Customer Interviews No. 1

1). Recently, I have had more trouble getting to the grocery store due to a busy schedule and being on crutches. However, I realized that I have always had to force myself to get to the store. So, my opportunity came from seeing how other see the hassle of grocery shopping. I believe my opportunity arises with with the option of a delivery truck around campus with groceries in order to cut time and transportation issues in going to the grocery store.

2). I decided to interview other students like myself on UF campus to see if they dealt with groceries differently than I do.

3). My questions were as follows:
        What year are you and do you live on campus?
        How often do you find yourself lacking groceries in your dorm/apartment?
        About how long does it take you to get to your nearest grocery store?
        Does this influence how often you grocery shop?
        Do you order food or go out to eat because of this lack of groceries?
        Do you feel like you meet your dietary needs or wants by ordering food or do you feel like you could be healthier if groceries were more convenient?

4). See videos

5). I believe that the opportunity from this could be effective. Most people complained about health and the inconvenience of groceries and therefore, bringing the groceries to them (not in a delivery company fashion) I believe would work.

6). I became more comfortable talking to people as I continued my interviews. I was uncomfortable at first, but then I realized that these people are like me, and that there was nothing to be nervous about. I approached people who were not on the phone and who seemed happy and not too rude. I actually began to enjoy the process and was able to see how important these are to an entrepreneurial concept.

Week 4 Reading Reflection

After reading Chapter 5, Innovation: The Creative Pursuit of Ideas, I found it interesting that in the description of the methods to develop creativity, the ninth method was "remembering your wildest dreams," where he took the dream and turned it into something new. He was innovative and used his dream to pursue his knowledge and ability to create new things. I think the concept of a creative climate was slightly confusing. I didn't realize that the atmosphere and surroundings of a person could affect the creativity, so his description of this definitely cleared up this point but I was still unsure as to how this happens. I would ask the author how he would develop a functional perspective, and I would also ask him to give me a detailed example of an innovation while emphasizing the incubation process. Furthermore, I did not disagree with anything the author said in this chapter.

Top 5 World Problems

My list of the top 5 global problems is as follows:

1). Unawareness of these problems
2). Selfishness
3). Poverty, Hunger, lack of drinking water
4). Terrorism
5). Obesity

My list of the solutions for these issues (in order of ability to implement) is as follows:

1). Unawareness of these problems: becoming more aware and less selfish; stepping back and observing and learning rather than just hearing about these problems.
2).  Selfishness: being more kind; paying it forward
3). Obesity: informing youth; leading by example; moderation and a healthy lifestyle
4). Terrorism: product of other problems; other issues need to be solved and in turn, so will our problem with international terrorism
5). Poverty, hunger, and lack of drinking water: sustainable food source

I believe the most important issue we are facing is our ignorance and unawareness. If we are not aware and knowledgeable about our global issues, how can we possibly improve? I also believe this is the most possible to change. The solution is so simple: for each of us to become less involved in ourselves and more focused on bettering our society and learning about our world. Our selfishness is incorporated in this issue and it is therefore, second. Beyond these things, our most important finite problem is poverty and hunger, however, I also believe the solution for poverty, hunger, and the lack of available drinking water is the least possible to implement. Although a sustainable food source would be very beneficial and pretty practical, the likelihood of this happening is slim to none at this time. Furthermore, terrorism was a close 4th place, for both problems and solutions, as this is a product of other problems. This cannot be fixed unless our other issues are solved as well. Therefore, this problem is important, yet behind our poverty in the list of problems. Obesity is much more simple to inflict change: informing our youth and living a healthy lifestyle. This will benefit all of us, and therefore, reduce our obesity indefinitely.
I noticed that, aside from my top 2 on each list which deal directly with the actions and character of people, my lists were inverse. My most important problem (again, aside from my top 2, poverty) had the hardest solution to implement. While the least important of these problems, obesity, had the easiest solution to implement. I thought that was very interesting, yet oddly obvious. Our most important problem should have the most difficult solution. This is why it remains our more important and pressing problem.

