do not necessarily disagree with the author on any of the subject matter.  I think when it comes to the new section on why new ventures fail, a lot of the points seem logical, but when an entrepreneur is basing their decisions on forecasting or reports from the previous year, you won't really know whether the decision will lead to success or failure.

Elevator Pitch No. 1

Hey guys so just to give you a preview of what I am thinking for a business venture!:

• Opportunity:
• Many college students suffer from stress; as students we put more pressure on ourselves than our parents did when they were in college because the world is becoming much more competitive.  I've noticed that, especially during exams, students can't seem to find a way to relieve stress.  High levels of stress can lead to health issues or even depression.  I have also noticed that aside from the libraries and academic buildings, many students like studying in cafe/cafeteria environments, like Starbucks, Panera, or even the Reitz Union food court.  However I have noticed that these locales can get pretty packed, so students have to go elsewhere.
• Solutions:
• Combine both haha! In all seriousness, I want to start a business of dog cafes.  While abroad in Korea, I realized that these types of cafes were really popular among Korean students to study.  These cafes would give the opportunity for students to have an additional place to study, or just hang out and have some food/coffee, while playing with some dogs. Dogs, or pets in general, have been known to reduce stress levels; UF brings in dogs during exam week for students to calm down.  With these dog cafes, students can de-stress and study at the same time.
• an additional benefit is that the dogs would come from the Alachua Humane Society and other animal shelters, so it would give these animals an opportunity to get adopted or just have more human affection/interaction than what they get in the shelters.

Names are a work in progress and they are not that great yet lol.  Feel free tto comment or if you have any suggestions!:

Tail Waggin' Cafe
Canine Cappuccino
Mutts & Macchiatos

Week 4 Reading Reflection

Here is my reading reflection on Chapter 5 of the textbook:

1.  What stood out most to me during the reading was the one section that discussed entrepreneurship in Africa.  Due to all the turmoil in Africa, I assumed that no businesses would even consider doing business there.  Even though the reading mentioned how very few companies to venture there, the success of ECP and the return on their investment shocked me.  Everyone just assumes there is no opportunity, which ends up leaving the door wide open to those who want to expand there.

2. The difference between Duplication and Synthesis is slightly vague to me, but not completely confusing.  Duplication says it is replicating and existing product but making sure to add new touches to it to make it different; synthesis says it takes existing concepts to formulate something new.  They are slightly similar so its a little confusing.

3. Two questions: How would you go about handling idea killers, so as to not derail you? what would you recommend doing to change the way you think (to be more unaffected by those comments)? Sometimes idea killers can be co-workers, and you can just ignore them, but if the idea killers are close people to you, you tend to be more affected and let yourself be influenced by their comments.  If you can learn to manage your mentality and emotions, maybe it would be easier to be creative.

4. I did not notice anything that I disagreed with the author this time around. It just seems that the steps to get rid of muddling mind sets, such as stereotyping, seem to be made to look easy.  As humans we develop our own opinions around our teens and 20s, and as we get older it becomes even more difficult to change a person's mentality.  So I feel that the author makes it look easier than it really is, especially if you are someone much older.

Top 5 World Problems

So last week I listed ten of what I considered to be the world's biggest problems, in no particular.  This time I am narrowing it down to the Top 5 and I will be ranking them this time, as well as the solutions to each.  I will re-post my explanations and solutions from last week for those who did not see my previous post:

Top 5 Problems (from most serious to least serious):

1.  Human trafficking of women in prostitution.  I know this is a pretty sensitive topic but I do believe it has become a global issue.  Women are taken away from their loved ones against their wills, some violently, into this awful industry that forces them to become sex slaves, as if they were toys to be played with.  The conditions these women live in are fit for animals.  Their "bosses" sell them to different men for money, not caring at all.  There are times when these women are injected with different drugs and eventually develop an involuntary addiction. Those who try to escape and are unsuccessful are beaten or sometimes even shot dead.  Those who are able to escape sometimes suffer severe mental trauma.  The rate has increased in areas like South America, East Asia and Southeast Asia.  Some ways women can prevent putting themselves in these dangerous situations is to never travel alone, especially at night.  Seems pretty obvious but its the most ignored.  If you travel abroad, take this into even more consideration, because you are completely on your own.  Also, don't act foolishly or put yourself in potentially dangerous situations (ex: going home piss drunk with someone you don't know,  walking dangerous street in the late hours).  Some governments have taken action into trying to locate and rescue these traffickers, but prevention is key.

