Final Reflection

Assignment 30A

This class has been one of the most interesting classes that I have taken in all of my undergrad years. As my last semester comes to an end, I have had the time to make a lot of reflections about myself and the courses and activities I have participated in that made these three years a UF so fun. I told myself and everyone around me that I wanted at least one of my last electives at UF to be a really fun one. Several people suggested I take scuba diving, or golfing, or even a yoga class. While all of those sounded fun, I told myself that I also wanted to take something worthwhile and useful (not that yoga, scuba diving, or golfing aren't useful, they just don't have a place in my life). In many online forums, this class was recommended for its flexibility and its entertainment. I was intrigued by the reviews, especially the great reviews about the professor, and decided to give it a try, and if I didn't like, it, I would just find another one. Well, here I am, two weeks before graduation, writing about my phenomenal experience. This class truly did take me out of my comfort zone, and even gave me a boost of confidence. At first, it was intimidating to read through my groups' posts because I found everyone to be very smart and eloquent. However, that intimidation quickly dissipated once I noted how nice and genuine everyone commenting on my posts were. Also, the lectures from the professor were always quirky and funny to watch and definitely helped restore the confidence in my abilities. 

One of the hardest things I had to do in this class was take videos of myself pitching an idea. I am an awkward person as it is, and having to record myself presenting an idea I had no confidence in was truly one of the most difficult and painfully awkward things that I have had to do for any class. It pushed me out of my comfort zone to the max, however, both times, I got it done. I pushed my pitches to the very last minute from the due date because I did not want to do them. However, each time, I found some sense of comfort in pushing myself. I found a lot of pleasure in my results. The fact I was able to do it because I care more about my grade than how I appear online is a big factor tat pushed me. However, a latent effect of that is that I was actually very pleased with the way the videos turned out. Now, if I ever have to present a pitch, I will recall back to the guidelines of our pitch, and use it for reference. 

Venture Concept No. 2

Assignment 29A

Reading back through my first venture, I found that I did exceptionally well in showcasing my ideas and separating them in a coherent manner. The feedback that I received from two of my classmates also mentioned that the formatting that I wrote this assignment in made the read very easy to follow, so I have decided to keep most of what I originally wrote. Personally, I really like that I incorporated bit my own personal touch/experience with my concept in the first subsection, Opportunity. In both assignments, my peers had a lot of positive things to say, which was incredibly motivating because throughout this entire semester I have had a lot of doubts about the validity of my idea. However, many believed this venture to be something that could potentially grow big, which is very encouraging because it suggests that I have at least been exploring my ideas in the right direction. I have decided to keep the IT maintenance and large staff as one of my main focuses for this operation because I believe it is crucial for the success of my concept. In my original post, I said that I was considering this operation to be an additive for other grocery stores, however, I have decided to delete that portion in this version. Because of the encouragement from my peers, I now believe that this concept definitely has the potential to be a stand-alone concept and does not need aid from other grocery stores.

Pictures for visual reference: 


     

   

Opportunity

My opportunity stems from the under-met needs of busy, hardworking individuals. To begin with, pitch involves the creation of a drive-thru grocery store. All of my life, I have wondered if one day someone would come up with a solution to having to do groceries. Many companies have incorporated mobile order and pick-up technology, others have created delivery systems for their services. However, I have yet to see a grocery store that offers a drive-thru option for doing and picking up groceries. As a busy college student who is also a full-time worker and mother, I find myself having a hard time juggling every minute detail in my life. I am an avid believer in cooking at home, so groceries are ideally very important. This being said, grocery shopping is on my chores list once or twice a week, if not more. I have tried mobile order and pick and delivery services, and while I was content with both, I found the delivery service to be expensive, the order pick-up time to be too long. This class has allowed me to explore my idea of a drive-thru grocery store and think about the possible outcomes of it. My customer base is easy to target—people like me. There isn’t a specific age group, or demographic that would benefit more from this. However, families with dual-earning couples with more than two children would get the most use out of this service.

1.     Forces creating this opportunity involve the rapid change in technology and the time requirement that the workforce and children require. Parents are having to juggle chores, their kid’s after school activities, dinner, their own work, and their own hobbies all in one day. Grocery shopping should be the least of their worries.

2.     There is no specific market geographically that would benefit from this service. Perhaps areas with warm weather would find this service more convenient to use if the drive-thru were not created to have overhead protection.

3.     Like mentioned earlier, customers (such as myself) are satisfying this need through online order and pick-up and delivery services. However, a drive-thru options would trump these options easily.

4.     The opportunity has the potential to reach a very large-scale. However, because it is so specific, it may currently appeal to only a small number of people.

Innovation

As mentioned earlier, my service is a drive-thru grocery store. This service, essentially, is an independent grocery store, with drive-thru lanes and “order boxes” or order machines available so that customers can pull up, choose what items they would like to purchase, and pull up to a separate “window” to have their groceries loaded up for them. The idea behind this is that it will be machine-operated for faster service. A warehouse will be used to stock all the available items, and a robot will be in charge of collecting all items for the customer. The idea behind this is fast service. This is specifically meant for people who need a few items but do not want to go inside to shop for an entire haul. For example, if a mother is on her way home from work and she realizes she’s missing pasta noodles for tonight’s dinner, then she can quickly stop through the grocery drive-thru and acquire her item without having to make a huge ordeal out of it. The manner in which it will generate money is through more volume. The faster the service, the more customers one can tend to.

