30A- Final Reflection

30A- Final Reflection

The Exit Strategy assignment stuck out to me most. I think it is very important to think about where you want to in 5, 10, 20 years from now and to think about how your career and business choices can affect that. It was exciting and interesting to think about how I plan to live my life and inspired me to work hard for my future. I am most proud of accomplishing the Elevator Pitch. The Elevator Pitch looked very scary at first glance but once I started it I felt more comfortable and eager to complete the assignment. By Elevator Pitch No. 3 I felt like I truly improved and made some great changes. 

Yes, I do see myself as an entrepreneur. I am not dreaming but doing. I think the main thing I learned from this class is that being an entrepreneur is about overcoming and to keep moving forward. I can say with confidence from the exercises in the class I have overcame each exercise and as I was given opportunities to re do the exercises, I made improvements each and every time. Yes, I do think I have made steps to having the entrepreneurial mindset. I am no longer thinking small picture but big picture. Every decision is made with the thoughts of the future, and also from my customers point of view. 

I would recommend to students who are going to journey down this path in the future to have a positive outlook on each assignment. I would recommend each student to choose an opportunity they are truly passionate about and would seriously consider doing in the future. Having passion and eagerness about your opportunity makes each assignment more interesting and allows you to explore options for your future. To foster the entrepreneurial mindset I would recommend looking at each assignment as an opportunity for improvement and to understand that your work may to be perfect but that feedback makes you better and failure gives you the drive to succeed. 

29A- Venture Concept No. 2

29A- Venture Concept No. 2

I think customers would switch to my product because it is a luxury. It is easy to use and will save time and money. I know it is hard to make people want to switch sunscreens, however, my machine will have access to as many of the different sunscreen brands as possible and we don’t ask you to switch sunscreens but how you apply it. We will provide demonstrations videos and simple step by step instructions on how to use the machine. 

There are not any sunscreen application machines that I know of, so my competitors are the sunscreen bottle companies that are already very established. My product is vulnerable because it relies on the fact that people will be willing to try something new. Since I am mainly targeting people on vacation, they will most likely be more willing to try something new, however, will people get adventurous with sunscreen application or are they going to try new things elsewhere. My competitors’ weaknesses are that they do not provide application, and they do not provide single use products except for samples which is not enough for an entire vacation. Also, my machine allows for custom sunscreen application. This means you can apply spf 15 to your face and spf 30 to your shoulders. People do not want to have to purchase multiple bottles of sunscreen for a one-week vacation. 

My business plays very strong part in my customers feeling of the worldly help of the product. By a customer using the automatic sunscreen application machine rather than buying the plastic tubes of sunscreen they are saving so much waste of plastic and conserving. The machine can be running off of solar pads so it can be very eco-friendly. Also, customers are not paying for the packaging of the product any more just the product and the use of the machine which will be cheaper than the plastic bottle. Saving time and money is what the automatic sunscreen application machine is all about. The location of the machine will be very convenient to my customers and will influence them to use the machine rather than purchase bottles of sunscreen. 

My business would need a lot of employees to restock the sunscreen application machine. This can be a job for someone at the location of the machine and then my company can provide the delivery of the sunscreen or the delivery person can deliver and restock the machine. 

I think the most important resource to remember is what my customers are looking for and understanding they want a cheap and fast way to apply sunscreen. They also do not want to switch sunscreen so I need to push that the machine has a wide variety of sunscreen brands so people feel comfortable using the machine. 

Next in my venture is to expand into other areas besides just tropical locations. I can venture into ski protectant and application, as well as more dynamic and long-lasting sunscreen. 

Next for me is to help provide people with sun damage knowledge and protection tips to as many people as possible. For my business venture I know it will take time to sign contracts with sunscreen companies and to get the machine made and safety tested but in the long run I would like to be a part of the business until I retire. 

I did not receive any feedback on my first Venture Concept or my What’s Next assignment, however, I do believe from all the assignments my main point of feedback was to ensure people understood how simple the product was and knew about the product prior to arriving at the destination because they may purchase sunscreen prior to arrival to a hotel or beach for vacation. 

I updated my Venture Concept with more detail of what my plans are and the advantages my machine has over my competitors. I also added a lot of what my customer is looking for and wants out of my machine. I also added in the customization of my machine from the feedback I received in previous exercises. 

28A- Your Exit Strategy

28A- Your Exit Strategy 

1.)  I plan to make my business into a family business. With my automatic sunscreen application machine, I think there is a lot of opportunity for growth and improvement with time. I believe that if I hold on to the business through the tough startup phase and get it to the point where it is making a steady profit, I will be able to quickly expand to hotels and resorts all over the world and then update and change the product to be even better. 

2.)  I think I have selected this exit strategy because family is very important to me. I do want to have kids in the future, but I also want to have a career. I think that having a career that your children can go into is very beneficial and can connect the family together. 

