Due to the fact that I would be creating an app, I would already be targeting a younger audience. Research shows that people ages 18-24 spend about 90 hours on their smartphones monthly (http://www.businessofapps.com/app-usage-statistics-2015/). When I started thinking about this app, it came to mind because I have had several friends text their ex's while we were out enjoying a night of drinking. More times than not, they regretted it in the morning. And due to the fact that college students fall exactly into the age group of people who use apps the most.
My ideal customer would be college students, mainly female but also male is some cases. A lot is happening in college. You're meeting new people, you're living on your own for the first time, you're finally an adult, and you have the opportunity to try new things (including drinking). A part of the college culture is going out with friends and drinking. Whether it's a frat party, tailgating for a sporting event, or hanging out at the bars around town. This leads to plenty of opportunity for the app "No Text Ex" to be utilized. My customers would be able to activate the app while getting ready to go out and could prevent a lot of embarrassment as a result.
I have about everything in common with my customer avatar. I am a 21 year old college female student who enjoys a night out with friends every now and then. I don't think this is a coincidence because I came up with the idea after thinking about my friend and I's experiences while we've been out before with texting/calling people we would not have otherwise. This is an app I would utilize and because I fall into the customer avatar criteria, I believe others would also.
Saturday, July 2, 2016
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Halfway Reflection
I will admit, this class has been more of a time commitment than I anticipated. I have had to learn to set time aside to complete the assignments every week. There have been weeks where I have put more effort in than others. I would recommend trying to complete the assignments earlier in the week rather than later. I usually get the most done when I set time aside on a Monday or Tuesday to sit down and work on the assignments. Starting earlier in the week will also give you more time to arrange time for interviews when needed. I've found that if I wait until Thursday or Friday, I usually have less motivation and end up hurrying to complete everything Friday or Saturday night.
Honestly, there have been a few times where I felt like giving up and even dropping the course with my busy schedule. However, I start to think about how fast it is going by and how I need to honor the commitment I made when I registered for the class. Those times of feeling like "giving up" are honestly just laziness. It is not a difficult course and if you really do wish to be an entrepreneur, the advice and skills you can build would be helpful in the future. I've just kept my eye on the prize of graduating on time and that has helped me push through.
Like I mentioned before I would recommend setting aside a certain time during each week which you will dedicate an allotted amount of time to complete the assignments required. If you can stick with it every week, you'll develop the habit and it won't feel so forced. Also, make sure you start early in the week to give yourself time to complete the assignments that may take the extra effort (unlike I am now as I fill this out Saturday afternoon ha). I would also recommend reading the comments on your blog the week after you posted it. Some of the comments are very vague, but some actually bring up good questions which could help you in further assignments. Finally, I haven't been very good about this but, watch the lectures so you can take the extra credit quizzes. There's one every week and 2 of those can make up for an assignment you may have missed for whatever reason. I'm going to try to be better about this in the second half of the course. Best of luck to all future ENT3003 students!
Honestly, there have been a few times where I felt like giving up and even dropping the course with my busy schedule. However, I start to think about how fast it is going by and how I need to honor the commitment I made when I registered for the class. Those times of feeling like "giving up" are honestly just laziness. It is not a difficult course and if you really do wish to be an entrepreneur, the advice and skills you can build would be helpful in the future. I've just kept my eye on the prize of graduating on time and that has helped me push through.
Like I mentioned before I would recommend setting aside a certain time during each week which you will dedicate an allotted amount of time to complete the assignments required. If you can stick with it every week, you'll develop the habit and it won't feel so forced. Also, make sure you start early in the week to give yourself time to complete the assignments that may take the extra effort (unlike I am now as I fill this out Saturday afternoon ha). I would also recommend reading the comments on your blog the week after you posted it. Some of the comments are very vague, but some actually bring up good questions which could help you in further assignments. Finally, I haven't been very good about this but, watch the lectures so you can take the extra credit quizzes. There's one every week and 2 of those can make up for an assignment you may have missed for whatever reason. I'm going to try to be better about this in the second half of the course. Best of luck to all future ENT3003 students!
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
Idea Napkin No. 1
I have been unable to complete the last few assignments due to some personal complications. Therefore, I will briefly state my idea and then start with the Idea Napkin assignment.
Idea: An app which prevents you from drunk texting. We've all had those nights out at the bar where we end up texting or calling someone we should not have. We wake up thinking "oh no" or "what have I done?" This app called "No Text Ex" will allow you to temporarily block a select number of contacts in your phone while going out to enjoy a night out on the town. The next day you will be able to unblock the contacts and no harm done. This app will prevent embarrassing messages/ calls to bosses, exes, and anyone else you do not need to be contacting at 2am.