Week 3 Reading Reflection

While reading Chapter 2: The Entrepreneurial Mind-Set in Individuals, the most surprising thing was found when reading The Dark Side of Entrepreneurship. This section focused on the failures and risk in entrepreneurship. I was fully aware of this, however, I did not understand the depth and power of these failures, nor had I known about the extensive research done on this. The most confusing section of this text was the entrepreneurial ethics in a conceptual framework. I understood the importance of these ethics, however, the in depth descriptions and importance confused me. If I could ask the author two questions, the first would be: Do you think that the grief of recovering process and dealing with the failure can, by itself, deter an entrepreneur from his work? The second question would be: Does unrealistic optimism ever benefit the entrepreneur (past the point of external optimism)? I also do not disagree with anything in this chapter, as all of the risks and characteristics seemed very accurate.

Identifying Local Opportunities

Prior to beginning this assignment, I did not expect this to be as difficult as it was. Reading local newspapers does not present itself with many problems, just current events in each community. However, here is my list of the various opportunities I found in the Orlando Sentinel.

1. Community continues search for missing 23-year-old
    http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A8936B2EFBFC10?p=AWNB
A 23 year old man, John Heath Noss, with Asperger's Syndrome has gone missing and without a cell phone, credit card, or any social media to track him, Noss is becoming increasingly difficult to find. They believe that he is heading towards Philadelphia, where he is originally from. His parents, who adopted him seven years ago after his mother died, are afraid that as time goes on, he is in more danger. He becomes increasingly confused without his medication and most likely only has $100 and Chick Fil A gift cards. His family desperately wants him to come home.

2. Next step for Dozier school is unclear
    http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A8936B4001BD50?p=AWNB
Florida is struggling to figure out what should happen to a newly closed Dozier reform school that was the sight of horrific acts. Researchers from USF on Thursday presented their final report to Gov. Rick Scott and other officials. One problem that arose was that the facility may have environmental contamination. Human remains were found on site that need reburied, however, no agreement has been reaches as to what should happen next.

3. Recent crash at UCF highlights heroin hazards
   http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A83F20C6E8A958?p=AWNB
On the campus of UCF, a man, 35, sat in the drivers seat fumbling for a cigarette to light disregarding the officers warnings about the fuel around his car. He had crashed his car into the Education Building, knocking bricks out of place, moments after using heroine as a used syringe was found under his feet. This accident is raising awareness about the dangers of heroin and drug use. Many leaders in the community are working to drive down the number of heroine users, overdoses, and deaths.

4. Orange schools to consider if impact fees should rise
    http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A83F2070484A60?p=AWNB
Construction costs are climbing and more new homes are being built, and therefore, impact fees in Orange County could increase. These fees are imposed by local governments on new development to help pay costs of providing public services. A seven-member advisory group will discuss the firm's calculations next month and make a recommendation to the school board members and county commissioners.

5. Quick shipping takes shoppers out of stores
    http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A7459B27A7B3F0?p=AWNB
As shipping times decrease, so do the number of people going to the store to shop. More and more customers are shopping from the comfort of their own home behind their computer. Therefore, stores will have fewer customers and fewer sales. People do not want to spend the time at the grocery store if they have kids, when they can just have the same products delivered to them. In turn, each store is trying to out-do each other. Staying organized is key: pleasing the customer is more important than who finishes first.