Venture Concept

The customers that this service targets are busy individuals who are in need of more fast service for their everyday needs and chores. Combining a chore that generally takes an hour or so to complete with a drive thru lane will cut these times by 90%. There will be no additional charge for using the drive thru service, and because many people will choose convenience over leisure, the service will essentially sell itself.

1.     Customers who are using mobile order and pick-up options still have to pre-order their food and wait (roughly 2 hours) before all their items are collected. If a customer needs this item immediately, this kind of service does not help them. For that reason, if a customer is in need of an item quickly, they will opt to go through the drive-thru where they can get their item in less than 5 minutes. Having explained this suggests that the switch will not be a problem. In fact, customers will be eager to have their needs met.

2.     Like mentioned in bullet 1, the competitors of this service are mobile-order and pick-up services and grocery delivery services. The weakness of both of these services is the length of time they take in order to get the products to their customers. Another weakness of delivery service is that it costs additional money, something many people rather not do if they can simply go get the groceries themselves.

3.     High-tech machinery and IT maintenance will be one of the most important factors in this operation.

Three minor elements

The secret sauce for my service will be the highly advance technology taking over the business. Investing once in high-tech machinery that will do the job of many people will eventually pay for itself and allow the company to profit more and longer. I would like to incorporate drive-thru mobile order pick up as an addition to this service. Customers will be able to schedule when they will pick up their mobile orders so that by the time they are at the drive-thru, this order is already pre-made and ready to be loaded in a vehicle. I would love for this operation to take a life of its own and become the new norm. It would be cool to see other grocery stores, such as Publix, come to my company and ask for a partnership in the service.

Reading Reflection No. 3

Assignment 27A

The reading I decided to do for this final reflection is Coco Chanel by Lisa Chaney. I chose this as the very last reading because I wanted to make my final one the most enjoyable and most fun to read, considering I know a lot about Coco Chanel's story and the history of the brand. I have always been into designer fashion, and Chanel has remained as one of the most luxurious and high-end brands in the designer market for years. There have been many documentaries detailing her life and tremulous past, and every one I have watched have been equaling as inspiring as they were motivating. She is continuously admired for her iconic stand in the fashion world, and the brand continues to set forth the pavement for fashion. After reading the book, a few things did surprise me. First, it was her unconventional upbringing. Her mother passed away when she was only 12 years old, and she lived at an orphanage for girls until she was 18 years old. This helped forge her into the powerful and headstrong woman that she is today Another thing that surprised me is that she told the story of her past in more glamorous ways, which took away from the true struggles she endured. I admire her for wanting to be recognized for more than just her past, but for her talent as well. Like mentioned previously, she certainly encountered adversity, primarily through her mother passing and her being placed in an orphanage, where she was severely disciplined.

In order to become successful, Chanel (Chasnel) had to jump over many obstacles that can still be observed today. For example, she had to break the gender gap in fashion and introduced a fluid approach to gendered fashion. This allowed her to stand out among the rest, and therefore permitted her to step foot into the arduous industry of fashion.

Something I disliked heavily about the book was the author's inclusion of Chanel's affairs. Although the book was recounting much of her life, the inclusion of such events in her life seemed rather unnecessary, as it had the potential to put her in a negative life professionally. In the fashion industry, reputation is everything, and a tainted mark on one's journey can severely hurt an artist.

My two questions for Coco Chanel are:

If you were alive today and able to see the magnum differences in fashion, what would you criticize about it?

What other factors (beside war, sailor attire, etc.) fueled your designs?

I believe Coco Chanel was able to take a horrible situation (especially with war) and turned it into a story of her own, ultimately creating a world of her that she could manage and control, since as a little girl she lacked so little control of her situation.

Your Exit Strategy

Assignment 28A

Because it will take so much investing and so many years of planning and configuring, I plan to keep my business. My business has the potential to become extremely large-scale and take a life of its own. The grocery market will always exist because people need to acquire their food from somewhere. I am simply adding further convenience to this market. My operation has the potential to become trademarked and the service can become distributed worldwide and to all grocery stores across the globe. For that reason, I plan to keep the business. I would love if it was kept in the family lineage, seeing as it is a venture that could become explosive and handing it off to others may cause the purpose of it to cease. I have selected this strategy because I come from a large family with multiple businesses that date back many years. My father's side of the family has owned a restaurant for over 70 years, and they plan to keep this business within the family. My mother's side of the family have had a hardware shop for over 50 years now that they intend to pass down as well. For this reason, the idea of a business staying within the family has been instilled in me since I was a little girl. I have worked in both of these locations, and I know that if I ever need work, I can always rely on my family to provide me with it. However, a large-scale operation requires serious business entrepreneurs, which cannot always be found within the family. However, I see Nordstrom and the Nordstrom Brothers as a source of inspiration. The business was first opened up in 1901, and has exploded and remained part of the family for over four generations. This would be the dream for my venture.

In a sense, my exit strategy has made me consider the scale in which I would like this venture to head in. If it becomes a large-scale service that can be distributed nation-wide, then I would like the venture to have the aid from people who share the same message I do. However, if it remains regional and does not become large-scale, then a familial exit strategy will most likely be the primary option.