Idea Napkin No. 1:
1) If to pursue this app, I would see it more as a side job. I do not see it as consuming a large portion of my time. However, as a college student and being around so many others, I believe people would find this app to fulfill a need. I cannot say the number of times I have been out with friends and they end up calling or texting someone they would not have in a sober state of mind. I think there is an underlying need for this among the age of group of 21 to 35.
2) "No Text Ex" would be an application that allows people to block a select number of contacts in their phone while they go out for the night. The numbers are essentially deleted from the phone for the duration of the night. In the morning, the user has the ability to unblock the numbers and the contacts reappear in the phone as if they never left. During the night, the app detects the time and does not allow the contacts to be unblocked before 6am the following morning. The app will help prevent those embarrassing texts that sometimes get sent under the influence of alcohol. No longer will people have to accidently text their boss, ex-boyfriend. ex-girlfriend, or anyone else they should not have.
3)My app would target the younger generation. Anyone from age 21 - 35 years old. This is the primary time when people start dating and realtionships do and don't work out. This also the time when people are more likely to go out to bars and drink more heavily. College students would be a large portion of the target market.
4) Everyone you know probably has an iPhone or Android (some sort of smart phone). We take our phones everywhere with us. A study done by Baylor University reported that college students spent an average of 10 hours a day on their phones and reported the used texting more than any other app (http://www.sfgate.com/health/article/College-students-spending-hours-daily-on-5745673.php). Your 20s are a time of new experiences. College brings a whole new pool of people into your life. Many people find the person they end up marrying in college. But there are also serveral relationships that do not always work out. When under the influence of alcohol, some people feel the need to try and reconnect with their ex; regretting that decision in the morning. Other people may be out of college and/or are starting their careers in the world are still in that dating stage of their life. They may be in the same boat. Sometimes accidental texts can be sent while drunk. We've all heard stories of someone accidently texting their boss or a co-worker they did not mean to. "No Text Ex" prevents all of that.
5) "No Text Ex" is different because it temporily removes these contacts for the entire duration of the night. There is no way to change your mind and unblock them at 1am. I do not believe everyone will admit to their mistakes and use the app to prevent drunk texting. But, advertising the ability to do so to the targeted market will appeal to some people and end up preventing some unwanting circumstances.
I think these elements all fit together pretty nicely. I'm looking forward to hearing everyones' opinions.
Idea: An app which prevents you from drunk texting. We've all had those nights out at the bar where we end up texting or calling someone we should not have. We wake up thinking "oh no" or "what have I done?" This app called "No Text Ex" will allow you to temporarily block a select number of contacts in your phone while going out to enjoy a night out on the town. The next day you will be able to unblock the contacts and no harm done. This app will prevent embarrassing messages/ calls to bosses, exes, and anyone else you do not need to be contacting at 2am.
Idea Napkin No. 1:
1) If to pursue this app, I would see it more as a side job. I do not see it as consuming a large portion of my time. However, as a college student and being around so many others, I believe people would find this app to fulfill a need. I cannot say the number of times I have been out with friends and they end up calling or texting someone they would not have in a sober state of mind. I think there is an underlying need for this among the age of group of 21 to 35.
2) "No Text Ex" would be an application that allows people to block a select number of contacts in their phone while they go out for the night. The numbers are essentially deleted from the phone for the duration of the night. In the morning, the user has the ability to unblock the numbers and the contacts reappear in the phone as if they never left. During the night, the app detects the time and does not allow the contacts to be unblocked before 6am the following morning. The app will help prevent those embarrassing texts that sometimes get sent under the influence of alcohol. No longer will people have to accidently text their boss, ex-boyfriend. ex-girlfriend, or anyone else they should not have.
3)My app would target the younger generation. Anyone from age 21 - 35 years old. This is the primary time when people start dating and realtionships do and don't work out. This also the time when people are more likely to go out to bars and drink more heavily. College students would be a large portion of the target market.
4) Everyone you know probably has an iPhone or Android (some sort of smart phone). We take our phones everywhere with us. A study done by Baylor University reported that college students spent an average of 10 hours a day on their phones and reported the used texting more than any other app (http://www.sfgate.com/health/article/College-students-spending-hours-daily-on-5745673.php). Your 20s are a time of new experiences. College brings a whole new pool of people into your life. Many people find the person they end up marrying in college. But there are also serveral relationships that do not always work out. When under the influence of alcohol, some people feel the need to try and reconnect with their ex; regretting that decision in the morning. Other people may be out of college and/or are starting their careers in the world are still in that dating stage of their life. They may be in the same boat. Sometimes accidental texts can be sent while drunk. We've all heard stories of someone accidently texting their boss or a co-worker they did not mean to. "No Text Ex" prevents all of that.