3.)  I think that my exit strategy has influenced the other decisions in my business concept by making decisions for the long run. I understand it will take time for my product to be perfect and for it to be a commonly used appliance/machine. I am willing to take the time to develop a product to being extremely popular and well known. I have made my decisions based off the fact that I will be putting in my time to sell and develop the product until it is so well known that it sells its self. To do that I had to make decisions like working with legit companies rather than cheap companies and to make a product that is customizable. 

27A- Reading Reflection No. 3

27 A- Reading Reflection No. 3 

For reading reflection No. 3 I choose to read, The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users, by Guy Kawasaki. 

1.)  The general theme of the book was how to get the most “bang for your buck.” Kawasaki wanted to inform people how to use social media as a tool to market their businesses and themselves. 

2.)  I think the book connected with what we are learning in ENT 3003 by relating the importance of knowing your market. Kawasaki talks about how you can use social media to gain exposure but it’s what you do with that exposure that counts. Make your followers want to be involved with your page and want to learn more about your product. 

3.)  If I had to design an exercise for this class based off of the book, I would have the class choose two forms of social media to use to market their business opportunities and then make a one month plan with goals of what they want to achieve through social media at the end of the month. 

4.)  My biggest surprise when reading, The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users, was that your content doesn’t have to be original it just needs to be unique to you and to your followers. This means you can repost images as long as the relate to your followers and are related to your business. I think this is kind of cheating because you are not coming up with your own content you are just stealing it from someone else, however, I have seen a lot of popular bloggers and social media influencers who post a lot of unoriginal images and content. 

26A- Celebrating Failure

26A- Celebrating Failure 

A time I have failed this semester was when I was studying for a math exam. I worked so hard and studied for three days for one exam. I had already completed all of the homework and lectures and practice exams and scored high on all of them. I wanted to be extra prepared for the exam, so I studied for a long time and I still ended up failing. It was extremely frustrating to put so much time into something and still fall short. 

From this experience I learned that you can work really hard for something and truly deserve something but that does not mean you are going to get it. This experience is extremely valuable because after failing it is so easy to give up but with a class you have to keep going and that relates to life. You may deserve a job or an experience but that does not mean you are going to get it. 

Failure is very difficult. It can be embarrassing, depressing, and hurtful but it teaches you about yourself and what you need to change and improve on. Sometimes the things you need to change are not just effort or work ethic but your outlook on them. I think if I would not have put so much pressure on myself to do well on the exam, I would have scored higher. I needed to mentally tell myself that no matter what I had tried my best and to concentrate on the things you know rather than the things you don’t. 

This class has taught me that failure is a part of life. Everyone fails at someone point and most likely many many many times. You need to embrace failure and learn from your mistakes. 

24A Venture Concept No 1

24 A Venture Concept No 1 Sunscreen Application Machine

I think customers would switch to my product because it is a luxury. It is easy to use and will save time and money. I know it is hard to make people want to switch sunscreens, however, my machine will have access to as many of the different sunscreen brands as possible and we don’t ask you to switch sunscreens but how you apply it. 

There are not any sunscreen application machines that I know of, so my competitors are the sunscreen bottle companies that are already very established. My product is vulnerable because it relies on the fact that people will be willing to try something new. Since I am mainly targeting people on vacation, they will most likely be more willing to try something new, however, will people get adventurous with sunscreen application or are they going to try new things elsewhere. 

My business plays very strong part in my customers feeling of the worldly help of the product. By a customer using the automatic sunscreen application machine rather than buying the plastic tubes of sunscreen they are saving so much waste of plastic and conserving. The machine can be running off of solar pads so it can be very eco-friendly. Also, customers are not paying for the packaging of the product any more just the product and the use of the machine which will be cheaper than the plastic bottle. Saving time and money is what the automatic sunscreen application machine is all about. 

My business would need a lot of employees to restock the sunscreen application machine. This can be a job for someone at the location of the machine and then my company can provide the delivery of the sunscreen or the delivery person can deliver and restock the machine. 

I think the most important resource to remember is what my customers are looking for and understanding they want a cheap and fast way to apply sunscreen. 

Next in my venture is to expand into other areas besides just tropical locations. 

Next for me is to help provide people with sun damage knowledge and protection tips to as many people as possible. 

25 A- What's Next

25 A- What’s Next?

Next in the existing market I need to come up with a way to find many different sunscreens that appeal to different types of people. I need to figure out a way to provide customers with a way to see how the product works and why they should use it. When I interviewed different people, I found that a lot of them would not know the service existed until they had already purchased sunscreen. So essentially, I need to market my product with the hotel, and travel agencies to inform people prior to coming out to the pool or beach. 

I also found that I need to figure out a way to solve the re apply issue. No matter what sunscreen does wear off and people would still need to re-apply. One person said possibly having a purchase number you can buy at the start of your trip. He said you could buy a set of six or so uses so it easy to just run up to the machine, type in a number or code and then reapply without having to re pay. 

As for a new market, I need to look at my machine at places where people aren’t spending their money for pleasure. So at places that are for locals that have a use of a whole bottle of sunscreen rather than a tourist that is at that tropical location for vacation. 

