Final Reflection

The experience that sticks out most to me is the "What's Your Secret Sauce?" assignment. It was nice to hear what my closest friends had to say about me and how these characteristics I wouldn't have thought otherwise could be useful in my entrepreneurship.

I believe I do see myself as an entrepreneur one day, even if it is with something else. I don't see myself becoming like the prominent entrepreneurs that we immediately think of, but working on my own schedule is motivation enough to at least try.

My one recommendation would be to ask other people what they think are problems so that they can have inspiration to work with. Even if he or she isn't passionate about that specific problem, maybe he or she can think of a solution. In my experience, and I'm sure many other students', its frustrating trying to figure out a solution for something when it's something you want to solve. Maybe a different perspective can be helpful. To perform best in this course, I'd recommend reading the assignments ahead of time and not taking this course with a heavy course load. To foster the entrepreneurial mindset, I would say to get used to failure and use it to your advantage. Think of it as a process of elimination tool that will only help you get closer to a solution, not further from one.

Venture Concept No. 2

Opportunity: Pet owners who travel and do not want or unable to bring their pets with them need a pet sitter in some form. Either someone to come stay at their house and check on their pet(s) or make reservations at a kennel. Changes in the environment creating this opportunity is that it is an inconvenience to travel with pets for several reasons. Pet owners must pack additional supplies for their pets, pets are often under stress when traveling, and hotels can charge extra for pets. It also limits the pet owners as to how long they can be out of the room, or rental, because they must check on their pet(s) and let them out. If making reservations at a kennel, owners must make a stop on the way home to pick up their pet(s) or decide to pay another night/days’ worth by holding off until the next day. This market is everywhere because it consists of any pet owners that travel or are out of their house for long periods of time that may require someone to check on their pet(s). Customers are satisfying this need by hiring a pet sitter, making reservations at a kennel, traveling with their pet if able to, or asking for help from a friend, neighbor, or relative. This is a big opportunity because of the convenience a pet sitter can provide while also watching the house and taking care of daily house duties (mail, garbage, plants, etc.). The window of opportunity will be never-ending; when someone needs a pet sitter, the opportunity is there. The goal behind this service would be to help decrease the cat population by TNRing (trap-neuter-return).

Innovation: My innovation would be considered a creative service in that I would help a cat get spayed/neutered and vaccinated for every pet sitting job. This would help decrease the local cat population. I would be selling overnight pet sitting and daily visits. Locally, overnight stay would be $50. Neighboring cities in the same county but no more than 30 minutes away would increase up to $75 a night. Local check ins for dogs would include a walk, fresh water, feeding if needed, and playtime for 20 minutes for $20. Cats would include scooped litter, fresh water, feeding if needed, and playtime for 20 minutes for $10 a visit. Neighboring cities would not get daily checks in at this time due to the further locations. If I’m booked for a requested date range, I could offer a discounted price for a certain amount of checks in, depending on the locations.

Venture Concept: I think people (or new customers) will switch to this service because of the convenience it provides. I don’t think it will be hard for them to switch from a kennel because if offered the option of not having to commute their pet to the kennel with their supplies and pick them up when returning. Competitors are kennels and cheaper sitters on sites such as care.com. Their weaknesses are my references and years of experience. My business would have only me to start, and then I would hire my friend who also has experience pet sitting and TNRing.

Feedback: I was recommended to specify the term “TNR” because not everyone is familiar with it. I was also told that it may be tricky to calculate the profit margin, which I agree with. I would consider charging per mile outside of a certain proximity, but I would need to pay attention and track how far away the other locations I sit at occasionally are and compare the difference to how much I profit now locally. I didn’t received feedback on the “What’s Next?” assignment.

What I changed: I specified what “TNR” stood for and considered offering a discounted price for a certain number of visits if I’m booked when someone requests my services.

Your Exit Strategy

1) Assuming I increased my prices and services in pet sitting and hired employees and gained new clients in the next several years, I would likely step away from the business to some degree slowly. I wouldn't do pet sitting myself but would still benefit from profits and continue to help TNR (trap-neuter-release).
2) I would choose this exit strategy because the service itself takes a lot of time. It would require staying over at someone's house while also checking on other people's pets during the day if need be, and TNRing. It would take a lot of time out of my personal life because it isn't a typical 9 to 5 job. If I could step away from pet sitting myself, I could devote more time to helping animals while having other people pet sit.
3) I don't think my exit strategy would influence much if I were still the owner but didn't pet sit myself. There would be times that I wouldn't be available anyway, so current clients would have to book with someone else I work with if need be.

Reading Reflection No. 3

I read Inbound Marketing: Get Found Using Google, Social Media, and Blogs by Brian Halligan.

1) The argument of the book is that traditional outbound marketing (advertising, emails, mail, etc.) is becoming less effective, and how to use inbound marketing to gain new customers.
2) In the book, Halligan mentioned that being on the internet puts you near competitors, and in order to stand out to your buyers, you must be unique or "remarkable." This reminded me of many of the assignments that we've done in this class and how we've been asked to describe what makes us different/special and how we can stand out from others.
3) If I had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book, it would be: Create a blog for your entrepreneurship idea. Add in as much information as you can - your name, product/service, prices, mission, etc. Do a Google search using key words for your blog and see if it comes up (you will most likely have to do several). How many times did it take to appear? Which key words did you use? If it didn't, what might you try next for it to appear? This assignment would be based off Chapter 6 and SEO.
4) I was surprised to learn how closely you can watch your competition. Halligan listed many different tools you can use to monitor and compare metrics between yourself and your competitors. Halligan suggested you should "be more paranoid," and track the results continuously. This seems tedious and I hadn't realized that you should zoom in this closely on competitors.

