6A – Identifying Opportunities in Economic & Regulatory Trends

January 25, 2019

US Economic Outlook: For 2019 and Beyondhttps://www.thebalance.com/us-economic-outlook-3305669

• I was able to find this particular article by researching economic trends that 2019 might have in store for us.
• This particular article covers oil and gas prices, interest rates and jobs in particular. In what I read I believe there is an opportunity in investing in renewable energy because the article forecasted that the price of gas and oil will increase in the years to come so I believe more people will being to convert to products that are fueled by renewable energy.
• I believe millennials are the most likely to be my customers because they are the ones who are going to have to deal with all the negative repercussions of the energy and environment crisis our earth is under, and things will only get worse as time passes. Unless, we convert to more renewable resources.  
• This opportunity might be somewhat difficult because it is quite competitive and there are already major companies who are in this particular field already. I think I saw this opportunity because I did a lot of research on environmental startups in high school.

19 Trends That Will Shape The World in 2019

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeslacouncil/2018/12/14/19-trends-that-will-shape-the-world-in-2019/#1adcae7d3b45

• I was able to find this article as I was browsing through Forbes like I usually do while I eat my lunch, and I wanted to read something about what new things we could expect in 2019 and I found this article.
• The specific part in this article where I believe there is an opportunity is where it talks about e-commerce. In specific, where it predicts that e-commerce will grow up to 20% 2019. I see an opportunity here because I have friends who already run online stores and I know how relatively easy it is to start one. The most important thing with e-commerce is how to market effectively on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook etc. With a prediction of an increase in 20% one can presume that is because there are plenty of customers out there for you to reach out to.
• My prototypical customer would be parents who have children between the ages of 7-10 years old because the product I wish to sell on an online store such as Shopify is targeted to children.
• This opportunity I think is competitive but if one knows how to advertise well and has a excellent product one will thrive! I think I might see this opportunity and others might because I have friends who are into e-commerce.

Five US market regulation forecasts for 2019

https://www.ft.com/content/306554ec-18ad-11e9-b93e-f4351a53f1c3

• I was able to find this article when I looked up what regulations might take place in 2019.
• The part of the article where I took interest is where it spoke about regulations on digital currencies such as the famous Bitcoin. A big part as to why this form of currency has struggled to be adopted into the real world market is because of its lack of regulation it is simply to volatile and dangerous to have it as a safe and reliable form of money. Hopefully the Securities and Exchange Commission can facilitate in the regulation of these coins so it can so be adopted. The opportunity I see in this can be a cryptocurrency trader, I believe I see this opportunity when others might because I have read up on cryptocurrency last year during its boom.
• My prototypical customer would be young investors who are interested about learning about an upcoming market.
• I think this opportunity is extremely risky since no one really knows the direction this form of currency is going to take.

Proposal: Affordable Clean Energy

https://www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/proposal-affordable-clean-energy-ace-rule

• I stumbled upon this article because I have always had interest in what new steps we can take to make our environment.
• The EPA plans to start the Affordable Clean Energy Rule which is planning to create rules in which states would need to report greenhouse gas emissions from particular facilities.
• The prototypical would be any person or business who is looking to be conscious of the environment around them and wanting a clean and healthy ecosystem.
• I came to this opportunity because I believe we have pushed back environmental concerns long enough and it is time for change.

5A- Identifying Local Opportunities

January 25, 2018

Walking? You’re risking your life in Florida, the deadliest state for pedestrians

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article224923045.html 

•  In the state of Florida pedestrians have a much higher chance of a fatality on foot then they would in any other state in the country. Nine out of the twenty most deadly cities for pedestrians are located in the state of Florida.
• The problem presented in the article is that it is more dangerous to be to walk around in Florida than other states in the country. The streets were built to keep traffic at the fastest speed possible speculators believe this is why so many people are struck by cars.
• Floridians are the individuals who have this issue and should think about regulations to put in place to try and bring the level of accidents down.

