30A – Final Reflection

1)     This class as been a completely different experience for me with lots of highs and lows. Being able to come up with new ideas, sharing my idea and being able to interact with people and getting their feedback for my product on the spot was a bit scary and exciting at the same time because I never knew what to expect. Another fun part was reading the business proposals of other students and being able to relate to their problems. Some of the ideas I read were definitely mind blowing and if they were to act upon and implemented in the near future, they could be a game changer in the business world. For me the lows were definitely keeping up with the assignments during exam time because it became quite stressful considering the lengthiness of each assignment but overall, it taught me how to manage time effectively.

2)     The most formative assignment was mapping out our entire business proposal and see it come to plan. While the entire process was long and tedious, it was definitely worth it in the end because it allowed us to see how common and relatable the problem was for so many people during the interview process. This class allowed us to think outside the box and on our feet.

3)     I do not consider myself as an entrepreneur just yet, because there’s still so much I have to see and learn, and I don’t have the skills for it just yet, but I might be closer to be an entrepreneur. I now understand the entire planning and preparation and thinking each business venture requires and I hope to obtain all these skills one day.

4)     One recommendation I can give to students is think about the problems you might face on a daily basis no matter how silly it may sound and then start considering if other people are facing the same problem as well or not and you can do that by talking to your close friend and family circle. Doing so you are trying to identify the unmet need and after that you will be able to plan out your own business proposal. Also never give up on your dream and idea and you should start working on your communication skills at an early age because in orer to start your own business, interviewing people will be really important as it will help you gain insight. Apart from that this class is fun and if you work on your idea from day one you might come out as an entrepreneur after 5 months.

29A – Venture Concept No. 2

EVERGREEN VENDING MACHINES

Opportunity

Food choices and eating habits are impacted by a variety of individual and environmental factors. The school environment plays an important role in modelling and influencing eating behaviours in students, since a large part of their time is spent on school grounds. With the risk of obesity on the rise the school environment in regard to food is definitely a modifiable factor. With a lack of healthy affordable eating options on campus, a lot of students turn towards vending machines because they are fast, easy on the packet, satisfy cravings and easily accessible. Only problem is vending machines that are placed on each corner of campus are stocked with empty calories food items, sugary and fatty foods that provide little to no nutritional value to students. Vending machines are found in 98% of high schools and colleges, 74% in middle school and 43% in elementary school. Since vending machines are so commonly found all across schools, banning them will not be a good idea because it can lead students to look for food options elsewhere. Instead vending machines can be restocked with healthier options that meet USDA standards, ensure schools revenue is not decreasing and students stay satiated throughout the day.   The unmet that I have identified is for high school and college students. Over time students are becoming more aware of the risk and diseases associated with healthier eating habits and hence the opportunity i have identified will be successful because my service will be providing students with healthier options that satisfy their requirements and will be cost friendly as well. My product is meant for students currently in high school and college in the United States, from ages 15 to 24 and I later plan on expanding this idea globally. To attract students, our products will come with a nutritional value chart that will be displayed on the screen before purchasing it. The customers I interviewed were all health conscious, who either meal prep at home or when they are short on time, they prefer to buy a salad bowl or a wrap, burrito or protein poke bowl. Upon asking if they have stayed loyal to the food place where they purchase from, most replied yes and said that once a while they prefer cheat meals so i know my venture won't be facing any problem in regard to this. As long as students remain woke about their health, this window will remain open for a long time.

INNOVATION

To gather a better idea of student’s food eating habits for younger students of ages 15, a questionnaire will be made to address the questions of how many time students eat fruits and vegetables and how many times do they have other unhealthy options. To get more responses we plan on partnering up with schools we plan on setting up our vending machines in, to make this 5-minute questionnaire mandatory for all students. After that we plan on holding health campaigns across school.

Our idea is simple. We at Evergreen plan on partnering up with vendors who produce vending machines to design our own machines with appealing posters and colours that will attract students from afar. By collaborating with local startups we plan on stocking our vending machines with at least 10 items that will range from healthy wraps, burritos, grilled chicken or beef salad, fruit bowls, chicken poke bowl and the rest of the items will be decided accordingly. I also plan on packaging them in biodegradable materials that will be eco-friendly.  We also plan on keeping some food options for students with dietary concerns and restrictions which we plan on asking in the questionnaire. Later on we will also stock up on fruit juice. Since our products will be locally available, we will be taking customer feedback and reflecting on changes accordingly.

VENTURE CONCEPT

Health and good nutrition are essential during a child development stage. Students in their younger ages are really active and a good amount of their energy is spent in school activities. If they don’t fuel their bodies with healthy and nutrient dense foods, then in the long run that can lead to a lot of problems like obesity and diabetes, blood pressure etc due to unhealthy eating habits. With healthy vending machines on campus, students can especially develop a balanced diet and will have more options available to them. With vending machines placed on campus, students can avoid the hassle of standing in long lines, and since all college students are broke or are on a fixed budget, this would be the perfect fit for them. It might be a bit harder for some students who are picky eaters to switch but we plan on conducting weekly evaluations so that students' concerns can be addressed and reflected in a fast-fashioned manner. My competitors will be the fast food options on food courts. Their weakness is that students cannot afford to have food from there every day due to it being pricey and no good benefit. Since my father has a food packaging company, I plan on starting up something similar to that or may take over it after my dad retires. My vending machines will be located in convenient locations all across campus that will be easily accessible and will be placed in locations where students are mostly seen gathered. I plan on starting up with 2 other business partners and then 7 employees, whose roles will be collaborating with restaurants and delivery services, gathering feedback, organizing health campaigns and social media marketing, budgeting our costs, packaging etc.

The three minor elements.

My most important resource will be the skills that I have gained by working alongside my father in his packaging company where he exports food items. Seeing the machinery and items required I have a better idea of how food is prepared and stored and what machines are required.

My next venture will be expanding this locally in my home country, because back home the majority of the schools have no concepts of vending machines, instead they have a single cafeteria. So, I think it would be easiest to establish it there.

I plan on doing my masters and establishing my own accounting and tax firm. This venture is something on the side because it's something I have struggled with personally and therefore am passionate about making this work.