Celebrating Failure

1) I would say I failed by not doing the elevator pitches. Before the first one was due, I didn't believe I'd be able to change much to my idea and speak about it three different times. I assumed if I did it once, then I wouldn't have much to say on the second one, but I didn't do the third one either.
2) I learned that I should've done it anyway to at least get feedback on my speaking skills, lighting, personality, and possibly helpful feedback on my idea.
3) I think failure helps guide us from where we shouldn't be and provides us new opportunities. Emotionally, failure has really bothered me in the past because it's discouraging. Depending on what it is, it may take me awhile to try it again. I would say I'm more likely to take a risk, even if they are small risks.

What’s Next?

Existing Market

1. What I think is next would be being able to provide daily check ins for neighboring cities. Currently, I can’t do that because I work full-time, and I cannot afford to exceed my 30-minute break. At my current rate, it wouldn’t be worth my time and it would cost me more in gas.

2. I interviewed potential customers I was able to connect with through my current customers. Some of the feedback I was given was to be able to devote more time to pets during the day. The reason being is that these pets are used to their retired owners being home all day. I suggested that I should eventually hire employees to help cover dates that I can’t commit to, and they agreed it was a good idea if the pet owner was okay with it.

3. What makes the most sense for my venture would be to get the word out that I’m looking for more clients. I would need to offer my services to new clients. I could do this by carrying business cards and keeping them on me while I walk dogs. But this would take time away from my current repeat clients and some pet owners require their dog be let out more often, which would require me to leave work more than besides my lunch break. This isn’t something realistic for me right now.

To help with this, I could team up with someone, like my friend who has pet sitting experience and is trustworthy. To profit from this, I would need to charge more.

New Market

1. A radically different market for me would have to be people who don't have pets, don't travel, or don't mind leaving their pet(s) home alone.

2. I interviewed my coworker who has two cats but doesn’t have a need for a pet sitter. She does travel annually, but she said she leaves enough food and water out for her cats and puts several litter boxes out. If she is gone for longer periods of time, then her mom checks on the cats. I also interviewed my coworker who likes dogs but does not have a dog. Her daughters play volleyball, so they travel annually for competitions. They all want a dog, and she’s mentioned before that she would ask me to pet sit. She is a single mom, so I know she’d appreciate more affordable pricing. I think an adaptation I could make to my product/service mix would be to offer a bundled price. For example, three visits will be $20 instead of $60 for cats if spread out once a day. I could also offer discounted pricing at my own discretion if I wanted to help someone and I thought they needed it.

3. What I learned about this new market is that some people are okay with leaving their pet(s) at home alone with minimal care. I checked on my coworker’s cats before and offered to do it for free because we are friends. I expect she doesn’t want to pay anyone or ask me to do it because she knows I’m busy or really doesn’t care that they are alone. This market isn’t attractive as my existing market because my existing market is willing to pay what I ask for.

The other market, non-pet owners, is not attractive either; I cannot offer anything to them. If I knew them well, I could convince them that I would pet sit for them if they adopted a pet, so in a way I could turn them into an existing customer one day.

Venture Concept No. 1

Opportunity: Pet owners who travel and do not want or unable to bring their pets with them need a pet sitter. Changes in the environment creating this opportunity is that it is an inconvenience to travel with pets for several reasons. Pet owners must pack additional supplies for their pets, pets are often under stress when traveling, and hotels can charge extra for pets. Pets who are under stress may also damage property in the hotel, which can cause the pet owner to lose their deposit or even be charged more. It also limits the pet owners as to how long they can be out of the room, or rental, because they must check on their pet(s) and let them out. This market is everywhere because it consists of any pet owners that travel or are out of their house for long periods of time that may require someone to check on their pet(s). Customers are satisfying this need by hiring a pet sitter, making reservations at a kennel, traveling with their pet if able to, or asking for help from a friend, neighbor, or relative. This is a big opportunity because of the convenience an in house pet sitter can provide while also watching the house and taking care of daily house duties (mail, garbage, plants, etc.). The window of opportunity will be never-ending; when someone needs a pet sitter, the opportunity is there.

Innovation: My innovation would be considered a create service in that I would help a cat get spayed/neutered and vaccinated for every pet sitting job. This would help decrease the local cat population. I would be selling overnight pet sitting and daily visits. Locally, overnight stay would be $50. Neighboring cities in the same county but no more than 30 minutes away would increase up to $75 a night. Local check ins for dogs would include a walk, fresh water, feeding if needed, and playtime for 20 minutes for $20. Cats would include scooped litter, fresh water, feeding if needed, and playtime for 20 minutes for $10 a visit. Neighboring cities would not get daily checks in at this time due to the further locations.

Venture Concept: I think people (or new customers) will switch to this service because of the convenience it provides. I don’t think it will be hard for them to switch from a kennel because if offered the option of not having to commute their pet to the kennel with their supplies and pick them up when returning. Competitors are kennels and cheaper sitters on sites such as care.com. Their weaknesses are my references and years of experience. My business would have only me to start, and then I would hire my friend who also has experience pet sitting and TNRing.

The three minor elements

1.       What I have that will be hard to copy is being able to TNR cats. Kennels cost more money to run than what I will be doing. It will not cost me anything but gas to drive to someone’s house.

2.       The next opportunity I would like to tackle with my venture would be to someday have an animal sanctuary.

3.       For this venture, in the next five years I’d like to be able to work part-time at my current job and make enough pet sitting. In the next decade, maybe not be doing the pet sitting myself, but have multiple employees.

Your Venture’s Unfair Advantage

1. Clients - I have many pet sitting clients currently from pet sitting for eight years. This gives me an advantage because if I wanted to increase my rate, my current clients shouldn't have a problem with it because they know me and trust me. We've already established a relationship.

2. References - My clients can also be my references for new clients because they know me. This is also an advantage because they can refer to friends and family, or I can refer to them for new clients.