He’s a father of four and a federal employee. Dinner these days: bread and cheese

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/broward/article224966810.html 

• Due to Trump's temporary shutdown of the government for funding of the wall he wants to have built, TSA salary is put on pause until the government can come to a compromise on their immigration policies.
• The problem that is presented is that for those TSA employees who unfortunately live pay check to check they do not have any income currently therefore they do not have money to pay their bills.
• TSA employees and other government workers in general have this issue although this article was specifically about a TSA workers.

Audit report: Clearwater Parks and Rec director misused position when employees worked at his home without pay

https://www.tampabay.com/clearwater/audit-report-clearwater-parks-and-rec-director-misused-position-when-employees-worked-at-his-home-without-pay-20190123/

• The ones being affected by this situation are the two city workers that felt obligated that they had to help their boss. They felt as if saying no was not an option, almost as if they were somewhat forced to work after hours.
• A recreation director in the clearwater area misused his position by having two city employees fix his sprinkler system at his home after hours.
  

  • • • The problem with this situation is that the workers were not paid for this particular job because they were not on the clock.

New state wildlife agency official has no wildlife background, but he did help get Gov. Ron DeSantis elected

https://www.tampabay.com/environment/new-state-wildlife-agency-official-has-no-wildlife-background-but-he-did-help-get-gov-ron-desantis-elected-20190125/

• People are bit angry at the fact that Jordan Wiggins the new state wildlife agency official was given the position when he has no experience in the field.
• The problem with this situation is that voters feel that the political system is a bit corrupt in the sense that the only reason Mr. Wiggins was given the position is because he has helped Governor DeSantis in the past rather than him actually qualifying for the position.
• The people affected by this are Floridians because they now have an appointed official in an area he has no experience in which can hurt the department because the will lack guidance.

“Con Man” helps fellow inmate escape Alachua County Jail - Briefly

https://www.gainesville.com/news/20190125/con-man-helps-fellow-inmate-escape-alachua-county-jail---briefly

• Justin Lee Williams with the help on an accomplice was able to trick a bail bondsman to pay for the release of Macajaih Valenzuela.
• The problem with this situation is that Justin Lee Williams convinced a bail bondsman that Mr. Valenzuela had $935,000 after he was safely released. Turned out it was all fraud and Valenzuela was just trying to get bailed out to escape.
• The people affected by this are Alachua residents because Valenzuela was in jail for second degree murder making him quite a dangerous man to be out on the loose putting Alachua residents in danger.

4A - An Opportunity Belief

September 18, 2019

4A- An Opportunity Belief

1. I believe an opportunity exists in the health and fitness market. The specific opportunity that I see is an interactive/entertaining program that focuses on nutrition with additional information on how one sets up an efficient workout program based upon their lifestyle. This possible opportunity came to me when I began working out at the Southwest Recreation Center I noticed the major complaint many people had were that they were putting the work in the gym but were not seeing the results they wanted. When I asked them about their diet they would just saying I am eating "cleaner" but did not have a clear sense of direction when it came to their nutrition. They all had great workout programs to follow but not a diet that they could realistically follow long term.

2. The unmet need is a lack of nutrition education to help one maximize the amount of growth at the gym. The people that have this need are college students who like to workout and want to transform their physique or just simply be in better shape. I believe this need has always existed, but with this age of the internet what I have to offer can be extremely accessible. To meet this need now people are either spending hours of their time doing research on their on or hiring a nutritionist/personal trainer. I still believe this opportunity exists, I just think it will be competitive and a bit difficult showing others my competitive edge.

3. Prototypical Customer 

Random student I met at Southwest Recreation Center: Gilbert

1a. How long have you been working out for? If you don"t why not?
He said he had just started working out at the start of January.

2a. Do you follow any diet or nutrition program? If you don't why don't you?
He said he does not follow diet or nutrition program because he is very picky with his foods and he considers a majority of "healthy" foods do not taste.

3a. Do you feel that you are satisfied with the progress at the gym? If not do you know what is holding you back from reaching your fitness goals?
He said he was satisfied with his progress but he knew he could have made more progress in the time he has spent at the gym if he ate better.

4a. If you were offered a nutrition program that taught you all you needed to know about how to set up a diet and workout program that fits you would you pay for it?
He said it depended on whether or not this program has a proven track record and that would determine not only whether or not he would buy the product but how much he would be willing to pay as well.