FEEDBACK: A lot of the feedback I received from students was quite positive and they seemed excited to know more about this business venture. The recommendations I got were to incorporate all kinds of cuisines, so students get a taste of different cultures as well as stay satisfied with just a simple salad or wrap. Most students had concerns regarding the price, but I reassured them it wouldn’t be pocket friendly and something they would be able to afford on a day to day basis if they chose to eat out every day. Speaking to the principal of my high school back in my home country, she would definitely love to see an idea like that in her school.  

28 A YOUR EXIT STRATEGY

11)  My exit strategy is growing my business and expanding it in different states before I sell it to for a great profit margin in 5-8 years’ time, so that I have enough to start my  next entrepreneurial endeavor.

22) I have selected this particular exit strategy because as a young entrepreneur this is our age of taking risks and try out and experimenting in different fields. I plan on travelling to different areas, learn about their culture and see the problems they are facing and if it’s a universal problem I plan on working on  that as my last business venture before I pass it on my

children.

3) My exit  strategy has definitely influenced my decisions in the course because it has helped me think accordingly for the long run. I have been able to identify my future goals and the planning that needs to be done for it. I have also learnt the skill of identifying new problems and the unmet need and the necessary resources that are crucial to a business operation

27 A Reading Reflection No 3

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

In Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Carol S Dweck talks about 2 mindsets that allow us to persevere in the face of challenges and shortcomings. Her main argument is that while our genes do influence our intelligence and capabilities, they aren't fixed at birth , instead they change and develop over time through new experiences. But the minute we start thinking the latter, then we have a fixed mindset. With a fixed mindset we have this need of trying to prove ourselves to everyone. Dweck gives the example of her own school experience and  mentions how teachers and parents exert a big influence on what mindset we adopt. In schools for instance we are taught to look smart, and when we adopt that identity we spend way too much time in protecting that title. In doing so we ignore the fact, we steer clear of challenges that might jeopardize that title and hence aren't actively learning in the process. Another thing she mentions is that when a person with a fixed mindset experiences failure at life, instead of trying to overcome it, they blame it on the world  and start victimizing themselves. They arent able to learn the trait of coping in case of challenges. A perfect example she gives where this mindset is somewhat reflective is the CEO disease and mentions the CEO of Chrysler Motors. Lee Lacocca was initially successful in his business venture, but then he kept designing and manufacturing the same models with a few minor changes and in the end noone wanted his product. Instead of owning up to his mistake, he  disassociated himself from all his critics.
The most important mindset that she mentions in Growth mindset, which is achieved through experiences, hard work, training and persistence. According to Dweck, "they believe a person's true potential is unknown and its impossible to forsee what can be be accomplished with years of passion, toil and training." To prove her point she gives examples of renowned figures like Ben Hogan. We are told to hide our weakness and only go for the true and tested ways. what we arent told is to overcome our shortcomings and experience things for ourselves so we can truly figure out what works for us.

2) How did the book in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?
The most important thing i learnt from this class is taking initiatives and embracing failure. This class is structured in such a way that it allows students to embrace the growth mindset and now the fixed mindset. Professor Pryor encourages us to come up and pitch new ideas no matter how dumb they might sound because that means we are constantly aware of our surrounding and the problems that other people are facing. The assignments that he assigns allows us to think about our strengths and weaknesses.

3) If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise be?
Based on the book, I would come up with a set of questions or statements that would help students distinguish which mindset category they fall under. While they could be a mixture of both talents, its important for them to navigate towards one so that they can truly understand their mindset.

4) What was the biggest surprise or aha moment?

There personally want any aha or surprise moment for me in this book, because I had written a research paper on this for my Psychology class so they were pretty much aligned with what i expected from the book.  But i like the examples and personal experiences Dweck mentions in the boom and her explanation is brilliant.

26A Celebrating Failure

I started off my first semester at UF with three courses and at a good pace. While all my courses were online, I made the effort of waking up on time and attending all the in person lectures for my classes, atleast for 2/3 of my classes. Transitioning from a community college to UF, I honestly thought he journey would be easy but it wasnt. For me personally my biggest failure was not realizing and reaching out on time for business finance and underestimating the level of hardness for my courses. For weeks I was struggling with business finance, I watched countless videos on Youtube and viewed numerous sites and the more sites i viewed the more confused i became with all my concepts. Despite numerous people telling me about another tutoring service, i rejected all their claims and decided to pursue it on my own, not willing to give up at this point. But when exam 1 came close I realized the mistake I had made about not taking anyone's advice, and the stress level had a negative impact on my health which negatively impacted my other classes. I neglected my other courses, missed assignments and lectures and because of that my overall grade dropped

The most important thing i learnt was knowing when to give up and seek help. If i had taken on the tutoring service in the start, i probably wouldnt have suffered so much. In my mind i was looking at the small cost, instead of looking at the bigger picture. if i were to fail that course, i would have to take it again in the summer and that would mean and extra waste of time and money.

I personally feel that success comes from acknowledging your person weaknesses and failure. once you are able to clearly see the wrong in your actions and identify your biggest weakness only then you can work on improving them. I have been a very indecisive person since the start and over time that has gotten worse. i tend to act alot later than when i actually should and while i get the work done, it always have some kind of negative impact on my mental state of mind. Despite doing horrible on my first exam, i learnt from my mistake and saw the wrong in my actions and how it just wasnt worth it in the end.

23 A

1) Hard work
a) Valuable: persistent when it comes to getting things done. I am goal oriented and because I have personally struggled with this problem, I know I can get the job done
b) Rare: answer depends from person to person because a lot of people do possess this quality but it depends on their efforts in eradicating the problem
c) Imitable:  Yes with time effort and dedication.
d) Non substitutable: No.

2) Friend who is majoring in nutrition
a) Valuable: My friend has an immense amount of knowledge when it comes to nutrition and evaluates diets and offers customized diet plans accordingly.
b) Rare: No because there are nutritionist out there but my best friend is someone I have close contact with and I know she will be there to support my business plan.
c) Imitable:  Yes, it all depends on your closeness and bond with the person.
d) Non substitutable: No because her loyalty and hard work and knowledge is far greater than any other source.