3. Degree in public relations – This is valuable to me because I wanted to strengthen my writing, and I can pursue many different jobs with this degree. I’ve learned how to conduct better research than before, incorporate sources, and communicate with professionals in the field.

4. Shadowed a PR professional – During my last semester, I was required to shadow a professional in my field. I shadowed a PR professional at a well-established PR firm in Jacksonville and was told to contact her when I graduate. I was able to see what a PR professional does, ask questions, and build my network.  

5. Reliable – Both my full-time job and pet sitting job require me to be reliable. My bosses and coworkers rely on me, and my clients rely on me because I’ve committed to them. I don’t have my own employees to delegate work to.

6. Experience working at a law firm for nine years – I’ve had to handle many ethical dilemmas while working there, and this could help me with whatever venture I decide to pursue next.

7. Connections with people in different fields – I know doctors, nurses, lawyers, business owners, entrepreneurs, and more because of pet sitting and where I work currently. These connections are valuable to me in case I ever need something, and they know many other people too. My connections can’t be duplicated.

8. Memory – I’ve been told I have a strong memory, which I think will be valuable to me in any field. With pet sitting, this is valuable because I can be more personable and remember names of clients’ family members, their vacations, and what they like.

9. No debt – Because I’ve paid for most of my education out of pocket and my car is paid off, I’m able to set aside money for savings and/or fund my own entrepreneurship. I won’t have to rely on anyone or ask for money, and I have good credit.

10. Quick thinker – Because of where I work, I may encounter new situations that require me to think on my feet. This is helpful in solving problems and creating solutions. I’ve had to do this with pet sitting conflicts, too. This is valuable because emergencies should be attended to quickly and will be helpful in any field.

Top resource: My top resource is my clients. This is more important to me because I won’t have to start from the bottom. I’m already earning money from them and can continue to do so while I build my entrepreneurship. My clients overlap with some of my social capital (my connections and references), which is another reason why they are important to me.

Reading Reflection No. 2

1) I read The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users by Guy Kawasaki and Peg Fitzpatrick. The general theme of the book is how to enhance your social media presence with 123 tips.

2) I think this book connects with the notion that entrepreneurs are independent and that 75% of entrepreneurs will fund their businesses themselves. I think social media can be a powerful tool to get your business idea out there, and Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook are all free tools to use. These platforms allow you to engage with customers and get real-time feedback.

3) If I had to design an exercise for this class based on this book, it would be: Create a social media account that you think would suit your entrepreneurship at the start of the semester (Instagram or Twitter). Use hashtags that are appropriate for your business idea, and make one post per week. Posts should be able to generate feedback from followers (or people who have come across your profile) so that you can use it to modify your idea and learn what people want. If you do not receive feedback or any type of activity (follows, likes, comments), explain why you think that it is and how you can change it. 

4) My biggest surprise was that Kawasaki said that if you're not upsetting anyone on social media, then you're not using it aggressively as you should be. When I notice the same posts repeatedly, it annoys me and I may unfollow an account permanently or temporarily. 

Growing Your Social Capital

Due to the entrepreneurship I chose, I was not able to find a supplier to the pet sitting industry. This "industry" doesn't require any type of supplies from myself.

1)

Renee.

Domain expert. She TNRs cats, fosters, and pet sits. 

I met Renee through my friend, Kelly. 

Renee has been pet sitting for several years, so I asked her what her services included and how much she charged. Like me, she only does the basics, such as overnight stay and drop ins. This also includes bringing in the mail, watering the plants, or whatever the owner asks that they would typically do while away. She administers medicines as needed, but she doesn't transport animals anywhere, such as to the vet, groomers, or dog park. She also charges more than I do. Renee advised me that I should charge more to make it worth my time, and I agreed.

Including this person in my network can be beneficial because I can inquire with her about how much I should charge in unique situations. I can also go to for her help when I want to start TNRing, or help her do it so that I can learn when the time comes. 

2)

Lorraine.

Expert on market.

I contacted Lorraine through 24-7 Watchdog, a local pet sitting business.

I asked inquired about her services and fees, but unlike myself, pet and house sitting is her only job. She does not TNR. I also asked her about what she thought of my idea to TNR with money from a pet sitting job. She felt positive about it, but agreed that this type of opportunity would take up a lot of time.

As a student, I think having her in my network will be beneficial if I needed more advice, but I don't think she would be in my network for long because she would eventually become a competitor.

Finally: Reflect. This experience differed from my other networking experiences because I found it to be more challenging. I don't require any supplies (besides traps, but I can buy that myself when the time comes), and I don't sell any products that need to be produced. I provide the service by just being there. 

Idea Napkin No. 2

1) You. I am a full-time student and I'm a full-time legal assistant. I'm majoring in public relations so that I can strengthen my writing and become a reporter and hopefully write a novel someday. If I were to start this business, it would be a second job for me as it currently is now until it could fully support me financially. I would have to wait until I had enough clients so that it would be a lucrative business and could afford to hire extra help.

2) What are you offering to customers? I'm offering overnight pet sitting, daily check ins that would include playtime, feedings, and walks for dogs, and transportation to grooming appointments.

3) Who are you offering it to? I'm offering it to older adults (40s +) with higher education and/or professional jobs. They love to travel but are concerned with living their house not watched and their pet(s) in a kennel.

4) Why do they care? They care because they can afford to hire someone to stay in their house to look after their pet(s), water plants, check the mail, and make it look like someone is home so that it is more secure while they're away. They also care about the comfort of their pet(s) and would rather them stay where they are comfortable.

5) What are your core competencies? I want to TNR (trap-neuter-return) cats for every pet sitting job. A proceeds of each job will go towards doing this and fostering cats that are friendly enough to adopt out. I have connections with fosters who TNR, so I am able to learn firsthand how to do it and could easily find/hire experienced help.

