23A- Your Venture's Unfair Advantage

	Valuable	Rare	Inimitable	Non-substitutable
Impulse Nutrition Manager	I think this will become a valuable resource because they deal directly with a similar product.	It is a rare relationship in my opinion because being on a first name basis with someone who is in the game is very helpful.	This is where it falls short because others could easily become close with the manager.	From my talks with him, it made it seem like this was going to be a very beneficial relationship for the both of us, which gives me hope.
Gilt NightClub Manager	I do not know how valuable this will be because he is a very busy man and hard to get in contact with but still good to have as a contact.	I think it is rare because he really does have such a busy schedule which makes it all the more impressive that I was able to talk to him.	This is potentially inimitable, but I think it would be harder than others because he is a hard man to get in touch with.	There are other resources that could provide similar information or help but similar does not mean same and everyone has their own opinions and input.
Uniqueness of Venture	This is probably the most valuable about my product because people have not thought about using my product in this environment before.	I think you really have to be able to think outside of the box, which not everyone has the capability of doing which makes it more rare than other things.	This is inimitable, but it is such a niche idea that I think that you have to be in a certain demographic to see this opportunity.	There are not other resources that provide the same benefits because this is what sets me apart in my venture. This is what sets me apart, so I think that this is the most substantial.
Lack of Competitors	I think this goes along with the uniqueness because no competitors become extremely valuable if this idea actually comes to fruition.	It is very rare that you are in a position where you do not have any competitors at the moment and that is when you should take full advantage of the opportunity.	This is inimitable because once someone has the idea and then other people catch wind of either the idea in general or of specifically its success, people copy it.	There is nothing like this that can give you the same benefits because there is no other opportunity like this in the business field.
Communication Skills	I think this is a very valuable skill to have because it will get you places and allow you to make contacts that just a good idea might not be able to do.	This is rare. I think that many people have great ideas yet do not know how to express them/the idea and that is where their downfall is.	Although it is rare there are many people that do have this quality which means as much as this helps it should not be my only asset.	It really will bring benefits, I believe, that would be unattainable with simply
Fundraising Experience	I think this is valuable because without money you could not get anything done to begin with.	I don’t think this is extremely rare, many people are in a position where they had to raise money for some experience.	This is probably one of the most imitable characteristics that I have because it really only takes some sales skills.	You need money to do anything, so it does have benefits but if you are able to sell your product idea to the right people you do not necessarily need the experience.
JJ’s Tavern Relations	It is valuable because it is someone who is right here in my area.	The manager is a facey guy so I do not know how rare this is, but it is better than nothing.	This is imitable but I do not know in what capacity because you do need to know certain people in order to attain this contact.	Again there are things that could give me similar benefits but similar is not equivalent to same and everyone has valid inputs.
Retail Distributor Relations	Having the contact with an actual retailer who works with a similar product is very valuable in that it will allow me to have information from someone who deals with this every day.	I think it is rare because the man who gave me this contact does not give out his contacts easily and you have to gain respect.	It is imitable but I think that it would be really difficult to imitate because of the process to get there.	I think I will be able to get some great inside information from this distributor that I would not be able to get from anyone else because they do not always just give all information out to the public on operations.
Gainesville Location Capital	I think it is valuable because Gainesville is the kind of area that I would be looking to market to.	There are many people who live in college towns or big cities so it is not the most rare thing.	Again this is easy to accomplish because you can relocate to wherever you want to so someone could easily do this.	I think it brings a lot of added benefits because it is in an area where I am trying to advertise my product.
Moral Support from Peers	This is valuable because the product in the long run would be benefitting my peer so their input and support is great.	It is rare sometimes to have moral support and to be in the demographic that your product would be helping.	People feed off of support and that is what friends are for so this is something that can be replicated.	I think it brings benefits because they can give me input from a different perspective as well as support which is amazing.

·         After conducting the VRIN analysis, determine what your top resource is. Explain why it's more important to your venture than all of the other resources.

I think the top resource is the fact that I am thinking outside of the box. The Uniqueness of my Venture is my top resource because it has the most going for me and brings me the most benefits. It would be the best things that I have going, until someone imitates it but by the time that happens hopefully, I would have a set group of customers. It is also such a niche market I think it would take awhile to get to that point of imitation.