Roommate: Frank

1b. How long have you been working out for? If you don't why not?
He said he had been working out for a little under one year.

2b. Do you follow any diet or nutrition program? If you don't why don't you?
He said he follows a nutrition program that he found off doing his own research on the internet.

3b. Do you feel that you are satisfied with the progress at the gym? If not do you know what is holding you back from reaching your fitness goals?
He said he does feel satisfied with the results he has made within the months he has been lifting.

4b. If you were offered a nutrition program that taught you all you needed to know about how to set up a diet and workout program that fits you would you pay for it?
He said that at this point in time he would not buy a program because he believes he knows all there is to know about fitness and nutrition. Although, he did say he wished he would have bought one when he first started working out because he felt he had wasted a lot of time with programs that did not truly work.

Friend: George

1c. How long have you been working out for? If you don't why not?
He said he has never worked out, and the reason he has not is because he feels somewhat intimated and would not know how/where to start.

2c. Do you follow any diet or nutrition program? If you don't why don't you?
He said he does not follow any particular diet or nutrition plan because he does not think he needs to.

3c. Do you feel that you are satisfied with the progress at the gym? If not do you know what is holding you back from reaching your fitness goals?
He does not workout but he wishes to start soon, he just wished how he can learn so he goes about fitness the right way.

4c.  If you were offered a nutrition program that taught you all you needed to know about how to set up a diet and workout program that fits you would you pay for it?
He said he would for sure buy a program that taught him what he needed to know about lifting weights and nutrition. He said knowing it was written by a fellow UF student who knows how difficult it is to juggle a bunch of responsibilities and still be able to be consistent with his fitness goals would be a major selling point.

Reflection

Reflecting on my possible opportunity belief I think it would be difficult to acquire customers, because this particular field is quite competitive. Although, I believe if I learned a bit marketing/advertising I would have a better chance in having a successful business. I do still think my opportunity would help a lot of people who are new to fitness and nutrition. I learned from Gilbert I could possibly offer my program for free for my first ten customers. I would do this so future customers could see the results of my first ten customers who were able to surpass their fitness goals and therefore build trust to purchase my program. I learned from George and Frank that my ideal customer would be someone who is completely new to fitness since they would have zero knowledge on the field as well as being the most probable ones to seek for guidance on their fitness journey.

Summarize

I believe my opportunity is still there, but I know realize my toughest obstacle will be building trust with possible clients. Knowing what I know now I would I would change my opportunity to a service instead of a product like a program, because I feel it would be more effective if I would with people individually. Moreover, what the most common obstacle I faced was people being unsure of trusting my methods worked without see testimonials from others. Therefore, I would offer my service to my first couple of customers for free so I can then show their results as proof that stands behind my service. I think if an entrepreneur does not adapt to their clients they will go out of business I do not think one can "stay firm" because you cannot force people to buy what you are selling therefore if you are not catering to your customers need/feedback no one will give you their business.

3A- Your Entrepreneurship Story

September 17, 2019

My Entrepreneurship Story

I would say the first time I really knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur was in sixth grade. I remember at the time there were these bracelets named Power Balance that all the other students were obsessed. Instead of seeing the fad and wanting to buy a bunch of these bracelets I asked myself how could I make money from all the hype around this product. That night I went home and I was able to find a wholesaler to had these bracelets in stock I was fortunate enough that my parents believed in me and helped buy the initial bulk of the bracelets. In a month I was able to sell my entire inventory and made double my original investment. Since that day I have always thought of ways to hustle and make money.

Why I Enrolled Into This Class

I enrolled into this class because I had heard good things from previous students about how much Dr. Pryor motivated them to become proactive. I believe being proactive is the most important quality of an entrepreneur; when one sees an opportunity one cannot hesitate and needs to action immediately. Moreover, knowing a professor is passionate about what he teaches has always helped me stay engaged and interested in a class. The combination of a passionate professor and my will to learn everything I can about entrepreneurship that is why I chose to enroll in this class.