3) Friend who has been in the cooking industry and has her own startup business
a) Valuable: because she produces and delivers healthy food items as well as baked goods all across the country back home and also went to turkey famous cooking school to get more experience. So she is well aware of all the different cuisines and cultures.
b) Rare: it is rare because of her cooking experience and classes she’s taken from at least 6 countries all over the world.
c) Imitable: yes because there are a lot of people who are passionate about cooking.
d) Non substitutable: this is not substituted by any resource.

4) Market expert in food items
a) Valuable : Having a friend who exports food across the country can be of great value to me
b) Rare: Kind of it honestly depends but someone who can help project future trends and analyze revenue models can be a great asset.
c) Imitable: yes because there are a lot of market experts involved in different fields.
d) Non substitutable: No because there are computers and software that analyze market trends by depicting graphs etc.

5) Significant amount of research and feedback
a) Valuable: the interviews that I conducted for my business plan was definitely valuable because it helped me get a better understanding of this unmet need that college students have and how to go on about it.
b) Rare: not really because there are a lot of people I could have interviewed for this
c) Imitable: it is because I can interview new customers and get the same response in most cases
d) Non substitutable: Feedback from customers is a vital aspect in the success of any business hence its definitely non substitutable.

6) My father owns his own packaging industry back home where he packs food goods in sealed vacuum tins.
a) Valuable: yes because I was able to learn a lot about how food items are stored and the packaging materials required to maintain the freshness of the food and the machinery required for it.
b) Rare: Back home it is rare because the machinery for it had to be built and the parts were imported.
Imitable: yes
Non substitutable: No because there are really specific ways of packing food items.

7) Leadership skills
a) Valuable: I have had numerous experiences of being a leader which has really enhanced my confidence over the years. I was able to learn how to work with a team and lead a team at the same time.
b) Rare: Everyone possess leadership skill but therstyle can vary so I wont say it’s a rare trait.
c) Imitable: I don’t think it is because it’s a skill that cant be practiced.
d) Non substitutable: No because its important to stand firm and maintain your position for people to respect you and take you seriously.

8) Contacts with vendors
a) Valuable: having connections with vending machine companies and sharing my ideas with them is valuable because they are a key component in my business.
b) Rare: rare that the idea exists but it could be pulled of if anyone trid.
c) Inimitable: yes because its not something that can’t be done by someone else but they might not share the exact vision like mine
d) Non substitutable: yes because any student could easily come up with this idea.

9) Social media marketing experts
a) Valuable: social media marketing skills are needed for the promotion of startup ventures
b) Rare: no because everyone has easy access to social media platforms
c) Inimitable : no because that would come under copyright
d) Non substitutable : yes

10) Designing experts
a) Valuable: I have a certain design for my vending machines that I shared with my friend who has been designing for the past 5 years.
b) Rare: no because there are a lot of graphic designers.
c) Inimitable: no because the design I have in mind is specific and catered to my requirements and vision
d) Non substitutable: no.

 For me my top resource would be the experience I have from working alongside my father in his packaging industry and seeing and working with machineries required to package food and perishable items to maintain the freshness. Working alongside him, I have gained a lot of new set of skills that cant be matched by any other resource for instance keeping track of all the production units and seeing if the target requirements are being met. Being in his shoes gave me image of what its like to run a business.

25 A WHATS NEXT

EXISTING MARKET

I think what’s next for my venture, as a result of feedback from potential feedback from customers, is supplying packaged healthy meal plans to offices by offering monthly subscriptions. A lot of people working in offices get short lunch breaks and hence don’t get enough time to get meals due to the hassle of long lines etc. So by speaking to a few potential customers, they said that either I could provide them with ready made meals that they can freeze in their homes and warm it up when hungry or I could just deliver them meals during office hours. Another thing they are looking for is a variety in terms of taste and different cuisines. People are tired of having the same burger, pizza, salad and sandwiches and want to expand their palette so maybe introducing items like quinoa salad, chicken tikka with a flax seed wrap, almond flour beef tortillas serviced with beef , cauliflower rice served with chicken parmesan is something people are willing to try. For my venture, if I feel its working in the long run I plan on starting a health café.

NEW MARKET.

Since my main targets are college students, I think the next part of my market that I would like to target are supplying to non-profit organization schools. Students coming from underprivileged backgrounds have limited resources available and hence resort to cheapest options available because they have no other way. Due to such restrictions, they aren’t aware of how their unhealthy eating habits can cause them problems in the long run. I have taught in NGO schools for a few years and hence have gained relevant experience and skills as to how to target such markets. The first most important thing is to conduct workshops with health experts who can explain to them the adverse effects of unhealthy eating habits and how healthy eating habits can be made affordable if done the right way. Then I would contact important agencies who could sponsor my product so I can successfully supply schools with ready to eat meals that targets all nutritional deficiencies. Eating healthy helps improve our cognitive function, helps us focus and retain information.  I have spoken to a few teachers from these schools and gotten some valuable insight. A lot of students who show up don’t have meals in a day and survive on snacks so I think this kind of an idea would be really helpful. This market is more attractive for me because I have always wanted to set up my own NGO and help give back to the society that played an important part in my growth.

24 A VENTURE CONCEPT 1

EVERGREEN VENDING MACHINES

Opportunity
Food choices and eating habits are impacted by a variety of individual and environmental factors. The school environment plays an important role in modelling and influencing eating behaviours in students, since a large part of their time is spent on school grounds. With the risk of obesity on the rise the school environment in regards to food is definitely a modifiable factor. With a lack of healthy affordable eating options on campus, a lot of students turn towards vending machines because they are fast, easy on the packet, satisfy cravings and easily accessible. Only problem is vending machines that are placed on each corner of campus are stocked with empty calories food items, sugary and fatty foods that provide little to no nutritional value to students. Vending machines are found in 98% of high schools and colleges, 74% in middle school and 43% in elementary school. Since vending machines are so commonly found all across schools, banning them won't be a good idea because it can lead students to look for food options elsewhere. Instead vending machines can be restocked with healthier options that meet USDA standards, ensure schools revenue isn't decreasing and students stay satiated throughout the day.   The unmet that I have identified is for high school and college students. Over time students are becoming more aware of the risk and diseases associated with healthier eating habits and hence the opportunity i have identified will be successful because my service will be providing students with healthier options that satisfy their requirements and will be cost friendly as well. My product is meant for students currently in highschool and college in the United States, from ages 15 to 24 and I later plan on expanding this idea globally. To attract students, our products will come with a nutritional value chart that will be displayed on the screen before purchasing it. The customers I interviewed were all health conscious, who either meal prep at home or when they are short on time, they prefer to buy a salad bowl or a wrap, burrito or protein poke bowl. Upon asking if they have stayed loyal to the food place where they purchase from, most replied yes and said that once a while they prefer cheat meals so i know my venture won't be facing any problem in regards to this. As long as students remain woke about their health, this window will remain open for a long time.

