30A Final Reflection

I think that I will remember doing this whole assignment for a while. It is hard to forget about something when you spend a whole semester expanding more and more on an idea. I am most proud of actually coming up with an idea that I did not mind writing about and working on for the whole semester. It made the class much more enjoyable. I do not know if I see myself as an entrepreneur because I do not have time to be one. Being an entrepreneur takes all of your time to focus and expand on your idea, which is hard to do while still in college. The biggest advice I can give to succeed in this class is to pick an idea that you actually enjoy. It is so much harder to write and think about an idea that you do not really care about. I would also recommend staying organized for this class because all of those dates tend to sneak up on you faster than you realize.

28A Your Exit Strategy

1. My exit strategy would most likely be to hang on to my business for as long as I can. I can work hard and turn mine into a giant company that can make me lots of money. But if someone comes along and offers me the right price then I would be willing to sell it.

2. Building a company from nothing becomes your life. Selling my business off would be hard to do because it is almost like a child. I have watched it grow from nothing. I would like to keep working hard and growing it into as big of a business as I can. But if I become tired and want a break I would be willing to sell it off for the right price. If I have been pouring my heart and soul into a company for 10 years I would get pretty tired. Id be willing to sell it off and just rest and relax for a bit.

3. I think that I would rather hold onto my business it has resulted in me looking at ways to grow my business later down the road. I have not just been looking at the short term but also the long term while developing this idea.

27A Reading Reflection No. 3

Steve Jobs

1. I was most surprised that Steve Jobs become a billionare from Pixar's IPO and not his Apple products. His stocks become worth $1.2 billion in 1995 after the success of Toy Story. I most admired Steve Jobs attention to detail. He was so precise and everything had to be perfect in his eyes. He would no put out a product just to make money, but rather he was looking to produce a product that he was valuable and perfect. He was not just in the business to make money. I least admired that Steve Jobs was very difficult to work with and he treated his employees poorly. He would fire them for no reason and would look down on them.

2. I mentioned it above about Steve Jobs' attention to detail. He wanted everything to be perfect and would work unbelievably hard to make it perfect. His hard work and determination, along with his brilliant ideas is what separated him from the rest of the pack. Steve Jobs was able to build the most successful and dominant company we have ever seen. 

3. I did not really find any part of the reading confusing. It was all pretty straight forward.

4. If I could ask Steve Jobs two questions I would ask him advice on how to build a company from nothing and also what skill he had that helped him build apple.

5. Steve Jobs was a very hard worker and probably resulted in him creating such a successful business. One most always work hard if they ever hope to achieve something in life, it will never just be handed to you.

26A Celebrating Failure

This past semester I got a C on my statistics exam. I am used to getting A's on my exams. I stuck to my normal routine that I always do to prepare for an exam. This time it let me down and I got a grade that I was not expecting to get. I learned that you have to learn to adapt to certain situations. What may have worked for you in the past will not always work for you in the future. You cannot be stuck in your ways, but look to better yourself. Failure is the best way to learn. When you fail at something you learn exactly how not to do something. You can spend hours reading about how to run a business, but the most valuable lesson is to go out there and actually do it. You might fail but everyone fails. All successful businessmen have failed at some point in their lives. Failure is what allowed them to rise to the success they are at now. 

25A What's Next?

Existing Market:

Step 1. There are other companies that sell tickets online and can be accessed through your phone. The big ones are ticketmaster and stubhub.

Step 2. I interviewed three people who purchase UF student football tickets. Most of them were excited for my new idea because they hate waiting in line to pick up their tickets. One person said that he actually prefers the physical ticket because he collects them.

Step 3. I plan to start off on focusing on UF. When I grow I hope to expand to colleges all over the country that do not give access to student football tickets on phones. Then maybe I could compete with major companies like stubhub and ticketmaster and sell all kinds of tickets.

New Market:

Step 1. My services focuses on college students who purchase student football tickets. I could also expand into selling all kinds of tickets like concert tickets and other sporting events. The only problem is that it will be hard to compete the pre existing companies.

Step 2. Everyone could now purchase all kinds of tickets, not just college football. It can now be open to everyone, not just college students.

Step 3. The two people I interviewed liked the idea of being able to buy tickets to all kinds of events. They all just mentioned that other big name companies are already in the market so it would be difficult to compete. They mentioned that I would have to find a way to differentiate myself to compete with the others.

Step 4. My new market relates to my target market, but it will be much more difficult to enter. I think I could enter the new market once I have gotten bigger selling student football tickets because the other big companies are unable to do that. Taking advantage of that opportunity is how I differentiate myself and allow my company to grow to be able to compete in the new market.

24A Venture Concept No. 1

Opportunity:

There is a big opportunity that can be taken advantage of here at UF. The opportunity is to provide virtual student football tickets. Thousands of UF students purchase season student football tickets so there is a big market for this opportunity. I know that many students will be willing to pay more for a virtual ticket because of the hassle it is to go pick up your ticket every football weekend. Students also have to worry about losing their ticket because if they do they will not get another one. The opportunity is so big because there are currently no competitors right now. I would be the first to take advantage of it and would have no competitors.