World's Biggest Problems

Here is a list of what I think are 10 of the world's biggest problems:

10. War: A possible, simple solution to war is for society to be more accepting of religion and the differences we all possess.
9. Sickness/diseases: Illness is a huge part of everyone's family. Today, a there has been research on the link between processed foods and sickness. Therefore, if each individual made more of an effort to eat fresher foods and if these were more readily available, this would be a reasonable solution.
8. Increasing global population: A solution to this is women's empowerment and education. It educates women, thereby building a stronger society and staves off unhealthily rapid population growth.
7. Animal Cruelty: I have a dog that is most definitely my best friend. I also believe that this problem is frequently overlooked. Animals are helpless, yet so loyal and loving. There are various laws against animal cruelty, however, this remains a prominent issue. Therefore, I believe that there should be further regulations for this offense.
6. Selfishness: This may not seem like a very big problem, however, our selfishness is the root of many of our problems. If we were each to be more giving and kind, even "paying it forward," so many of our larger problems could disappear, just by diminishing selfishness.
5. Nuclear powers/weapons: We have the power to destroy our earth and therefore, I do not believe any one country should carry sole power in this area. However, I also believe that no one should fire these weapons.
4. Obesity: Obesity is a growing problem. I think the simplest way to slow this issue is to eat in moderation and increase our exercise. This is so easy, however, some people have an issue with this. Also, we need to begin with our kids. If children spend time playing outside, going for walks with their parents, and learn to love healthy food at an early age, they will be healthier and in turn, their parents will be healthier as well.
3. International terrorism: I believe that a terrorism is a product of other problems. Therefore, if we work to decrease our national problems and issues, terrorism will disappear as well, or at least subside.
2. Poverty, hunger, and lack of drinking water: One possible solution is a sustainable food source. Ultimately, many impoverished areas would not need to rely on foreign aid, which causes debt, and these countries would then be able to create their own supply of food. The decreasing debt and increase in food sources would allow for this poverty and hunger to subside.
1. Unawareness of these problems: I believe that one of the biggest problems is society's ignorance to these problems, which is slightly ironic. A significant number of people do not bother to learn or become aware of these global issues. I believe a simple solution to this is for everyone to take a step back and become a little less selfish. We are so absorbed in ourselves and our own world, that we cannot observe the larger issues around us. If we are ignorant to the issues around us, how can we make a change?

Very Short Interview No. 1

I interviewed Donavan Jennings. He is my best friend/roommate's father and he began his own hauling business.

1. What business did you begin? What sparked your interest into this business?

I began the company Jennings Transport Inc. I had friends in the car businesses who were whole-salers and dealers and I saw an opportunity to begin hauling cars. I took the risk to start my own business and began by purchasing a four car hauler and a dually. Today I now own five semis, three nine car haulers, one eight car hauler, and one seven car hauler. I employ five drivers and an office staff.

2. What are a few of the hardships and failures you have encountered throughout your years as an entrepreneur? How about the rewards of starting your own business?

I incorporated a wrecker service into my business and it was not profitable. So I sold the wrecker and continued car hauling. Other hardships include the difficulty of finding drivers with clean driving records and the stress of negotiating contracts with clients. Being an entrepreneur offers the rewards of being your own boss, the flexibility of hours once the business was established, and having the ability to grow my business in my field of interest.

3. What are some of the most important skills it takes to be a successful entrepreneur?

It is very important to have the willingness to take a risk, a strong determination, networking and relationships with clients. In addition to all of this, it is essential to provide excellent customer service.

Interviewing Mr. Jennings gave me an opportunity to see the perspective an entrepreneur has on his own business. Mr. Jennings saw that the wrecker service was not profitable, and therefore sold it. This shows this importance of being flexible and determined, as Mr. Jennings stated in his answer for question number 3. I had also not considered the aspect of the drivers; Mr. Jennings has to find drivers with clean driving records which can be very hard, as he stated. Mr. Jennings was very kind and helpful in helping me to understand in depth what it is like to be an entrepreneur.

Bug List

My bug list is as follows:

1. At dinner, a girl sat chewing with her mouth open and texting on her phone.
I found this very frustrating as these are two of my biggest pet peeves: chewing with mouth open/smacking lips, and being on your phone at dinner.

2. I am currently on crutches, and when I was walking out of a building, a boy in front of me clearly noticed I was about 2 steps behind him, yet did not hold the door for me. He continued to see me struggling with the door and never helped.
I don't ask for much help under my circumstance, however, it was very rude of him to not hold the door for me, which was not out of his way at all.