INNOVATION

To gather a better idea of students food eating habits for younger students of ages 15, a questionnaire will be made to address the questions of how many time students eat fruits and vegetables and how many times do they have other unhealthy options. To get more responses we plan on partnering up with schools we plan on setting up our vending machines in, to make this 5 minute questionnaire mandatory for all students. After that we plan on holding health campaigns across school.
Our idea is simple. We at Evergreen plan on partnering up with vendors who produce vending machines to design our own machines with appealing posters and colours that will attract students from afar. By collaborating with local startups we plan on stocking our vending machines with at least 10 items that will range from healthy wraps, burritos, grilled chicken or beef salad, fruit bowls, chicken poke bowl and the rest of the items will be decided accordingly. I also plan on packaging them in biodegradable materials that will be eco-friendly.  We also plan on keeping some food options for students with dietary concerns and restrictions which we plan on asking in the questionnaire. Later on we will also stock up on fruit juice. Since our products will be locally available, we will be taking customer feedback and reflecting on changes accordingly.

VENTURE CONCEPT
Health and good nutrition are essential during a child development stage. Students in their younger ages are really active and a good amount of their energy is spent in school activities. If they dont fuel their bodies with healthy and nutrient dense foods, then in the long run that can lead to a lot of problems like obesity and diabetes, blood pressure etc due to unhealthy eating habits. With healthy vending machines on campus, students can especially develop a balanced diet and will have more options available to them. With vending machines placed on campus, students can avoid the hassle of standing in long lines, and since all college students are broke or are on a fixed budget, this would be the perfect fit for them. It might be a bit harder for some students who are picky eaters to switch but we plan on conducting weekly evaluations so that students' concerns can be addressed and reflected in a fast fashioned manner. My  competitors will be the fast food options on food courts. Their weakness is that students can't afford to have food from there every day due to it being pricey and no good benefit. Since my father has a food packaging company, I plan on starting up something similar to that or may take over it after my dad retires. My vending machines will be located in convenient locations all across campus that will be easily accessible and will be placed in locations where students are mostly seen gathered. I plan on starting up with 2 other business partners and then 7 employees, whose roles will be collaborating with restaurants and delivery services , gathering feedbacks, organizing health campaigns and social media marketing, budgeting our costs, packaging etc.

The three minor elements.

My most important resource will be the skills that I have gained by working alongside my father in his packaging company where he exports food items. Seeing the machinery and items required I have a better idea of how food are prepared and stored and what machines are required.
My next venture will be expanding this locally in my home country, because back home the majority of the schools have no concepts of vending machines, instead they have a single cafeteria. So I think it would be easiest to establish it there.
I plan on doing my masters and establishing my own accounting and tax firm. This venture is something on the side because it's something I have struggled with personally and therefore am passionate about making this work.

21A – Reading Reflection No. 2 Due

How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big
By: Scott Adams

1) What was the general theme or argument of the book?
Scott has made a lot of great points in his book and he’s given the readers his formula to success, but he doesn’t want everyone to blindly follow it. As he explained in the book, its important to examine the ways of people who have become successful and try to learn some of their tricks and strategies that could work for you. Success doesn’t come easily to everyone and it takes time and effort. But before we get to that stage its important to look after yourself first by eating healthy, exercising and staying positive, then look after your economics and then the world. The next important thing he talks about is not setting goals but instead establishing a proper system to work towards achieving that success. The problem with goals is that our vision becomes focused and limited to that one single thing and we aren’t able to see other opportunities. When we think about establishing a system he tells us to prioritize things that we should get right in order for those to thrive. A lot of us believe that passion leads us to pursue things and that’s what makes us successful. But Scott believes that passionate people will take big risks for goals that may have no outcome or return which could result in failure instead of success. According to him, we feel passion when things work out well for us. But a combination of mediocre skills, new learning experiences, optimization are all what makes us more valuable.

2) How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?
In this class, one thing I have learnt is pursuing opportunities that are important for us and tasks that we are skilled at or at least have the knowledge of how to go about that particular task. In class, even though we are focused on establishing a goal or a plan for a single startup ideas, Scott encourages us to have multiple startup ides because if one idea fails, you still have other ideas to fall back on. Most importantly failure isn’t a bad thing. It becomes bad when we fail and decide to give up on everything, but Scotts story and success is living proof that failures doesn’t mean the end of ones career instead, it’s a main reason behind ones success.

3) If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve?
My exercise would first involve students in looking after themselves by eating healthy, exercising, staying fit and positive. With the right attitude, its easier to deal with failures. I would definitely assign this book to all students and ask them to reflect on some of their recent failures, what impact did that have o them, how did they overcome it and what did they learn from it. Also instead of asking students to focus on one startup idea I would give them the chance of changing their idea because this way they are more aware of their surrounding and opportunities around them.

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?
The biggest aha moment for me was not have a goal-oriented approach, but instead having a more systematic approach to sort “truth from rubbish” as Scott would out it. Instead of going after things youre good at, its important to try out new experiences. Scott Adams was a lot of thing before he decided to be a cartoonist. To ensure you are happy, you need to learn how to manage and control your schedule.