Celebrating Failure

Assignment 26A

1. One thing that I attempted to do this semester was reduce my caffeine dependence. I work at Starbucks, which makes doing this 10 times harder because it it like being in a candy store surrounding by candy but being unable to eat it. I decided I wanted to try this because I realized my body was becoming dependent on coffee. I am also mainly an opener at Starbucks, meaning I am usually up at 4 AM to be at work at 4:30 AM until 12 PM. My shifts usually fly by because we are busiest in the morning, however, that is not without the help of my fuel--coffee. Not to mention, I have to drink coffee all throughout my day because after work I go to class until around 6 PM and need the energy to stay awake and conscious throughout the classes. Not only this, but I also have to tend to homework all night because I was busy all day. All this being said, I drink an average of shots of espresso by 12 PM, and then I consume an additional average of 400mg of caffeine through energy drinks and iced coffee throughout the day to stay awake. I hardly sleep, and the days that I do get to sleep in (although very rare), I wake up with massive headaches due to no caffeine. I tried reducing my intake for a week, to a max of two shots in the morning and less than 200 mg throughout the rest of the day, and although it was tolerable, I was miserable. I was sleepless, irritable, and suffered from horrible headaches and even shaking. I gave up in March, however, I told a teacher about my dependence and she recommended I try again, and I did. This time, I lasted two weeks without coffee, however, the withdrawal symptoms were the same. I am currently planning on reducing my intake yet again, however, I fear that as finals come around, I will be tempted by my need for fuel. 

 I've learned that failing is hard and that it takes a toll on your mental health. I've beaten myself up countless times for not being strong enough to beat my dependence, however, my circumstances (my job, heavy schedule) make it feel like it is impossible to quit. However, I am determined to reduce my intake. If I did it for two weeks, I can do it for three, and so on. Although failure has disappointed me, it has taught me that I am capable more each time than I thought I was. This class has taught me much about failure. As my peers critique my work, I am able to see where I went wrong and what I can do to improve next time. I have applied this to my personal life. I see where I went wrong in my caffeine abstinence so that I am able to address it in my next attempt.

Venture Concept No. 1

Assignment 24A

Opportunity

My opportunity stems from the under-met needs of busy, hardworking individuals. To begin with, pitch involves the creation of a drive-thru grocery store. All of my life, I have wondered if one day someone would come up with a solution to having to do groceries. Many companies have incorporated mobile order and pick-up technology, others have created delivery systems for their services. However, I have yet to see a grocery store that offers a drive-thru option for doing and picking up groceries. As a busy college student who is also a full-time worker and mother, I find myself having a hard time juggling every minute detail in my life. I am an avid believer in cooking at home, so groceries are ideally very important. This being said, grocery shopping is on my chores list once or twice a week, if not more. I have tried mobile order and pick and delivery services, and while I was content with both, I found the delivery service to be expensive, the order pick-up time to be too long. This class has allowed me to explore my idea of a drive-thru grocery store and think about the possible outcomes of it. My customer base is easy to target—people like me. There isn’t a specific age group, or demographic that would benefit more from this. However, families with dual-earning couples with more than two children would get the most use out of this service.

1.     Forces creating this opportunity involve the rapid change in technology and the time requirement that the workforce and children require. Parents are having to juggle chores, their kid’s after school activities, dinner, their own work, and their own hobbies all in one day. Grocery shopping should be the least of their worries.

2.     There is no specific market geographically that would benefit from this service. Perhaps areas with warm weather would find this service more convenient to use if the drive-thru were not created to have overhead protection.

3.     Like mentioned earlier, customers (such as myself) are satisfying this need through online order and pick-up and delivery services. However, a drive-thru options would trump these options easily.

4.     The opportunity has the potential to reach a very large-scale. However, because it is so specific, it may currently appeal to only a small number of people.

Innovation

As mentioned earlier, my service is a drive-thru grocery store. This service can either take its own form as a drive-thru additional service to independent grocery stores, or it can be an entire new concept of its own. I am looking to turn this concept into a concept of its own, and the only drive-thru grocery service that exists. Basically, it is an independent grocery store, with drive-thru lanes and “order boxes” or order machines available so that customers can pull up, choose what items they would like to purchase, and pull up to a separate “window” to have their groceries loaded up for them. The idea behind this is that it will be machine-operated for faster service. A warehouse will be used to stock all the available items, and a robot will be in charge of collecting all items for the customer. The idea behind this is fast service. This is specifically meant for people who need a few items but do not want to go inside to shop for an entire haul. For example, if a mother is on her way home from work and she realizes she’s missing pasta noodles for tonight’s dinner, then she can quickly stop through the grocery drive-thru and acquire her item without having to make a huge ordeal out of it. The manner in which it will generate money is through more volume. The faster the service, the more customers one can tend to.

Venture Concept

The customers that this service targets are busy individuals who are in need of more fast service for their everyday needs and chores. Combining a chore that generally takes an hour or so to complete with a drive thru lane will cut these times by 90%. There will be no additional charge for using the drive thru service, and because many people will choose convenience over leisure, the service will essentially sell itself.