I believe most of these elements fit together because of the area of Florida I live in and my experience, connections, and compassion for animals. The weaker areas would be transportation to grooming appointments and availability for overnight for one family at a time. I've only taken dogs to grooming appointments twice and it was for the same family, and right now it is only myself who pet sits over night. I work alone while doing this, so I'm not able to offer a potential overnight job to someone else while also benefiting from it. I don't charge enough currently to do that to where we could both make a desired profit. However, I could probably afford to pay someone a portion of a day's worth of pet sitting if they could transport the pet(s) to a grooming appointment, but I would need to start telling new clients about this to see if they would be interested.

Feedback from Idea Napkin No.1 was to add what differentiates me from other house sitting companies and to get some outside help to improve the weaker parts. I incorporated this feedback by stating my desire to TNR cats from profits made from pet sitting jobs, and being open minded to paying someone to transport the pet(s) to a grooming appointment.

Create a Customer Avatar

My prototypical customer is a retired elementary teacher who has compassion for children and animals. She drives a silver Mercedes and is married to a retired doctor. She and her husband like to watch The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. They have two children, a son and a daughter. Their daughter is a doctor and their son is an attorney. They often visit their daughter in North Carolina so that they can visit her and their grandchildren. They like to take annual cruises too. They also have three grandchildren from their daughter and her husband. They are registered Democrats and enjoy reading James Patterson and other mystery novels. They are both in their early 60's. Also, they have one dog who they love to spoil like their grandchildren.

Both me and my avatar have compassion for animals, and love to travel and read. I wouldn't say it’s a coincidence because I have these in common with many other people too, but many of them are my current customers as well.

What’s Your Secret Sauce?

1) Five ways in which I believe I have human capital that is unique: attentive, independent, analytical, curious, and dependable.

2) Five people that know me best:

Charlene

Charlene thinks I am silent, but this could be an advantage for me because people are more likely to listen to me when I do speak up. She also thinks I am genuine and reserved, but it gives my words more value.

Michelle

Michelle thinks I am independent and a great judge of character. She also thinks I am dependable; a great listener; and that I have a strong memory. She feels that my strong memory shows that I care about what people have to say.

Caitlin

Caitlin thinks I'm quiet, but thoughtful and observant. She also mentioned how strong my memory was.

Kelly

Kelly thinks I'm flexible, easygoing, and charismatic. She also thinks I'm curious and intellectual.

Gabriella

Gabriella thinks my personality is surprising and that I'm smart. She said that I'm quiet at first, but when I do speak it shows my sense of humor.

3) I see myself as curious and analytical. I'm always asking questions or trying to figure something out, and I always try to look at different angles of things, even if I'm overthinking something. I was surprised to hear what some of my interviewees said about me because I feel that its easy to think we, or our traits, are sometimes invisible to others, but it showed that these people really do know me best. Many of them mentioned my memory, quietness, curiosity, humor, and attentiveness. I'm told often about how freakishly good my memory is, but I didn't think it would be unique to my human capital until after I spoke with them. I also didn't think my quietness would be unique either because I'm naturally a shy person, but it made sense when Charlene said that others pay attention when I do speak and that my words hold more value that way. She later explained to me that people often tune other people out that talk a lot, and this makes me different. I would add memory to my list because these two people are constantly reminding me how good my memory is when I point something out. I would also add how quiet I am. I'm shy, but I'm also observant and listen before responding.

Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

I interviewed three people that are friends with the past three people I interviewed for this segment: retirees.

My interviews were based off what would they do if their desired sitter was booked. I gave them an alternative of stopping by daily to check on their pet(s) if unable to stay overnight. I offered them two options: 1) paying per visit daily, 2) a set/discounted amount for as many visits as they request.

Summary: My segment would rather pay in person by cash or a check either after the transaction or as soon as it starts (right before they leave and when the job starts). Because they’re older, I can tell they would rather stick to what is easiest than use an electronic service, such as PayPal. Two of the interviewees stated that more than one factor was important in the alternative, whereas the third state she felt price was most important because she was okay with boarding her dog if need be. The two interviewees that were in agreement both felt that they’d rather have their pets at home where they are comfortable if they got enough human interaction during visits. All of them were concerned with the comfort and safety of their pets. The two in agreement stated that they would evaluate how their pets were when they returned home and base it off how the sitter (myself) said the animal was when checking on them. If the animal seemed sad or different when they returned, then they would rather have someone stay the night. My interviewee that was okay with boarding stated that she would look for other kennels if the kennel seemed to have a negative effect on her dog or try to find backup for overnight stay.

Conclusion: I would describe them like the other segments I pet sit for. I have a couple of clients who will board their dogs if I’m booked, have someone else stay over, or not go away at all because they do not have backup. They also pay the same way as my other clients because it is easiest for everyone. I’m able to leave before they get home and not have to come back and meet with them again, although some do use PayPal. For post-purchase evaluation, I would say they feel strongly for their pets like my other clients and base it off of how their animal is when they return home and my references. 

Halfway Reflection

1) To start early. Even though we are required to pick a schedule to keep us accountable during the course, I find that reading the future assignments early help because they may require more work or brainstorming. I recommend looking at the assignments for the next two weeks to get an idea as to how much time you will need to talk and meet with people and think creatively. Also, it doesn’t hurt to speak to more people than required.

2) Probably while working on Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2. It’s just difficult sometimes trying to schedule to talk to people while working, or ask other people if they know of anyone that meets a certain demographic that may or may not have animals. I would say I’ve developed a tenacious attitude because its rewarding to hear that people experience the need and understand the problem.

3) Three tips:

1) Work ahead.

2) Don’t be afraid to ask for constructive criticism.