20A – GROWING YOUR SOCIAL CAPITAL

DOMAIN EXPERT

The domain expert that I chose was my high school principal. She started the school in 1975 and with the help of her family, she has been running it successfully for the past 45 years. Being in the education sector for such a long time, she has identified how important it is to promote healthy eating habits at a young age because that’s the time when minds have begun developing and its easier to influence it and instill in them healthy eating patterns. Since I have been out of high school for 3 years now, I sent her an email with my idea and that’s how we got in touch. While she has already set up a cafeteria where plastic packaged items are banned and only healthy meals are served, she said that a lot of schools are haven’t initiated this and hence it would not only greatly benefit students but also the faculty and staff as well. She asked me to come in and give a speech to the students on studying abroad opportunities once I am back in town.

Market Expert

The market expert would be my father since he has a manufacturing factory back home that deals with cooking and packaging food items in sealed canned tins that are then supplied to markets. Initially he was working on something else but once he saw the demand for canned tins in the market, he established a food industry and began importing canned tins to store them in and he’s been in business for the past 10 years. After discussing the idea with him, my dad told me the way food has to be store in tightly sealed vacuum cans which are done through machines. He explained to me the kind of packaging I would require for my items and how food items go through health inspection before being packaged and sold. He told me how specific machines were imported for his business and how because there’s so much competition in the market.

Supplier

I contacted AMS vendors located in Kearneysville, and got in touch with their customer support representative through email. AMS vendors was initiated in 1997 and by using advance technology and materials they were able to successfully create vending machines that are seen across various schools. I asked them if their vending machines were temperature controlled and had better handling procedures for perishable goods to which they replied yes. While we weren’t able to get on a call, I still got a better understanding of their company. I asked if I got mention our brief conversation in email and that was the favor, I did for them.

Reflection: After getting on a call with all three experts I was able to network and enhance my knowledge regarding the market I plan on entering in. All three experts greatly helped me in my planning process and gave me an idea of what the business world looks like and the skills required for it. What I learnt most importantly from my principal was that when you identify an opportunity, grab it. If you are facing a problem, there’s a chance that a lot of students are in the same boat as me. My dad taught me the importance of knowing your market and target audience before starting any business.  Its going to take time, money and effort so it’s important to be sure before starting.

19A – Idea Napkin No. 2

You: My name is Maha Rehman and I am an international student from Pakistan. I am currently in my third year at University of Florida, studying finance. Some of talents are time management, marketing skills, the ability to lead as well as work together in a team and problem-solving skills. My aspirations are to complete the CFA exam and establish a non-for-profit organization school in my country. The business I plan on establishing will give students more variety and the ability to make better healthy food choices.

What are you offering to customers: A lot of students I have met with have a problem with snack items that are stored in vending machines. My service is starting a healthy cafe which has a diverse healthy menu from all cultures, packing it in proper environment friendly containers and storing them in temp controlled vending machines that will maintain the freshness of the food.

Who are you offering it to? My product is for high school and college students from ages 15-25 and to fulfill their nutritional needs. They are going to be those students who are on a strict budget, have a hectic schedule and hence don’t have time to stand in the long lines of the food court.

Why do they care: They care because students are more woke now when it comes to fitness and fulfilling their nutritional needs and leading a healthy lifestyle.

What are you core competencies? What sets me apart is my vision and dedication and the ability to pull this off. I am goal driven and motivated and because I have personally struggled with a problem of finding healthy items in vending machines that aren’t insanely priced and actually loaded with all the beneficial nutrients, I really want to see an end to this problem. My main priority isn’t making money but satisfying the needs of college students and ultimately try to promote a healthier environment on campus.

Overall, the five elements work really well together almost like a flow. By starting off with a personal struggle and seeing how so many students relate to the problem, it was easy to connect the dots and come up with a solution for it. College students lead hectic and tough life and if they don’t take care of their health and are not getting nutritional benefits from food items, then they are more prone to sickness which will effect their productivity in the long run

18A- Create a customer avatar

My pro-typical customer would be between the ages of 18-25 and would be college student currently  enrolled at University of Florida with 12 credit hours. This pro-typical customer lives off campus, commutes by bus or walks to locations nearby. They live in a location where there are that many restaurants in the surrounding area. My customer has a really busy schedule. They get up at 8 am in the morning to attend their morning class and by 4 pm they are done with all of their classes. But since my customer is an extrovert and competitive and loves to participate in clubs and community service projects, they get done from classes and school activities by 8 pm. With such a hectic lifestyle its easy to ignore ones own health and indulge in unhealthy lifestyle choices, my customer being a big fitness freak likes to keep track of her health goes to the gym at night. During the day they dont have time to stop and grab lunch and hence after all work is completed they decide to come home, cook themselves a nice meal, watch a Netflix show and then go to bed.
The similarity me and my pro-typical customer share are that I too am enrolled in 3, 4 credit hour classes and get done by 4 pm. Even though all my classes are online, I prefer attending in person lectures since I am able to comprehend and understand the course better. I too have a busy and hectic schedule and only get time to have one proper meal a day that I cook for myself at night when I go home. Obviously no meal is complete without some kind of a show. This isnt a coincidence because mostly all college students lead this hectic lifestyle and are trying to find a balance between their academic and social life.

16A –What’s Your Secret Sauce?

Describe five ways in which you think you have human capital that is truly unique.

1) I am persistent and dedicated. I have come really far to pursue my education and that meant leaving my family and friends, because I want to build a stable and secure future. 

2) I care deeply about the people, society and environment around me because all these aspects have played an important role in my upbringing.  So its my responsibility now to look and care for the environment

3) I am a good team player and love taking initiatives and challenging myself to become a better version. 

4) I know how to work well under pressure without giving up. I try to stay focused and that keeps me driven. 

5) In times of negativity, i try to stay positive and  not lose hope. 

