20A-Growing Your Social Capital

     1.) Domain expert- John Janusz a scientist.

a.     John is a scientist who is currently working in the chemical department at Proctor and Gamble. He graduated from Yale graduate school many years ago. Although his current focus is chemistry he has worked in physical sciences for many years and knows much about magnetism.

b.     John is filling my domain expert spot. He is somebody who can talk to be about the physical nature of my product. I need to know how and if the magnets will work. John can help me when it comes to making this product a physical reality.

c.     John is my great uncle. He has always been the person I turn to when I had questions about science related issues. Being a biology major, I have grown up intrigued by science and have been taking numerous science classes throughout my high school and college career. I face timed John to discuss my product.

d.     John and I talked about the nature of my magnets. I asked how strong the magnetic field would need to be to actually pull in the weight of a chair. He told me that the force of the magnet would have to be very strong. A low grade electromagnet would work but they are expensive. The ultra strong neodymium magnets in theory could work. He said their effectiveness depends on where I place them on the table and chairs. If I orient them correctly, I could get the attractive forces just right to a position where they would slide in with ease. However, he did remind me that I would also have to think about getting a magnet that is not too strong as to cause harm to people. If the magnets are too strong they can end up pulling in chairs tightly even when people are sitting in them. This is a big issue that will take a lot of troubleshooting to fix.

e.     Having John in my network will help me make sure that my product is safe and works well. He is somebody that will explain the physics and complicated science behind magnetism to me. This will help me when I go to start physically designing the product. He will also help me to draw up designs and put me in contact with builders.

      2.) Expert on Market-Rachid Choifani, restaurant owner of many restaurants in Orlando, FL

a.     Rachid is an entrepreneur who has opened and owns 5 restaurants in the Orlando Florida area and is currently looking to expand into South Florida. He began by opening his first restaurant, Marakesch, in Epcot at Walt Disney World. Since then he has simply grown his empire to expand all around Orlando.

b.     He is the expert on the market. He fills this slot because I am targeting this product to restaurants. My product will save time and make life easier for many restraint owners, managers, and servers. Rachid would be an expert here because he has been in the restaurant industry for many years and has been in many different restaurant settings. He would know a lot about the issues of chairs being left untucked and the problems that they cause.

c.     Rachid is the father of my father’s assistant. We have known the family for many years and have even visited them a few times in Orlando. I contacted him by way of a phone call.

d.     When I spoke with Rachid I showed him my idea napkin. He was very impressed with the idea. He liked the product very much and said it could definitely be a help in many of his restaurants. He told me about one specific waiter who was injured while working due to bumping into a chair that was left untucked. This was unfortunate because the server was then disabled for the rest of the shift and could not move as efficiently. Rachid told me that I needed to discuss more about why the restaurateurs should care about this product. On a surface level it seems like a good idea but is it really a product that many people will feel that they need to spend money on? He told me that I would attract some but not all. I needed to sit down and think about better reasons as to why this product is necessary. Saving time and efficiency simply just does not pull in enough buyers. In return, I will sit down and try to solve this issue and speak to Rachid once again after I have more ideas.

e.     Having Rachid in my network will help me greatly. He is now a resource I can speak to when I am questioning the success of this product. He represents my potential buyers. He is the market I am targeting. I can go to him and show him future idea napkins and elevator pitches and see if they are effective or not.

       3.) Supplier-Rick Blomqvuist, supplier of Florida sugarcane.

a.     Rick works for FloSun, one of Florida’s largest suppliers of sugar. He is the department head for the distribution center. Rick is in charge of making sure restaurants and businesses get their sugar.

b.     Rick is filling my spot for the important supplier. He is selling sugar to my industry, the restaurant industry. He will know about how to get the product out to certain businesses.

c.     Rick is the husband of my mother’s boss. I have always heard briefly that he was a sugar distributor and when I was thinking of people to reach out to connected to the restaurant industry, he came to mind.