3) If you’re passionate about your entrepreneurship, remember why you started when you begin to feel defeated. Many of the problems you will encounter will only force you to think of other solutions.

Reading Reflection No. 1

The entrepreneur I read about was Elon Musk in Ashlee Vance's book, Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future. Musk is my favorite entrepreneur and I always like to read about what he's working on or how his projects/businesses are going.

1) 

• What surprises me the most is that Musk was able to create a video game as a self-taught programmer. It makes sense that with all of his business ventures (which are all very different if excluding the tech aspect), his ability to solve a problem started from a young age. Its also surprising to me just how many start ups he had (and the variety) before becoming successful. 
• What I admire most about Musk is that he's relentless. He's experienced many failures during his start ups and his current most well known companies, SpaceX and Tesla Motors, yet he continues to try to make improvements. I had watched an interview before of Musk giving a tour of his Tesla factory and gesturing to the couch that he would sleep on while working late. Vance wrote that Musk would sleep on his beanbag next to his desk during the time he and his brother, Kimbal, were working on Zip2. It seems that his ambition is still as present as his earlier years, except now he has more resources. 
• There isn't anything I could pick that I least admire, but the one thing I didn't like about the book was the part that Musk gave one of his employees a 2-week test when asking for a raise. This bothers me because Musk has spoken out about this and claims that Vance did not have the book independently fact checked. Vance does mention in the book that he told Musk he was going to write a book about him with or without his cooperation, and he would not let him read it beforehand for ethical reasons. 
• Musk experienced many failures. These failures created a pattern - they generated a profit for Musk to use to create his next bigger and better project. In both Zip2 and PayPal, Musk was eventually stripped from his role, but he made $22 million for his Zip2 share when it sold, and $160 million for his PayPal share when it was acquired by Ebay. Musk used the shares sold from PayPal to put money into SpaceX, Tesla Motors, and Solar City. Musk's first few rocket launches were not successful, which costed the company millions each time. His companies also suffered through the 2008 financial crisis, so much that they almost went bankrupt and Musk used his own money to keep them afloat rather than ask for the investors help. 

2) That Musk had the ability to turn a past failure into something better, or into a new opportunity. His failures allowed him to thrive in other projects, which ultimately helped him succeed. 

3) None of the reading was confusing to me. 

4) I would ask 1) How long do you think until Mars will be habitable? and 2) What's another opportunity that you think you could solve that could help our environment? I would ask these because SpaceX was founded to make human space exploration and life on other planets possible, and because SpaceX, Telsa Motors, and SolarCity all have something in common - the environment. 

5) Musk is a believer of failing because it means you are innovating. I do share that opinion. Failures provide insight as to what went wrong, which makes us figure out why that went wrong, and we can find another solution; it teaches us by allowing us to find new opportunities within those failures. 

Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

Segment: For my segment, I decided to focus on retirees because they are known to travel a lot, and most likely do not have teenagers or young adults in the house that can care for pets. I do pet sit for some currently, and was able to speak to some of their friends who I do not pet sit for. All of them are married and retired, except one spouse is retired and works part-time. 

Interviews/Summary/Findings: Something they all had in common was that they had at least one annual trip around a certain time of year that they like to take in addition to traveling sporadically. This meant that these trips are usually bigger than last minute trips in terms of length, destination/distance, and costs. None of them used Google to find pet sitters and prefer to rely on word-of-mouth referrals because they trust them more. This is understandable to me because they are older and probably more concerned about who is staying in their house and looking after their pets and things. I did ask if finding a pet sitter far in advance was much easier than their last minute trips, and they did agree that it was less stressful because they had plenty of time to make arrangements. But, their need is also present when they want to go on a trip that isn't booked out as far in advance, and usually their referred pet sitters are booked. They then have to decide whether they want to book a kennel and go on the trip, or just stay home. One of the spouses told me that her husband has Alzheimer's, so its difficult enough to leave the house to run simple errands without worrying about him. This is a need that I hadn't thought of before, but it does line up with offering daily check ins. Another spouse, who works part-time, told me that when her husband travels, she would still like someone to check on her dog daily because he is used to having someone home with him most or all of the day. This lines up with daily check ins too, but both of them would like someone to spend a certain amount of time with their pet. This is an opportunity I've been approached with before, but I currently cannot devote more than 30 minutes in the afternoon when checking on an animal due to my full-time job. 

Conclusions: l believe they confirmed my initial belief about their need awareness. I wasn't surprised about how they found their information (word-of-mouth referrals) because that is how I get all of my clients. I do think this does make it more difficult to offer services because it depends on them finding me, but the advantages are that they likely already trust me (or it will be easy to gain their trust), and fees for services should not be an issue.

Idea Napkin No. 1

1) You. My name is Savannah and I'm a fourth-year public relations major. I have nine years of experience working in a law firm and eight years of pet sitting. My full-time job has allowed me to work with many personalities and deal with new situations daily. I work well with others and independently. After graduation, I hope to obtain a job in the journalism field. I would like to eventually be an investigative reporter, and I hope to write a book someday. If I were to start this business, I think it would always remain as a second job to me just like pet sitting is right now. The exception would be that I would actually try to get new clients and a portion of the profits would help spay and neuter cats. If I had too many clients to handle, I would eventually need extra help. 

2) What are you offering to customers? Overnight pet sitting, daily check ins, and transportation to grooming appointments. 

3) Who are you offering it to? I'm offering this to primarily older adults based off of the majority of people I pet sit for. Most of them are in their 40's and older and travel often.

4) Why do they care? Customers want peace of mind knowing that their pets are able to stay in the comfort of their own home and someone is able to watch over the house while they're away. I've learned that my pro typical customer would rather pay someone to stay in his or her house than drop his or her pets off at a kennel. 