Interviews
https://soundcloud.com/user360358224/niazi

Niazi talked about how i am goal driven and once Im set on something i try to to see an end to it and achieve it. 

https://soundcloud.com/user360358224/ibbi

Ibbi, spoke about my team leadership skills and how I like to take initiatives. 

https://soundcloud.com/user360358224/haseeb
Haseeb spoke about how I put my heart and soul into my work and try to stay true to it which is always reflective. 

https://soundcloud.com/user360358224/hafsah
Hafsah spoke about my organizational skills and leadership skills and how i take charge of situations when no one else is. she also spoke about my vocal skills, articulation and confidence which is why people take me and my work seriously and make sure I see it till the end. 

https://soundcloud.com/user360358224/laiba
Laiba spoke about my leadership skills and how passionate i am regarding my work. She spoke about my deep and active involvement within my community. She said I can balance out my work well without compromising the quality. I have a friendly attitude and am social but at the same time i don't allow a lot of people whose goals and values aren't in line with mine. 

Conclusion: While all my interviewees had great things to say, i have always found it hard to accept compliments and recognition and that's partially because i feel like i haven't done enough and still have a long way to go. All my interviewees have been there since the start of my life and have seen me grow physically and emotionally. I am overly critical of myself because I try to aim for that level of perfection and i always feel like I'm not doing enough. I think i would change number 5 about myself because I am a bit negative and critical when it comes to my work but other than i wouldn't change anything else on my list

15A – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

Evaluating How Your Customers Evaluate Stuff

For these interviews my main focus was on discovering how students make their choices, how do they determine if it was a good or bad choice after purchasing it and what’s a more convenient way for the to pay.

1

 Interview 1: College Sophomore majoring in computer science at UF

Since most her classes start early morning, she doesn’t really get time to have breakfast so instead she likes to get some protein bar from the vending machine since they are the fastest and nearest place. Even though the protein bars in the vending machines are very limited I terms of flavor and variety; she still prefers those due to nutritional needs being med. Most of her transactions are done through a debit card because its more convenient fore her.

Interview 2: I interviewed my friend working at a UPS facility in New Jersey.

Faiza’s office hours are Monday to Friday from 8 am to 6pm. In between she gets a half an hour lunch break. Some days she has a heavy breakfast from home that keeps her full for loner hours, but on other days she has lunch from outside. For her the most important thing is the quality and taste. Only problem is that because at lunch hours they are long waiting lines at restaurants, she doesn’t like getting food herself, so she gets it delivered. Upon asking what kind of food she would like to see in vending machines, she said burrito, salad or fruit bowls, tuna salad, spinach wrap, something that isn’t too messy to handle, and her preferred method of transaction would be through card.

 Interview 3: A friend at Rutgers University in New Jersey

Being a full-time student and working part time are very hard for her to manage so she barely gets time to eat anything. If she does, she either goes to the food cafeteria in the morning when lines aren’t long and buys something then which she later haves for lunch or she gets something from the vending machine. For her nutritional needs aren’t really that important, but taste is. She gets something that keeps her full for long.

Conclusion: Based on the interviews conducted above, my customers mostly looked at the nutritional needs and if they were being met, the price was definitely another factor because they would like to be paying for something worth the price. The third was how easily accessible it is. If all their needs are fulfilled, then they think their purchase was a good idea. But most of the time they don’t have time to reflect and think if they made a right decision because of their busy schedules.

14A – Halfway Reflection

Tenaciousness is a competency

Since this class is completely online, I have learnt how to prioritize my time. By assigning a single date for all assignment submissions, its definitely easier to keep track of it. I used to procrastinate a lot but with this class its harder to do that since the assignments do require a lot of materials like interview sessions, video recording and book reading. So I  make a schedule and on days where I have don’t have a lot of workload or during exam weeks, I try to complete my assignments beforehand so that I have one less thing to worry about.

Tenaciousness is also about attitude.

While I haven’t had that moment in this class, there have been times where I felt like giving up in my finance class because I felt none of my hard work was paying off. Before my first exam, I decided to devote my entire time to that class and for that I stopped socializing and attending classes for my other lectures. Even after all, when I saw my exam score, I had a moment where I felt like maybe I should just drop out of the class and change my major. At that moment I became so negative that I didn’t realize that finance was a very new concept for me and for concepts to develop it takes time and work. You just need to keep at it and keep working hard for that course because life isn’t going to get easier from this point and if we give up at every hurdle then what’s the purpose of it all. So at hard times I try to give myself small pep talks and I try to stay focused on my vision and what I want out of life.

Three tips:  What are three tips you would offer next semester's student about (1) fostering the skills that support tenacity and (2) developing the 'tenacious mindset?

First tip would be to not leave your work till the last moment because if you do then really you’re not going to be able to pass the class. Go over the assignments and see which ones require more information so that you can start them beforehand rather getting surprised and annoyed at the last moment.

Second tip is try to attend the live lectures if you can because they are way more interactive and this way you can build a relationship with the professor which can help you later when you need recommendations.

Third tip: don’t be afraid to speak up in class and pitch your ideas. Sure your first idea may not make enough sense and so might your second, but at least you’re not stopping the thinking process. Your small problem might be affection millions of students at large and the good thing is Professor Pryor gives good feedback and he helps you understand where you’re going wrong when you pitch the idea to him.

13A – Reading Reflection No. 1

1)     You read about an entrepreneur: Twenty seven dollars and a dream

The book that I read was a biography on Muhammad Yunus who developed his own banking system called Grameen Bank that lent out small loans to the villagers and women of Bangladesh. When Katherine Esty went to interview him at Grameen Bank, she noticed that his office had no air conditioning, and was simply set up with basic tables and chair. A man who had won numerous international awards and a Nobel prize, instead of living a lavish lifestyle, he chose a life of simplicity. The thing that I admire the most about him are his efforts in trying to eliminate poverty in the rural areas. As Esty describes in the book women in Bangladesh at the time had an inferior position in society who were told never to speak up or go out. Most of the women had never even held money in their hands and were actually afraid just by the thought of it. However Yunus wanted to empower the women and elevate their status and position in society so he focused most of his time and efforts on convincing women to take loans because he knew that they would be able to bring more benefits to the family compared to the husband. At a time when male domination was prevalent, he worked on breaking the stereotype and convinced women to take the loan and start up their own small business. His banks had been successful “in lending money to nearly seven million poor people, 97% of whom were woman.” Banks at the time weren’t willing to invest and work with poor people because they no collateral to offer and didn’t have any credit history. Even if they did give out loans the interest rate was always high, and they would just make the women worse off because they weren’t really able to get any profit out of their business. After discovering the problem, he went on to find out how many people were stuck in this slavery and discovered that in Jobra (village), 47 people together had a debt of $27. So, he decided to lend them the money without any interest and worked on a system for them to easily pay him back easily and surprisingly they did make small payments every single day. His blind faith in them in them is inspirational. In 2006 when he won the Nobel Prize, he wrote his speech in one day despite being told from everyone  that he should have started a month early and instead of asking executives to represent his bank, he got the women was the rural areas to represent his bank. While I couldn’t find anything in the book, I found out that him joining politics wasn’t liked by a  lot of people and hence he lost a lot of support from the people. Like most successful entrepreneurs who owe their success to their past experiences and hardships Muhammad Yunus was one of them. After developing his idea, he decided to go and pitch it to the bank and see if they would be willing to help him in his cause and lend ton the poor. However, they straight up refused to help him. So, he approached another bank who were willing to help him out but had concerns about the collateral. So, he decided to be the guarantor for all the villagers and cosign their loans and if anyone defaulted in their payments, he simply wouldn’t pay them. But they all were regular on their payments.