Innovation:

I do not really think this idea is super innovative, but more so taking advantage of an opportunity. There are plenty of sites that offer football tickets that can be accessed on phones. The only difference is that those sites do not offer student tickets. They can only be picked up at the ticket office right now. I am just using their idea and taking advantage of the fact that these companies have not been able to offer student tickets.

Venture Concept:

I know that it will be pretty easy to convince students to switch to virtual tickets instead of picking up physical tickets. No one wants to wait in those long lines to pick up their ticket. Now instead, they dont have to take any time out of their day to get their ticket because now it will be on their phone. Students also do not have to worry about losing that small ticket. People carry their phones with them everywhere now and they are much easier to keep track of. Currently there are no competitors, but I would still have to worry about the big companies also taking advantage of this opportunity. I think this is a very good business opportunity that will be taken advantage of eventually, if it's not by me then it will be someone else. I think it would be an easy service to provide. I would have to have enough employees to be able to provide that services of sending out virtual tickets and keeping our website up and running. I would not have to have multiple stores, but just one central location because everything would be done over the internet. Most of my costs would come from paying employees to keep the site up and running, send out our tickets, customer reps, and also customer support.

23A Your Venture's Unfair Advantage

1. Ability to work well with others

2. Knowledge about football and attending football games

3. Being a college student

4. Experience working in business

5. Family and friends around me that have knowledge running a business

6. Friend that works in UF ticket office

7. Good communication skills

8. Good analytical skills 

9. Experience with public speaking

10. Great at problem solving

VRIN:

Valuable: Valuable because there is no service for virtual student football tickets right now.

Rare: Not very rare, just no one has jumped on the opportunity now.

Inimitable: It is able to be imitated, but by signing contracts can give all the business to me.

Non-substitutable- There are no substitutes for this service right now because no one is providing the service.

I think my most valuable resource is the ability to be good at solving problems and thinking outside the box. Problems are always going to arise and being able to solve them as quickly and effective as possible is ideal. I feel that I am persistent when faced with a problem and I am able to come up with creative ways to solve that problem.

22A Elevator Pitch No. 3

Feedback: I got very good feedback on my last pitch so there was not much to change. I just made sure that my mic picked my voice up and that was about it.

 What I Changed: I did not really have to change much. I feel very comfortable in front of my camera now and have the pitch basically memorized so it was much easier this time around.

21A Reading Reflection No. 2

The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users

1. General Theme/Argument: The main topic this book talks about is using social media as a powerful tool to market and help sell to your customers. The book talks about multiple approaches to social media and how it can help in marketing.

2. Connection with ENT 3003: This book really helped me connect with this class because connecting is very vital to a business. Knowing more people only helps your business. This book talks a lot about using social media to connect with consumers and other businesses, which can benefit you.

3. Class Exercise:  Maybe each student creates their own social media account pertaining their idea. Then they could market the product as if they were actually trying to sell it.

4. Biggest Surprise: I would say the biggest surprise or aha moment would just be the whole book. I never really think of social media as tool that can really help you. I don't use social media too often so I do not really think about it. The only form of social media I really use is twitter, but twitter can definitely help you connect with other people still.

20A Growing Your Social Capital

Domain Expert: 

This person is Paul Armstrong, my dad. He has opened a business from scratch so he fits as the domain expert. He is my father so it was pretty easy to contact him on the phone. Since he has opened up a business from scratch he is able to provide some advice when opening my business from the start. The favor he is providing is advice and asks nothing in return as he is my dad.

Market Expert:

This person is Grant. He actually works in the ticket office which offers me someone on the inside. He will be able to help me contact UF's ticket office and maybe help facilitate the business.

Reflection:

This experience will help me with future networking events because I know exactly what types of people I need to network with. It made me think about all the people that it helps to know when starting a business.

19A Idea Napkin No. 2

1. I am an undergraduate business student majoring in business management. I would say my skills are I am hardworking and good at problem solving. My aspirations are to have a job that makes good money while I enjoy doing it. I could see this business becoming a bug success and I would have no problems focusing my life on pursuing it.

2. I am offering a way for college students to access their student tickets on their phones to avoid lines picking them up from the ticket office and also to avoid losing them.

3. I am offering this to all college students that attend football games and purchase student football tickets.

4. My customers will pay for this because they hate waiting in lines and would much rather use their phones. You can use your phone for standard tickets so it is time for student tickets.

5. I think I am different from everyone else because of my work ethic. I will work as hard as I can until I achieve my goal.

18A Create a Customer Avatar

My customer avatar is a 18-22 year old male who goes to college and attends UF football games.

1. I am a 21 year old male who goes to college and attends UF football games, just like the customer avatar.

2. I do not think it's a coincidence that I have so much in common with my customer avatar because my customer is people like me. I came up with the opportunity because I was looking to solve a problem that affected me.