1.     Customers who are using mobile order and pick-up options still have to pre-order their food and wait (roughly 2 hours) before all their items are collected. If a customer needs this item immediately, this kind of service does not help them. For that reason, if a customer is in need of an item quickly, they will opt to go through the drive-thru where they can get their item in less than 5 minutes. Having explained this suggests that the switch will not be a problem. In fact, customers will be eager to have their needs met.

2.     Like mentioned in bullet 1, the competitors of this service are mobile-order and pick-up services and grocery delivery services. The weakness of both of these services is the length of time they take in order to get the products to their customers. Another weakness of delivery service is that it costs additional money, something many people rather not do if they can simply go get the groceries themselves.

3.     High-tech machinery and IT maintenance will be one of the most important factors in this operation.

Three minor elements

The secret sauce for my service will be the highly advance technology taking over the business. Investing once in high-tech machinery that will do the job of many people will eventually pay for itself and allow the company to profit more and longer. I would like to incorporate drive-thru mobile order pick up as an addition to this service. Customers will be able to schedule when they will pick up their mobile orders so that by the time they are at the drive-thru, this order is already pre-made and ready to be loaded in a vehicle. I would love for this operation to take a life of its own and become the new norm. It would be cool to see other grocery stores, such as Publix, come to my company and ask for a partnership in he service.

What's Next?

Assignment 25A

Existing Market

The customers of my market are primarily middle-aged, middle-class suburban families that live in a location where grocery shopping and homemade meals are valued. I specifically targeted working parents with more than two children because these are the busiest customers.

The three customers I interviewed all had concerns for one main thing: Drive-thru time and complexity of orders. This too was an issue I thought of at the very beginning of my venture, and it still is not an answer I have perfectly smoothed out. However, hypothetically, advanced technological machinery would be required in this operation to ensure the smooth-sailing of it. When I told my interviewees I wanted to ensure that customer service and sufficient staffing was prioritized. While they all agreed on this and mentioned this would help resolve the issue of drive thru times, one interviewee suggested that robots take place of the staff. This makes a lot more sense than my idea for several reasons. Automated robots are a lot faster an more efficient than humans. Plus, it would lower costs of having to hire so much staff to ensure a convenient experience. While robots cannot replace humans in the customer service realm, they can replace them in the actual, physical aspect of having to search for food on the spot.

New Market

Oppose to the members of my existing market, the new market customers include individuals with plenty of free time in their hands, as well as local food market advocates. I chose this specific group because I believe they would be oppose to the idea of a large corporate grocery change managing produce and facilitating its sale through drive-thru operations.

I was right to believe these two kinds of individuals would oppose my idea. I interviewed an older gentleman who lives alone and does not have a job because he is living off of his retirement funds, giving him plenty of time to partake in chores and daily hobbies. When I brought up my idea, he laughed an said America was getting lazier as technology advanced. I responded by telling him this could give people more time to enjoy their days with their family instead of chores, but he disagreed. I also then visited our local food market and spoke to a young lady with fresh produce on her table. I told her about my idea and she frowned at the thought of a large venture as mine taking all the business from small fresh produce market tents like hers. She then proceeded to give me a wonderful idea. She told me that my corporation should buy its fresh produce for local farms and support the local community. This, in theory, would be an ideal situation. However, buying locally might incur more costs than buying in bulk elsewhere.

Your Venture's Unfair Advantage

Assignment 23A

1. Combines both groceries and drive-thru operations
1. This is especially important because many companies find themselves struggling with managing just one of these operations, but my venture dives into both. This gives me an advantage into the convenience realm.
2. Staffing dedicated to drive-thru operations
1. This is important because it allows my venture to focus on making the drive-thru scene easy and convenient, smoothing out any technical difficulties that may incur.
3. Efficient and updated floor-plans
1. This allows for drive-thru operations to remain on one side of the building and regular grocery store lay out to stay out of drive-thru's way.
4. Well-planned out order of food items
1. There will be a surplus of food available at all given times, so that no one item is sold out and so customers do not feel like they wasted their time going through a drive-thru that did not have what they were looking for.
5. Efficient lay out of drive-thru
1. There is a lay out of up to 10 lanes, allowing for quicker drive-thru times. This enormous lay out will be pre-planned in the floor plan. The property will resemble the size of Costco's or Sam's Club.
6. Bulk availability
1. Buying in bulk will be available through drive-thru, something no other grocery operation besides Costco has available.
7. Customer service at drive-thru
1. This is probably the most important advantage my operation has. At each drive-thru lane, there will be staff assisting patrons with their order if needed. This allows for a smooth sailing and quick-fix assistance.
8. Order online, pick-up in drive-thru
1. This is another tremendous advantage to our operation. Patrons will be able to order online and pick up their orders through the drive-thru instead of having to order at the drive-thru box.
9. Express Lanes
1. Express lanes will be available to customers who want to purchase less than five items, so that they do not have to wait in line behind a larger order when they simply want to order paper towels and cheese.
10. Memberships
1. Rewards and VIP memberships will be available to those who find themselves using the drive-thru facilities more often than the general public. This motivates people to go through the drive-thru to acquire points/visits for having used the service.

