Blog Post #6: Assignment 6A - Identifying Opportunities in Economic & Regulatory Trends

Hi guys,

• Opportunities Related to Economic Trends
• Opportunity #1
• Quick Reaction Natural Disaster Services
• I found this opportunity from an article on The Balance, where they discussed how climate change is causing an increased frequency and severity of natural disasters, causing areas at greater risk for such events to invest large sums of money to become safer.
• I believe that since more natural disasters are occurring, there is a greater need for services that provide people with necessities, such as food, water, shelter, etc., for surviving natural disasters.
• The prototypical customer would be someone who lives in an area where a lot of natural disasters, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, or tsunamis, occur. I also believe that people who do not have immediate access to services that can provide necessities for surviving natural disasters would be customers of this opportunity
• I think this opportunity would be relatively difficult to exploit due to the fact that natural disasters can be challenging to predict. I also believe that this opportunity would be very expensive.
• I saw this opportunity because I have experienced many natural disasters. I have seen all of the time and energy that goes into preparing for these events and how by creating greater access to services that help people during times like these can be the difference between life and death.
• Opportunity #2
• Hiring Unemployed and Homeless People to Manufacture Products in US
• I also found this opportunity from an article on The Balance. This article discusses how the United States is declining in global economic power due, in part, to the increased amount of job outsourcing.
• I believe that by manufacturing products of American soil rather than overseas, the US would be able to increase their global economic power. Although, it is typically more expensive to have manufacturing occur in the US rather than in China or another foreign country. However, by hiring those who are unemployed or homeless, who would typically be more than willing to accept a job with any sort of monetary compensation, companies would be able to create more jobs for US citizens while also maintaining their low manufacturing costs.
• Prototypical customers for this service would be US citizens who are either unemployed or homeless.
• I think this opportunity would be relatively easy to exploit since homelessness and unemployment are such major issues in the United States.
• I saw this opportunity because I know that the United States is not only no longer the only super power in the world, but also losing global economic power. Also, since I currently live in Gainesville, I see a lot of homeless people everyday and I always think to myself, "If only somebody could hire them, even if it was for a low paying job".
• Opportunities Related to Regulatory Changes
• Opportunity #1
• More Traditional Retailers and Less Online Retailers
• I found this opportunity in an article on Business News Daily. It discusses how online retailers are expected to see an increase in sales tax, meaning that retailers will be losing money and/or consumers will be paying more for products when purchasing them online. 
• With an increase in sales tax for products purchased online, not only will more people be willing to buy products from traditional retailers, people looking to start their own businesses will be more willing to sell their products in person rather than online to avoid the higher sales tax.
• The prototypical customer would be someone looking to buy cheaper products and comfortable with going to an actual store and purchasing their desired product in person.
• The opportunity is relatively difficult to exploit because people today have a tendency to be very lazy and will sometimes buy a product online for more money rather than in person for a cheaper price simply because of the greater convenience.
• I saw this opportunity because I would much rather pay a lower price and have to go to the actual store to buy something rather than pay more money for an item online.
• Opportunity #2
• Insurance Companies That Make It Easier to Be Approved
• I found this opportunity in an article on Becker's Spine Review. The article discusses how the difficultly of some medical patients to have their appeals be approved by insurance companies may increase in the near future.
• By providing people with opportunities to have their insurance appeals approved at an expedient rate, they would be able to get the medical care they need and be able to pay for it.
• The prototypical customer would be a medical patient that has difficulty getting approved for insurance.
• The opportunity is relatively difficult to exploit because the insurance appeal approval process can be very lengthy to ensure that the right people are getting the insurance they deserve.
• I saw this opportunity because I recently had to try to get an insurance appeal approved and it was a lengthy and daunting process. 

