Tuesday, May 26, 2020

9A – Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

For this exercise, I interviewed a lot of people of my age via facetime due to social distancing.

Who: After interviewing people I got a lot of mixed reviews about my idea some people said that they would use the service and some other people did not agree with me.
  • A couple of college students that I interviewed loved the idea. They said that they always were cravings sweets (mostly cookies) during the study time. They like the idea of the delivery because in this way they will save time by not going to the store to get baked goods.
  • Other couples of college students were not excited at all because they mentioned that during quarantine they have been working out and getting new eating behaviors. They are eating a healthy snack and avoiding sweets, cookies, cakes, or anything that contains sugar.
  • I spoke with a friend in Venezuela and she has her own cupcake business. She mentioned that my idea is totally fine and that there is a chance that I succeed. However, she mentioned that I have to work a lot in marketing to let people know my products since I would have a lot of competition.
  • A young adult said that it is a good idea, but she mentioned that she is loyal yo the baked good that is found in public because they are pretty good. She has been buying them for years and she would not risk getting other products.
What:  My idea is for people that want to consume freshly baked products that can be delivered to their location. Especially for those people that don't have time to bake or people that do not have baking skills. However, people that are trying to pursue a healthier lifestyle or people that are loyal to another big bakery company are not interested in my service. Therefore, a healthy lifestyle and loyalty are some factors that might affect my idea.

Why:  The unmet need that I am trying to develop has not changed. However, with this feedbacks I feel that I have more clarity on who will buy my products. The need still exists for a particular audience, but people that are loyal to big bakeries or frozen products might think that buying products from small business are not the same quality than those that they already know. 

                             
Inside the boundary     

Outside the boundary

Who is In      
People that lack baking skills
People that do not have to bake
People that enjoy fresh/homemade baked sweets
Who is Not
People that are pursuing a healthy lifestyle.

People that are loyal to other baking companies
What the Need Is   
Homemade/fresh bake products such as cookies, cakes, bread, brownie, and many others.
Delivery of the baked products
What the Need Is Not
Health

They already know the quality of the products of other bakeries. 

They do not see the difference between Homemade and retail products.
Why the Need Exists
Enjoy the quality and the taste of homemade baked goods.
Alternative Explanations
They do not desire to consume baked sweets.

                         

Monday, May 25, 2020

8A – Solving The Problem

Opportunity

The opportunity that I see is that people lack baking skills or the lack of time to do some homemade baking products. People usually have some bake products at homes such as bread, cookies, cupcakes, or cakes. However, since they don't have time to bake or they don't know how to bake they buy these products at the store that usually do not taste the same as the homemade version.

Product/Service

Since my family and I have demonstrated that we have baking skills and that we make good baking products, my idea is to open a small delivery bakery service. In this bakery people would have the opportunity to get products such as different kinds of bread,  different kinds of cookies, brownies, cakes, and many other products. Moreover, they just would have to communicate with us and order the products of their preferences, and the product will be delivered to the customer's location. These baked products will 100% homemade and fresh since nothing will be frozen or pre-made.

Friday, May 22, 2020

7A – Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

Opportunity


I decided to focus on the opportunity that I wrote in an early assignment which is to develop a family business. Since my mom, I and my sisters love to bake and we consider that we have good skills to make good products. Therefore, I see the opportunity to start a small delivery bakery business with my family where we create.


Who:  The customer will be people around the Orlando area  that like to buy fresh  bake sweets and homemade bread or people that do not have skills  to bake at home


What: People usually like to have any kind of sweets or buy bread to have at home. Homemade products are usually full of flavor compared to baked goods or bread that are found at the store. 


Why:  Due to the lack of skills of people for baking is hard for them to make a good baking product, and it consumes a lot of time to bake. Even if people find some bread or baking products at the store they are never as fresh as homemade bake products. Moreover, with the current COVID-19 pandemic people prefer to stay at home, co we can deliver the product they want. Some people prefer homemade products because of the quality of the ingredients and the product overall is better.