2)     What competencies did you notice entrepreneur exhibited?

His persistent efforts and dedication in trying to alleviate poverty is inspiring. He always found a solution to any setbacks he faced and had blind faith in the villagers. He saw the financial problem the villagers were facing especially the mistreatment of women in society and after interviewing a few women, he conducted a needs assessment test to see how many people were affected by the problem. He then decided to interview people outside the boundary of the problem like banks and figure out why they were willing to lend out to him and not poor people. As a child he had exhibited signs of entrepreneurial skills. In school he started his own stamp business and then later started a packaging company. He had great leadership skills and was well versed in every field from art to photography to drama. His travel to the United States exposed him to different people and cultures which shaped his personality. 

3) If i had to ask him any two questions, is what was he getting in return and how was he generating revenue. Second question was how did he develop that blind faith in the villagers because he knew that they had no collateral or credit history and yet he decided to be  a consignor for them. So what was his thought process at that time. 

4) I believe his definition of handwork is being persistent and if faced with a setback then its okay because there will always be another way. you just need to keep at it and not give up. 

12A – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

SEGMENT: For my segment I chose to target colleges University of Florida and University of South Florida, because all these institutes haven’t catered well to student’s health needs.

Interview Summaries: My main targets were college students and staff members. After conducting my interview sessions with all three members, I was able to gain a better understanding of customers criteria when it comes to purchasing a product or service  and based on the feedback I received I do think there is potential in my idea. When it comes to buying food, students I interviewed look at the nutritional info of it first. Since most kids don’t have time to cook or meal prep for themselves and with such hectic schedules it might be the only meal/snack before they head home. So, it’s important or them to see if their nutritional needs are being met before purchasing anything. Second thing I learnt was that most students are either broke or on  a strict budget and hence cant really afford to have meals from outside every single day so either they pack up their snacks from home like fruit, nuts, tuna cans,  which are purchased from superstores like Publix at like Buy one get free deals which is a pretty good value for their money. On days where they get nothing from home because they were in a rush or were about to miss the bus and just had to get to class then their next best alternatives are the vending machines which are conveniently placed in every floor on campus buildings. While its easily accessible and convenient the major problem are the items placed inside. Also students dont like waiting in long lines to place and then wait for their order. For one student it took about 30 minutes for her order to be prepared at Panda Express. Even though the vending machines do have some healthy options like protein bar, granola bar those items are priced higher which makes them look less appealing and hence students turn to other unhealthy options. One bar of granola is for $2.5 but the entire box can be purchased for almost $4.00. When they become aware of this need, they do discuss it with their friends at different colleges to identify if they have the same problem. None of my participants conducted google search on the problem because they felt it was out of their reach and could only be solved by the school’s staff and faculty department. One of the participants had taken this matter to a faculty member to figure out a solution to the problem but she wasn’t given a satisfactory answer so eventually she forgot about it. So now she makes sure to pack up her meals and snack the night before incase she forgets.

Conclusion: This segment went exactly as I hoped it would. My interviewees and I agreed on the fact that how important it is for colleges to promote a healthier environment by having vending machines stocked with healthier items. The reason there’s this still unmet need is because of lack of motivation and how we think this is something the college faculty should be responsible for. Its important to come up with an organized and innovative plan and systematized plan and draft a proposal for it which can later be presented to interesting parties who are willing to help invest in this idea.

11A – Idea Napkin No. 1

YOU: I am Maha Rehman, an international student currently majoring in Finance. Being a part of the student council in high school has taught me how to work and lead a team, owning up to mistakes and most importantly punctuality. I have always been involved in community service back home and my biggest aspiration is to start a nonprofit organization.

Offering to customers: My plan is a simple one. In a lot of countries food wastage is a serious problem and roughly 40% of the food is said to go to waste every year. As a distribution company, I plan on collecting the left-over foods from the restaurants, repackaging it securely and then distributing it to underprivileged communities.

Who am I offering it too: I plan on catering to the needs of minorities, and the less privileged in my communities by conducting a needs assessment and then estimating the amount of people living below the absolute poverty line, who aren’t able to afford the basic necessities of life.

Why do they care: Food is important for survival and a lot of the people in these communities aren’t able to afford their meals in a day. So hopefully through this service we can help reduce the food wastage problem as well help cater to the needs of people coming from underprivileged backgrounds

What are your core competencies: I feel that I have the ability to execute a plan like this. I am persistent with my work and make sure that all my work achieves a certain level of perfection. Even if that means going into all the tiny details and most importantly, I have the vision and patience for it and I know I won’t give up that easily.

9A – Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Summary of the opportunity: The need for vending machines that stocks healthy affordable snacks and lunch items for students.