Blog Post #5: Assignment 5A - Identifying Local Opportunities

Hey everyone,

• Opportunity #1
• Title of Article
• Vote Yes for the new school
• Link of Article
• https://infoweb-newsbank-com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AZBBS%21Marblehead%2BReporter%252C%2BThe%2B%2528MA%2529&sort=YMD_date%3AD&maxresults=20&f=advanced&val-base-0=Problems&fld-base-0=alltext&docref=news/173C292EE3483DE8
• Description of Story
• This story discusses the inadequacy of public schools in Marblehead, MA, my hometown, and how many students have to deal with problems of the school buildings daily. The article goes in depth on how a new school building should be built due to the number of problems with the current ones, such as water with lead, musty smells, inadequate space for children to work with academic tutors, etc. 
• Description of Problem
• The current public school buildings in Marblehead, MA lack many basic amenities.
• Description of who has the Problem
• Marblehead Public Schools
• Students
• Parents of Students
• Teachers, Faculty, and Staff
• Opportunity #2
• Title of Article
• 'She was everything I had.' A mother pleads for answers after teen daughter killed
• Link of Article
• https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article230990483.html
• Description of Story
• The article discusses how a mother lost her daughter to a drive-by shooting one night out at a hookah bar in Miami. The girl was the mother's only daughter so she was very protective of her. 
• Description of Problem
• Teenagers always want to go out with their friends, without the supervision of parents, and have fun. However, it's not always safe, and can sometimes be very dangerous depending on the area and situation, for them. This can result in fatalities as unfortunately shown in the article.
• Description of who has the Problem
• Teenagers
• Parents of teenagers
• Other members of the local community
• Opportunity #3
• Title of Article
• Salem Diner closes after nearly 80 years in business
• Link of Article
• https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/05/31/salem-diner-closes-after-nearly-years-business/T5SA3Rjsqe0aDKUI9BVk0J/story.html
• Description of Story
• The story discusses how The Salem Diner, a local restaurant located in Salem, MA, has gone out of business after 80 years of service. It originally went out of business a couple of years ago but was bought and reopened by a local university. However, it was determined that the restaurant was "not cost effective for the campus", even though it was a historic landmark of the town that was said to retain it's old fashioned look and vibe.
• Description of Problem
• Many locally owned restaurants that decide to maintain their old-fashioned ways are losing business to more current, nicer, and technologically-advanced restaurants.
• Description of who has the Problem
• Owners of restaurants that don't renovate and update
• Customers of said restaurants
• Opportunity #4
• Title of Article
• Motorcyclist injured in collision with tree in Peabody
• Link of Article
• https://www.salemnews.com/news/updated-motorcyclist-injured-in-collision-with-tree-in-peabody/article_3a8e4dbe-83da-11e9-8737-579f6f5e407d.html
• Description of Story
• The story discusses how an elderly man lost control of his motorcycle and crashed into a tree. He was immediately taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, but no details on the extent of his injuries have been released yet. 
• Description of Problem
• Motorcycles can be very dangerous forms of transportation, especially for older people who ride them, and they need to be made to be safer. 
• Description of who has the Problem
• Motorcyclists
• Elderly people
• Opportunity #5
• Title of Article
• EPA fines local marinas
• Link of Article
• https://www.salemnews.com/news/local_news/epa-fines-local-marinas/article_0956d32d-212a-56d5-9794-9ce13e1ff91f.html
• Description of Story
• This article discusses how the Environmental Protection Agency fined marinas in Marblehead, MA and Beverly, MA thousands of dollars for the violation of federal clean water laws.
• Description of Problem
• Marinas can face difficulty when it comes to keeping water clean while disposing of unclean water and other products properly. Doing so can also be very expensive, as well.
• Description of who has the Problem
• Marina owners
• Boat owners

Blog Post #4: Assignment 4A - Forming An Opportunity Belief

Hey everyone,

1. My Beginning Point
I believe that people love going to see live music. Whether it's at a small dive bar in the middle of nowhere, a large concert in a big city, or a weekend-long music festival, it has been proven for many years that people will pay, sometimes a lot of money, to listen to their favorite musicians and bands perform in person. However, something that can make or break a fan's experience at a concert is the people that they are at the concert with.

2. Describing My Belief
When a person is deciding whether or not to attend a concert, one of the main factors that influences their decision is who else is actually going. People tend to find live music much more enjoyable when surrounded by people they know, meaning that they are more likely to go if they know someone else that is going. Therefore, what if you are someone that really wants to see a certain band perform but you cannot find anybody to go with you? Some people decide to go alone anyways, while others simply decide to not go and miss out on possibly one of the concerts ever! There are also some consumers who simply enjoy meeting other people with tastes in music similar to them. If only there was a way concert goers could find and meet other people going to the same concert before it even starts.