Hypothesis Testing


My hypothesis is that people that don't like retail bake sweets will buy homemade products.


Testing the Who: When I thought of this opportunity I considered the who to be people that like to consume fresh homemade products. Later I realized that with the current pandemic people don´t want to go anywhere and they dont have baking skills are potential customers as well.


Testing the What:  The boundaries of these needs will be the offering of homemade products such as cookies, brownies, cupcakes, cakes, and different presentation of bread. This product will be fresh and delivered to the customer, so people won't have to go to the store to buy something that is frozen or that is not the best quality.


Testing the Why: A lot of people might think that bake products are easy to make, but the reality is that baking is pure science and if you dont have the skills the end product can turn out bad. Baking sweets or bread is a process that takes time, and not all people have the time to do it. Moreover, some baked goods can be found at the store, but the truth is that the flavor is never the same since the majority of the products are frozen. Therefore, this opportunity will give people the chance to have quality products that can be delivered, so they don't have to go anywhere.


Interviews


Interview#1 ( Mom of 2 children):  This mom is a very busy woman and she balances her job by taking care of her children. She said that she loves to have bread at home because it is an easy way to feed her children. She actually said that they are bread lovers and is something that they eat regularly. However, she says that it is hard to find bread they all like in the store. She also mentioned that she tries to bake the bread at home because they love it. However, she said that she never has the time to bake since she has a busy life. I asked her if she likes the opportunity, and she loved the idea and that she will consume the product.


Interview#2 ( 2 parents and two little children): This family enjoys eating sweets cookies, cakes, and cupcakes. They say they usually buy them at the store, but they prefer the homemade flavor. None of the parents have baking skills and they said that they do not have time to bake, so they always end buying at the store. They were interested when I talked about my idea and said that it is a service they would use.


Interview#3 (College student): This college student mentioned that she loves homemade baked sweets because it remains her about her grandmother who used to bake every time. She said that she used to observe her grandmother baking, but she said that she doesn't like to bake or make a mess. Moreover, she explained that with all the college work and her job she barely has time to cook. She says that she usually buys baked sweets at the store, but she misses that homemade flavor cookie. She liked my idea and said that she would buy some homemade cookies.


Interview #4 (Senior couple): This lovely couple mentioned that they have some skill baking. In fact, they have some grandchildren and they love to bake with them. It is something that they love to do and is like a family activity. They do not get baked products from the store because they do not like them. They told me that my idea was fantastic, but they do not need my services since they know how to bake, and they are not really enthusiastic about the delivery.



Interview #5 (Couple): This young couple is both hard workers and they pretty much spent their time at work or working out. They have poor skills at cooking and they do not bake at all. They get baked products from the store and they like it. The couple really does not see the difference between homemade and store products. They mentioned that the like the services because it is something that can be delivered, but they will use it rarely.


Summary


After all interviews, I could see that my idea was well received and now I  have a better understanding of who can be my potential customer. The idea was better received by families and people that do not have time to bake.


Wednesday, May 20, 2020

6A- Identifying Opportunities in Economic & Regulatory Trends

Opportunity #1: Leveraging e-commerce in the fight against COVID-19

A- https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2020/04/27/leveraging-e-commerce-in-the-fight-against-covid-19/

B- This article talks about the importance of E-commerce during this pandemic. Internet and online resources have been helping people to perform daily life activities with less risk of getting contaminated with the virus. In fact, the article suggests that e-commerce has helped to maintain jobs during this pandemic. Therefore, this is a potential opportunity even post-pandemic since a lot of people are getting more comfortable performing some tasks without going out. 

C-I think everyone that has access to online resources can be a potential customer for e-commerce. During this pandemic, everyone had to use any service ( such as Amazon, Instacar, zoom, skype,  food delivery services) to get something essential. 

D- I think this opportunity is between easy and some kind difficult to exploit due to the difficult time. There is already much e-commerce in the market and I think to develop an e-commerce a lot of money is necessary. However, this is an opportunity that already exists, so it can be easy to develop.