The most important advantage of my venture would have to be the amount of flexibility that I have with having a variety of assets available to me. Among these, customer service and large staffing are among the most important. Although not unique, my venture will focus on having a big enough budget to make these aspects a main priority.

Elevator Pitch No. 3

Assignment 22A

Drive-Thru Grocery Store 

The feedback I received from my elevator pitch indicate that I bring the audience in a little more and personalize my pitch. This time, I made the my audience feel like both them and I share the same problem and that I am in their same boat. I felt more comfortable this time around because I didn't script what I was going to say and simply wrote my ideas down and let it flow naturally, which it did and I am very content about.

Reading Reflection No. 2

Assignment 21A

"How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big"

The general theme of this book consisted of the first-hand advice and counsel from the author about the trials and tribulations of his life and how he managed to over come them and finish with success. The author wrote about all the trials and errors of his life, and culminated this message into an ultimate grand scheme of success. ENT3003 this semester has been slowly and surely teaching us to take leaps even if they are scary or uncomfortable, enabled us to perfect our imperfections, taught us to embrace those imperfections, and to also trust the process of growth. The author of this book showcased in one way or the other some form of each of these examples. The book taught us to embrace the errors and learn from them, just as this class has been teaching us every day, by having students create better versions of their ideas and pitches. If I had to design an exercise for this class pertaining to this book, I would suggest students think of something they wish they could improve on, whether it is a sport, an athletic goal, an educational aspiration, and work on it until they saw results. I would then ask them to reflect on their process of working towards success, and have them take a look at their mentality from when they started, and where it is now that they have gained positive results. My biggest takeaway from the book is to trust the process. I am, along with many other students, are in the middle of processes that will eventually lead us to the successes and triumphs of our lives. Being a pre-law student, to me, the life of a successful lawyer seems so far away and unattainable. However, this book has taught me to remain patient, accept the trials and tribulations, never give up, and eventually, my hard work will pave the way to my well-earned success.

Growing your social capital

Assignment 20A

Expert in the industry: The industry in which my idea lies in is the groceries industry. My main idea is simply drive-thru grocery stores, so simply combining convenience into the normal grocery routine of individuals. The expert I initially planned to seek was anyone involved in this industry. However, I realized I wanted to make it a little more specific to Florida so I chose publix, and more specifically a publix manger. The Starbucks I work for is very close to a Publix, so I find myself attending that particular one more than the rest in Gainesville (on Newberry road). The managers of that Publix are almost always present during the day, greeting customers and asking them if they need assistance, so finding one to talk to was not very hard. I asked to speak to the store manager and was quickly introduced to him. He was very knowledgeable about the industry, and described the kind of learning he had to do about the market in order to operate a successful chain. When I introduced my idea, he initially giggled and told me it’d be a hard one to pull off. However, he did agree and say that the idea was definitely one to fix a lot issues pertaining to convenience. I asked him who i should speak to next and he suggested an expert on drive-thru management.

Expert on the market: I took these proceedings over to my own job, Starbucks. I chose to interview my store manager, who has been with the company for 9 years and has seen it go through numerous stages and changes. When I asked him what kind of customer he believed the Starbucks customer to be, he replied with “the busy adult who needs a quick way to caffeinate themselves.” I told him to expand a little more on the convenience side of Starbucks, and he expressed how over the years, Starbucks has changed to better appeal to the busy working man/woman. He says that busy mothers and working people find the most pleasure from the convenience, and Starbucks has transformed almost every Cafe-store into a drive-thru Starbucks because the company finds they’re better able to achieve a higher profit when also catering to the individual on the run. My store manager then advised that I speak to the district manager next, because he is best knowledgeable about the drive-thru market. 

Important supplier to the industry: I took my store manager’s advice and decided to speak to our district manager as the expert in supplies. In my case, knowledge of convenience and drive-thru operations are extremely important to the service. My district manager comes once a week to my store to touch base with my store manager, so this is how I was able to catch a chat with him. Before proposing my idea to him, I asked about his knowledge about drive-thru technicalities and he provided very interesting information. He emphasized the importance of convenience and time efficiency, and how these two factors went hand in hand in drive-thru operations. He said that a successful drive thru meant that individuals would arrive and collect their goods in a matter of less than 3-5 minutes. For Starbucks, that is closer to 1-2 minutes. He emphasized how 30 second times are encouraged and how there are numerous techniques available for achieving this kind of time. He said that it is important to match the pace of the customer, and that sense of urgency was crucial to low drive times. I then introduced my idea of a drive-thru grocery store, and he posed that to make it a fast service would be something new to the fast service industry, because are a number of difficult factors to deal with-such as order amount, produce, and budget. I agreed with him and told him these were all things I considered when expanding this idea, however, I strongly believed in the possibility of it happening. 

Idea Napkin No. 2

Assignment 19A

All my life I have always wondered what I would grow up to become. Still, I am in the process of figuring that out. However, throughout the years I have come to learn more and more about myself as I experience and partake in different activities that expose me two different things. For a while, I saw myself aaa business owner, or a CEO. However, going to college and exposing myself to different electives has changed the other I want to take in my life. I am now an aspiring lawyer and hope to achieve a fulfilling life doing this work. In recent years, I have exposed myself to law-based environments, where I get glimpses of what life as a lawyer looks like. Doing this kind of work has enamored me with the field, and strengthen the passion I feel in wanting to achieve this kind of life. I am still in the process of discovering what kind of law it is I wish to practice, because while I do want to practice a law that genuinely interests and captures me, I do also want to be financially practical. In terms of my idea, I believe knowing the ind and outs of the way the government works would benefit me in the legal process of business and also aid my business learning process. 