5) What are your core competencies? I'm trustworthy, dependable, and have plenty of references. I also offer competitive rates compared to local kennels.

In addition to these five elements, please spend a paragraph evaluating whether you believe these elements fit together or whether there are aspects of your business concept that are weaker / out-of-joint with the others. 

I believe these elements fit together up until I start a new job and don't have a flexible schedule anymore. I would then need to hire help and potentially increase rates. I would say the weaker aspect would be taking dogs to groomer appointments because I've only done it a couple of times and it was for the same client.

Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Who: People that fall outside the boundary are people who travel with their pets, drop their pet off at someone else’s house, board them; already have someone to check on them; and cat owners. One person I spoke with travels with his dog, and another has his housekeeper check on his dog while he is away. Because of the convenience, I believe they fall outside of the boundary. They are not in need of a pet sitter because they are already paying someone or are able to take their pet along with them. I also spoke to a dog owner that drops off her dogs at a kennel to board while her and her family are away. She expressed she doesn’t mind dropping them off because she feels he is in good hands. I spoke to a married couple that drops their dogs off at a family member's house because the dogs are comfortable there and they do not have to pay. Lastly, I spoke to a cat owner who has a neighbor that stops by to feed him and scoop his box; She stated that she was okay with leaving her cat by himself because cats are more independent than dogs. 

What: The need I originally identified was that the cat population needs to be controlled by spaying and neutering. Of course, this can only happen if people go outside and upfront costs at their own risk and trap them, or another organization does it themselves; but there aren’t enough organizations or resources to contain it. If using a one-to-one business model by spaying and neutering a cat or dog from pet sitting jobs, my main need doesn't directly need to be supported from clients. 

Why: Some people are willing to spend extra money for an overnight pet sitter knowing that their pet can stay in the comfort of his or her own home. The people outside the boundary are primarily concerned about costs or already have arrangements for when they travel.

Inside the boundary	Outside the boundary
Pet owners that want someone staying in their house.	Pet owners that do not need a pet sitter.
An overnight pet sitter to care for the animal(s) and maintain the house (mail, plants, etc.).	They do not need a sitter because they have other arrangements and do not want to pay the costs.
The need exists because some people may not want to drop their animal off at a kennel.	Cat owners because cats do not require as much care and attention as dogs.

Solving The Problem

My selected opportunity is a pet sitting service with a one-for-one business model. I understand that it isn't possible to spay and neuter all cats and dogs or convince their owners to do so. I believe by combining the two, it can still contribute to fixing the problem while also making a profit. For instance, for every pet sitting a job, a cat or dog will be spayed or neutered. I believe this an an opportunity to profit from while also fulfilling a social responsibility. Services would include: dog-walking, overnight stay, and trips to the groomers.

Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

1) Human's decision to not spay/neuter their pets result in the suffering and euthanizing of animals. Animals cannot speak for themselves and it is our responsibility to help control the population.

2)
Who: Cats and dogs, shelters, and pet owners
What: Overpopulation of cats and dogs
Why: Pets (cats and dogs, including free-roaming) are not spayed/neutered

According to the ASPCA, over 1.5 million animals are euthanized in shelters every year due to the over population of animals.

3)
Testing the who: I think business owners also have this need because free-roaming animals may not be welcome on their properties, which can result in them calling animal control and removing the animal(s).
Testing the what: Dogs and cats are not affected equally. Cats have this need more than dogs; The ASPCA states that more cats than dogs are euthanized each year. This could be because more dogs are adopted than cats.
Testing the why: Reasons why people do not spay/neuter their pets could be because: 1) they are not informed about how it saves lives, 2) they may not be able to afford it, and 3) they view an animal as disposable and less significant than a human life.

4) My interviews consisted of a pet sitting client, two foster parents (for animals), and two coworkers that own pets. The feedback from the interviews were favorable because they all share the same need, but I did receive insight as to why veterinarians may also share this need. The increase of spaying/neutering would increase their profits in two ways: the initial surgery of the animals and the continued care of the animals because of the likely longer lifespan. One foster parent that helps feed a cat colony on a business property (a gas station) has been attempting to trap and socialize the cats because management has threatened to remove them. There was a customer complaint about the cats which lead to their threat to call animal control. The colony is supposed to be protected, but she is having difficult in trying to find resources that will help her fight for the cats to stay. While the interviewees understood the importance of spaying/neutering pets, they were unable to provide a realistic approaching to prevent the problem from happening. Human kindness is the only option to provide rescue efforts for these animals, but it is not reliable. I'm learning this is a difficult opportunity, but I want to be able to solve it or at least provide something new to help lessen the suffering of animals. I'm curious as to how to propose legislation to an influential figure, like a legislator.

Identifying Opportunities in Economic & Regulatory Trends

Economic

a) Trump Bets the U.S. Economy on Tariffs
b) I believe there is an opportunity here because Mexico is one of America's biggest trade partners.
c) I think the U.S. government is the customer with the opportunity. The U.S. government would be benefiting by imposing a 5% increase on imported Mexican goods. Unfortunately, this will either cost the importing companies or force them to increase the price of the goods to its customers.
d) It is easy to exploit. A tariff increase on China goods will be enforced this summer.
Why? - I believe I saw this opportunity because of how the current president has been treating Mexico. From the president's standpoint, it is to punish Mexico and benefit the U.S.

a) US economy has added jobs for 103 straight months. Unemployment rate falls to 3.6%
b) I believe an opportunity exists because people are benefiting from an income and the government is benefiting taxes paid from newly employed people.
c) The newly employed people and the government are the customers.
d) I think this will be difficult to exploit or remain the same. The economy is not linear because it is always changing.
Why? - I believe I saw this opportunity because of the growth of small businesses I've witnessed in my own community.