17A Elevator Pitch No. 2

Reflection: It seemed like everyone that commented agreed that this idea would benefit all of them and they could all relate to the problem. I think that everyone being able to relate to this problem is the most useful feedback I received. I did not really receive any feedback that I did not expect or that was wrong.

What I Changed: The only thing that was requested for me to change was make sure my mic picked up everything I had to say, so that is the only thing I really changed.

16A What's Your Secret Sauce?

Describe five ways in which you think you have human capital that is truly unique:

1. My work ethic. I graduated high school with poor grades because I did not really try. I made it my goal to transfer to UF from FGCU. I had to work harder than I have in my life and I was able to accomplish my goal. When I put my mind to something I know I can achieve it.

2. I have always been mature for my age, even when I was a little boy. I have always been more mature than the people around me. It always seemed like I had better grasp and view on the world than the rest of my friends.

3. I am a very patient person, which i think helps me work well with others,

4. I am an open minded person. I feel like I am able to understand other perspectives pretty well. I may not agree with them by I hear out that person.

5. I have very good problem solving skills and I am able to think outside the box.


5 Interviews:

1. Mom: 
My mom talked about my good work ethic. She mentioned the last two years seeing how hard I had to work to transfer to UF. She then joked asking where that work ethic was in high school. She also talked about my intelligence. She could always see how smart I was, which is why it bothered her to see me not live up to my potential in high school. Now she is happy that I finally decided to work hard in school and make it to UF.

2. Dad:
My dad talked about my personality. He said I am a very chill, go with the flow type of person which makes me easy to get along with. He also mentioned that it helps me perform better under pressure. I am able to maintain a calm mindset and push through the stressful times. It also helped me during sports. He said that it seemed like I always performed by best when during crunch time.

3. Girlfriend:
I interviewed by girlfriend, Sarah. We have been dating for over two years so she knows everything about me. She also talked about my work ethic and about how smart I am. She said she could never work as hard as I did to transfer over to UF. She also talked about how good my grades are, given how hard of classes I am taking. She said she does not know anyone with as hard of a work ethic as me.

4. Best Friend:
I interviewed my best friend, Grant, who I have been best friends with since I was 5. He talked about how I am able to take on so many problems without getting overwhelmed. I am able to handle my own problems on top of helping other people with their problems. He said that I am always able to keep a calm and clear head.

5. Good Friend:
My good friend Jason, talked about how I am a very good problem solver. I am able to think outside the box to come up with solutions. I am not a very creative person, but I am a creative problem solver. He talked about problem solving being something I am very good at.

Reflect on the differences:
I view myself just about as everyone else views me. This assignment was hard for me because I am not someone that is particularly good at bragging. This made is hard to come up with my "secret sauce."

15A Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No.2

1. I interviewed college students who purchase student football tickets. All three people I interviewed were male.

2. Regarding the alternatives, there are not any. Students must purchase their student tickets from UF and pick them up from the ticket office, there is no other option for them. All three students said they would actually pay a little extra for an alternative, such as being able to access their ticket on their phone so they would not have to wait in line to pick their ticket up.

3. Students would go to buy website and buy their tickets the same way they do now, using a credit or debit card. UF would agree to sell their student tickets on my website and would make the same amount of money they do now. I would simply charge a little bit more per ticket, since they no longer have to wait in line.

4. Two of the men I interviewed said they go to every game and it is cheaper to buy the student football season tickets, so it is always a good purchase. They said it would be an even better purchase if they no longer had to wait in line to go pick them up. The other student I interviewed said he views the purchase as good or bad depending on if the Gators win or lose. He will still buy the ticket, but views it as a better purchase if the Gators win.

5. I interviewed three men who purchase UF student football tickets regularly. Two of them purchased the student season tickets and the other did not but still purchases them quite often. All three were in favor of the idea of being able to use a virtual student ticket on their phone. They all also said they would be willing to pay a few bucks extra, per ticket, to be able to have this feature. All of them also said the biggest drawback is waiting in the long line to pick their ticket up. Everyone that I have ever talked to says they hate waiting in the line.

6. I have learned that a high percentage of UF students attend the football games at least a couple of times a year. I have also learned that everyone hates waiting in the long lines to pick up their ticket, but there is no other option. I am hoping to become the first alternative to waiting in those long lines and I think that students would be willing to pay more money for their tickets if they could access them on their phones.

14A Halfway Reflection

1. Time management and making a plan for this course and sticking to it is required to stay on top of everything. Set aside a certain day of the week that you want to start on the discussion posts and do not wait until the last minute. Some posts require interviews that cannot be done last minute. You must be disciplined to stick to that schedule and not keep putting everything off.

2. The first assignment that we had to interview people I did not think I would get it done in time. I put it off and did not realize that I had to interview people for the assignment. Luckily, my roommates were home and some friends were able to help me out to get the assignment done. After that I learned to look at the assignment at least a week before it is due to at least get an idea on how long it will take to complete. I have developed a routine that allows me to complete everything on time.