d.     I asked Rick all about how to contact the businesses and the processes of getting people to distribute your product. He told me that his company is much more large scale than mine would be for a long time so the processes that he deals with is different than what I would start out with. He did though talk to me about how to sell my product in a way that distributors and restaurateurs would like to buy it. He told me that I needed to make it more marketable if I wanted to sell it on a larger scale. I would have to start with a few small restaurants and work my way up to larger distributors. Eventually, this product has the potential to be purchased by a big restaurant or food service and product developer. This would mean that I would not be the sole person selling the product. Instead, a large corporation would buy it from me and get it to restaurants and businesses all over the world. A feat I could not reach on my own.

e.     Rick will help me out by teaching me how to move up in the business world. He said that he will help me market and sell my product to a few smaller businesses. After that I would get the name out of my product to more and more people until finally I can reach out to a larger business. Since his career mirrors my end goal he will be helpful in telling me how to get there.

Reflection:
       I think that this assignment was a very good one to have us do. It got us started in the world of networking. It is a skill that entrepreneurs defiantly need to have because we will be trying to market our product or service and need to make connections. I now know how to ask people questions in a respectful yet still inquisitive manner. These people are different from those we have been interviewing in the past because they are more professional. I have not really had much experience with networking in the past as I am pre-health. I have never attended a career showcase or large scale recruiting event before. This experience though finally allowed me to do so.

19A-Idea Napkin No.2

Hello, my name is Shelley Robinson and I am currently a Junior at the University of Florida. I am not your typical entrepreneur as I am a biology major hoping to become a dentist one day. I have always been somebody who loves working with my hands. I enjoy crafting and art projects. I am also very good at talking to people. I have been considered a "people person" by many and love to look at life on the positive side! I am also a perfectionist. I like things to be organized and I hate when people forget to do basic things to keep organized. This specifically bugs me when people carelessly do something that will affect others. This business would affect my life in a positive note because it would give me another outlet in my life to be passionate about and also solve one of my worst "pet peeves".

Have you ever been sitting at a table and forget to push in your chair when you get up? Do you often bump into chairs that have been left out by others? My product will solve this problem. This product will attach magnets to the edge of the table and the chair, automatically pulling the chair in when it is left out. The magnets will be specifically placed so that when a person is sitting in the chair, they will block the attractive force. However when they get up they will expose the magnet, allowing the chair to be tucked back into the table. We will use high strength neodymium magnets that have up to 200 kg of adhesive force. 

This product will be useful in many different settings. Homeowners who have a large to medium sized family dinner table would be able to see benefit from this. Restaurant owners and managers would also find this product useful and time-saving for their businesses. This would also be useful for large business meeting and conferences where there are large or many tables. All of my customers would be individuals that have tables that people frequently sit at. This ranges from professionals to the average family or couple.

The value in this product can be seen in many ways. First off, this is a time saver. Now people will not have to spend time going around and tucking in the chairs to the tables where people have neglected to do so. This will also make it easier for people who are trying to walk around the space near tables so they do not have to pay close attention to ensure they will not walk into chairs.

I have a true passion for this product. This product is a solution to a problem that has bothered me for a long time. This idea stemmed from a point that I had on my bug list. This is something that is a pet peeve of mine and I would love to have a solution for. So I will do whatever I can to make it a reality. My perfectionist attitude will ensure that I will work extra hard to make sure that this product is exactly the way that I want it to be.

I think that these five elements do fit together in some way. However, I think that I am having trouble finding out why I am the right person to market this product. I know that this is a product that I believe in and want to succeed. However, I am not sure what skills I have that will help me achieve the end goal of this product. I do think though that I have a very strong idea of the customer base and how to sell it to them.

Feedback Memo:
I was told that I seemed very interested in this product. I tried to keep my interest apparent as I re-wrote some of this post. I was also told that my reviewer was confused on how the product would work. So, I wrote a little more explaining what type of magnets I would use and how they would be applied. I also added more about what sets me apart. I figured I could show more passion in this way. 