Regulatory

a) Plastic bags, straws and Styrofoam products could be on the way out at Orlando parks and venues
b) I believe there is an opportunity here because single-use plastics are used at most or all restaurants, theme parks, venues, and more.
c) I think companies that are already producing alternative products are the customer. The article states that alternative products can cost "6 cents apiece more than plastic." These companies will have more customers because of the ban.
d) I don't think it is easy to exploit because of the limited powers state governments have.
Why? - I believe I saw this opportunity because of the damage single-use plastic is creating for our environment, and the desire from companies that want to eliminate them (e.g. Starbucks).

a) Illinois legislature passes the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act
b) I believe there is an opportunity here because sick patients benefit from the use of medicinal marijuana.
c) Patients in need of medicinal marijuana and producers/distributors/manufactures are the customers.
d) I think it will be difficult to exploit even if the governor signs the legislation as expected. Illinois will be the first state ever to legalize marijuana legislatively, so this will be a new challenge for them.
Why? - I believe I saw this opportunity because my coworker's mom died of cancer and I believe she (my coworker) voted in favor of legalizing marijuana in Florida.

Identifying Local Opportunities

1) Hep A rising in Central Florida
Cases of hepatitis A are rising in Central Florida and Volusia County is encouraging residents to get vaccinated. Since 2018, a 74 percent increase of hepatitis A has been reported in Florida. Out of the 954 cases, 46 have been reported in Volusia County. Residents in Florida and particularly in Volusia County have the problem because they are at risk of acquiring hepatitis A.

2) Who will control homeless shelter?
City commissioners discuss changing the leadership or taking control of the homeless shelter from First Step Shelter board members because of the boards talk of dissolving the organization. The board has not accomplished as much as it should have and city commissioners do not want to see the project fail. The city is trying to decide how to raise funds for the project and who should direct it. The city has the problem because the project is not going as planned, as well as homeless people who could potentially benefit from the project.

3) Elections chief says trust the process
Mail ballots were mailed to Volusia County residents and residents reported that they received duplicates or received someone else's ballot who has died or moved away. The residents are worried that the ballots will be miscounted. This is a problem for both the elections office and the residents because the elections office is responsible for counting every eligible vote and the residents are concerned about accurate votes.

4) Ex-firefighter sues Daytona, cop
An ex-firefighter filed a lawsuit against an officer and the city of Daytona Beach. The lawsuit alleges an officer falsely arrested him and contacted his bosses to make false accusations against him, which got him fired. Lewis Ashley Smith was in town for bike week with his wife and another couple. The other couple were arguing and Smith attempted to calm them down. Office Shawn Clark told the couple to move along, which led to a confrontation between Smith and the officer. Clark, Smith, and the City of Daytona Beach all have a problem. Smith has been fired from his job, while the city and officer are being sued.

5) Volusia school district officials say state funding formula is still squeezing their budget
An increase in state funding is not enough to give teachers raises and keep electricity on without making cuts from other areas, such as programs and personnel. The final budget has not been approved yet, but the amount approved by lawmakers so far is concerning the Volusia County School Board. The district, teachers, children, and other personnel employed by the district are affected by this problem.

Forming An Opportunity Belief

I believe an opportunity exists in the overpopulation of cats living outside. The unmet need is that these animals require food, water, medical care, and shelter so that they can live a safe and healthy life. This need has and will always exist because of the abundance of cats that are not spayed or neutered. As of right now, there are people and organizations that foster animals at their own financial risk to try to control the population. I am 100% sure this opportunity exists. These animals are everywhere, and I don't believe there will ever be enough help for all of them. I believe more resources should be made available to the public so that it can do its part in helping reduce the cat population because it is our responsibility.

Prototypical customer 1: 7-Eleven nearby with a colony of cats
There is a 7-Eleven near a movie theater close to me that has had a colony of cats for many years now. Every time I go there I always see cats. There is a jar inside the store by the register that is for donations for the care of the cats. I've spoken to workers at this location before about the cats here and there, and spoke to someone new this time. The 7-Eleven is not responsible for the cats and the idea to care for them was arranged by a local rescue group called "Pawsibilities Rescue." The worker on shift did not know how many years Pawsibilities Rescue has been caring for the cat colony, but that the cats are well taken care of. It was clear that the business supports the rescue efforts from the organization and it does not see the cats as a burden to the business. The rescue group feeds them daily and is active in spaying and neutering any cats that show up to the colony.

Prototypical customer 2: Hair salon nearby that feeds a colony of cats
I spoke to a hair salon owner that has been in business for over five years. She stated that there has always been a couple of cats in the area, but has seen in increase in the past few years. She began feeding them a few years ago at her own expense, even coming to the location on her days off to make sure they are fed. Her business is located in an office space that is owned by someone else, and last year she was told that she could not feed the cats on the property. If she wanted to continue to feed them then she had to put food on the sidewalk, away from the property. Although she expressed an interest in helping them, she does not have the resources to TNR (trap-neuter-return). She does know one person that has taken a couple kittens from the property to foster them, but there are still many cats there that need help.

Prototypical customer 3: Local animal foster parent
CCFAW is a local organization that tries to reduce the pet population by providing affordable spaying and neutering and low cost shot clinics. If cats come from a registered colony, then these services are free. Through the organization I was able to speak to Sharon, who rescues feral and free roaming cats by TNR. Sharon has been rescuing and fostering cats for a couple of years now and got started by contacting CCFAW so that she could learn how to get started. If the cats are not feral, she will continue to foster the cats and adopt them out. She stated that she experiences the need of extra help because she is responsible for most of the costs for the cats. If she traps a cat that is sick or injured, then she must pay for its medical care, as well as food and litter. She cares for multiple cats at a time in her home, and feeds a cat colony daily. While she is aware of the impact she is making, she expressed that one person cannot do it all and always welcomes help from other animal foster parents.