The idea I propose is a service. Specifically, this service will be a drive-thru grocery store. The future of commodities has turned into a a big competition for convenience. Which product or service is more convenient. Convenience is exactly what I intend to provide. This service is specifically aimed for people with busy lifestyles who find themselves in need of a faster way to do groceries. Some people opt out of getting groceries because they believe it to be a hassle, and then then to fast food and restaurants to replace meals that can be cooked at home. So not only does this service allow for more convenience, it also promotes a lifestyle that encourages home cooking. More detailedly, the customers I aim to target are parents, because these seem to be the line of people with the most hectic schedules. Between kids, work, chores, and hobbies, parents find themselves juggling a lot. Raising a family is no easy task, and all parents wish to raise their children in a home where homecooked meals are a norm and are prioritized. Nearly every parent with good intentions will see the value in making sure their children receive good, healthy, well-balanced meals. Drive thru grocery stores could tremendously aid the parents who find themselves juggling too much. 

I feel like my personality sets me apart from everyone else. I was raised in Puerto Rico and I have developed many traits and personality quirks that I find are unique to the way I was raised and brought up. I love talking about my culture because it makes me feel like I have somewhere that I truly belong. I talk about my business ideas with the same fervor, emotion, and excitement. 

I feel like my personality and my interest in a law career mesh very well together. However, I do have doubts about how my career interests may coincide with prospective business ideas. Grocery stores and criminal proceedings do not have much in common, which is where I fear a divide exists. 

Create a Customer Avatar

Assignment 18A

The segment I have developed throughout the semester involves drive-thru grocery stores. The prototypical customer I described in my past assignment was a working woman with several children of varying ages and an active lifestyle. Whether she was married or not was not specified, however, I wanted to get it across that my prototypical customer was someone with an extremely busy schedule and that had children. 

In this assignment, I'll specify exactly what I am picturing.

Her name is Stephanie Schumer, and she is a full-time dentist with her own practice. She has four children, all in elementary and middle school. She is extremely family-oriented and would sacrifice man things for the happiness of her children. She's married to someone whose busy schedule matches hers, however, they always find a balance and make it home by dinnertime to spend time with their children. On some days, dinner is late because of the children's athletic practices and because one of the parents has to run out to grab groceries. Groceries are one of the biggest problems for this household, because between four hungry children and extremely busy schedules, finding time to pick up groceries throughout the week seems nearly impossible. However, a drive-thru grocery store could convene this family in more ways than one. On her way home from work, Stephanie realizes she needs spaghetti sauce to make her infamous spaghetti and meatballs that she promised the kids she would make. However, she is also running a little bit behind on picking her children up from sports. Stephanie thinks it will take too long to go pick up the one item before it becomes too late to pick up her children, however, she also know going to the grocer's with four children is not an easy task. She's conflicted on what to do, however, she realizes a new drive-thru grocery store opened up down the block and a 20-minute grocery stop suddenly turned into five minutes. Stephanie pulls into the drive-thru, marks the spaghetti sauce to pick up, pays, and then leaves to go get her children. This process only took her 3 minutes and she did not even have to get out of the car. Stephanie is a happy customer and makes it to practice on time, and the dinner turns out immaculate. This is one satisfied family.

Elevator Pitch 2

Figuring Out Buyer Behavior Pt. 2

Assignment 15A

The segment I interviewed last time were parents with children who worked 40+ hours a week and were in need of a faster way to accomplish grocery shopping.

The three people I interviewed met at my job, Starbucks. I am constantly running into people who come in with their children and are rushed for their coffee, or come in by themselves and I catch myself having a conversation with them about their kids. The three people I interviewed were regulars at my location, and they all agreed to sit down with me for 15 minutes and talk about their grocery shopping behavior. I had to explain that these interviews were for an idea I was investigating. I asked them what the most important aspect is when it comes to grocery shopping, and all of them said price, and two said convenience. I asked them about their regular buying behavior and they said they go to the grocery store at least once or twice a week to pick up small items like snacks and milk for their kids. This answer was the same for all three of my interviewees. I asked them about when they buy in bulk, and they discussed how this only happens about 2-3 a month and usually, they have someone looking over their kids so that they don't have to bring them along because it would lengthen the process. I asked them if they wished there was a more convenient way to grocery shop for the smaller items, and they all said yes. I then introduced my idea of a drive-thru grocery store for the little items like eggs and milk. At first I got some smiles and giggles, however, all three interviewees came around to liking the idea because of its convenience. They mentioned it would benefit them greatly when they are running errands with their children and do not want to go through the hassle of getting them out and back in.

I saw this segment as being in great necessity of this need. They are unaware that this need would benefit them because it is viewed as a very first-world innovation. However, all three participants emphasized the notion of convenience, and that is exactly what my service offered. This segment is particularly busy and is in need of this service because they have children who they must tend to. Although a college student would also benefit from a more convenient service, they do not need it like the segment I interviewed does.

