28A – Your Exit Strategy

1) Due to the nature of the business, our spotless services business plan has a limited window of opportunity. The business will only be profitable as long as there is a communal and societal  fear and anxiety surrounding COVID-19. The business is only profitable as long as customers are afraid to visit small businesses at their physical locations and make business transactions as they did during the pre-pandemic era. I think that the best course of action for the business, considering these factors is to play it by ear and to gauge how both the government and the public face issues regarding the pandemic. I estimate that the business would be profitable for no more than a year. After that, if things are scaled back, it could just be a PPE delivery service to individuals and private homes. It could either be subsidized by the city or county, if not then business would stop after fixed costs and contracts are completed.  Profit would have been made, and the rest is left behind. I find it unlikely the a buyer for the business would be found. I would say it should stay as the delivery subscription service until it is no longer worth doing. 

2) I selected this exit strategy as it is one that fits the nature of the business itself. There is an opportunity for the time being, and money to be made from it. However, it is not exactly long term and won't be lucrative for long. It is a quick buck to be made, though it could make a lot of money in a short period of time. It is all because of the nature of it. However, the lasting psycho-societal damage the pandemic has caused could still make a PPE delivery subscription profitable. 

3) I don't think my exit strategy has influenced much of the actual business itself. Though I assume I should have taken this into account, since the business is going to be relatively short term and the resources should not keep me in business under contract more than a year. The opportunity is fleeting, the business should make its money and then end it or at least severely scale it back. I do think it has limited by intention to grow since I thought there wasn't much opportunity after the pandemic slows down. However, I think I made a mistake limited myself. I think that a subscription PPE delivery service could work. Some contracts can be maintained and it could still make money. 

26A – Celebrating Failure

1) Financial Accounting.... a class feared by many and known as one of the most difficult within the University of Florida curriculum. Naturally, I decided to take it in the shortest time possible, in one of the most tumultuous times of our lifetime. I had heard many things about the class, even the smartest of my friends cringed at the mention of the class. After taking it, I share that same deep disdain for the class. I had gone my entire life in school getting great grades by doing my homework and paying attention in lecture. It worked for me every time until this class. I had never failed so badly, by my standards, in my educational history. I did the bare minimum on the first test, watching the lectures and doing the homework alone, and it destroyed me. Then, I did the same for the 2nd test and tried to slow it down and really understand the concepts. It frustrated me to no end and it let to some anxiety attacks. I did better, but not very well. By the time the 3rd test came around, I did everything available to me. I watched and took notes on lectures, I did the homework and extra practice problems, and even did the practice tests. I only ever ended up doing just as well as the last. However, I learned a lot. In the end, i did mediocre at best. 

2) I learned a lot during this class. I used to rely on the idea that I would try my absolute best and take solace in the idea that I could not do better. For the longest time, I would not check my grades, since I felt I was already trying my best and being disappointed by bad grades was counter intuitive and would upset me for no reason, as the it was in the past and could not be changed. However, looking at my failures motivates me to try even harder in the future. Sometimes, you have to face your failures to motivate you in the future. Sometimes, you can try your best and still fail too though. The class also taught me that sometimes in order to achieve, we have to evolve. In this case, a strict regiment was needed and a lot of practice.

3) I used to have extreme anxiety over the thought of potentially failing or having already failed. I would never look at bad results, as I figured it was better know I tried hard than to just be upset about it. Though it sounds dramatic, I do have very bad anxiety and it greatly affects people in many  different ways. I knew a friendly acquaintance, who suffered sever anxiety and depression from not being able to pass the class and sadly it ended very badly. This class has dramatically changed my view of behavior. Though it sounds like a cliche, I have learned that failure is part of the process and that it should be embraced. I have learned that, through success or failure, I will, now on, embrace the experience of every risk and opportunity. It is something I look forward to now. It excites me, as I can either accomplish something great at the moment or learn something to help me succeed later. I am definitely more likely to take risks now. 

25A – What’s Next?