3. Identify The Prototypical Customer
The prototypical customer of a product that does this would definitely be someone who enjoys music and attending concerts, music festivals, and other forms of live music. Another characteristic would be someone who has difficulty finding people to go to concerts with and doesn't enjoy going to them alone. People who enjoy meeting and getting to know other people could also be prototypical customers.

4. Iteration

1. Iteration #1
1. What is the exact nature of your need?
1. I always find so many concerts that I want to go to when I'm home over summer. But none of my friends from home like the same kind of music as I do so I always have trouble finding people to go with. And since I'm not a fan of going to concerts alone, if I can't find anybody to go with, I end up not going at all. So I'm just looking for people to go to concerts with.
2. When did you become aware of this need?
1. During the summer after my freshman year in college, there was a really great DJ performing nearby that I wanted to see. But since I couldn't find anybody to go with, I ended up skipping it. Afterward I saw a video of it on YouTube and it looked amazing so I was mad.
3. Do you experience this problem a lot or only sometimes?
1. When I'm home I experience it a lot. But when I'm at school I rarely experience this problem because a lot of my friends at school like the same music as me.
4. How do you address this need?
1. I usually just try to stay near my friends from school so we can all go to concerts together.
2. Iteration #2
1. What is the exact nature of your need?
1. I always love meeting new people, especially at concerts because we have similar tastes in music, obviously! However, sometimes I'll meet someone and they turn out to be creepy. So I guess my need would be that I want to be able to see who's going to the concert beforehand so I can know who to stay away from and who to talk to.
2. When did you become aware of this need?
1. Last year at a concert.
3. Do you experience this problem a lot or only sometimes?
1. When I first started going to concerts I experienced this problem a lot. However, as I've been to a lot more concerts and I've become better at reading people and more experienced, it doesn't happen that much anymore.
4. How do you address this need?
1. I'll go on Facebook. Usually the concert will have a page on it where people can say whether they are going or not.
3. Iteration #3
1. What is the exact nature of your need?
1. I love live music and I don't mind going to concerts alone, but I definitely prefer going with other people I know. However, I don't have many friends that like the same music that I do and I'm terrible at going up to strangers and striking up a conversation out of nowhere in person. I wish there was a way I could interact and befriend people at the same concerts as me in a way that's more comfortable for me and less nerve wracking.
2. When did you become aware of this need?
1. My senior year of high school. I went to this concert by myself and I had a decent time, but I tried to hangout with some of the other fans because I thought if I was around friends, the concert would be more enjoyable. However, I ended up coming off as very creepy and socially awkward.
3. Do you experience this problem a lot or only sometimes?
1. Yeah this happens to me a solid amount of the time. 
4. How do you address this need?
1. I usually just go on Facebook and try to direct message some of the people that said they were going to the same concert as me on the concert's page. Sometimes it works, but other times I just feel very intrusive messaging some stranger on Facebook.

5. Reflect

After talking to some of my prototypical customers, I learned that their is already a platform where concert goers can meet others going to the same concerts as them; Facebook. However, I also learned that some people don't feel comfortable messaging random strangers online simply because they are going to the same concert. The most surprising thing I learned was how many people want to go to concerts and meet other people instead of simply just enjoying the show they are at. 

6. N/A

7. Summarize

Very little of my original opportunity remains after completing this assignment. For starters, there is already a way for people going to the same concerts to meet each other, but they don't feel very comfortable utilizing it. I do believe my new opportunity is more accurate than when I started. I think entrepreneurs should always be adapting to the needs of their core customer demographic in order to meet their needs.

Blog Post #3: Assignment 3A - Your Entrepreneurship Story

Hey guys!

So for this assignment, I would like to discuss an experience in my life where I was exposed to entrepreneurship. In 7th grade, as part of my "Mitzvah Project" that I had to complete for my Bar Mitzvah, I organized a sporting goods drive for the Plummer Home for Boys in Salem, Massachusetts, which is an all boys group home for underprivileged youth in the area without suitable living conditions. I was able to receive a large amount of donations and lightly-used sports equipment, such as sneakers, basketballs, baseball gloves, and many other examples, for the Plummer Home. It was safe to say that not only did I feel a great sense of accomplishment from being able to organize this project and have it be successful, but I was also happy to help those less fortunate than me.