18A-Create a Customer Avatar

For my product the Customer would be an restaurant owner who takes a big part in managing his restaurant. He is not the head chef but instead more of the business side of the venture. He is a man who has always had a dream of owning his own restaurant and has finally found the funds to do so. This is his passion and he works very hard to make sure it runs smoothly. This includes helping manage and jumping into any position where help is needed. He is 37 years old, married, and has two children. His family can be seen around the restaurant often and they also help out when needed--even with clearing tables and cleaning at the end of the day. He is a total family oriented man. When he is not in the restaurant his is doing outdoor activities such as biking and running to stay in shape. He bikes with his kids and takes them to the local parks. He enjoys reading action novels but is also very into watching movies! At home he likes to sit back and recline on his couch to watch TV but will always get up and help his wife with cooking and cleaning. He drives an Infinity coupe from 2013, a modest but nicer car.

I think that me and this avatar do have something in common. We are both very driven. This restaurant is his passion and he works extremely hard to make sure that his dream continues to be a reality. When I set my mind to something I love, I give it 100% of my effort and work very hard at it. I think that my product would help out this customer and save him time and effort. However, he is somebody that has lived for a while and done fine without my product. He cares so much about the restaurant's success that he does not care what time consuming tasks it may take for it to do so. I do not think that this similarity is a coincidence. I Think that when I thought of this product, I thought of small things that bug me. However, although it bugs me to push in others chairs' I do it anyways. So when I think of people using my product, I see them in the same situation.

17A-Elevator Pitch

This is my elevator pitch!

https://youtu.be/Wdcr4tTE7l0


Reflection: I did not do the last elevator pitch assignment, unfortunately. I would guess that my feedback would be to have more direct eye contact with the camera/audience. I think that this would have been useful feedback.

I could not change anything for this pitch since I did not have any feedback.

16A-What's Your Secret Sauce

How I think my human capital is unique.

1. I am a perfectionist and seek to always have things go perfectly. This is unique because I am very detail oriented and will give my 100% effort into everything I do to ensure perfect quality.
2. I am extremely driven and motivated. Once I set my mind to something or get an idea in my head, it is very hard for me to stop. I have often even been called obsessive, for lack of a better word.
3. I am very good at multitasking. I can do many things at once and still do them all very well. This allows me to save time and get as much done as possible.
4. I am very studious and hard working. I am good at devoting myself to studying. I can distance myself from the rest of the world for hours at a time and focus only on my work. 
5. I see the best qualities in people. I am very positive and see the good rather than the bad. This helps me to be emotional and relate well with others. I also always look on the bright side of situations even if they are bad. 

Interviews:

1. Christina said that she thinks I am empathetic and emotional. She thought that I was caring and always willing to help out others with anything!

2. Haley talked about my devoted study skills. She said that she always sees me focused and wishes that she had more of this quality.

3.Jennifer thinks that I have an inability to say NO to people. This causes me to always be the "go-to" person but it also shows that I am personable. She thinks that it shows I am willing to take on any task.

4. Savannah said that I pay close attention to small details. She thinks that I try my hardest to make sure everything I do is exactly the way I want it and close to perfect. 

5.Maddie said that I am a leader and take charge of many situations. She thinks I am good at organizing and influencing large groups of people.

Reflection:

How I see myself and how others see me is both similar and different. There are definitely a lot of similarities such as my perfectionism and positivity. I said that I think I am positive and see the best in people. My friends said that they feel as though I am empathetic and caring. I think that these are two qualities that are different but tie into each other. My caring and empathetic personality helps me see the best qualities in people. I did not think about my study skills being a good quality that differentiates me but after hearing my friend talk, I  think that it is a good one. A lot of students have trouble focusing and getting work done on time. By being able to do the opposite, it sets me apart and ahead of many others. I do not think that I would make any corrections but maybe a few additions. I would probably talk about being empathetic in my first example and add in how being detail oriented helps me be driven and motivated. 