Existing Market- Due to the nature of the business and the limited window of opportunity that exists for it to be lucrative, the company does not have much use after the COVID issue is done for. However, it is expected to remain for maybe another year or so, the company would have to evolve to changing needs and there is not much overlap after this is all over. Due to connections and expertise, companies may still higher us to do routine deep cleanings once or twice a month, however they may decide to implement it themselves. We could also be a weekly provider and delivery service for PPE and cleaning equipment due to the discounted rates we can negotiate with our partners and the relationships we have with customers. 

The new ventures that can grow of the existing markets are limited due to the context specific nature of the business to begin with. As I stated there won't be much overlap into a new context after the pandemic is over. However, due to the last impact that this pandemic will have to our culture, we may become the face of pandemic prevention in our local area. The new norm will be more socially distant and will be cleaner public areas. We can then provide certain maintenance services to these businesses after it is all over. 

New Market- We will become a non for profit PPE provider for the homeless and also expand to the B2C part of businesses by offering a subscription to cleaning services and PPE.  We are targeting a more private sector, with more lower cost transactions. The business would have to evolve slightly and our workforce would have to increase. We can create a bundle with necessary cleaning equipment, masks, gloves, and newsletters with updates about diseases regionally and globally. 

My assumption that certain aspects of this pandemic will be lasting in our society and has changed the way people think is true. People will be more cautious when it comes to infectious diseases and that within itself has its own opportunities. People will want to be cleaner and protect themselves, their loved ones, and other from getting a disease. They will want to clean their belongings more often and probably would not trust themselves to do it as thoroughly as professionals can. This new market would be a lot of work but can be just as lucrative, if not more, as the original one. However, after this pandemic is over, the old market will be obsolete and this is the only other logical path to take as a business. 

24A – Venture Concept No. 1

Opportunity- Our opportunity arises in the time of Corona Virus in the United States. Many small business are at risk of going bankrupt as customers fear going to physical locations. They fear contracting the virus and spreading it to their loved ones. Even if the locations are technically safe, they do not feel it. Many small business either do not have online services or are more reliant on person to person transactions. The opportunity arises in the Broward county area of Florida and is specific to small businesses who are reliant on person to person interactions and are typically owned by families. This includes middle aged, small boutique and restaurant owners. Some have put up no precautions of their own, have put minimal, or have transferred online completely. However, they would prefer to have face to face interactions. This is a relatively big opportunity for a college student and can be lucrative. The window of opportunity is for however long COVID 19 remains a problem in South Florida.

Innovation- Spotless Services is a team of people who provide a service and product. We supply store locations of our customers with gloves and KN95 masks and hand sanitizers, offer the instillation of air purifiers and filters, formatting and configure foot traffic in a safe manner, and provide training to employees on how to use safe practices and deal with customers during the corona virus. For the standard of just buying PPE, it is $150 per bundel. For PPE and Instillation of filters or air purifiers it ranges between $400 and $600, depending on the size. For the full package including training and store configuration it is probably close to $1,200. 

Venture Concept- People will hire us due to the fact that this is our specialty. We are an all in one service during the pandemic. They could do it themselves, but it would be more costly, take more time, and take away from efforts of running the business and keeping it afloat during these trying times. It would not be very hard to switch at all, as most would jump to the idea of something like this. The only competitors would be the small stores themselves, to fend for themselves. However, as I stated, it would be more costly for them all around. The customer experience is everything in our business, we provide our customers, and their customers, peace of mind knowing and feeling that they are safe in physical store locations. We are always on call for maintenance or to replenish supplies. We are also about the community experience and showing customers that we care about them as people as well. 

Minor Elements

Our Secret Sauce- Our most powerful advantage is the psychological tactics we use to get customers to spend money and make transaction in store locations like before. We allow them to feel assured that they are  safe and can conduct business. 

Next Venture- We could potentially expand to selling some PPE to private customers in bulk or even providing our services to state sponsored businesses or public areas. Some companies may prefer us to employ new policies quickly in certain locations instead of them opening slowly, waiting for the bureaucratic/corporate processes of large franchises. 

What's next for me?- I hope the need for this businesses would not last very long. I hope to make the money that can be made while COVID is still an issue and then be done with it after it is not anymore. However, I expect that business will continue for at least another 9 months. I believe that this will be the norm for a while. I hope to later either invest the money I make in this or use it to finance another business plan down the road, while still giving me the experience to help me later in life.  