I think the reason this opportunity exists is that much small-medium businesses should think about the e-commerce opportunity because this pandemic is going to change the world significantly. A lot of people are afraid to go out and have social interaction, and this will go on for a while. E-commerce is an opportunity for this business to survive. 

Opportuniy#2:   Southeast Asia’s Microbusinesses Go Digital to Compete

A- https://asiafoundation.org/2020/05/13/southeast-asias-microbusinesses-go-digital-to-compete/

B-  This article explains how small businesses in south Asia were significantly economically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and how they move to be online to survive during the difficult times. This is an opportunity for microentrepreneurs and informal workers in South Asia to enter the digital economy which lets them get some income, maintain themself in the market, and new audiences.

C- The prototypical customer will be those people in South Asia who have access to the internet, apps, and smartphones to connect with these digital small businesses and get their services or products.

D-I think this opportunity is medium to exploit. A lot of small businesses and microentrepreneurs are offering their services online already, but not all products or services can be fully delivered by an online platform. 

I think this is a great opportunity for microentrepreneurs because it will let them keep their business life. This opportunity exists since a lot of people still afraid of going out and has any social interaction especially in the Asia continent where this pandemic started and getting essential products or services online is a better option than going out. I personally like it when I can find a product online because I feel I save time going out.

Opportuniy#3: Bring your mask when Disney Springs reopens Wednesday: Here's what you need to know

A- https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2020/05/16/disney-springs-begin-reopen-wednesday-heres-what-know/5206051002/

B- The article talks about the re-opening of Disney springs and the new policies that are going to be implementing. This is an opportunity for all the businesses that are located in Disney Springs to re-open after several weeks of being close and get back on track. Moreover, this is an opportunity for workers to start working again. In addition, since Disney world, in general, is opening this will bring tourists and the economy of Orlando can improve since tourism is one of the main sources of the economy in Orlando.

C- The prototypical customer will be people that are looking for some kind of recreation after this long period of being at home, tourist, and Disney fans of course.

D- I think the opportunity is easy t exploit since is not something new besides the safety rules that are going to be implanted. The rules are already established and they can be found online, so anyone who decides to go to Disney Springs has access to the rules.

I believe this opportunity exists because the quarantine time is coming to an end, and I personally believe that we need to return to some activities slowly for the well being of the economy and individuals that have loss their jobs during this pandemic. I have a lot of friends that worked in different places that lost their jobs due to the pandemic. I think re-opening places such as Disney springs will help people to get jobs back.

Opportuniy#4: Drive-in movie theaters making a comeback during COVID-19

A- https://www.foxla.com/news/drive-in-movie-theaters-making-a-comeback-during-covid-19

B-The Article talks about how during the pandemic drive-in movie theaters came back to life. During the pandemic, regular movie theaters were shut down and we don't know yet when they are going to re-open. Drive-in movie theater doesn't involve social interaction since you can stay in your car. This is a great opportunity for this kind of business to make a huge comeback even after the pandemic. The opportunity exists since a lot of people are just bored to be at home and this is a great way to get entertain and be safe.

C- The prototypical customer will be people that are looking for some kind of family entertainment without being exposed to social interaction, and people that love go to the movies. I personally will go to a drive-in movie since I have never had that experience.

D- I think it is easy to exploit this opportunity. We all are looking for something to do after being so much time at home. This is something that has been done in the past and I think is a great concept for people that don't want to be exposed.  There are some safety rules that are being implanted as well.

I think this is a great opportunity to recover something from the past and have it as an entertainment option even after the pandemic. Personally, I have always wanted to go to a drive-in movie because is a different experience. After this pandemic, I think that is something that I would like to do because I enjoy the movies, but at the same time, I want to stay safe for me and my love ones. I think lot of people feel the same way I do. Also, I believe that maintaining safety rules in a movie theater is harder than any other place.





