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.

Solving the Problem

Assignment 8A- Solving the Problem

• The ideas I am presenting are related to grocery shopping and the task of having to grocery shop. As mentioned on my previous post, the idea of having to grocery shop seems like a daunting chore to many individuals. It can become very time-consuming due to having to drive, park, taking time to pick out products, and then having to wait in line to be checked out. In lieu of this, I've proposed the idea of drive-thru grocery stores. This concept can get tricky very fast, however, with two possible proposals I believe the idea may be able to be implemented in the future.
• Express Drive-thru lane for 5 items or less:
• I believe this would be an important idea to have available for consumers who do not want to wait in line for people who are conducting full-on hauls through the drive-thru. Some customers simply want to pick up an item like milk or eggs to complete their recipes and do not want to take more than a few minutes to pick the item up.
• App loading:
• To expedite the process even further, apps for drive-thru  grocery stores should be available that allow customers to either send their order through ahead of time and pick up through the drive-thru, or once they arrive to the drive thru, sync their pre-selected order onto the order box so that selecting what items the consumer needs does not slow down the drive-thru waiting time. 
•  I believe this idea will take a bit of time to perfect, as there are many things that could make the drive-thru take longer than actually getting out of the car and picking up the item. However, I think his idea will appeal to parents and busy people who can't take time out of their schedule to plan a grocery trip even though they only need one item. 
• I also believe many grocery stores will be open to this concept because it had the potential to largely increase their sales due to the wave of consumers who are now willing to make the trip because they do not have to park and get out of their vehicles.

Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

Assignment 7A, Part 1

• Opportunity: 
• Every day, countless individuals are faced with a task that may seem daunting and mundane to many: grocery shopping. Grocery shopping is known to be a chore many people put off because it seems to take a long time and requires a bit of effort. Many individuals also are faced with the fact they only need one item, like milk or cheese, and don't want to drive to the grocery store, get out of the car, wait in line, and then drive back home only for one item. If drive-thru grocery stores existed, people would be less hesitant to make the trip because they can expedite the process. 
• The who: Individuals who grocery shop
• The what: They are in need of expedited grocery shopping options
• The why: Grocery shopping is a daunting task for those who have a busy life and need quicker access to certain items.
• Testing the who: This opportunity is available to individuals all around the world, particularly North America, where fast-food and expedited services are an ordinary commodity. I would extend the "who" in particular to families with multiple individuals in one household. Sometimes, parents need milk at snacks at home for their children but don't have enough time to make a trip, so a quick drive-thru option could be very appealing.
• Testing the what: Individuals with limited time and planning need an expedited way to acquire certain grocery items. However, this would cause to problems to already-established grocery stores who do not have drive-thru options. The idea of whether to implement a drive-thru in local grocery stores or to build separate grocery stores with trademarked drive-thrus is a trouble.
• Testing the why: Some people may view this option lazy because they believe picking up an item from a grocery store is not necessarily a mundane or daunting task.
• Interview #1: 
• This individual felt that going grocery shopping was a chore that had to be planned out for a specific day of the week. When asked if she thought it was daunting, she said that it was not daunting, but moreso inconvenient because she disliked having to search for parking and stand in long lines at the store. She stated this to be just like any other chore that she had to do. She said "It's not fun, but its also not something extremely boring and extremely inconvenient. You just have to do it and put up with it if you want to have food at home." When presented the idea of drive-thru grocery stores, she said "why not? If we have to do it might as well make it even quicker."
• Interview #2:
• This individual expressed her liking for grocery shopping. She described it as therapeutic, because she always takes her time at the grocery store and enjoys learning about different items available at different stores. She also said that her typical shopping trip consists of 4 trips to 4 different stores, because certain stores have items that she likes that other stores do not carry. When presented with my idea, she said it was unnecessary but agreed that it would appeal to people who have busy schedules, as she is an online student and stays home for most of the day so she does not see the need for it.
• Interview #3 
• This interviewee mentioned he did not do much grocery shopping, because he hated the task. He said he mostly ate out because he did not know what items were necessary to buy for what he wanted to cook. He also said he wasn't a very good cook, so his own cooking did not seem appealing. However, when presented with my idea, he said he would most likely buy groceries because the process would be quicker and less inconvenient. He believed the opportunity was present and that he would be a frequent drive-thru customer of the idea was implemented. 
• Interview #4
• This individual did not have a particular opinion about grocery shopping. She said it was a necessary chore she had to do and that she would accomplish it on her chores-day. When presented with my idea, she said that it was unnecessary for a number of reasons. The one she stressed the most was the idea that it was lazy and that individuals shouldn't be accustomed to having everything readily available so quickly.
• Interview #5:
• The individual interviewed discussed that she did not mind grocery shopping. She specified that she really disliked when the grocery store was packed after work, which would make her trip long and then frustrate her. I presented the idea of drive-thru grocery stores, and she really liked it because she said it would probably cut the length of her trip in half, however, that the idea seemed bizarre and unlikely to be implemented.
• Given your interviews, what do you know about the opportunity that you didn't know before? 
• Before the interviews, I did not know that there were individuals that genuinely enjoyed grocery shopping and enjoyed having to do the task for many reasons, whether it be stress-relieving. therapeutic, or relaxing. One interviewee brought up a good point, which was that if drive-thru grocery stores were implemented, then sales most likely would go up because people would be more inclined to come get the products then tend to put off because they don't want to make the trip. Aside from that, many of the interviewees expressed ideas I was aware of.