Tips:
1. Time management- Learn how to manage your time so that you are not caught off guard and turning in work that is not beneficial to you.

2. Think outside the box- Thinking outside the box is a valuable asset to all entrepreneurs as it helps you come up with innovative and new ideas

3. Come up with an idea that you enjoy- An idea that you enjoy talking about will actually make the class enjoyable and not so much of a task or hassle.

13A Reading Reflection No. 1

Elon Musk

What surprised you the most?

I found the way Elon Musk started as an entrepreneur to be the most surprising. I always thought he was successful through Tesla and never knew exactly how he made all of his money before. I found it surprising that he made a lot of his money through paypal.

What about the entrepreneur did you most admire?

I admire Musk's will and determination. People are always telling him that he is crazy and nuts because of what he is doing now. He is attempting to put a man on Mars and also selling flamethrowers. The man is worth billions of dollars so obviously he is doing something right. People keep putting him down but he is continuing to fight for his ideas. He was even forced to step down as chairman for Tesla. 

What about the entrepreneur did you least admire?

I would have to say that I least admire the way Elon Musk treats his employees at times. He is very extreme and demands perfection out of people, which is a reason he is successful, but also not how you should treat people. I think that he needs to treat his employees with a little but more compassion and remember that they are human beings and not robots.

Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it?

Elon Musk has faced adversity his entire life. Even as a child he faced adversity in his parents separating and being bullied in school, which resulted in him focusing more on books. He has been driven out of numerous companies and faced failure his entire life. But through all of these failures he has been able to learn. The best opportunity to learn is learning how not to do something. He is still continuing to face adversity now with Tesla. He was just forced to step down as chairman and is still figuring out what his best option is to go forward. 

What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited?

I think Elon Musk has something that all great entrepreneurs have and that is resilience. All entrepreneurs must be willing to be beaten down and then get back up even stronger. Very rarely does someone make a product that is a major success their first time. Elon Musk was beaten down and is still continuing to be beaten down but continues to get back up and learn from his failures. Elon is a perfect example of how all successful entrepreneurs must be.

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

I didn't really find any part confusing but I did find some parts boring. It seems like with all biographies there is unnecessary information that makes the book so much longer than it needs to be. I like to learn about successful people but all biographies are so long. I wish they were short to the point and contained only useful information. 

If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?

1. How do you continue to push forward through all of the negativity that people throw at you?

2. What is the best mindset to have to be able to continue to come up with innovative ideas after so  many have been shot down?

For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion?

I think Elon Musk's opinion of hard work is determination and perseverance. He is able to shut out all that negativity and continue to work to achieve his ideas and aspirations. Musk eat, sleeps, and breathes his work. I share his same attitude in hard work.

12A Figuring out Buyer Behavior No. 1

Segment: College students who purchase student football tickets.

Interviews: I interviewed three college students here at UF. All three of them purchase or have purchased student football tickets. As in previous interviews, I have seen that anyone that has purchased student football tickets hate waiting in the long line to pick up their ticket and would much rather be doing something else. Since all three mentioned that they did not waiting in line to pick up their tickets, their need for a solution is at its peak while waiting. One person actually had to wait in the rain to pick up one of his tickets because it was the last day to pick it up. Another person mentioned that he knew someone that lost his student ticket before the game and was unable to attend the game. When I asked them about a possible solution they thought of they did not really have one. They are forced to wait in line to pick up their ticket. Two out of the three people interviewed wished they could just use their UFID card as a phone. All three of them mainly just complain about waiting in line to their friends because most of their friends wait for their tickets too.

Conclusion: After all of the interviewing I have done this semester, I have learned that all people that have student tickets hate waiting in line to pick them up. They all recognize that there is a solution, but it is up to the school to alter the way they hand out their tickets. There is a huge market that is available because this problem spreads across to all college students who purchase student football tickets.

11A Idea Napkin No. 1

1. Who: I am currently a junior at UF, majoring in business management. I have been around the business world my entire life. My father is an entrepreneur and my grandfather has been in the corporate world, along with starting his own business. I had an internship this past summer for a supply chain management company, which allowed me to operate in a real business environment. I have grown up learning from my father and grandfather and wish to be like them. My aspirations are to succeed in the world of business in whatever way I can.

2. What are you offering customers: I am offering a service for colleges, currently focusing on UF, and college students. Colleges can now sell their student tickets through my online services, which would give college students the option for virtual tickets accessed through their phone. This eliminates students waiting in line to pick up their physical tickets at the ticket office. I also aim to decrease the possibility of students losing their tickets.

3. Who are you offering to: I am offering my services to colleges and college students who purchase student tickets. I am specifically aiming to sell student football tickets through my website as football games are the most attended by college students.