3. Room gets messy and other roommates do not help clean.
I don't mind cleaning, however, when the mess is not mine and I clean it continuously, I get very frustrated.

4. Internet was very slow and I kept losing the application I was working on.
I am currently working on applications for various organizations, and the wifi is very slow. When I go to access the next aspect of the application, the page will not load and it says I have timed out.

5. I was walking to my sorority house, and I heard a girl on the phone with her mother. She was yelling at her and telling her to not call her again.
When I first heard her talking, I figured she was on the phone with a friend or boyfriend. However, then she said "mom" and I was so shocked at the tone she was using. It is definitely not appropriate to talk to your mother like that under any circumstance.

6. My roommate was pushing me in my wheelchair out of our lecture, and a ton of students were walking in the opposite direction to get into the lecture hall. None of them bothered to make a little bit of room for us.
Although it is important to get to class, I was unable to exit the lecture hall because of the massive inflow of students who would not simply let my roommate push me past them.

7. My calculus professor teaches very slow.
I would rather a faster paced course where we get through more material in class and not have to fill in the rest of the lecture notes on our own. It is very hard to learn that way, solely because he moves slowly and gets easily sidetracked.

8. I asked my friend the same questions multiple times and she was too engrossed in her cell phone to answer me.
I think this is so impolite and it would have saved so much frustration if she had answered me initially.

9. I had plans to meet my friend to go to lunch, and she was 25 minutes late.
She gave me no explanation or warning of her tardiness, and therefore I waited for her where we were to meet and she did not show up on time.

10. The cashier at Publix was very slow.
He continuously walked away and was not productive or effective in checking his customers out.

11. I was driving on Archer and a woman pulled out in front of me. She would have hit me if I had not quickly switched lanes.
I was so frustrated that someone was so impatient that she had to almost hit me in order to get where she was going,

12. Another driver was on their phone and almost rear ended me.
Because someone could not wait and needed to text on their phone, they could have caused an accident. This bothers me a lot, as I totaled my car two years ago when a woman on her phone hit me as I was pulling out.

13. My roommate left her towels on the bathroom floor.
I love my room and bathroom to be clean, and this is very frustrating because she does not contribute to the cleanliness of the room.

14. My brits filter is not working properly.
I use this daily and I do not have an opportunity to get a new one and this is a huge inconvenience.

15. I spilt my fish's food.
I was trying to feed my fish and I dropped the container with the food and the little pellets went everywhere and I had to clean them all up.

16.  The fire alarm went off when I was in the shower, so I had to quickly get out, get dressed and put my boot on. Then I had to go down 4 flights of stairs on crutches.
This was just very unlucky and slightly scary. It really bothered me that even in a drill, I could not use the elevator to go downstairs on crutches.

17. I didn't realize I was low on milk and I wanted cereal for breakfast and did not have enough.
I usually plan ahead and make sure I have everything I need so this was very unusual for me.

18. My room will not get cold at night and I love to sleep when it is freezing.
I open my window, turn the fan on, and keep the door open and it won't cool down. I also have to sleep with my boot on because I have to treat it like a cast so I am extra warm at night. I wish this didn't bother me so much.

19. Archer traffic is horrible.
I get easily frustrated in traffic and as much as I try to avoid archer, sometimes I can't and traffic is always so heavy. I become very impatient.

20. I can't walk.
This is the thing that bugs me the most. I can't walk for another 4 weeks. I am so frustrated and it is so difficult to get around campus.

This exercise was actually very difficult for me because I try not to let things bother me, however, during this assignment, I realized that many things do really irritate me. I never paid much attention to why things agitate me. Now that I know, I can pay more attention and not get frustrated as easily.

