Half-way Reflection

1. This class requires a lot of discipline. I have had to plan ahead each week to make sure I leave enough time to complete all of the assignments. I have had to develop the skill of courage. We have had to interview over 15 people, and it would have been a lot easier for me to have told myself that I just wasn't going to do it because I wasn't completely comfortable with the idea.

2. I really felt like giving up during the third set of interviews. I had a really busy weekend, and I really didn't know how I was going to get it done. I pushed through because I knew I would be so mad at myself if I didn't. In many aspects of life, you just have to do things you don't want to. I knew all of the excuses I had for not doing the assignment were not good enough. You have to be responsible, and you have to work hard in all areas of life. I definitely think I have developed a tenacious attitude during the past two months. Interacting with others to complete assignments has contrtibuted the most to this.

3. Three tips:

• believe in yourself 
• plan out your weekly schedule
• remind yourself that there are so many other students doing the same assignments (YOU ARE NOT ALONE)

Week 8 Reading Reflection

The biggest surprise for me in the reading was the part about social lending. I thought this concept was very interesting. It was really fascinating to learn that if someone couldn't get a loan from a bank they could try to get one through a lending site. 

One part of the reading that was confusing for me was the angel aspect. I don't really get what the concept is. I will definitely need to read over this section again. 

I would love to be able to sit down with the author and ask him what his game plan is when raising capital for entrepreneurial ventures. 

After reading, there is not anything specific that I think the author was wrong about.

Week 7 Reading Reflection

The biggest surprise for me in the reading was the part about how companies will convince consumers that they need certain products by putting a person in the advertisement that they resembled or wanted to resemble. I picked this part because when I think about it now it makes perfect sense, but I guess I had fallen into this trap without realizing it.

One part of the reading that was confusing for me was the introduction of nebulousness. I honestly didn't know what this meant, so it was hard for me to follow the reading under this heading. After I looked the word up, the pieces started to fit a lot better. 

I would love to be able to sit down with the author and ask him what his action plan is when he encounters customers whose needs are not being met. It would be interesting to see what exactly his instinct is when he encounters these customers. 

After reading, there is not anything specific that I think the author was wrong about. 

Elevator Pitch No. 2

Late Night Light

I received some awesome feedback which really helped me with my second pitch. Someone suggested to add where the business would be located which I thought was very important to mention. I also was asked where I would be getting my food from which honestly surprised me because it was something that I hadn't put enough thought into. I definitely took both into consideration when I was making changes to my pitch. I didn't receive any feedback that was wrong or silly. I hope you enjoy the changes!

Customer Interviews No. 3

For this exercise, I wrote my concept on an index card and handed them to potential customers. I thought it was best to hear their reaction and let the interview go from there without much structure. It thought this way of doing the interview would be the most effective.

I decided to interview five students that attend a different university. I thought it would be eye opening to compare parking in two different places. It gave me a better perspective about how are parking situation is compared to what other students have to deal with. The five customers I interviewed were from Florida State University. 

I learned a lot from these interviews. I thought it was a learning experience doing it the "index card" way. I am honestly most surprised with myself for conducting these interviews in general. I really was nervous about the whole concept of interviewing people, but I am pleasantly surprised that I was capable of doing it. I know the more I practice the more comfortable I will feel. Going off of that, I think I would change my mindset as the outcome of these interviews. The more willing and confident I am, the better these interviews go whether there is positive or negative feedback. 

Week 6 Reading Reflection

The biggest surprise for me in the reading was about how industry structure drives competition and profitability. I'll admit, I only think about whether an industry is new or mature when it comes to company competition. It was beneficial to learn about the other factors that I wasn't fully aware of. 

One part of the reading that was confusing for me was the part about the threat of substitutes. I thought it was important to mention because even though it wasn't really hard to understand it's something that I definitely overlook. 

I would love to be able to sit down with the author and ask him what his entrepreneurship story is. By his writing, he seem like a very knowledgable person in this field. It would be great to know more about his reasoning for writing about the forces that shape strategy. 

After reading, there is not anything specific that I think the author was wrong about. 

Idea Napkin No. 1

1. My name is Rachel Carter. I am very hardworking and disciplined. I love interacting with others and really listening to their opinions and stories. I have experience working in retail and volunteering with people in need. My business idea is about student parking. This will play a role in my life because I am a college student with a car.

2. When I first started my interviews, my idea was to expand parking on the UF campus. Now, my idea has changed a little bit. At this point, I am more worried about changing the rules of parking. I believe that the rules are too strict. I know that I am not the only one who feels this way because many of the customers I interviewed mentioned that the rules were unfair. I think that customers in need of better parking rules all over campus. 

3. My customers are students that drive and park their cars on the UF campus. 

4. Many students, including myself, get tickets for parking in places they didn't know were restricted. It is frustrating when students drive at night to exams or to the library and can only park in limited places because of certain restrictions. Students are trying to stay safe by not walking at late hours of the night but have to deal with this unneeded stress. 

5. What sets me apart is that I relate directly to the customers since I am actually a customer too. I too deal with the frustrations that they are dealing with. I want to help them because I understand what they are going through.

I believe that these elements fit together. The part I really would like to work on is implementing the exact rules I would want to change for customers. These details matter, and I need to dive deeper into revisions. 

Customer Interview No. 2

My opportunity idea has changed since the first round of interviews because I realized that my idea has varied a little. My initial thought was that there needed to be more parking spaces and places in general. Now, I think that there is more of an opportunity for the rules of parking to change.

During the first round, I interviewed two students that had already graduated from UF. I made sure to only interview people that regularly need to be on campus this time.

I changed two of my questions this time. These are the questions I asked this time:
1. Tell me about your last experience parking on the UF campus.
2. What is the first word that comes to mind when you hear UF parking? Why?
3. Do you think the system used for parking is fair to the student population?

I have learned a lot from this experience. I know that not all customers have the exact same opinion as me, but that means I can learn from them and they can learn from me. I still believe in my idea, and I am happy to change it to fit the needs of customers. 

Three tips I would give to students in the next semester of ENT 3003 about interviewing customers are be confident, be prepared, and be excited about your idea. 

Week 5 Reading Reflection

The biggest surprise for me in the reading was reading about B Corporations. It was a good surprise because this was the first time I had learned about the B Corporation. 

One part of the reading that was confusing for me was the picture that showed the process for obtaining a patent. I didn't realize how many steps there were in this process. I'm glad I learned more about it, and I'm excited about reading it over to understand it better. 

I would love to be able to sit down with the author and ask him what type of legal form he is most familiar with. I would also ask him if he had any experience dealing with trademarks and copyrights. I would love to learn more about both of them. 

After reading chapter nine, there is nothing that I think the author was wrong about. 

Elevator Pitch No.1

Late Night Light:

I saw an opportunity for a healthier alternative when eating late at night. Most college students enjoy eating late but tend to be frustrated that there is not much of a variety when it comes to food options. That's why I came up with the food store Late Night Light. It's a healthy food store that will be open late at night, so students can eat when midnight rolls around without regretting their food choices in the morning.