5) "No Text Ex" is different because it temporily removes these contacts for the entire duration of the night. There is no way to change your mind and unblock them at 1am. I do not believe everyone will admit to their mistakes and use the app to prevent drunk texting. But, advertising the ability to do so to the targeted market will appeal to some people and end up preventing some unwanting circumstances.
I think these elements all fit together pretty nicely. I'm looking forward to hearing everyones' opinions.
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Looking For Opportunity
Economic Trends
1. Electric and hybrid cars are now more affordable: Driving around, I have noticed there are more fuel efficient and electric cars on the road than ever before. The idea of a purely electric car used to be that.. just an idea. However, Telsa Motors has created a car that is becoming affordable, and entirely economically friendly. According to https://transportevolved.com, electric car sales have doubled every year for the past three years. I predict this is due to the fact that people are becoming more and more environmentally conscious and due to the higher demand for the product in the industry, the price for it's components are decreasing. It seems people are becoming more and more aware and conscious of the dangers we can impose on the environment if nothing is done to protect it. The evidence is out there and we no longer walk around wondering what the impact of emissions can do to the planet. I think because people are more educated on the issue, they are dedicating more effort in conserving and preserving the environment (for the most part). The revolution of a car which emits zero emissions has shaken up the automobile industry, driving up competition between which car company can compete with this new and growing trend; which therefore is going to continue to drive down the price of the vehicles as more models come out.
2. Streaming music may not be hurting the music industry: http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/maybe-spotify-isnt-killing-the-music-industry-after-all/ There has been recent disputes about whether streaming a song on a platform such as Spotify is reducing the amount the artists and songwriters make off the song. Taylor Swift may be one reason so many people believe this because she made it very publically clear none of her music would be available to stream on Spotify. However, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, streaming revenue continues to grow. In 2010 revenues were at 0.5 billion - in 2014 $1.9 billion and now accounts for a quarter of the earnings in the music industry. A study conducted in the article states that while Spotify is not taking money away from the music industry, it has displaced physical and digital record sales. In that aspect Taylor Swift was correct. However, not by much and the decline of record sales was already in effect before Spotify blew up. Who is to say the decline would not have continued otherwise? The overall effect of Spotify on artists is more complicated. They still pay billions in royalties and has reduced piracy (a benefit for artists). Interning in the music industry, I was able to notice the lack of physical record sales. Then I started looking at the alternatives (like Spotify and Pandora) and understanding why. We are in a digital age, people would much rather stream music from their phone than put in the effort to go and buy a physical copy of a record. That especially holds true if there are only a couple songs one likes on an album. Streaming is extremely convenient for everyone and it definitely now holds a place in the industry artists must be conscious of.
3. Growing trends in identity theft: http://www.ovc.gov/pubs/ID_theft/growingtrends.html In 2016 alone, my parents have had their debit cards breached 3 times. Today my dad called me and informed me our bank called him to inform him someone was trying make $350 purchase in California using his credit card information. Target and Home Depot recently had their credit card databases breached. The article stated that from 2005 to 2007, the number of households that experience credit card theft increased 31 percent. The opportunity arises here to create better security for credit cards. Some banks have created the chip built into their cards which is suppose to decrease the risk of theft. However, with the internet and major databases, this may be a difficult opportunity to exploit. The call from my dad today made me realize how often this has happened to us. I thought about how we cannot be the only ones. Other people may be experiencing identity theft even more frequently than us.
4. Distracted driving is a growing trend which is increasing fatalities and insurance costs: http://www.textinganddrivingsafety.com/texting-and-driving-stats distracted driving has become more prevalent since texting was created. According to this article, 23% of crashes involve a cell phone which is about 1.3 million crashes. The more crashes (regardless of the cause) the more insurance will cost. This will impact just about anyone with a car, but especially teens and young adult.
1. Electric and hybrid cars are now more affordable: Driving around, I have noticed there are more fuel efficient and electric cars on the road than ever before. The idea of a purely electric car used to be that.. just an idea. However, Telsa Motors has created a car that is becoming affordable, and entirely economically friendly. According to https://transportevolved.com, electric car sales have doubled every year for the past three years. I predict this is due to the fact that people are becoming more and more environmentally conscious and due to the higher demand for the product in the industry, the price for it's components are decreasing. It seems people are becoming more and more aware and conscious of the dangers we can impose on the environment if nothing is done to protect it. The evidence is out there and we no longer walk around wondering what the impact of emissions can do to the planet. I think because people are more educated on the issue, they are dedicating more effort in conserving and preserving the environment (for the most part). The revolution of a car which emits zero emissions has shaken up the automobile industry, driving up competition between which car company can compete with this new and growing trend; which therefore is going to continue to drive down the price of the vehicles as more models come out.