Monday, May 18, 2020

5A-Identifying Local Opportunities

1. This woman had no childcare options for her son with autism. So, she had to quit her job

  • https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article242418951.html
  • This story is about Arasay Peñate a mom that had to lose her job due to the Covid19 pandemic. Arasay was a cashier in the Fresco supermarket, but she was no fired she had to quit because the childcare where her son was attending was closed due to the pandemic. She did not have any relatives that could help her to take care of her son, and her husband needs to work to pay the bills. Therefore, she decided to quit to stay home with her son.
  • The problem is the shut down of the daycare or even schools. This problem has affected millions of families since not everyone has the opportunity to work from home. Therefore, parents are being forced to leave jobs because they need to take care of their children.
  • In this story, Arasay Peñate is the one who has the problem. However, there are a lot of people around the world that have had to leave their jobs because they have to take care of young children,

2. Epcot is quickly becoming one of Disney's biggest coronavirus headaches
3. He didn’t wear a mask and called the coronavirus ‘a fake crisis.’ Then he was infected
  • https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article242817186.html
  • This story is about Brian Hitchens a man that thought this pandemic was a lie or fake. He did not take the safety rules such as wear a face mask. At this moment, he and his wife are in the hospital since they tested positive for Covid19. He is feeling better but his wife, unfortunately, is sedated connected to a ventilator. Hitchens said in the interview to take this pandemic seriously. 
  • The problem of this story is that Hitchens and many people do not believe that this virus is not serious, so they do not wear face masks. This is a problem because they can get the virus and can transmit the virus to other people.
  • This is a problem that affects everyone that does not use a face mask since one person can transmit the virus to many others, and a lot of people think that this virus is just a fake.
4.Rollins College cutting 15 percent of staff across all departments
5.  DeSantis blames paperwork problems in Florida's unresolved unemployment claims

4A-Forming An Opportunity Belief





Beginning Point

The opportunity that I believe is to create an app by Dietitians where people with chronic diseases can have access to nutritional information and product recommendation from professionals.

Belief
The unmet need that regards people that have any chronic diseases that want to improve their health or eating habits. Especially because in this kind of disease people have to follow different and particular diets.  Therefore, the target audience will be people that have chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer,  kidney disease, and people that want to prevent this diseases. This need has always existed because people sometimes refuse to get help from the nutrition field since it is not covered by insurance. People with chronic diseases need constantly follow up with their diets, so this app will be an easy way to contact the dietitian of their choice and see recommendations of products that they can buy. People that are not following dietitians advice usually go into the internet or follow advice from random people in social media. This is not good because the majority of the information in social media is misleading and it is not applicable for chronic disease scenarios. At this point, I would say that there is 65% that this opportunity exists.

Prototypical Customer

Prototypical Customer #1:  Maria Sarabia (53-year-old with Hypertension)

Do you go to visit a dietitian or a nutritional expert constantly?
No, I have gone just a few times in my life. I should go more often
because of my health condition.

How do you usually manage your diet?
I know that I have to keep a low sodium diet I try to stick to that rule. However, with process food is hard and I don't know what are the best options.

How important is it to maintain your diet regimen?
It is one of the most important things to me. If I don't take care of my diet my hypertension can get worse and lead to worse scenarios such as stroke.

Is it possible for you to go to a dietitian?

It's kind of hard to answer that question. I think that for me is hard since I work almost all day, so make time to go to an appointment is kind of challenging. On the days I am off I just want to rest and spent time with my family. Moreover, usually, those visits are expensive and my insurance does not cover it.

If there is a phone app where you can contact a dietitian to help you with your condition would you use it?


Yes, I think that would be easier since it does not consume as much time.

Prototypical Customer #2: Nelson Perez (53-year-old Pre-Diabetic)

Do you go to visit a dietitian or a nutritional expert constantly?

No, but I am aware that I should look for help since my blood glucose levels have been high. I know that usually with a change in diet this can be managed. Both of my parents were diabetic, so I have a little bit of experience with this condition.

How do you usually manage your diet?
It is hard. I know that I have to stay away from sweets since those increase blood glucose levels. I also know that I should not consume too many carbohydrates, but is kind of confusing what I can eat. I think I need to educate myself to sure what I should avoid and what not.