4. Why do they care: These college students will be more than willing to pay the extra fee to buy their tickets online and access them through their phones. Now they do not have to wait in the long lines to pick them up at the ticket office and they will be less likely to lose their ticket, since it will be on their phone. Colleges will sell their tickets through my website because I believe more students will purchase tickets since they do not have to wait in lines anymore. Students who are on the fence of purchasing student tickets will no be more inclined to purchase tickets.

5. What are your competencies: To my knowledge, most major college football schools do not offer student tickets on mobile devices. If I could enter this market than I would not have many competitors. The main competitors I would have to worry about are the pre-established online ticketing companies, like stubhub and ticketmaster.

I believe this is an amazing opportunity that needs to be taken advantage of. The vast majority of students that purchase student football tickets hate waiting in lines and would love an alternative to it. I would love to be the one that uses the opportunity, but the most difficult part is to out compete the established ticketing companies. If colleges agree to offer their student tickets virtually it will be difficult to convince them to sell through my services and not companies like stubhub and ticketmaster.

10A Elevator Pitch No. 1

9A Testing the Hypothesis Part 2

I decided to interview 5 random UF students on campus. I found that 4 out of the 5 go to UF football games and purchase student tickets. The 4 of them stated that they all hated waiting in line for their tickets and wished they did not have to. Even the person who does not go to the football games has been to one football game as a student. They did not enjoy waiting in the line either. All 5 of them supported the idea of a virtual ticket that could be used on their phone or at least having the option to do this.

Who: After my interviews I learned that most people are actually effected by this opportunity. Some people do not go to many football games, but they have been to at least one. Being that I'm sure students would pay $25 to the school to support virtual tickets. If the vast majority of the students wish for virtual tickets than UF could begin to implement this policy through my services.

What: Tickets are already sold physically on paper by UF. People want a virtual student ticket because it is harder to lose and also they would not have to wait in line for it. While some people do enjoy the physical ticket because they collect them, most students are all for a virtual ticket.

Why: Most of the people that fall outside of the boundary either prefer physical tickets or do not go to football games. Even though people believe in physical tickets I am sure they would rather not wait in a line for their tickets.

Inside the Boundary	Outside the Boundary
Who: People who purchase student football tickets and wish not to wait in line and/or would rather have them on their phone	Who: People who do not purchase student football tickets or people who prefer a physical ticket
What: Eliminating the requirement for students to wait in long lines to get their student tickets/eliminating the problem of students losing their ticket and not being allowed to get another one without purchasing another	What: Eliminating the option for physical tickets entirely, but giving the students the option to purchase a virtual ticket rather than a physical
Why: The need comes from students being tired of waiting in long lines to pick up their tickets. Students also lose their tickets and are not allowed to get another one for the game without purchasing one	Why: Main problem is that people’s phones could die and they would not be able to get into the game. People may also enjoy the physical ticket because they keep them or collect them

8A Solving the Problem

I intend to create a website or program where I sell the service to UF and other schools where students can purchase and use their virtual tickets. UF would begin selling their tickets through my website. Students could then prove they are a student at UF, the same way they do now to purchase tickets. Now, instead of students having to pick up their ticket from the ticket office, the website provides them with a virtual ticket that can be scanned at the gates like any other ticket. I aim to work with UF so that they will sell their student tickets through my website and not other big names like stubhub or ticketmaster. Hopefully I could end up partnering up with other schools to sell their student tickets through the website as well.

7A - Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

Opportunity: Thousands of UF students struggle with student football tickets. Many do not want to wait in the long line to go pick them up and some even lose their ticket before the game, resulting in missing the game or buying another ticket.

The Who: Thousands of UF students who purchase student football tickets.
The What: Waiting in line for tickets and/or losing the tickets
The Why: Students may not get student tickets or may skip games, and students are forced to buy another ticket if they lose it.

Testing the Who: I am sure many other college campuses have the same student football ticket procedures as UF, but I am focusing on UF for now.
Testing the What: The boundaries of this is anyone who purchases UF student football tickets.
Testing the Why: I'm sure most UF students have experienced going to pick up UF student football tickets at some point.

Grant Stansel - UF Student/Roommate

This person is a senior this year and has experienced this problem since he was a freshman. He hates the long lines that he has to wait in to go pick up his ticket. He has actually lost a ticket a couple of times before the game. He hates that UF would not just print a new one out for him because he ended up having to buy another student ticket for those games. He also stated that he knows plenty of other people that have lost their ticket and couldn't go to the game.

Patrick Davis - UF Student/Friend

This person is a junior this year and has also suffered from this problem since his freshman year. He says that is always sucks having to wait in line to pick up his ticket when he could be doing other things. He says that he has other friends at other colleges that have the same problem. He just wishes that UF would allow them to get the ticket on their phone so they wouldn't have to wait in line.

Clement Hall - UF Student

This man is only a freshman this year. He says that he has only gone to three games as a student, but it already sucks to wait in the line. When asked about losing a ticket he said that he had not lost one yet, but one of his freshman friends already lost one. He hopes he never loses one because he does not want to pay for another ticket.