2. Streaming music may not be hurting the music industry: http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/maybe-spotify-isnt-killing-the-music-industry-after-all/ There has been recent disputes about whether streaming a song on a platform such as Spotify is reducing the amount the artists and songwriters make off the song. Taylor Swift may be one reason so many people believe this because she made it very publically clear none of her music would be available to stream on Spotify. However, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, streaming revenue continues to grow. In 2010 revenues were at 0.5 billion - in 2014 $1.9 billion and now accounts for a quarter of the earnings in the music industry. A study conducted in the article states that while Spotify is not taking money away from the music industry, it has displaced physical and digital record sales. In that aspect Taylor Swift was correct. However, not by much and the decline of record sales was already in effect before Spotify blew up. Who is to say the decline would not have continued otherwise? The overall effect of Spotify on artists is more complicated. They still pay billions in royalties and has reduced piracy (a benefit for artists). Interning in the music industry, I was able to notice the lack of physical record sales. Then I started looking at the alternatives (like Spotify and Pandora) and understanding why. We are in a digital age, people would much rather stream music from their phone than put in the effort to go and buy a physical copy of a record. That especially holds true if there are only a couple songs one likes on an album. Streaming is extremely convenient for everyone and it definitely now holds a place in the industry artists must be conscious of.
3. Growing trends in identity theft: http://www.ovc.gov/pubs/ID_theft/growingtrends.html In 2016 alone, my parents have had their debit cards breached 3 times. Today my dad called me and informed me our bank called him to inform him someone was trying make $350 purchase in California using his credit card information. Target and Home Depot recently had their credit card databases breached. The article stated that from 2005 to 2007, the number of households that experience credit card theft increased 31 percent. The opportunity arises here to create better security for credit cards. Some banks have created the chip built into their cards which is suppose to decrease the risk of theft. However, with the internet and major databases, this may be a difficult opportunity to exploit. The call from my dad today made me realize how often this has happened to us. I thought about how we cannot be the only ones. Other people may be experiencing identity theft even more frequently than us.
4. Distracted driving is a growing trend which is increasing fatalities and insurance costs: http://www.textinganddrivingsafety.com/texting-and-driving-stats distracted driving has become more prevalent since texting was created. According to this article, 23% of crashes involve a cell phone which is about 1.3 million crashes. The more crashes (regardless of the cause) the more insurance will cost. This will impact just about anyone with a car, but especially teens and young adult.
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Bug List
1. All the construction in Gainesville. It seems like there is always something that is under construction or being built. On campus, it makes our school look unfinished. There is so much construction by my house and it just makes me feel like I live in a unfinished and ugly area.
2. It bugs me when people take an extended period of time to answer emails. In this day-in-age we are all glued to technology. There is no reason one should not respond to an email within a day or so.
3. The wifi at my house. Our internet disconnects frequently and it always seems to be while I'm in the middle of something important. I was once taking an exam on ProctorU and the internet went out. I lost connection and was almost accused of cheating.
4. The line at Chipotle. This is silly, but the line wrapped around the inside of Chiptole and sometimes extends outside, bothers me. The food is not that great.
5. The limited available parking at UF. Finding parking on campus can be nearly impossible. It seems the school sells more decals than there are spaces available.
6. Car dealerships bug me because they already make millions of dollars, yet they still try to scam you when you take your car in. I took my car to the Volkswagen dealership a little while ago and they tried to charge me $1,200 to replace a part in the engine. We were skeptical so, we took it to a trusted mechanic in town and he fixed it for over half the price. It seems they can never have enough money and instead of trying to earn the loyalty of their customers, they'd rather earn the biggest profit.
7. People walking very slowly in front of me.
8. When people loudly interrupt me when I'm telling a story or am in the middle of a conversation.
9. When people talk about their weight all the time. I hate hearing complain about how they have gained weight. It won't do anyone any good talking about. Address it and do something about it; don't talk about it while doing nothing to change the fact.
10. When I have to repeat myself to someone who is not listening.
11. When drivers don't use their turning signal.
12. People who sit on the same side of a booth in a restaurant with no one sitting across from them. As a server, this is just one of the pet peeves I have. The way we keep track of who is sitting where starts with the first person to my left and then goes counterclockwise around the table. It's not a big deal, it just makes the situation feel awkward.
