22A- Elevator Pitch No. 3

22A- Elevator Pitch No. 3

The main response that I got from the feedback is that the background and my clothing were not up to par so I went back to the basics and did something similar to my original elevator pitch that I felt was a little bit more business-like and was able to represent my ideas and thoughts a little bit better. I feel like this presentation in general is a lot more professional and it shows what I am trying to sell in a better light than my last one. This is supposed to be a professional pitch and I think in my last video I lacked some of the professional aspects that come with it that I made up for with this one. It was a lot more comfortable doing this one and I felt more of myself in what I was doing.

21A- Reading Reflection No.2

21A- Reading Reflection No.2

1) What was the general theme or argument of the book?

There are three mains lessons that you learn when reading this book. The first is that the behavior you use in every day life is determined by two different aspects or systems within your mind. One of them you can consciously think about and the other is just innate within you. The second lesson is that as much as we try to use our brain, it doesn’t let us ever use the full extent of your brain power. The last lesson talked about is that when you deal with anything that has to do with money you need to leave your emotions out of it because they will only get in your way and cause you to have faulty reasoning.

2) How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?

I think it helped me in not only the area subject of what we are learning in ENT 3003 but also in the world of finance and economics. This man did with a Nobel Prize for Economics. It was interesting reading about the two different sides of your brain interact with each other and can cause you to mess up or make mistakes sometimes because there is basically a mini battle going on inside your head.

3) If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve?

I think it would be more of a money exercise going off of his third lesson about how to not use your emotions when dealing with money but at the same time incorporate the first lesson with how there are two sides of your mind fighting for control. It would maybe be an online poker simulation where you are given an amount of money to gamble with but while you are playing the actual game there are different people like egging you on or situations causing the emotional side of your brain.

4) What was your biggest surprise or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that differed most from your expectations?

I think it was interesting how it was basically put that you can and can’t trust your gut at the same exact time. People always talk about how you should go with what your gut says and he basically says yes and no, which kind of leaves you at a loss but at the same time you feel better off for knowing it.

20A- Growing Your Social Capital

20A- Growing Your Social Capital 

Daniel Shannigan- owner of Impulse Nutrition, opened up the juice bar in Gainesville because it has been something he always found interesting and wanted to make a reality.

            Mr. Shannigan is filling the role as Domain Expert. He was the man who gave me the idea for my product. In his store he puts plastic coverings over his drinks for the purpose of easy travel usage and that gave me the idea of no spillage.

            I had been given his number when I purchased a juice bar tab for a sorority through my fraternity and I called him up and chatted with him about the project.

            He actually gave me the number to his supplier so that I could call him and pitch the idea to him, and he did this out of the kindness of his heart.

            He was very willing and wants me to keep him informed on my progress.

Mark DeTuchio- owner of clubs in the downtown Gainesville area and works with suppliers to those clubs from all over.

            Mr. DeTuchio is filling the spot of Market Expert. He knows what these club and bar owners are looking for and has good insight on how the whole process works.

            I had to do some digging but I was able to contact him after I was given his information at a club, he wasn’t very responsive at first but he warmed up by the end. He is just a busy man.

            He gave me some advice on what I could do to market it better as well as took me through the whole process of how the supply chain to the customers/managers goes.

            He was not as willing to help out as much as I would have hoped but he has a lot to do so I understand that.

Kurt Toriono- supply chain manager for the company that supplies Impulse Nutrition with their lids for their products.

            Mr. Toriono will be filliing the role of Supplier. He supplies Mr. Shannigan with his products.

            Mr. Shannigan gave me his number and I talked with him and he was a very personable man, which he later told me is why his business is so successful.

            He said that he would listen to my elevator pitch for the product and give me some feedback. He was very helpful and gave me some good ideas for ways I can change how I word things and such. He did this all because he had never thought of this concept before.

            He said that he also wanted to be kept up to date on what my findings were and let him know if this project gets anywhere because he would be happy to help.

This experience gave me the opportunity to talk to real businessmen and individuals who work in this field all the time. It was a lot more relaxed than I thought it was going to be but I think that is also because the people were in sales. But I enjoyed the experience so much.

19A- Idea Napkin No.2

19A- Idea Napkin No.2

1) You. Who you are. 

I am a college kid who saw something being used in one atmosphere and then put two and two together to make a product that could be used in a different atmosphere and for different purposes in the long run but would be equally as beneficial.

2) What are you offering to customers? 

There are multiple liabilities that comes with owning a bar, and that’s why it is so hard to open one. There still isn’t a bar that’s replaces Cantina. On top of the underage drinking liability, there are bar fights, overconsumption, among others. The cover for these cups take away some liability that might be able to make a bar stay open for an extended period by cutting down on liability. It would also help cut cleaning costs for the business after hours.

3) Who are you offering it to? 

I am offering it to owners of bars and clubs that have the audience of big and rowdy crowds such as a college bar or downtown clubs. These owners have high capacity bars that fit multiple people like sardines and call it a good time. It would be to places who have large crowds that can get out of hand because excessive drinking and this minimizes risk.

4) Why do they care? 