Reflect: After speaking with my prototypical customers, I still believe an opportunity exists. I learned that cat colonies may not be as cared for even though it looks like it. The salon owner proved this by saying that she only feeds them, and the building owner has tried to stop it. Cat colonies require much more than just food and water if trying to help control the overpopulation.

Summarize: The opportunity I believe that exists is some sort of nonprofit rescue group that can be on call when someone sees an injured or sick cat, and a cat colony that may look like it is not being fed. While the CCFAW offers affordable resources to the public to help the cats, people still must pay for a lot of the costs themselves. If someone sees an injured or sick cat, he or she may want to help it but cannot afford to help it. Calling an organization that is dedicated to rescuing the cats to let it know where the cat is located is better than doing nothing. I believe my opportunity is accurate, but similar to the resources (rescue groups and animal foster parents) already available. I do believe this opportunity would be more active in rescuing the cats because it would be paying for the costs from donations and relying on animal foster parents. I think entrepreneurs should adapt their opportunities based off of customer feedback and realistic expectations. If there is a pattern from customer feedback and it differs from the original opportunity, I would say that it should be adapted or at least explored. Customers can offer insight that an entrepreneur may not have thought of.

Your Entrepreneurship Story

An entrepreneurship experience for me started in the summer of 2011 when I was asked to cat sit for my hairdresser. I was a junior in high school and she asked me if I could care for her cat daily while she was on vacation for the week. She also had a dog at the time, but she would drop him off at her father's house. Eventually, she began to ask me if I would mind sleeping over at her house to care for her dog as well. I've been pet sitting for her since then and she has adopted two more dogs. She is also my referring source when her client's ask her if she knows anyone that pet sits. All of my clients come directly from her, but I also pet sit for some of my coworkers. She used to pay me whatever she thought she was fair and I was always satisfied with that. Now, people ask me what I charge and I give them a price depending how far they live. I pet sit regularly and have keys to some of my client's houses. Sometimes I consider it a second job because I do it often, but I enjoy it and it doesn't always feel like a one. 

I enrolled in ENT 3003 because I'm minoring in business and I thought this course would help me with my venture as a pet sitter, and in case I ever wanted to create an LLC. I realize now that this course will help me in other ways besides just pet sitting, such as identifying problems and discovering solutions. I look forward to the upcoming lectures and assignments.

This is Mia, my hairdresser's Maine Coon. I'll be watching her and the two dogs a couple times this summer (she had three, but one recently passed away).

Bug List

1) Whenever I initiate conversation with my office roommate or speak about myself, she directs it to herself and completely ignores what I said without responding to it.

Why? This conversational narcissism occurs because she is only focused on herself.

2) Every time it gets very cold in Florida, my tire pressure light comes on, and it is usually when I am driving to work.

Why? Cold temperatures can cause tire pressure to drop.

3) Whenever me and my friends hangout, they are always on their phone browsing through social media or texting.

Why? They are more interested in what is going on in other people’s lives and are addicted to social media.

4) When I try to watch something on my Netflix account and can’t because it says there are too many people watching on my account.

Why? I pay for one screen and more than one person uses my Netflix account.

5) The Dunkin’ closest to my route to work always has a long line that backs out into the street sometimes and it is difficult trying to leave the parking lot.

Why? The mornings are always the busiest from my experience and the parking lot is too small, which makes it difficult to exit because cars block the exits/entrances while in the drive thru.

6) When I am pet sitting for a family and they text me that they will be home earlier than expected.

Why? They either gave me an estimated time at first or did not think to text me earlier in the day to let me know that they would be home earlier.

7) When a receptionist at work is out and I must fill in (I work in a different department and it affects my work).

Why? I am the back-up receptionist.

8) Whenever I go to a concert with my coworker and I’m asked to drive.

Why? I have the more reliable car.

9) When people do not spay/neuter their animals and contribute to the overpopulation of cats and dogs living outside.

Why? People cannot afford it or do not realize the harm it causes.

10) When I go to get maintenance done on my car and someone tries to sell me maintenance I don’t need.

Why? Some mechanics work off commission.
11) When one of my favorite shows gets canceled.
Why? It may not be performing as well as the network would like.
12) Companies that claim to be cruelty free but are vague when asked how/if they are cruelty free.
Why? Cruelty free claims are not regulated. Some companies may not test or finance testing on animals but sell their products in China (China requires animal testing).
13) When people at work use the "reply all" button in an email while responding to the initial email (this mainly happens when someone is trying to be funny or congratulating/thanking someone).
Why? They may think that everyone will find their email humorous or believe their email adds substance.
14) When my glasses leave marks on my nose after I've put on makeup.
Why? The friction of the glasses causes makeup to rub off.
15) When my glasses fog up when I get in and out of my car.
Why? Condensation causes them to fog.
16) When cars wait until the last second to merge into a lane because the lane they are in cuts off.
Why? They are not paying attention or are rude drivers.
17) When I am pressured to hang out or go to an event by friends and coworkers.
Why? They don't understand why I do not want to go or do not believe that I have other commitments.
18) When my ears get infected from wearing earrings.
Why? I may have a nickle allergy.
19) When my friend is late to plans we've made.
Why? She is always late because she takes a long time to get ready and is inconsiderate of other people's time.
20) When my friends do not want to see a scary movie with me.
Why? They are too afraid of them.

Reflection: I did find the assignment challenging until I started coming across some of the things that bug me. Most of them are things that happen daily, such as when driving, putting my glasses on and taking them off, and being at work; Some are things that have happened recently, like being asked to hang out, speaking to a friend about cruelty free companies, going to Dunkin', and trying to use my Netflix account. When I had to think about it I could not come up with anything. It was mostly when these bugs happened.

ENT3003: Principles of Entrepreneurship

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