2.  Refugee and immigrant crisis.  People around the world suffer many different situations.  Mexico has increased violence and a serious issue with drug selling, Venezuela is suffering serious political corruption, Syria is in constant danger and political instability, etc.  People decide to move leave their home countries because conditions have become unbearable and even unlivable.  Other countries around the world, instead of helping, their solutions is to reject these people and close off their borders.  In reference to the refugees, by all means, I understand that taking in massive amounts of people may be a little difficult, but many people are suffering and wouldn't be fleeing if they didn't think they were in danger.  As for the immigrant crisis, many people see immigrants and low lives who are mooching off a country.  In reality many immigrants are productive members of society who actually help the economy.  These people have a serious reason for leaving their homes in search of better lives.  A solution for everyday people is to get involved in immigration policies going on in your country. By that I mean: vote and support people in your local and nation government who support positive immigration policies.  As for big solutions,  national leaders have the power in their hands, so having elected officials who can execute plans to solve these problems without harming those refugees and immigrants is crucial.

3.  Climate Change and pollution.  As people, we are depleting our natural resources at a dramatic rate, it is almost scary.  The amounts of fossil fuels used is massive, the amount of forests and natural land keeps being torn down and destroyed, and the amount of water that we waste has created a crisis.  Now you see more power plants than you do nature.  Also, all these factories create so much air and water pollution, that we are slowly destroying the planet.  China's air pollution has reached deadly standards, Africa has a serious water crisis, and global warming is causing climate changes that have very significant impacts.  Solutions would be to recycle more, don't waste so much water, lead a more green life.  Corporations are now trying to become more green become a social concern.  A small act can create impact.

4.  The huge gap of the upper class with the middle and lower class.  Slowly the gap between upper class and middle has become so big it is ridiculous.  As the upper class gains more wealth, the middle class seems to lose ground. This financial gap leads to a social gap.  In reference to the U.S. the upper class loses to lower classes in terms of number of people, but they seem to hold the most power and influence in the country.  The gap has led to social instability because the largest portion of the population, with the most needs, is getting pushed to the side for the needs of the few wealthy.  This gap eventually leads to political unrest among the people.  Only solutions I can really think of for the immediate future, is to become successful middle class citizens in order to gain some strength; sounds cliche but it is true.  Future solutions would require more intervention in income inequality and social policies.

5.  Racism.  Judging people by the color of their skin or where they come from is ongoing, and I am not sure where it will end.  It has some similarity to my earlier reference to religious intolerance.  As access to travel has become so accessible, people from one country immigrate to another, and over time their roots change the population structure of a region.  There are people who refuse to accept change.  I've seen many people I care about lose job opportunities because they were Black or Latino.  I and several other friends have been harassed by people for being Latinos.  In Asia, some people refuse to accept anyone that is not Asian.  If we reject people purely on the fact that they are from somewhere else or have a different skin color, we lose the opportunity to grow.  Solutions for the common individual are to look at people based on their character, try to get to know them.  Another cliche, but people are more than a physical attribute.



Reasoning: The reason I chose trafficking as the the number one problem and  the refugee/immigrant  crisis as number two is because it has to do with human life and how people today are put in danger.  Women today are in constant danger; some are being raped, attacked, and even kidnapped.  As for the refugees and immigrants, they are fleeing from their homes that are unsafe and they themselves under threat of death, and when they are not given help, they end up in refugee camps or taken in by police force.  Majority of the problems the world has is because of us: people.  If we don't start working at the root of the problem (namely us), then nothing will ever get solved.  The fact that people can treat other people in these ways shows that humans have a long way to go.


Solutions to each problem ranked (from most possible to implement to least possible to implement):
*** solutions are given in each description above***

1. Trafficking of women for prostitution
2. Racism
3. Climate change and pollution
4. Refugee and immigrant crisis
5. Gap between upper and middle class

Reasoning:  My number one solution is also for the human trafficking of women.  A lot of organizations have popped up to help rescue women in these situations, as well as to offer help in moving forward from those dark times.  However, the best way to prevent these problems is by women taking matters into their own hands and being careful.  If some women were more careful when in certain situations, we could prevent the number of women who are kidnapped. I also listed racism as a top solution because the solution has to start with people.  Our society is slowly becoming one of acceptance, but we still have a long way, so by having individuals move past it, that is the only way we can get through it.  Both of the top solutions have to deal with people as the solutions.  They are matters, I think, people have the most power to solve, therefore the most possible to implement.  The others require more power and strategy, maybe even money.