23A – Your Venture’s Unfair Advantage

1. Superior Customer Service- Due to the fact that our business is locally based and is set to be kept that way, our employee customer relations will be superior due to the individuals relations to the community itself and its culture. Also, we are bilingual. 

Valuable- This is quite valuable as many deeply appreciate doing business with someone they see as being relatable or even kin. 

Rare-  This is uncommon, but not rare. Most companies that see great success, expand and no longer maintain the sense of family. 

Inimitable- I assume this can be copied by others but I do not know of any people who have the idea to do this nor do they have the resources we have

Non-substituable-  Many of the small businesses can probably do all the things we do, however it would probably be tedious, inefficient, done at a higher price, and would require time to be spent out of their business.

 

2. High Maintenance Response- Due to its local nature, if there are repairs that need to be made. We can respond quickly. 

 

Valuable- This is a very valued characteristics in companies involving customer relation

Rare- Most companies are not as responsive as we are capable of being, we communicate and execute effectively. 

Inimitable- I do not think it is feasible for others to do this so I do not think they can provide the same as we can. 

Non-Substitutable- It is substituable, however they would have to call people who specialize in certain things. We are the easier more complete option. 

 

3. Group of Specialized Employees

 

Valuable- Having a group of people who specialize in a job you are trying to do 

Rare- Not very rare, as most companies have people who specialize in the job they do 

Inimitable- Many people could essentially hire others that do the jobs I need such as carpenters, plumbers, and hard working people

Non-Substitutable- This can not be substituted, as this is vital to a successful business. 

 

4. Charismatic Group of People

 

Valuable- Customers appreciate likable people. They are more inclined to refer them to others and doing continued business with someone charismatic

Rare- It is uncommon for people to like the people they do business with. 

Inimitable- Charisma is not very replicable.  You can not be fake being likable and you can not fake the social skills necessary for it. 

Non-Substiutable- There is nothing to substitute certain human capital/characteristics. 

 

5. Free Marketing Due to Concentrated Hispanic Community

 

Valuable- Marketing is very valuable to get the popularity of your company out there and get more business. The fact that it was free is even better. Plus, hispanic people are very talkative and quick to refer others. 

Rare- This sort of free marketing is rare to come by and is best in urban areas with people from warm cultures. 

Inimitable- This sort of marketing is not replicable. It is very difficult to get that sort of publicity

Non-Substitutable- Marketing can be substituded, however it is typically pricey and complicated. 

 

6. Cheaper utilities due to ties with major companies

 

Valuable- Customers appreciate lower costs and will return for that reason. In turn, the business could make more of profit 

Rare- Not very rare, as most businesses form close B2B relationships to secure lower costs by buying in bulk 

Inimitable- Other businesses can form relationship with other suppliers to secure discounts and overall cheaper costs

Non-Substitutable- Cheaper prices are not very substitutable

 

7. Supply of superior masks, as KN95

Valuable- Very valuable, as these masks are not in high supply and are also not given out so freely at stores. Employees and customers alike would greatly appreciate it.

Rare- As I said before, KN95 masks aren’t very common and are uncommon

Intimitable- The effectiveness of the mask is not replicable as the others provide less protection and are thinner in nature

Non-Substitutable- The product is substitutable, however the substitutes are not the same quality and do not provide the same protection

 

8. The expertise in training employees in safety protocols and customer handling

Valuable- Having the knowledge and ability to train employees is very valuable in this business. It helps keep everyone safe and allows business to resume as usual.

Rare- No one is training employees to handle the situations that covid has brought forth, at least not outside of franchises. So this is rare.

Intimitable- People can come up with policies and replicate our training process

Non-Substitutable- There is no real substitute for the training process. Unless the business can go fully online or automated, there will always be customer/ employee interactions and physical locations.

 

9. Financial Capital via family and friends- A perk to being an only child while also having a massive, close family is that people are always willing to help. This is either by offering financial aid or professional expertise.