2A: Bug List

January 17, 2019

Bug List

1.  The first thing that bugs me is the amount of "Scam Likely" phone calls I receive throughout the day on my personal phone.                                                                                               Why: It happens because people are either trying to sell me something or trick me into some sort of scam.
2. It can be difficult to fall asleep some nights because I am able to hear each and every step my upstairs neighbors make.                                                                                                        Why: My upstairs neighbors are not very conscious of how loud their footsteps are and the flooring in my apartment complex is not soundproof.
3. One thing that especially bugs me is how I am able to turn off my alarm on my Iphone while I am half asleep so I don't recall ever doing it and end up waking up late.                              Why: The standard alarm app on the Iphone is a bit too easy to turn off, if I can do it while being asleep.
4. When I go to watch a Youtube video I am interested in and the title that originally caught my attention has absolutely nothing to do with the actual content of the video.                          Why: Youtuber's tend to do this to maximize the amount of views they can get which in turn increases their ad revenue.
5. UF does not have rentable electric scooters on campus to help you get around places quicker.   Why: I presume they do not have any simply because it is something that is relatively new to universities across the country, or the choose not to have any due to their liabilities.
6. It is frustrating how it take close to two weeks to get my toilet fixed in my apartment complex. Why: The maintenance team in apartment complex is under staffed. 
7. That there is not a single train that goes straight to Miami from Gainesville, it would make visiting back home so much more efficient.                                                                          Why: The demand is not high enough for it to be worth a certain company's money and time to construct it.
8. How Santa Fe students can join a UF Fraternity but are not allowed to pay a gym membership  to be able to workout at one of our many gyms.                                                                  Why: The reason being is that UF wants to reserve the gym strictly to students of UF.
9. When eighteen wheelers drive extremely slow on the left hand lane on the drive back home to South Florida.                                                                                                                                   Why: Most of the time they are trying to pass a car in the right hand lane but once they get in front of that particular car they end up going the same speed as them so it is pointless.
10. How my apartment complex offers free printing the printer is "broken" a majority of time.          Why: They are constantly either running out of ink or do not what to continuously refill the ink and paper.
11. Stubbing my big toe on my bed or office chair in my room.                                                          Why: I usually am not paying attention and it just happens.
12. Calling Bank of America you need to waste the first 10 minutes of the phone call talking to an automated phone system that barely understands anything you say.                                            Why:  It is cheaper for Bank of America to have an automated phone system rather than paying people an hourly rate to answer their phones.
13. Cookie cutter workout plans that are advertised to be "personalized" but in reality they are not.  Why: People do this to make this most amount of money as a "personal trainer" while doing the least amount of work.
14. People who do not re-rack their weights at the South West Recreation Center.                              Why: They are not considerate of the people who are going to use the equipment after they are.
15. It bugs me that the clubhouse in my apartment complex that has computers and study rooms is not 24 hours.                                                                                                                                    Why: It is no longer 24 hours because certain residents would steal things once the leasing managers shifts would end.
16. When people take up two parking spaces at the parking garage next to Rawlings specifically during midterms and finals when parking is extremely limited.                                                      Why: People who tend to do this think very highly of their cars and do not want anyone to park near it.
17. When I go to the Chipotle on archer road and they barely give me any chicken.                          Why: This tends to happen when they are very busy and the employees are trying to serve you as fast as possible.
18. When I go to class and there are no longer anymore seats available.                                              Why: I simply did not get to class early enough.
19. It bugs me when I get out of the shower and I realize I left my towel in the dryer.                        Why: It happens because I always forget to set a timer to remind me when my clothes are done drying.
20. It bugs me when I forget to pack my earphones in my bookbag for the bus ride to and from campus.                                                                                                                                             Why: I usually forget to pack them because I forget to take them out of my car after the gym from the night before.

This assignment at first seems quite straight forward and simple but I can assure you it is simply not so. Once I got to my fourth "Bug" I tried thinking about other things that could possibly bother me but I simply couldn't. This forced me to go about my day as I normally would but rather be a bit more conscious of the small issues I tend overlook. Overall, this assignment made me realize for certain things on my list there are definitely changes that I could make today that would squash these "Bugs".

First Blog Post

Hello my name is David Martin and this is my first blog post.