Who: There are a few people who don’t feel the need for such an opportunity and hence fall out of the boundary? After speaking to different students across campus and in restaurants, I did come across a group of people who weren’t really affected by the problem mainly because they like to meal prep on the weekends. Sarah, a junior at UF had some concerns about the quality and freshness of the items and since she enjoys cooking and meal prepping for herself, she said she would rather make her own meal than purchase something from the vending machine. Being an Indian who adores her spices in just about anything, my friend Sanjana wondered if the items stored in the vending machine would have the same taste as the food she likes to have at home. She likes to have a heavy breakfast that keeps her full till evening and then goes home and has dinner with her family. My other friend being on a strict budget would prefer buying a chips packet because that would relatively be cheaper compared to the food stored. I met another group at Just Salad, and they said that they like to see their meals prepared in front of them. But they all also mostly agreed that such vending machines would be really beneficial around campus and would definitely promote a healthier environment.

 What: I realized that in order to gain the students attention towards this cause, it would be of great help if we could collaborate with some food companies that most students prefer and get them to provide their foods in our vending machines at discounted rates. Its also necessary to have vending machines placed all over campus and make it look appealing from outside so that students are able to differentiate it from the other vending machines. To maintain the freshness the items should be stored in a cool environment and should be restocked after every hours and should be made fresh daily.

Why: Its important to cater to the needs of all students in order to promote a healthier environment on campus.

	INSIDE	OUTSIDE
WHO	College students on campus Faculty staff Healthy restaurants Athletes	Students who like to meal prep Those with dietary restrictions Those on strict budgets
WHAT	To improve eating habits and lifestyle To provide a faster easier way of getting food	Would rather prefer to dine out Cant compromise on taste
WHY	To lower the spread of different health conditions	Could get better healthier options elsewhere

8A – Solving The Problem

Since a lot of students are on a strict budget  and with hectic class schedules that don't really give time to the students to choose off campus options or stand in long lines and wait to place and receive their order, i think the best alternative would be vending machines. A lot of the vending machines on campus have foods with high sugar, fat, sodium intake and low nutritional value. But since vending machines are a one curb stop to hunger, easily accessible across campus and are convenient a lot of student end up using that to fulfill their needs.  The healthy items like granola bars and nuts are a bit over priced which can be a problem for some students.

My solution to the problem is vending machines that stores healthy lunch able items like hummus and crackers, fruit bowl or just single fruits, salad bowls, sandwiches that are kept in a suitable required temperature to maintain the freshness and quality of the items. In order to distinguish this from the other vending machines, they can have stickers and healthy posters pasted on the front or be in a color that attracts students attention from afar. To make it convenient for students, the items should be reasonably price, should taste good and be  placed conveniently at different location across campus especially in central areas where students like to hang out a lot. This will promote a more healthy and sustainable way of eating across campus.

7A – Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

College students access to healthy and affordable options on campus is very limited. While students have close and fast access to fast foods restaurants and vending machines that are located at every corner on campus, their choices are limited when it comes to healthy, affordable food/snack options.

The who: College students, staff members and faculty members who spend most of their day in school and end up skipping meals or choosing other unhealthy alternatives because of the lack of healthy options available. 

The what: what kind of healthy snacks do students prefer? Being able to cater to the needs of students with dietary restrictions? 

The why: Testing to see why despite having a few healthy alternative options for lunch or a snack, why are students still preferring fast food joints, vending machines as their only option for lunch. 

Discussions with students on campus 

1) The first person i interviewed was a student n her freshmen year at the University of  Florida. Originally from Tampa and  with this year being her first year at Gainesville she wasn't aware of the options around her and chose to opt for a meal plan instead. While she seemed relatively satisfied with the quality of food being served at Broward hall, she did claim that the meal plan was costly and hence she wouldn't be able to continue it in the future. I then asked her if she was aware of the options available on and off campus as well. To which she replied she knew of The Hub and the fast food joints available at Reitz, but due to the inconvenience of long lines and her hectic schedule she wasn't able to go there often and instead if she really feels like enjoying something from outside she just orders it online which is way more convenient for her. 

2) The second person I spoke to was my roommate who is in her senior year at UF. Since most of her classes are online she doesn't spend much time on campus except for when she feels she really needs to attend class. Upon asking what she has for lunch on campus on days when shes short on time, she said she just goes to the salad bar and grabs that or skips a meal and comes home and cooks herself something. I then asked why doesn't she prefer the on campus options that are available, she said that there are limited healthy options and plus she has some dietary restrictions and hence she cant really have anything from outside. So she ends up buying a bunch of groceries from Publix and ends up cooking herself something at home according to her diet plan and taste which she enjoys a lot because she finds cooking to be very therapeutic. 

3) The third person I spoke to regarding this was my friend who goes to Ohio state university. He informed me that since his liberal arts campus is small with only about 2000 students enrolled, and limited options, finding healthy inexpensive food on or off campus can be quite challenging and a hassle, so he and his friends mostly stick to the dining halls and end up consuming the unhealthy options available. Living in a dorm he cant really cook the meals for himself and the off campus options available leads to sometimes in abundance. But he does go to gym regularly and keeps himself in check. Being a fruit lover in the past I asked how many of servings of fruit he has in a day to which he replied he has three apples in  a week because he rarely goes grocery shopping. 

4) My other friend at City University of New York, stated that her university department has done a great deal in creating a healthy and sustainable way of eating and promoted it a lot in her 2 years of being there.  They have started their own Healthy CUNY initiative which ensures that students have easy access to healthy options and leave CUNY healthier and better than when they previously entered. By conducting numerous surveys on the kind of healthy snacks and drinks most students preferred, they devised a plan that catered to the students needs easily by reducing processed snacks and food and candy offering to store more salads and fresh ingredient items. 

5) I then spoke to my brother who is in his senior year about this since hes greatly involved in sports and tries to stay  healthy. Since hes in his senior year he spends almost all day on campus so either hes attending classes or hes studying in the library. With limited healthy options that are either too expensive or just not according to his taste results in him skipping his afternoon meal most of the times. On days when he skips breakfast, he ends up going to Publix or target right after his class ends and either buys hummus and flatbread or tuna. Upon discussing my idea with him, he said that if selected vending machines were stacked with healthier options at low effective rates, labeled with stickers and all to promote the campaign it could be really successful. 

After conducting my interview sessions with the respective people, I have realized how challenging it is for most students to find affordable options on campus and when they arent able to they resort to the other unhealthy alternatives available.