Sarah Cumella - UF Student

This woman said that she does not really go to that many football games because she is not a big fan of football. She has been to a few and did not enjoy waiting in line to pick up her ticket and would actually be more likely to buy another student ticket if she did not have to wait in line. Some of her friends go, which is the main reason she actually goes.

Jason Coleman - UF Student/Friend

This man is currently a senior at UF. He has actually lost a ticket to a Gator game. He stated he lost it his freshman year and ended up buying another ticket from a student. He had to waste money after losing the ticket because the ticket office would not print another one. He stated that UF should just print off another ticket or just allow people to have them on their phones like other tickets on stubhub or ticketmaster.

Summary: 

After all five of these interviews everyone had experienced this issue. Even if they had not been to very many football games they have still had to wait in the long line to pick up their ticket. These people even talked about knowing plenty of other people that have been experiencing this problem. Most students have been to at least one football game, which means they experience the problem of waiting in the long line and all of this could be avoided if UF would introduce a virtual ticketing system through student's phones. That way no one has to wait in lines or loses their ticket. Introducing virtual ticketing could also result in more people purchasing season tickets and less people skipping games.

6A Identifying Opportunities in Economic & Regulatory Trends

Economic Trends:

1. "Job openings hit record high, and more people than ever are confident enough to quit"

This article is from CNBC. This shows that the economy is doing better than it has in a while. Businesses are financially capable of hiring more people to help expand their companies and firms. People are also able to start their own businesses, thus opening more jobs. There is clearly an opportunity to hire more workers. The unemployment rate is always talked about and there is a clear opportunity to lower, maybe to even an all time low. The people that can take advantage of this opportunity are all companies and businesses. They have the opportunity to hire more than they have been able to in a while. People that have been struggling to find a job are also able to take advantage of this opportunity because more businesses are looking to hire now. I saw this opportunity because I am always hearing about the unemployment rate all over the new station and now there is an opportunity to lower it.

2. "Why gas prices are so high"

This article is from the New York Post. Gas prices will always fluctuate with the price of oil. We will never be able to predict how low and how high the price of gas will get. As the prices of gas rise, the opportunity to sell more electric cars rises. When people see the prices of gas rises, it raises the demand for electric cars because no one likes to spend extravagant amounts of money on gas. I believe the customers will be people who are looking to buy a new car while gas prices are higher because they will be more inclined to purchase an electric car. Since they are unhappy with gas prices they will look for more alternatives to gas. I saw the opportunity because I love to watch and pay attention to the price of gas. If I notice the price of gas going up or down I like to look at the price of oil to see the comparisons. People are always trying to save as much money as possible, which is why the opportunity to sell more electric cars rise when the price of gas rises.

Regulatory Trends:

1. "Small business optimism surges to highest level ever, topping previous record under Reagan"

This article comes from CNBC. U.S. small business optimism has soured after President Trump and Congress have cut taxes and have deregulated. Small business is the backbone of America's economy. There is an opportunity for people to open new businesses and for also people to expand their businesses. If more people are opening businesses and are expanding their businesses, more jobs are being created. This benefits not just small business owners, but the rest of the American people that are looking for jobs. I saw this opportunity because my father is an entrepreneur so I have just learned to look out for other small business owners. Seeing small businesses excel and succeed is great for America. The opportunity for more people to open a business and also expand opens up more jobs for people all over the country that are looking for jobs.

2. "Supreme Court Widens Reach of Sales Tax for Online Retailers"

This article comes from New York Times. The supreme court recently ruled that sales tax must now be paid during online purchases. It has taken so long to be addressed because no one thought that a small online only company could compete with already established big named stores. Now Amazon is taking the world by storm and outperforming the big names that existed well before Amazon started. This new ruling created an opportunity for brick and mortar stores to compete with these online stores again. Online already has a step up because people did not even have to leave their homes to shop. Now people at least have to pay sales tax to online stores now. This allows the opportunity for brick and mortar stores to become competitive again. I saw this opportunity because I have been seeing online purchases through Amazon sky rocket and have been resulting in many businesses going out of business. Amazon reshaped the world of retail and have been destroying brick and mortar stores. Brick and mortar stores needed something to help them compete again and I believe this could help in their favor. 

5A Identifying Local Opportunities

1. "Floridians rank in top 5 for no health insurance By Christine Sexton"

https://infoweb-newsbank-com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AFTUB%21Florida%2BTimes-Union%252C%2BThe%2B%2528Jacksonville%252C%2BFL%2529/year%3A2018%212018/mody%3A0914%21September%2B14&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/16E6F72672D7E268

This article is about Floridians and the large rate of citizens that do not have health insurance. Florida has the fifth highest rate of uninsured citizens. Most of the people that have insurance get it from their employer. Any other people would purchase their policies directly. The author continues to state that we must develop a program to decrease the rate of citizens that do not have health insurance. 

Problem- Florida's high rate of people without health insurance.

Who has the problem- people without health insurance.