They care because bars and clubs pay hundreds of dollars in insurance to see their business stay alive and be safe. Even though my product would not get rid of all the insurance needs it could cut down on some costs as well as liability overall. It would also get rid of the labor time used in efforts to clean up at the end of the night causing workers to stay longer and more money to be paid to those employees, overall cutting costs.

5) What are your core competencies? What sets you apart from everyone else? 

I think many people, as I did in the beginning, set out looking at this product as something that the bar goers would want to buy. I saw the customer base as something else and I think many people think this product would be seen as a product sold individually to people. I see it in a different perspective, selling it to the bar owners who could benefit from it by happy customers with a clean bar and less liability of injury. What I have that no one else has is the idea to bring this product to a different atmosphere than what is usually catered to- bob tea companies and juice stores, which gives me a competitive advantage.

The only aspect of my business that I could see as threatening and could turn people away is the time it would take to make the drink and put the lid on, as well as the cost of straws for the drinks now. But I believe that through practice, making the drink, though in the long run might add another 5 seconds will not impact the process too much and the cost of straws would be offset by the savings in cleaning costs.

The feedback I received talked about how I had specific customers and so I tried to narrow down that customer base a little more and ultimately be more detailed about them. Also she talked about benefits so I tried to explain the outcomes and the rewards of using this product more.

18A - Create a Customer Avatar

18A- Create a Customer Avatar

My typical customer would be a man (or woman) in their mid thirties who owns a bar in a college town ready to shake some stuff up. They would most likely be influencers for places like Top Tier. They feel like they are a lot younger than they actually are. I do not have too much in common with this person but I believe that I have a lot in common with his customers, keeping him interested with me. I think that his work is what he likes and what he spends most of his time doing so he will be on the lookout and up to date on what is going on in the younger community and students, if he was on a college campus. He would have a good income but put it  all into appearances to get looks from the younger people that he is trying to attract to his business. 

17A- Elevator Pitch No. 2

17A- Elevator Pitch No. 2

I got no comments on my last elevator pitch so I didn't have too much to go off of but I got it done and adapted a little to it so hopefully this one is just as fire as my last.

16A- What's Your Secret Sauce?

16A- What's Your Secret Sauce?

My Human Capital:

I think that I am very driven in what I do, I put a lot of effort into what I believe in and I think that that can come in handy when I go after something that is put in front of me.

I also think that I am determined. When something is put in front I try as hard as I can to accomplish that goal that is set in front of me.

Creativity is something that I am gifted with and think that it is fun being able to use my creativity in different events and that’s where the good designs and ideas come from.

I think I am also good at listening. When people give me suggestions or just want to put in some input, I am usually very open and ready to hear what they have to say.

I also usually have a good outlook about things. I am usually an optimistic person and positivity will get you places.

People who know me best:

Jake Stayer (roommate): John is very dedicated to any work that is put in front of him; he will work to make sure that the job is done, and not that it is just completed but that it is done well over what is needed.

Phil Thomas (roommate): John is able to consider other people’s thoughts when he has gotten constructive criticism or just a helpful suggestion which makes his work more well rounded.

Kurt and Dina Hinkle (parents): John has always been able to make the most out of anything. Even when times are looking down and things might not be the best he will find a way to have a positive outlook on it.

Matias Villanueva (roommate): John is a creative guy that is able to come up with these crazy plans for things and think outside of the box which allows him to see and do more.

Differences:

I think that everyone has different perspectives and sees me in different times in my life which means that there are different outlooks on what my strengths and weaknesses are. It doesn’t mean that anyone is necessarily right or wrong but that we all see ourselves and other people in different light.

15A- Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No.2

15A- Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No.2

When I interviewed these three people, I was able to gain some very good insight on the product that I had envisioned in my mind and then how I needed to evolve it in order to appeal to the audience. It’s amazing seeing the different adaptions your product can go through with multiple minds working and giving feedback. When it came to the plastic lid wrapping for drinks at bars and clubs so that the business could avoid liabilities such as slipping and injury, the people I interviewed were very helpful. They told my that if any of them were to buy the product then they would care most that it is doing its job right above what it would cost and what it would look like. They said that if they were going to be spending this additional expense on a product that want to make sure that the quality of it was one that would actually get rid of some of this liability. This product would most likely not be sold in stores but would be able to be purchased in bulk online. The product would also probably only be sold in bulk because it is a one time use product and when you are using it you want to get a good amount because it will be used in mass amounts at a time. To see if the product is making a difference you could look at the statistics of people falling due to a wet ground among other things that happen in your bar before you started using the product and then after and then compare the results to see if there was a significant difference. The owner could also just look at the floor at the end of the night and see if it is cleanlier than when you had the bar open without using the product. I think all the interviewers agreed that there are ways to definitely review the product and see if it was worth their time and money and they each said that if there was a product like this out on the market they would test it out to see if it worked because they said for the minimum extra cost that it would have would be a big difference in a lawsuit from injury. To the customers, quality and price matter most and style does not in the long run. There are measurable ways to see if it is getting the job done and the added cost would not be terrible for testing out the product one time.