5A- Local Opportunities

Whats up blog,

I have been researching opportunities in the local area-

Here are five that I have found

One pedestrian dead, one injured after two accidents in Gainesville Monday

https://www.wcjb.com/content/news/One-pedestrian-dead-one-injured-after-two-accidents-in-Gainesville-Monday-567409791.html

Several people were hurt this weekend in Gainesville traffic. This included a woman walking in the crosswalk and a man in the bike lane. This is a problem for the people of Gainesville who use other forms of transportation. This problem is a result of the lack of effective street crossing, and inadequate bike paths/lanes.

Restaurant news: Satchel’s donates, Lit at Midtown opens

https://www.gainesville.com/news/20200129/restaurant-news-satchelrsquos-donates-lit-at-midtown-opens

While this may seem like a positive article, the paper discusses restaurants that have closed. Business owners often have trouble starting up and reaching new customers. There needs to be a way to advertise more effectively and gather new business toward hesitant residents of the city.

High-priority violations: Alachua County restaurant inspections (Jan. 20-25) 

gainesville.com/photogallery/LK/20200129/PHOTOGALLERY/129009984/PH/1

This article discusses restaurant infractions in the local area. From reading the article, it seems like well established venues, such as the University Hilton, have issues with health violations. If there was a way for them to hire consultants on a regular basis, their food safety could be evaluated before inspectors even arrive.

Gainesville man steals guns from neighbor’s shed, deputies say

https://www.gainesville.com/news/20200127/gainesville-man-steals-guns-from-neighbors-shed-deputies-say

According to this article, there was a break in involving stolen firearms. This is a very dangerous situation, as criminals now have access to dangerous weapons which can harm others in the community. The article claims that only after an investigation of finger prints, were the firearms located. However at this point, the burglar already is armed and commit further crimes in the long amount of time it takes the police to investigate. If there was a way to place a tracking device on firearms, we could know exactly where the weapons are located, and apprehend the suspect/prevent harm.

GPD: McDonald’s near UF robbed in wee hours

https://www.gainesville.com/news/20200108/gpd-mcdonaldrsquos-near-uf-robbed-in-wee-hours

This article explains a robbery that occurred near UF at the McDonald's on W. University. The robbers were carrying rifles. That McDonald's often has issues late at night. They need to be able to control access to the building overnight. If there was a way to have a camera or doorbell, to only let actual patrons inside, they could prevent unwanted vagrants and criminals from harassing the workers and customers.

4A- My opportunity belief

We as college students live in a dynamic area. The surrounding campus, town, and regions host numerous opportunities for business owners. To be blunt, without UF, Gainesville would just be another small North Central FL city. The transient population of 40,000+ students sustains businesses that would otherwise not exist. With that said, there are a host of unmet needs that can be solved here. One that comes to mind easily is parking around campus. The vast majority of UF’s students do not live on campus, meaning that they either walk, drive, or use public transportation to commute to campus. Those who walk have it easy, their commute is care free, meaning they do not have to account for traffic, parking, or buses arriving on time. I work at a local apartment complex close to campus. Our garage is designed to hold retail and resident traffic, not commuter. However, with the extreme shortage of parking at UF and close city parking, our garage fills up with commuters who pay a high fee for our garage. Luckily, I am able to walk, but I have countless friends who are fed up with the parking situation here. For them, just getting to class takes up a large portion of their day, and results in undue stress on already stressed out college students. UF has not always had this issue however, as just a few decades prior, most students lived on or in close proximity to campus. As a result, the university and surrounding areas were not designed to handle the traffic that occurs today. There is an opportunity to provide affordable parking for students. Several large housing developers have already started the process of buying up land behind midtown. If garages were developed to handle commuters, UF students could successfully commute in a timely fashion with little to no stress, while business owners could make a large profit. 

To get a further glimpse I sat down with 3 of my friends who commute to campus on a daily basis. 