Week 2 Reading Reflection

After reading Chapter 1: Entrepreneurship: Evolutionary Development – Revolutionary Impact, the most surprising and interesting section was Myth 10: Entrepreneurs are extreme risk takers. Although I am not familiar with a large aspect of entrepreneurship, I have always been fairly confident that entrepreneurs continuously take risks. This part of the chapter, states that risk is a major element in entrepreneurial process but the public’s perspective on this risk is distorted. The entrepreneur works on a calculated risk, rather than gambling. I had not previously taken this into consideration, always thinking that the concept of an entrepreneur meant to take extreme risks in order to succeed. However, one part of the reading that was somewhat confusing to me what the descriptions of the Schools-of-Thought Approaches to Entrepreneurship. The branches of the micro views of entrepreneurship causes me the most confusion, specifically the concepts under Strategic Formulation School of Though. The idea that this is the planning process is very clear, however, the unique markets, people, products, and resources were very confusing at first. After multiple in depth reads, I understand that these are just the various elements that are a part of the strategic formulation.

If I were given the opportunity to ask a question to the author, I would ask him what inspired him to write about entrepreneurship. For years, I wanted to become a writer so understanding why people write about what they do is very intriguing. Another question I would ask is for him to go more in depth in describing the impact of entrepreneurial ventures. He stated, “Entrepreneurs will continue to be the answer to any economic downturn, and they will continue to lead economic growth in several different ways.” As a possible entrepreneur, I would love to know the impacts and products of entrepreneurs continue to affect and benefit society.

I cannot say that I disagree with anything the author said. He was very objective, and therefore, he did a great job of describing what the reader needs to take from the book. He made this chapter very easy and enjoyable to read.

My Entrepreneurship Story: Week 2

My senior year of high school, I was elected National Honor Society President. Therefore, I was given the opportunity to lead our organization's booth in our annual Relay for Life. Rather than just become involved in this event, I wanted to become a part of this event. As cancer has remained very prominent in my family and in my life, this event was very important to me. I decided raise money through my booth in a much different way than typically expected. The event was movie themed, so our booth was a Harry Potter booth. We sold "butter beer," as food is typically expected at booths, and I sold beads per lap walked. After purchasing the "necklace," every lap walked, you were given a white bead, every mile a purple bead, and every 10 miles a purple bead with glitter. This alone made the most money at our event. I also organized an event that night. A stage was set up on our football field and donations were accepted to enter and watch the event, as well as to participate. We held a lip sync contest, where groups of 3 or more were entered. The winning group was awarded the money to go into their booth's earnings towards Relay for Life. In that competition, we raised over $1500 in donations, all being given back to the cause we represented. The picture attached shows the National Honor Society booth, with myself, two of my executive officers, and our sponsor.

I have enrolled in ENT3003 as an introduction to entrepreneurship. Coming into this course, I was somewhat unsure as to what to expect. Now, I am excited to learn more through this class. I am possibly minoring in Entrepreneurship, so this course will hopefully give me insight into what I could minor in. I know many entrepreneurs and I am hoping this class will give me an idea of what they have experienced and therefore, I will have an opportunity to talk to them.

Introduction: Week 2

My name is Emily Treasure. I am from Port Charlotte, which is a small town in Southwest Florida. Throughout high school, I played basketball and volleyball while volunteering as a youth basketball coach and a Special Olympics basketball coach. I am a member of Delta Zeta sorority. I am currently a Marketing major possibly minoring in Entrepreneurship. Law School has been a goal of mine for years, and therefore, I hope to attend Law School after my undergraduate studies. I have an older brother who just graduated with his Master's in Management from UF. He is definitely my best friend! I travel quite a bit with my family, and recently went on a cruise and flew to Philadelphia as well. I have also visited most of the Caribbean islands and I hope to travel to Europe in the future. Remaining close to my family is very important to me! Over our winter break, I decided to do a back flip and broke my left ankle so I am attempting to get around campus on crutches with the help of my awesome roommate. I am so excited to be at UF and can't wait to see what the next few years have in store for me! Attached is my favorite picture: a picture of my family when we were visiting San Francisco!

Entrepreneurship Mantra: Week 2

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