Valuable- This type of investment is valuable as it will not leave you liable to pay people back, at least not in a fixed period, and you do not incur debt.

Rare- It is rare to have people who love you and are willing to invest so heavily in one of your projects. It is also rare to have such a large amount of people. As I said, I am an only child in a very large, close, supportive family.

Intimitable- This can be replicated with others’ ideas, however I believe I may have a greater supply and support.

Non-Substitutable- There are substitutes for this financial capital but they involve a lot of risk, effort, interest, or debt.

 

10. The added psychological effect of the brand- One of the major obstacles other than making it safe for people to do business, is to make people FEEL they are safe doing business. This is done by enriching the brand and publicizing a strong, reassuring brand image along with a sticker, to drive it home in all of our customers’ locations.

Valuable- The psychological aspect of our service is key, as it is one of the driving reasons why people are not going to physical store locations, out of fear and anxiety.  

Rare- The consideration of peoples psychological concerns and needs is something that nearly all businesses are neglecting. No one is really worried about how customers are feeling and only care about technicalities and abiding by the law in these times.

Intimitable- It can be imitated, however creating a brand image is difficult. Also, once a brand image is solidified prior to yours, it is hard to compete with them.

Non-Substitutable- The only other thing other than a strong brand image and stickers to help keep people’s minds at bay is the use of commercials specific to the times. This however is extremely expensive and sometimes not effective.

 

I believe the top resource we have is the psychological effect of our brand image and sticker. It is the thing that sets us apart from most companies, all others are capable of the technical work that our business does. However, they are not capable of putting the customers’ minds at ease and returning customers to physical locations using psychological tactics. We leave a lasting impression in the minds of businesses and consumers alike.

 

 

22A- Elevator Pitch No. 3

1) https://youtu.be/8B6tiV54yJg

2) The common denominator on all the feedback I received is that I did not discuss how the influence of my company would be able to successfully bring back customers to stores and increase revenue during this time of pandemic. I made sure to include a little more in my pitch about how it helps people feel more safe and assured, to be able to continue business as usual.

3) Obviously this time around, the pitch felt a lot more complete as I was able to fill the holes in the persuasive argument that is my pitch and form a more holistic idea. I feel a lot more comfortable in front of the camera and some of it is memorized, after a little refreshers. I think I have done a better job at vocalizing and better job with my hand motions as well. 

21A – Reading Reflection No. 2

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

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

 The general theme of the book is within the title itself. It does not take something completely individually special to be a great success. It teaches us that by failing in a systematic way and, as cliche as it sounds, learning something from your failures, you can be a great success. It teaches the formula of being successful and that it is pretty fool proof as long as you do it. It not only teaches you how to be a better person in your career, but in your personal life, by managing your personal energy. 

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

Well, the book goes hand in hand with what professor Pryor has been talking about all semester. You don't have to have a secret special talent in order to be a successful entrepreneur. It is all a process that we all have to learn and evolve in, to win big. There are skills we can learn and things we can experiences that will help us be better along the way. There is always going to be a trial and error process in our lives, but its our job to turn it to an advantage by controlling what we can and how we react to the things we can not. 

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

An exercise I would design on this class, based on the book, would be highlighting the differences between goals and a system. I would have students come up with 4 goals and how they can instead be turned into systems. The author abhors the idea of setting goals, as either you fail or you don't, while systems are different as it is a life style change and makes progressive micro goals. I would also have people prioritize their personal energies as how they have it in certain domains of their lives in the present and have them prioritize their energies in certain domains of their lives as they want it to be in the future. 

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 surprise I read in this book is how practical it is and how it isn't very sappy. It was at times even quite cynical about the world. It was pretty cut and dry about everything and made fun about the classic career advice cliche's like "find your passion" and "set goals". It was very pragmatic, realistic, and makes success seem attainable, as long as you are willing to fail and evolve. 

20A- Growing Your Social Capital

Domain Expert:

1) Dr. Samuels, a general practitioner, is the head doctor at one of the medical centers near my house. He has been my doctor for years and has helped thousands of people. He stays informed on many public health concerns and suggests certain routes of actions to all of his patients. 