How important is it to maintain your diet regimen?

I think is the key to not end as a diabetic person. My parents did not pay attention to their diets and they had a lot of issues. My dad had one of his toe amputated, and both of my parents had vision problems due to diabetes. I don't want to become diabetic and I remember that all doctors said to my parents that the key was to manage their diet.

Is it possible for you to go to a dietitian?

I would say that I never have the time because I am always working.

If there is a phone app where you can contact a dietitian to help you with your condition would you use it?

Yes, I would because I want to talk to an expert in the field.

Prototypical Customer #3: Jose Valero (25-year-old diabetic)

Do you go to visit a dietitian or a nutritional expert constantly?

No, I went many years ago and I haven't gone since that time. 

How do you usually manage your diet?

I avoid sweets as much as I can. Also, I look for recommendation and tips in social media because is easier than go to an appointment with a dietitian.

How important is it to maintain your diet regimen?

Very important. If I don't take care of it I can either have hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia which are not fun to have. I am constantly looking fr products to have no sugar, but it is hard especially because the food industry is now tricking us with marketing.

Is it possible for you to go to a dietitian?

I currently just work part-time since I am a student, so I do not have enough money to go with a dietitian. Sometimes my insurance covers a little session with a dietitian, but I would like to go with others. Moreover, between work and college, I never have time to go to appointments.

If there is a phone app where you can contact a dietitian to help you with your condition would you use it?

Yes!Definitely! It would be nice to speak with a professional that I can afford, and it will take less time. It will be easier for me.

Reflection

After talking to 3 different people it surprises me that they will use the app because it will save them time. They all agree that they do not have time to go to a dietitian, so the app will be an easier way to talk to a professional in the nutrition field. They did mention that it was not covered by insurance, but it was not their main concern. Therefore, this app would be a good idea for people that are busy and don't have time to go to medical appointments.

Summary

How much of your original opportunity is still there?

Based on the responses of the interview I made I think that an opportunity for this solution still there. I think there was interest from potential customers.

Do you believe that your new opportunity is more accurate than when you started?
After the interview, I understood that not many people go to a dietitian due to lack of time, but they are aware they should go. Therefore, they need nutritional counseling, and recommendations still exist.

How much do you think entrepreneurs should 'adapt' their opportunities based on customer feedback? (In other words, is there a trade-off between adapting and staying firm?)

I think that entrepreneurs should be an open mind and listen to feedback. Even if the idea works the feedback from others can help you to develop a better idea, product, or services. In the end, the product or service is delivered to the public and if they don't like it or are not satisfied with it the idea will not be successful.







Thursday, May 14, 2020

3A-My Entrepreneurship Story

I have had some exposure to entrepreneurship in the past. When I was a child my parents opened a little movie business where people could rent or buy movies. The movie business was something that they did besides their regular job because they want to have a little bit of extra money. Moreover, my family loves to bake sweets and bread. My mom taught me to bake different things such as brownies, cookies, cupcakes, and cakes. I started to bake for my friends and they were in love with the flavor of everything I did. Therefore, I decided to offer my baking products and a lot of people use to buy them. It was something informal because I was not able to bake every day since I was in school and I had to study and do my assignments. During the Covid19 pandemic, my mom and I have been able to create new recipes, and we are thinking about the possibility of starting our own bakery business.

                                                 These are some of the things that I love to bake 

This class is a requirement for my major. I was able to choose between two classes, and after reading and consider what would help me more in the future I picked ENT3003. My major is dietetic and someday I would like to open my private practice. I hope this class serves me as a guide on how I can open my own business in the future.

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

2A- Bug List

20 Bug list

1. Classes at 8:00 am in the morning

              - Some professors like to start the day early so they set their classes really early in the morning. University accommodates schedules.

2.Waking up before 7:00 am
         
            - In order to get ready to start the day I have to wake up earlier to get myself ready and eat something before my activities.