On another note, I would like to discuss my reasoning behind why I chose to enroll in ENT3003. First, I chose this class because I need more credits from approved electives for my major and this class fit that criteria. Secondly, I have always pondered the idea of maybe opening my own exercise training facility for athletes of all ages some day. I figured this class would be able to give me the necessary information I need if I ever choose to pursue this dream of mine.

Blog Post #2: Assignment 2A - Bug List

Hey everyone!

Here is my "Bug List", a list of 20 things, occurrences, personality traits, etc. that annoy me:

1. When at a red light and driving in the far right lane and the car in front of you doesn't know that they can turn right on red!
1. Why: When drivers are stuck at a red light, they tend to go on their cell phones and not pay attention to their surroundings.
2. When you're having a conversation with someone and they tell the same story twice.
1. Why: Sometimes the speaker will forget that they had already told a certain story and have nothing better to say.
3. At work, one of your coworkers is being lazy and not doing his job well so you have to work twice as hard.
1. Why: Your coworkers passion for a particular line of work may not be on the same level as your own.
4. A person that acts too energetic and happy.
1. Why: The person may be trying to show a fake personality because they feel insecure about how they are perceived by others.
5. People that try to seem like a "know-it-all".
1. Why: People try to portray themselves as smart to their peers because they think it'll give them a sense of power and/or for the sense of appraisal.
6. A light being on in a room that isn't being used.
1. Why: People using the room previously forget to turn off the light.
7. People with terrible body odor when in public areas.
1. Why: People don't care enough about themselves to maintain good hygiene and/or cannot afford products necessary for avoiding poor body odor.
8. People with extremely high-pitched laughs.
1. Why: Genetics, where we grew up, and by whom are contributing factors to how our laughs are developed.
9. People who leave their dirty dishes in the sink and don't clean them.
1. Why: Cleaning your dirty dishes can be a tedious task that may not seem very important at the time.
10. When I have an itch I cannot scratch.
1. Why: There are certain parts of our bodies that we cannot reach with our limbs.
11. The Internet freezing while trying to type something.
1. Why: The device being used is trying to process and accomplish too many things at once.
12. Having to repeat myself more than once to someone I'm speaking to.
1. Why: The person I'm speaking to isn't listening to me or focused on something else.
13. Getting called the wrong name when first meeting someone.
1. Why: They thought they heard a different name being said when introduced.
14. Asking someone to do something and they forget to do it.
1. Why: They have a poor memory or what you asked them to do was not a priority for them.
15. Being woken up in the middle of night obnoxiously loud people.
1. Why: People go to bed at different times and speak at different volumes.
16. People that make plans to hangout with you, but then cancel at the last minute.
1. Why: They want to hangout with you, but it doesn't take precedence over other, more important things.
17. House pets that go to the bathroom inside of the house.
1. Why: The pets are not properly house-trained.
18. Restaurants that mess up what I order, causing the time it takes for me to get my food to increase greatly.
1. Why: The employees preparing the food are not paying enough attention to what they are making and/or do not know how to make the food.
19. People borrowing my stuff without asking.
1. Why: My peers are jealous/need what I have but are too uncomfortable with asking me to borrow it.
20. Sitting in the middle seat on an airplane and one of or both of my arm rests are being occupied by the people sitting next to me.
1. Why: Not enough people are aware of "plane etiquette".

Personally, I found this assignment to be quite challenging. When I'm out in my everyday life, it's easy for me to see something, be able to identify it, and say "That bugs me". However, when I'm sitting on my couch at my apartment, trying to recall certain instances where I have been annoyed in the past, it is much more difficult than I had anticipated.

Blog Post #1: The Test Post

Hey everyone!

My name is Jack Hertz and I'm currently enrolled in ENT3003, Principles of Entrepreneurship. I'm currently majoring in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology and I look forward to this semester and all that I will learn!

Thanks for reading!

Jack Hertz