2) Dr. Samuels is a domain expert as he has an extensive medical education and is practicing doctor who is heavily involved in research and public health organizations and news. 

3) Dr. Samuels is my local doctor. I took the opportunity to interview him quickly during my routine annual checkup this week. He had no problem helping me as we have known each other for years and it was below 10 minutes. 

4) Dr. Samuels and I are very humorous and crude people. Since we've known each other since I was 5 years old we have developed a repertoire of progressively funnier inside jokes an nuances. He helps solve any of my medical needs and educational curiosities. In return, I brighten up his day as I am typically one of his more energetic, joking, kind, and educated patients and I typically show curiosity into his personal life. 

5) Having Dr. Samuels in my social network helps in the sense that I know I can turn to him for practical and complex medical advice and recommendations. He also started his own private practice, so he may be able to offer me insight on the business aspect of being a doctor. 

Market Expert: 

1) Michael is the store manager of my local publix. He has been the store manager of this publix for about a year and a half.

2) Michael fills the slot of market expert as he runs a grocery store during the time of Corona. He is exactly the target market my business would try to service. He helps implement safety precautions into a store that has heavy daily foot traffic. 

3) I was grocery shopping this week and took the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, and asked if I could speak to a manager, making sure they knew it was for a personal educational interview as to not create panic. I waited for about  5 minutes and one of the employees had him come out and he sat me down in his back office and let me talk to him. 

4) It was a pleasantly surprising exchange. Michael gave me the information I needed for this assignment and he turned out to be a great guy. In return, I think I surprised him by breaking the monotony of his job and do something he has never done before. We had pleasant conversation and we'll probably have friendly short conversations if we are to see each other again at Publix. 

5) Michael is useful to have in my social network since he is the sort of branch manager of a large corporation. He knows what it is like to take orders from upper management and in turn, knows how to implement the COVID guidelines set out for him into his local branch. He knows how to mobilize people and complete a task of that sort of nature. He may be able to tell me how he had his employees trained as well. 

Supplier Expert:

1) Carlos is one of the sales managers of Home Depot by my house. He is in charge of customer relations and selling to major business in bulk. 

2) Carlos fits the supplier expert spot as he sells many of the products and services to companies that we would modify to sell to small businesses. This includes air purifiers, AC filtration systems, and even masks. 

3) I called my local Home Depot and ask if I can interview a someone in the sales department. I was on hold for about 15 minutes. A woman named Laura picked up the phone and then transferred me to Carlos. I asked him if I could speak to him for 10 minutes as I needed it for a project for UF. 

4) It was a decent and short exchange. He seemed busy. He provided me with the experience I needed and even gave me his phone number if I needed to use it later on. He seemed eager to help and liked feeling needed. 

5) Carlos is useful in the sense that if I were to start this business, I would be doing a lot of business with Carlos as I would have to buy many of the store products in bulk and would try and capitalize on our relationship by getting certain discounts and saving on money or even instillation fees. 

Reflection:

This has helped in the sense of easing my anxiety and helping me learn how easy it is to network. It takes a little research and maybe a couple of phone calls or emails to create a relationship with someone who is willing to help you. Most people are willing to meet others and help them out. You can practically force yourself into a relationship with people in your social network. Before, I would typically just wait for networking to happen by pure chance of meeting others and having conversation with them. Now, I know I can go out there and essentially just decide I want to meet and have a conversation with someone, and they become a part of my network. 

17A – Elevator Pitch No. 2

1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cm18VUHCbA4

2) Unfortunately, when I filmed this for the first elevator pitch assignment, there was an error with the upload and I could not get the video up on time before the assignment closed out. Due to this, I never received feedback and never got any useful information. However, if I were to offer criticism to myself  I would probably start talking more about the solution we provide and with more detail. 

3) I did not change anything, as I was unable to receive feedback due to the assignment closing out before I could post.  