3.Paying a rent unnecessarily during the Covid19 pandemic

            - Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I had to leave Gainesville. I still paying the rent of my apartment there since any landlord did not have any flexibility with their leases.

4. The cold environment in the morning due to low AC

             - My parents set the AC to low during the night because they say that during the night the house gets too hot (I disagree). Therefore, the house gets too cold during the night and in the morning is freezing cold.

5.Cold floor in the mornings

             - Since my parents set the AC too cold the floor gets even colder than it is.

6. Dirty public restrooms

              - A lot of people use public restrooms and not everyone cares about it. Since they do not have to clean it they do whatever they want. Also, some places with public restrooms do not care about cleaning these places properly or maybe they do not have the staff to do it.

7.People that drive to fast

              - People think that if they drive fast they will get sooner to their destinations.

8. Not finding all-purpose flour and toilet paper at the store

                  - During this pandemic, some people have been going crazy and buying supplies desperately.  Even if they do not need it they buy it, and this makes some storage of supplies such as toilet paper and all-purpose flour ( apparently everyone is baking)

9- Throw away the garbage in the community container

               - In my community, no one comes for the garbage and the garbage containers are far away from my house. My sisters and I have different responsibilities at home and this is one of my responsibilities.

10. It bugs me to wear a face mask to everywhere I have to go
         
              - Due to the Covid19 pandemic, I have to wear a facemask for my safety and for the safety of others. In some counties is mandatory the use of the face mask.

11. It bugs me to have to ¨desinfect¨ myself before entering my house
           
                   - My mom set a rule. Before entering my house I have to spray my clothes with Lysol and take my shoes off for the safety of my family

12. It bugs me to finish my senior year online, and away from the UF campus.
               
                    - Due to the Covid19 pandemic, universities have been moved from in-person classes to online classes to ensure the safety of students.

13. low internet speed connection
                   
                     - There are a lot of devices in my house that are connected to our internet (we are 5 people in the house) this makes the connection to be a little bit low. Also, due to the pandemic, everyone is on the internet having meetings, turning in assignments or just being in social media

14. It bugs when sisters do not close my door
                       
                       - If I am in my room doing homework I keep the door close. Whenever my sisters just come in to tell me something they forget to close the door.

15. It bugs me when my phone dies in the middle of the day and I don't have my charger with me
                         
                          - Somedays I just forget to charge my phone during the night, so when this happens it usually dies in the middle of the day. Also, I always forget to take my charger before going out.

16. It bugs me to trust people that I should not trust

                        -My friends and family always tell me that I am really innocent and that I think that all people are nice and friendly. This leads me to trust people really easily. Unfortunately, not everyone is the person that I think.

17. It bugs me that I am not able to speak with my family and friend in Venezuela whenever I want.

                         - In Venezuela, electricity shuts down are common which make me unable to speak with my family and friend. Also, their internet connection sucks, and it is really hard to speak with them.

18. It bugs me when people are rude to sales associates or staff of a retail store, restaurant, or fast food place.

                           - People think that workers are perfect and that if something minimal happens is their fault. During this pandemic, I have seen angry customers yelling at workers because of different reasons such as storage of products, order time, disagreement of new rules, and many others.

19. It bugs me that I had nothing else to watch in my streamings platforms (Netflix, Hulu, Disney plus).
                             - Since I had some free time during this pandemic I watched all the shows and movies that interested me in all the streaming platforms that I have. Leaving me without nothing to watch.

20.  It bugs me that I gaining weight during this pandemic

                                - During the pandemic, I have been baking sweets because it is something that I found fun. Therefore, I have been eating a lot of sweets and I have no motivation to workout.


Reflection: I think that findings my bugs were not difficult due to the difficult situation that we are involved, but finding the why of those bugs was challenging because I never ask myself why those bugs exist.





Monday, May 11, 2020

Testing Post

Hello

Welcome to my blog. My name is Valeria Perez and I am from Valencia, Venezuela. I am a senior and this is my last semester at UF.