12A-Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No.1

The segment that I chose for assignment is homeowners.

The three people that fit into this segment I chose to interview are Jennifer Robinson, a mother of two, Linda Mixon, a house director of a sorority house, and Ally Chamberlin, a college students who owns a home off campus.

The questions I asked in my interviews are as followed.
1.)Do you own or rent a home?
2.)Do you have a table in your home?
3.)Does the table get used frequently?
4.)How often does it get used and when?
5.)Do you often notice chairs being left out?
6.)Do you have to tell the people sitting at your table to push in the chairs?
7.)Have you found yourself going back around and pushing in the chairs yourself?

All three interviewees own a home and have one or multiple tables in their homes. They all said that the tables get used very frequently. Linda says that the girls in her sorority use the tables in the house twice a day for lunch and dinner. She also says that the chairs left left untucked every single day. She says that the chairs are left out more frequently during dinner time. People are excited to sit down and eat and then try to leave quickly to go home. She said she has spent up to 45 minutes walking around their large dining room, pushing in chairs. She is very upset by this fact. Linda also says that she constantly reminds her girls to push in their chairs and feels as though they simply just forget often. Jennifer and Ally both said that they notice their chairs being left out the most when they have visitors over for holidays or parties. They feel as though their guests do not care to take the time to push in their chairs because it is not their home. Jennifer tells her daughters to push in their chairs each night after dinner so when it is just her immediate family she does not really find an issue with chairs being left out. Jennifer says that she has googled ways to speak to people to politely remind them to tuck in their chairs. She has asked many people on their suggestions but has not heard of any that have worked. All three women though have said that they really feel as if there is sadly no solution to this issue. They also said that they would appreciate a product that does offer a solution.

This segment is definitely aware of the need. There is probably not very much searching on the internet done by this segment though as there are currently no solutions that exist for this problem.

11A-Idea Napkin No.1

Hello, my name is Shelley Robinson and I am currently a Junior at the University of Florida. I am not your typical entrepreneur as I am a biology major hoping to become a dentist one day. I have always been somebody who loves working with my hands. I enjoy crafting and art projects. I am also very good at talking to people. I have been considered a "people person" by many and love to look at life on the positive side! I am also a perfectionist. I like things to be organized and I hate when people forget to do basic things to keep organized. This specifically bugs me when people carelessly do something that will affect others. This business would affect my life in a positive note because it would give me another outlet in my life to be passionate about and also solve one of my worst "pet peeves".

Have you ever been sitting at a table and forget to push in your chair when you get up? Do you often bump into chairs that have been left out by others? My product will solve this problem. This product will attach magnets to the edge of the table and the chair, automatically pulling the chair in when it is left out. The magnets will be specifically placed so that when a person is sitting in the chair, they will block the attractive force. However when they get up they will expose the magnet, allowing the chair to be tucked back into the table.

This product will be useful in many different settings. Homeowners who have a large to medium sized family dinner table would be able to see benefit from this. Restaurant owners and managers would also find this product useful and time-saving for their businesses. This would also be useful for large business meeting and conferences where there are large or many tables. All of my customers would be individuals that have tables that people frequently sit at. This ranges from professionals to the average family or couple.

The value in this product can be seen in many ways. First off, this is a time saver. Now people will not have to spend time going around and tucking in the chairs to the tables where people have neglected to do so. This will also make it easier for people who are trying to walk around the space near tables so they do not have to pay close attention to ensure they will not walk into chairs.

I am set apart from everybody else because I have a passion for this product. This product is a solution to a problem that has bothered me for a long time. My perfectionist attitude will ensure that I will work extra hard to make sure that this product is exactly the way that I want it to be.

I think that these five elements do fit together in some way. However, I think that I am having trouble finding out why I am the right person to market this product. I know that this is a product that I believe in and want to succeed. However, I am not sure what skills I have that will help me achieve the end goal of this product. I do think though that I have a very strong idea of the customer base and how to sell it to them.