The first person I spoke with is my friend Sam Simon. He lives in an off campus apartment complex near the Oaks Mall, and has to commute 5 days a week to campus. I asked him about his commute and if there were any difficulties surrounding it. He explained to me that his main issue is finding a spot, and worrying about not getting a ticket. Sam told me that he parks at a friends house behind midtown. However, this spot is not always available and that he must find city parking near the house if the spot is taken. However, since he is not a resident, he is not eligible for a city decal, and thus must try and avoid the inevitable citation. He became aware of his need for parking his freshman year at UF, as he didn’t realize the hassle of the commute. I asked him why he didn’t park at the UF park and ride lot, since he isn’t a graduate student and not eligible for a commuter lot decal. He explained that the park and ride lot is in a terrible location, and the bus service isn’t consistent and doesn’t take him near his classes. He said that he would much prefer to park and walk, instead of having to rely on transportation. He told me that his solution for parking currently isn’t working, and that he is now forced to move closer to campus and pay higher rent, just to be able to get to class on time.

The next person I spoke with is my friend Mark Davey. Mark lives in the south part of Gainesville in apartment complex not near a bus route. I also asked about Mark’s campus commute to see if there were any issues. Unlike Sam, Mark is a grad student, and he explained that he is eligible for a commuter decal. However this did not come without out problems. Apparently UF issues more decals than parking spots, and if you aren’t early, the spots in the commuter lot fill up. Mark’s classes are in the afternoon, and he told me that often he spends more time looking for a spot than he does driving to campus. He stated that he doesn’t feel his problem will be satisfied with UF parking, as the space on campus doesn’t exist. He feels that the only way to make his commute easier would be to live closer to campus so he could walk. However, as a grad student, finding housing that is peaceful and study-friendly is not easy. Midtown to him is not ideal, as he does not want to be surrounded by undergraduates who party and are loud. 

Finally, I spoke with my friend John Kim. John lives in a house that is 2 miles north of campus on 13^thstreet. When I asked him about his commute, he had one word, “Terrible”. John rides the bus to campus, as he is an undergrad and cannot find parking near UF that is on his way to campus. His main issues arise from the transportation system. The bus that takes him near his house only runs every 40 minutes. Unfortunately, he explained, his class gets out 5-10 minutes after the bus stops by his class, and thus he must wait 30+ minutes on average for the next bus. Additionally, his route is not circular, meaning that he must ride to the end of the bus route, and have it turn around, just to get home. His commute home on the bus is sometimes upwards of 45 minutes. John told me that he wishes he could drive, but at the moment it is not an option. He is unhappy with his transport to campus, but does not anticipate the city changing the route soon on the basis of one unhappy student. 

Reflecting on these interviews, I realized that transportation to and around UF is a complicated issue. Each student has varying needs and times when they have to be at UF. I was surprised how many different issues there are surrounding peoples commute. If there is no parking, UF and city officials offer public transportation, but that doesn’t work for everyone. This is a complex issue, and an opportunity to make a profit. Sam, Mark, and John are all average students trying to get to campus, and even with differing levels of parking services, there are still problems

In summary, the opportunity to provide affordable parking for students is larger than ever. If apartment complexes are able to acquire land surrounding UF for new construction, than parking solutions can definitely be develop to service the need. There needs to be an in-depth analysis with survey research, so that entrepreneurs can develop solutions to needs like this. After speaking with prototypical customers, I learned so much about the specifics of the issues and learned what should be provided to solve the everyday problems of students.

3A- My entrepreneurship story

Whats up blog...

To those reading, here is how my life relates to entrepreneurship. Since I was a kid, I have always been fascinated by how people can make money. My first experience as entrepreneur was when I was just 6 years old. I did the stereotypical thing that every American kid does and set up a lemonade stand in my front lawn. It was my first introduction into how cost and revenue work together. The concept of entrepreneurship has always intrigued me. As a teenager, I watched the movies and documentaries on the rise of tech giants such as Facebook and Amazon. It amazed me how college dropouts could go on to be some of the most successful figures in the business world. In high school, I was able to apply this, and was very successful in fundraising events, such as my swim team bake sale.  To me, the most exciting aspect of entrepreneurship is the fact that in the face of adversity, people can make their own success if they are driven and willing to put the time in. I hope to apply this in my life, and become successful even when faced with challenges.