What's your secret sauce?

Assignment 16A

Some skills and assets I believe are unique to me have to do with my background and the way I was raised. I was born in Puerto Rico and was raised by very strict parents that taught me the value of education and hard work through my adolescent years. I believe that my work ethic stands out among the rest, and that I can show someone what true hard work looks like. I also believe that my bilingualism helps me stand out among the rest. It is not necessarily a unique asset, however, is is unique to me as Spanish is my first language and English has been something I have come to learn along the way. Additionally, I am creative and have extensive knowledge on certain things, such as the correctional system (odd, but it's true!). This knowledge does not help me with everything, however, it does wonderful contributions to the work that I am interested and that is what matters. 

During my interviews, I had a variety of people that all said the same thing about me: That I was very nice. I interviewed my two roommates, my mother, my father, and my boyfriend. They all agreed upon one thing, and that was my niceness and how it is often taken for granted. It was heartwarming to learn that about myself, however, I was hoping to hear more about my entrepreneurial assets. My mother, father, and my boyfriend did say I was a very hard worker, and then proceeded to gush about their pride over me (which was also great to hear). Graduating from UF in three years was something neither I or my parents ever dreamed of me accomplishing. I come from a small island where many opportunities for a successful career are not present. Moving to the states has given me the drive and motivation to seek out every opportunity that is presented because I know that at one point, they didn't exist. My roommates told me I was very giving and very smart, which I pride myself to know. Knowing that these are my assets as seen by others suggests that I have been accomplishing what I have always wanted to: let others know my good intentions. My intentions are always good, and for that to be misjudged is truly heartbreaking for me. These interviews were a great point of assurance. I think all of the assets that were described of me are pretty true of myself. I wished my family and friends saw a little bit more creativity and entrepreneurship in me, however, that is hard to come across when it is not necessarily something I express in an environment that is not school-oriented. My roommates saw more of it than my parents did, however, I will now make it a point to express that side of myself more around my boyfriend and family.

Recordings:

Reading Reflection No. 1

Assignment 13A

1) You read about an entrepreneur: Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

I was surprised the most about the fact that he started out his entire journey with shoes by selling for another company. Then, I felt an odd sense of security. A lot of times I feel like I am not on the right path to doing what I truly want to do, but reading about his journey inspired me to believe a little bit more on myself and believe in the process. The process is the hardest thing to endure, and many of us feel incapable of finishing or feel insecure about whether we are doing it right. We are doing it right as long as we are working hard and moving towards a goal. His resilience was shown when the company was losing money, and he was managing both an accounting job and his business in order to keep things working. This was something that I admired. I admire his process, and his journey because it humbles me and pushes me to continue through hardship because something will make things better along the way. One aspect that I did not find myself praising was his hands-off approach to educating and instructing. This example can be observed with his interaction with Jeff Johnson. He may have an explanation as to why he coaches and distributes his knowledge this way, however, it did not truly appeal to me.

2) What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited? 

A major competency that Phil Knight exhibited was his ability to take criticism, advice, new ideas into consideration and dabble with them to better his company. This is a critical skill for entrepreneurs to have. 

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

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

Halfway Reflection

Assignment 14A

Tenaciousness is a competency: In terms of workload, this class has been one of the most demanding I have taken at UF. The work is not hard because it is very interesting, it is simply a good deal to balance between other courses. As someone who is taking 3 online classes this semester, I have been averaging 15 assignments due online every single week, which has forced me to create a schedule for myself. One thing I have learned not to do is leave things until the very last minute. At the beginning of the semester, I took the advice from this class, and I developed a routine. I bought a planner, and detailed every single assignment I had due every week and when exactly I would have it done. I made it a point to look at assignments way ahead of time in case they required more dedication (like the previous assignment. This way, I was able to know exactly what I had to do every day, and if I completed all those tasks, then it would be impossible to miss an assignment or fall behind.

Tenaciousness is also about attitude: There were plenty of times where I thought about giving up. In this class, especially. I would look at the assignment and think, "It's only worth 2 points, it won't hurt my grade!" but then I sat back and thought about how the course was graded, and how essential every point was towards the overall grade. Also, if one main assignment was missed, that took away the opportunity to gain 3 points because of the peer reviewing. The main thing that pulled me through was my grade and my GPA. It sounds silly, but the thought of hurting my grade due to laziness truly motivated me to not quit. Once I pulled through an assignment, I felt a weight lifted off my chest. That feeling is the feeling I think of whenever I am in a lackluster mood about school and homework.

Three tips: Three tips I would offer the students of next semester are: (1) Think about why you are in this class, and why you chose it over the rest (2) Think about your overall goal, whether it be graduation, a GPA boost, a new skill, and (3) Note that you can pull through any rough night if you believe in yourself enough! Believing you can do something is the first step towards accomplishing it, so I urge people not to just give up when things get a little harder.

Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

Assignment 12A

Segment: The segment I have chosen is parents (with one or more children) who work 40+ hours a week and are in need of a faster way to do their groceries.