2. "Few options for apartment seekers By Stuart Korfhage"

https://infoweb-newsbank-com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AFTUB%21Florida%2BTimes-Union%252C%2BThe%2B%2528Jacksonville%252C%2BFL%2529/year%3A2018%212018/mody%3A0914%21September%2B14&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/16E6F726A5225518

People that are looking for apartments in St. Johns county are finding it harder and harder. The only thing being built in St. Johns County is family homes and town homes. The only place to find apartments is in the Jacksonville area. It simply comes down to money. It is more expensive to live in St. Johns County than Jacksonville because the schools and area is much better. 

Problem- Limited supply of apartments in St. Johns County

Who has the problem?- People looking for an apartment in St. Johns County


3. "The threat of youth obesity"

https://infoweb-newsbank-com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AFTUB%21Florida%2BTimes-Union%252C%2BThe%2B%2528Jacksonville%252C%2BFL%2529/year%3A2018%212018/mody%3A0913%21September%2B13&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/16E6A2285C527148

Youth obesity is a problem across America. In Duval County, 1 7 high school students are obese. Most of them say they do not receive sufficient exercise, which is a primary reason for childhood obesity. They are spending 3 to 4 hours a day in front television or computer screens instead of going outside and playing. of A lot of students also say that they have a poor diet, which is another problem to fight obesity. Parents and schools need to make a change. They need to give these kids more time to go outside and play and also provide them with a healthier diet.

Problem- Youth obesity

Who has the problem?- Children and their parents


4. Too many youths don't feel safe

https://infoweb-newsbank-com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AFTUB%21Florida%2BTimes-Union%252C%2BThe%2B%2528Jacksonville%252C%2BFL%2529/year%3A2018%212018/mody%3A0912%21September%2B12&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/16E64D4C84C94010

Children do not feel safe going to school. They fear being physically and emotionally abused. Most of the children that say they fear unsafe were in the Arlington and Intercoastal schools on the West side. This particular area of Jacksonville is the rougher side of town. The main problem is the bullying the kids go through.

Problem- Children feel unsafe

Who has the problem?- Children and their parents, and schools


5. "Alligator attacks on rise in state By Daniel Figueroa IV"

https://infoweb-newsbank-com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AFTUB%21Florida%2BTimes-Union%252C%2BThe%2B%2528Jacksonville%252C%2BFL%2529/year%3A2018%212018/mody%3A0909%21September%2B09&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/16E5507C1F72EF10

Gator attacks are on the rise. The most recent attack happened when a homeless woman was bathing in Lake Hernando. An alligator latched onto her arm and attempted to drag her in. Luckily her friend was there to save her. She was taken to the hospital to be treated and later released. Gators were hunted in Florida and nearly extinct. Scientists are saying that as Florida's population and development has increased, so have alligator attacks. The wildlife commission is doing their best to keep the public safe, but is finding it difficult. If there is a lake or large body of water near you, then chances are there is an alligator in there. If we know there is an alligator in a body of water, they are removed if they become larger than 4 feet or if they become a threat. The wildlife commission advises not to feed alligators, keep your distance, only swim in designated swimming areas, and to keep your pets away from lakes and other bodies of water where an alligator may reside.

Problem- Rising alligator attacks

Who has the problem?- People in areas where alligators may live

4A Forming an Opportunity

I believe there is a need for all UF students who purchase student tickets for all of the football games. It is common for students to lose their tickets prior to the game. Since students have to pick them up so far in advance, it is very easy to misplace it. If you lose your ticket then you cannot get a new one. Your only option is to buy a general ticket online or miss out on going to the game. I am 100% sure that there is a need for UF to send student tickets out through email so students can pull their tickets up on their phones. Students also have to use valuable time during their day to wait in line to pick up their tickets when the tickets could just be sent to their phones.

Interview 1: Patrick Davis - UF Student

When did you become aware of this problem?

"I became aware of this problem last year when I lost my ticket to the Tennessee game. I lost my ticket two days before the game. I tried to go to the ticket office and get a new one but they could not reprint it. I ended up missing the game and you can imagine how mad I was missing the ending."

How are you addressing the issue?

"Well the only solution to losing your ticket it to either buy a new ticket or miss the game. You just have to hope you can find a ticket to buy for cheap, but you are still losing more money."

What would you do to fix this problem?

"Well the ticket office could either reprint tickets or they could even provide virtual tickets, like on our phones. I lose stuff a lot and I am sure there are other people out there like me."



Interview 2: Jason Coleman - UF Student

When did you become aware of this problem?

"I became aware of it my freshman year. I lost my ticket to the first home game of the season. The ticket office wouldn't print me a new one. I ended up buying another ticket from a student, but I still ended up wasting money."


How are you addressing the issue?

"I can't do anything. I just learned not to lose my ticket or else I will have to buy another ticket."

What would you do to fix the problem?

"I mean they could just reprint tickets. I wish they would just allow virtual tickets. My friend's school has virtual student tickets so I wish UF would do the same."