18A – Create a Customer Avatar

The ideal customers is probably a middle aged man, probably around his 50's and probably feels as such, and is married with at least 3 children. This gentleman, probably Hispanic, as are most of the people in my area, owns a family business, probably a restaurant, and is mainly employed by the family members themselves and has very few other employees outside the family. This man likes sports such as soccer or baseball and likes to fish and spend time with his family. However, he is always worrying about his restaurant and how he can increase revenue. He is typically very tired after work and just settles to watch whatever his wife decides to watch, however he used to like peaky blinders and game of thrones. He is a very family oriented and has an unconscious desire to prove his deceased parents proud, who brought him from another country in South America. He can be loud and authoritative and somewhat grumpy, but he eases it with sarcasm, jokes, and affection towards his children and wife. He tends to get to know his customers and charms them, making them feel like family in his restaurant. Much of the revenue comes from these regulars. This man is probably a republican, as many of us Hispanics tend to be for at first, but agrees with many of the democrat's ideals and is questioning his party affiliation as his kids speak to him about their views. He just wants to make a living with his business, care for his family, and make them proud of him. 

I feel like this avatar is man that has many traits from many people in my life such as my grandfather who had his own plumbing business, my uncle who is a charismatic man who makes everyone feel welcome, with the strong sense of familial affection and importance that we all share in our family. I share many of all these attributes and I think that I see a little of what I hope to be in the future, in this avatar. I think we draw a lot of our imagination from the experiences round us and that is why this character seems so familiar to me. 

19A – Idea Napkin No. 2

1) I am someone who is very detailed oriented, very ambitious, and very creative. I am very good at communicating and empathizing with people. I have had many experiences in both business settings, throughout my many internships, as well as in the field installing and repairing different household appliances with my grandfather's plumbing business. I know the charm and hard work it takes to build a clientele and maintain it. I hope to build several businesses of my own one day. I believe that if I were to start my business now, it would play a very heavy roe in my life for a couple of months, maybe a year and a half tops. People's fear of the corona virus are quickly dissipating, even if they shouldn't be and they are returning to their normal lives. 

2)  We are offering customers both a product and a service. Spotless Services provides a service where we provide stores with their own supplies of PPE and cleaning supplies, while also providing them with a set of policies and training sessions on how to deal with customers during this time and keeping everyone, including customers and employees safe and healthy. We also provide the customers with peace of mind. 

3) We are offering this product to small, local, non franchised businesses in the Broward county area whose business has been severely affected by the virus and have not yet had policies put in place to combat the fear and anxiety that customers feel while entering a physical location now. 

4) The businesses care because they need their customers to return, if the their business is to survive these trying times. This service is mainly for the customers' sake, which in turn, helps the business and its employees. Many customers have built up anxiety and fear of contracting the virus themselves or infecting their loved ones due to what they hear in every media source they encounter. Many have yet to go outside, and even fewer would like to go to shop at a location that has not taken any precautions to prevent employees or customers from getting sick. This service is meant to attract customers and help them feel safe and willing to enter into the physical location of the business and spend their money, feeling and knowing they are safe. This could be directly applied to the elderly as they are the most at risk. 

5) I believe I am driven and creative with approach to problem solving and that is what sets me apart from most people with an idea. I am a person of action as well as thought. I also have a network of trade workers who specialize in the repair and instillation of appliances. This includes carpenters, electricians, plumbers, painters, and cleaners.

I believe that all the aspects of this business concept go hand in hand with one another. My only fear is that the true window of opportunity to make money with this business maybe small. People's fear of the virus has quickly dissipated in a matter of a few short weeks. There will not be many businesses left that see this as a need anymore and maybe less willing to pay for such a service. Our only hope, which sounds bad and I would not wish this upon the world but see that it may become a reality, is that after the second larger wave of corona virus infections, businesses demand for such a service will surge.  UPDATE- The second wave has begun. 

Feedback Memo- After feedback from my peers, I have come to have a little more hope in my business plan. My fear before was that since things were beginning to reopen, I would have no time to capitalize on my idea and the situation and environment it would thrive in, however things are beginning to close up again and I could potentially do a relaunch when things open begin to open again sometime in the future. Another point brought up is how the idea can really help the elderly when things open up, since they are the most at risk. I would just make the precautions so that I myself would feel comfortable having my own grandparents in a store during the pandemic, and apply those precautions to all customers. Making it as safe as possible for everyone.