Findings: Three people that I interviewed turned to buy-online and pick-up in store options when they were faced with the notion of not having enough time to do groceries. The two others simply said they would put grocery shopping off until they did have time. The buy-online and pick-up in store service is the biggest competitor against my service, because it is essentially the same thing, only you don't have to go through a drive-thru and you can purchase your items ahead of time and then simply pick them up. One thing I presented to the individuals who mentioned the pick-up service was that there was almost always an hour or more wait time for their items to be ready. They agreed with this, but continued to be in favor of ordering ahead and picking up. I suggested that the drive-thru could also have express-lanes for a small purchase or regular drive-thrus with large hauls, and this seemed to grab their attention. The efficiency and immediateness of the product also intrigued them. The two individuals who did not think of pick-up options loved the idea of a drive-thru because they mentioned they didn't feel tech-savvy enough to order online and would much rather appreciate the assistance of drive-thru workers who could aid the quick shopping experience. Because all of the interviewees were parents, the idea of being able to stop by a drive-thru and pick up a few items on their way home that they needed for a recipe really appealed to them. It also made running errands with children appealing as well.

Conclusion: This segment appeared to be the most in-need of this service. In every interview I conducted, the parents really enjoyed the idea of not having to go through the hassle of bringing their kids into a grocery store. It made the chore less of a hassle and more efficient in nature. I believe people without children would not be able to appreciate this need the way parents do due to differentiating responsibilities. 

Idea Napkin No. 1

Assignment 11A

You: I am an aspiring business woman. I have always seen myself this way, and now as I am finishing up college, I am watching myself transform into what I have always envisioned myself as. I have more years of education ahead of me, as I am also an aspiring lawyer. I have been involved in debate clubs and FBLA associations because I have found the skills I acquire from them to be useful for what I want to do in my life. If my business idea were to occur, I would dedicate a lot of my time to it, and perhaps make it my only concentration in life (depending on how successful it is).

What are you offering to customers?: The service I am offering is drive-thru grocery stores. I believe this concept has the potential to make its way into every big-chain grocery store across the nation. Many people find themselves in need of one item to complete their dinner recipes, and granting them an efficient way to access their item is what I am to satisfy.

Who are you offering it to?: I am offering this service primarily to people who live a fast-paced and busy life who find themselves having a hard time setting time apart to go grocery shopping. I want to provide a fast-pace and immediate service for these people. This service can also apply to the everyday person who simply needs one item in their recipe and do not want to make a whole ordeal about having to go to the grocers and spend limited time finding the item. 

Why do they care?: Everyone values their time, and finding another way to fulfill a basic need to every citizen in a more efficient way holds a lot of value. Many people enjoy the idea of having their time appreciated and not taken for granted, and this service could satisfy a lot of those ideals.

What are your core competencies?: I have believed in this idea since I was a little girl. For some reason, this idea always seemed bizarre to me, however, as I have interviewed people and asked their opinions on this possible service, I am receiving a lot of good feedback that makes me believe maybe it isn't as bizarre as I once thought. The fact that I have had this idea for years I believe sets me apart from others. 

I think every component in this post pulls together really well. The service is aimed to satisfy a particular crowd, however, it can be flexed to several other people. I believe this makes my service strong, because knowing that their is a crowd of customers who are in need of this service suggests it has the potential to succeed. 

Elevator Pitch No. 1

Drive-Thru Grocery Store Pitch

Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Assignment 9A

Drive-Thru Grocery Stores 

Who: Out of the five people that I interviewed, three fell outside of the boundary. These people believed that the concept of drive-thru grocery stores were very lazy and wholly unnecessary. When I brought up different scenarios where one could think such a concept could be convenient, two out of the three agreed that in that particular scenario, the concept would not be so lazy but still quite unnecessary. The scenario that I mentioned was a mother who was trying to not get caught in rush-hour traffic but needs milk for a recipe she is making for dinner. Going through the drive-thru would cut her wait-time significantly, and she will be able to make it home before rush-hour to have dinner ready for her kids. While most agreed this scenario gave credibility to the concept, many also said that this specific scenario wasn't extremely likely.

What: This need is purely for convenience and not necessity. Many of those that I interviewed described this concept as one of luxury, and that its development was not urgent or necessary. One individual that I interviewed said that this idea made him sad for society because he suggested it paved the way to more societal laziness. 

Why: The individuals who agreed with this concept expressed that they had very fast-paced lifestyles and could use a drive-thru grocery store to make this task easier and more convenient. One individual interviewed was a professor who was also a father and felt like he could get used to drive-thru grocery stores because he only ever goes through drive-thrus when he goes out to get fast-food or to the bank for a quick deposit. Those who disagreed had in common the fact that they enjoyed grocery shopping because they believed it was fun or relaxing, and to take away from that environment and transform it into a fast-paced one would ruin that experience for them.

	Inside	Outside
Who	·        People with fast-paced lifestyles ·        Parents ·        Elderly/Disabled can benefit	·        People who enjoy grocery shopping ·        Individuals with more time
What	·        Quick and efficient way to collect groceries ·        Single-item needs (for example, milk or eggs for a recipe)	·        The need is not urgent ·        The need is a first-world luxury
Why	·        People without time to grocery stop avoid the process because they don’t have enough time out of their day/week to do so. A quick stop through a drive-thru line could facilitate this.	·        Individuals with cars can already make it to the grocery store without a problem. ·        Order online and pick-up in store services already exist to make it more convenient for people.