13. When people chew their food loudly or with their mouth open.
14. When people do not when to use the correct forms of your, you're, their, they're, and there. At this point in life, this should be common knowledge for everyone.
15. People who will throw trash or cigarette butts outside their window while driving.
16. When I crack the screen on my phone on accident. It is so expensive to replace and can happen so easily.
17. When people take days or even weeks to wash their dishes.
18. Starbuck's coffee prices. There is no reason a small coffee should be $4 or more.
19. Those people who sit right in front of you during a movie when they could've clearly sat somewhere else.
20. People who are always late. I don't understand how people can't plan accordingly to be punctual. Everyone has those days when they are running late, but those who are consistently late are the ones that bug me.
Coming up with this list was more challenging than I thought it would be. I came up with the first six or seven pretty easily, but it took me awhile to come up with the rest after that.
2. It bugs me when people take an extended period of time to answer emails. In this day-in-age we are all glued to technology. There is no reason one should not respond to an email within a day or so.
3. The wifi at my house. Our internet disconnects frequently and it always seems to be while I'm in the middle of something important. I was once taking an exam on ProctorU and the internet went out. I lost connection and was almost accused of cheating.
4. The line at Chipotle. This is silly, but the line wrapped around the inside of Chiptole and sometimes extends outside, bothers me. The food is not that great.
5. The limited available parking at UF. Finding parking on campus can be nearly impossible. It seems the school sells more decals than there are spaces available.
6. Car dealerships bug me because they already make millions of dollars, yet they still try to scam you when you take your car in. I took my car to the Volkswagen dealership a little while ago and they tried to charge me $1,200 to replace a part in the engine. We were skeptical so, we took it to a trusted mechanic in town and he fixed it for over half the price. It seems they can never have enough money and instead of trying to earn the loyalty of their customers, they'd rather earn the biggest profit.
7. People walking very slowly in front of me.
8. When people loudly interrupt me when I'm telling a story or am in the middle of a conversation.
9. When people talk about their weight all the time. I hate hearing complain about how they have gained weight. It won't do anyone any good talking about. Address it and do something about it; don't talk about it while doing nothing to change the fact.
10. When I have to repeat myself to someone who is not listening.
11. When drivers don't use their turning signal.
12. People who sit on the same side of a booth in a restaurant with no one sitting across from them. As a server, this is just one of the pet peeves I have. The way we keep track of who is sitting where starts with the first person to my left and then goes counterclockwise around the table. It's not a big deal, it just makes the situation feel awkward.
13. When people chew their food loudly or with their mouth open.
14. When people do not when to use the correct forms of your, you're, their, they're, and there. At this point in life, this should be common knowledge for everyone.
15. People who will throw trash or cigarette butts outside their window while driving.
16. When I crack the screen on my phone on accident. It is so expensive to replace and can happen so easily.
17. When people take days or even weeks to wash their dishes.
18. Starbuck's coffee prices. There is no reason a small coffee should be $4 or more.
19. Those people who sit right in front of you during a movie when they could've clearly sat somewhere else.
20. People who are always late. I don't understand how people can't plan accordingly to be punctual. Everyone has those days when they are running late, but those who are consistently late are the ones that bug me.
Coming up with this list was more challenging than I thought it would be. I came up with the first six or seven pretty easily, but it took me awhile to come up with the rest after that.
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
My Entrepreneurship Story
1. Last summer I interned at a company in Nashville that was a little under a year old. The CEO was the former Senior VP/General Manager of a large record label in Nashville. After working in the music industry for about 30 years, he decided to branch away from the large company he was employed and start his own artist management company. His company had 3 employees (including himself) and his business partner. He took the risk to start a small company and compete against several other much larger management companies. The music industry is extremely competitive, so right off the bat I admired him for that. It ended up being one of the most rewarding experiences of my life so far. Because the team was so small, they were always seeking innovative ways to compete and succeed. They were open to all ideas and even asked my opinion on certain subjects. I loved listening in on meetings and discussions. I was even given the task to coordinate a fan club party and one of their artist's historic number one parties. The CEO took a huge risk to start this company in such a competitive industry and it is awesome to see how successful they have all become.
2. I hope to gain a better understand of entrepreneurship through taking this course. Everyone knows the general concept, but I am excited to understand more in detail what being an entrepreneur is really like. Because I wish to work in such a competitive industry, I hope my new understanding will give me an edge in the future.
2. I hope to gain a better understand of entrepreneurship through taking this course. Everyone knows the general concept, but I am excited to understand more in detail what being an entrepreneur is really like. Because I wish to work in such a competitive industry, I hope my new understanding will give me an edge in the future.
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