In Principles of Entrepreneurship, I hope to refine my skills on becoming a successful business owner. I want to know what it takes to be at the reins of a prospering company, and how to turn a great idea into a great business. This class will allow me to take my fascination and develop real skills from a passion.

Below is a picture of my swim team after our meet and bake sale

2A- things that bug me

1.) iPhone chargers that stop working after a month.
       1a.) This is because the only affordable phone chargers are made by third parties.

2.) Air takes up more than half a bag of chips.
       2a.) Chip manufacturers make the bags filled with air to make customers believe they are getting more chips.

3.) J walkers on west university during the day.
       3a.) This is because there is insufficient crossing between campus and midtown buildings and people are lazy.

4.) Pub sub line is always so long at the 13th and University Publix.
      4a.) This is because their deli department cannot handle the traffic of students.

5.) Small portions at the Chipotle at West University.
      5a.) This is because their kitchen cannot handle the traffic and they are able to sell more bowls with less meat.

6.) The predatory actions of car dealership service departments.
      6a.) They often claim that things are wrong with your car when they really aren't. This is because they want to take your money.

7.) The inconsistency of the UF Warrington Business Advising office.
      7a.) They pass students from department to department from one advisor to the next just to solve one little problem. They do this because advising problems are often too complicated for them to solve in the advising office.

8.) Grocery stores selling milk and other dairy products that are about to expire.
      8a.) They do this to empty their inventory even though it is somewhat of a unethical business practice.

9.) The back of an iPhone cracks too easily.
      9a.) Apple does this because they use cheap glass when manufacturing iPhones so they can save money and also make money because people will purchase new phones.

10.) People not using their turning signals during rush hour in Gainesville.
       10a.) This is because people are in a hurry to get home and are more focused on getting home as soon as possible and navigating through the heavy traffic.

11.) Trader Joe's brown paper bags that always rip.
       11a.) The employees often do not double bag. In addition, Trader Joe's saves money by giving out less bags.

12.) The paper straw ordinance in Gainesville.
       12a.) This is because everyone thinks that plastic straws are killing the Earth.

13.) When professors make the textbook for their class when you don't have to use it.
       13a.) This is because professors often get book deals if they promote a major publishing company.

14.) The inconsistency of the traffic light at 13th and University.
        14a.) This is because that intersection has a major rush hour and varies very significantly in traffic patterns throughout the day.

15.) Sweatshirts that shrink significantly after only washing them once.
       15a.) This is because most sweatshirts are made with cheap material.

16.) The Publix on West University is always out of chicken fingers.
       16a.) The deli management is more concerned with other departments.

17.) Water fountains that are not cold.
       17a.) Places don't want to pay for refrigerated water fountains.

18.) Movie theaters that only put butter on the top layer on popcorn.
       18a.) The employees are too lazy and don't care about the customers desires.

19.) When restaurants charge you for extra sauce like ranch with your hot wings.
       19a.) This is because the restaurant business is a very difficult one to be in and owners try to make money anywhere they can.

20.) When you are the only roommate to take out the trash or buy paper towels.
        20a.) This is because most people in our generation were spoiled as kids and their parents did everything for them.

Reflection:

Honestly, I did not think making this list was too difficult. It's crazy to think how many little things in my day to day life actually bother me. In order for me to figure out what i was going to put on this list I sat down and thought about everything that had upset me that day. Then, I thought about where I was and what I was doing. Was my environment around me the reason I got upset or what it something else that triggered my emotions? Once I discovered the answer to that question, I was able to determine my top 20 "bugs" in my everyday life.

Testing it out

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