Interview 3: Grant Stansel - UF Student

When did you become aware of this problem?

"Well I have never actually lost a ticket, but I have friends that have. They ended up having to buy another ticket because they ticket office wouldn't give them another one."

How are you addressing the issue?

"It's simple. Just don't lose your ticket. I know there are a lot of people out there though that it's hard for because I am friends with them."

What would you do to fix the problem?

"I would just install virtual student tickets because it's harder to lose a phone than a small ticket. I know I always make sure I have my phone with me."

Reflection:
I learned from all three of my interviews that my opportunity is definitely needed. Plenty of people have lost their ticket or know someone who has lost a ticket at some point and there is nothing they can do about it.

1. I think most of my opportunity is still there. The ticket office could provide virtual tickets or just reprint them.

2. After my interviews it shows that my opportunity is very accurate. It seems like a lot of people have the same problem with losing their tickets.

3. I think it is very important for entrepreneurs to adapt their idea based on customer feedback. There is no way you can be successful if your customers do not want what you are trying to provide.

Entrepreneurship Story

I have grown up listening to stories about my Dad and Grandfather involving all of their business experiences. My Dad and Grandfather have been in the business world their entire adult life. Both of them have worked in the corporate world for parts of their life. Both of them have invested in large and small companies. My Grandfather never started a business, but has invested and co-owns many businesses, large and small. My Dad followed the same path as my Grandfather, but he is the true entrepreneur. My Dad was addicted to smoking cigarettes since he was 17, but when he was around 40 he discovered e-cigarettes and actually quite smoking cigarettes entirely because of them. Since he was able to quite he believed anyone could do it. He decided to open up and e-cigarette shop because he wanted to help other people quite smoking because he knew how bad it was for them. My Dad was retired for about 7 years at that point, so another big reason he decided to open up the shop was because he was bored and needed something to do. I remember watching my Dad pick out the first building and watching him turn an idea into a legitimate business. He went from selling out of one tiny shop into four shops all around Jacksonville, Florida. He later sold the business off because it was getting to be too big and he did not want to deal with the hassle of such a big company. He was mainly in it because it gave him something to do. Because of my Dad I was able to grow up seeing a true entrepreneur go to work with an idea.

I decided to take this class because my major is in business management with a minor in accounting, so I could one day actually decide to start my own business. The more I learn about the business world the more successful I can be. One day I could get bored with the corporate work life and decide to quite my job because I want to start my own business.

Bug List

1. When people drive slower than the speed limit in the far left lane.
Why- The far left lane is the passing lane and slower drivers should be in the far right lane.

2. People do not know how to drive in the lane.
Why- As soon as one drop of rain falls everyone on the road freaks out and forget how to drive.

3. Losing the TV remote in the couch.
Why - The remote is skinny and fall in between the cushions.

4. When it rains and your socks get wet.
Why- Wet socks are the worst.

5. When you can't find the matching sock.
Why- It seems like I can never find a matching sock because I just misplaced it somewhere in my room.

6. The internet always seems to run slow when I need it the most.
Why- It just always seems like the internet starts acting up when I need to turn in an important assignment.

7. When it starts to rain right after you left the house.
Why- I could have brought an umbrella if it started to rain before I left.

8. When the parking lot is busy and there are no parking spots.
Why- There is never enough parking so why not build parking garages.

9. When there is no food in the house.
Why- I hate grocery shopping so I always run low on food.

10. Going grocery shopping.
Why- I hate going to to shop and spend money.

11. Getting a migraine.
Why- Getting a migraine is the most annoying thing because it makes your day terrible until it goes away.

12. When my roommate cooks a smelly dinner and stinks the whole apartment up.
Why- I like my home to smell nice and not smelling like a restaurant when I come home.

13. When someone parks terribly and takes up two spots.
Why- It is not hard to back out and repark so you are not taking up two spots.

14. Commercials during a football game.
Why- It seems like we watch more commercials than football now.

15. Folding clothes.
Why- I am just taking up time to fold them when I am going to unfold them again when I wear them.

16. When my roommates don't wash or clean up their dishes.
Why- It is not hard to wash your plate off and put it in the dish washer.

17. When I drop food on my pants and it leaves a spot.
Why- It seems like I always drop the messiest food on myself.

18. Waiting behind people that are buying a full cart of items at a store when I am just trying to buy one item and get out.
Why- I am waiting 10 minutes for them to check out when I know that I will be done in 30 seconds.

19. When the self checkout line is super long.
Why- The self checkout line is supposed to be quick.

20.  When people get over into a merge lane to skip a long traffic line.
Why- People are inconsiderate when they get over into a merge lane and skip the rest of us waiting. They're not any more special than the rest of us.

Reflection:

It was very difficult to start my list, but once I started it was pretty easy. I began just thinking about my daily life and what I think in my head. Everyone has things that bug them everyday. I have all of these things that bug me in my everyday life, but I never really do anything to stop them. Most of the time there is nothing I really can do.

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