When speaking to locals they said the machine would be useful at places like soccer fields, and outdoor parks so parents don’t have to apply sunscreen to their little ones before practice or play. 

Also, it was brought to my attention that sunscreen is not just for warm weather places. You can get snow and sunburn when you are skiing, so if I can figure out a way to market my machine in the north then my product will not be as seasonal and limited to one area. 

I was very shocked to find out that I could possibly sell my sunscreen application machine up north. It would have to be much more customizable like only applying to face, and back of neck but it could also be before and after ski and snowboarding so people could protect and then nourish their skin after being in the cold without having to take off their gloves and jackets. 

23 A- Venture's Unfair Advantage

23 A- Venture’s Unfair Advantages 

1.    Easy to make. The Automatic Sunscreen machine is easy to make. It is very simple and has parts that can easily be duplicated so it can be mass produced. 

2.    Experience in the sun care industry. My experience in the sun care industry is very valuable and irreplaceable. I know the hard questions o expect like, “is it reef safe?” and “does this mean I won’t get skin cancer?” This questions always have loop holes and customers will look for your weak spots to rule out your product. 

3.    Contacts with sunscreen companies. Having contacts with sunscreen companies is valuable because it allows me to have a good foot in the door with product for my machine. This is not very unique; however, my contacts are very strong and very personal so I know they would be willing to help me out in whatever way I needed. 

4.    Large profit once made. Once the machine is purchased there is not a lot of work that needs to be done other than re loading the machine with sunscreen. This means that the machine can make a great profit and very easily. 

5.    Nothing like it. One of the most important resources and advantages I have is that there is nothing like it. I have never seen any type of sunscreen application machine anywhere. This is a huge advantage because it means little to no competitors. 

6.    Hotel contacts. My hotel contacts are a great resource because I know my friends would allow me to place my machines at their hotels to at least try the machine to see how it goes. This will allow me to gain legitimacy and selling points for other hotels. 

7.    Passion for the product. A major advantage I have is my passion for the product. Not only do I love traveling and tropical warm destinations, but so many in my life have been affected by skin cancer and I will do as much as I can to provide an easy way to preventing sun damage. 

8.    Travel experience. My travel experience is an advantage because I know what people are looking for. I know a lot of people are well traveled so this isn’t very unique, but it is still helpful to understand what luxuries people are willing to pay for. 

9.    Adaptation. One very important thing about the machine is that it will be able to adapt. As people’s views and wants in sunscreen change the machine can be loaded with different product to meet those needs. I have many friends all over the world who study these trends that can help me provide a modern, up to date product. 

10.  Selling sources. Since I have been in the sunscreen industry before I know it is very completive and difficult to change people’s minds once they are settled on a product, but I know great ways to sell my product like things like the Surf Expo where I can feature my product and team up with other brands to sell together. 

My top resource is my past experience. This is most important because it is always good to understand your customers wants and needs. You would think sunscreen would be simple, but people have very different tastes: cheap, organic, reef safe, strong protectant, etc. Knowing I need to sell product in my machine that meets all of these standards will help me appeal to many different people. 

22A- Elevator Pitch No. 3

https://youtu.be/9y7HmIc9WNM

22A- Elevator Pitch No. 3

From my last elevator pitch I added more information to support my reasoning for using the automatic sunscreen application machine. I added in references to all of the interviews I have conducted throughout the course to show why the machine is beneficial and a luxury. I also added more to my pitch by removing my vocal pauses and speaking continuously throughout the entire video. 

The difference between my first and my last elevator pitch is tremendous. While the information itself didn’t change drastically, the way the information is expressed and presented did. The first pitch a lot of pauses and not a lot of dull information. The last pitch has more useful and supported information. Also, by the third pitch I felt a lot more confident in the information I was presenting which made recording the pitch a lot easier. I was able to do it in two or three tries versus the first pitch which took me five or six tries. 

17A- Elevator Pitch No. 2

https://youtu.be/J78AWZfsgV8

17A- Elevator Pitch No. 2 

From my last elevator pitch I learned that slow, fluent speech is important. I should continue to take my time while explaining my product and focus on the quality of the information versus the amount. It is also important to highlight the benefits of the machine and the luxuries of using it. I found that my feedback on the quality of my information was most beneficial. Learning that those who watched my pitch easily understood the concept and idea of the automatic sunscreen application machine was great. I now know I can focus on rephrasing to flow smoother and fit in more information without having to worry about getting my point a crossed because it is understood. 

Based on the feedback I changed my wording to be more consistent and highlight more of the features of the automatic sunscreen application machine. I will continue to keep my speech at the same energy level and use the same simple, easy to understand wording. 

21A- Reading Reflection No. 2

21A- Reading Reflection No. 2 

For Reading Reflection Number 2, I chose to read, How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, by Scott Adams. The general theme of the book was motivation and encouragement. Adams inspires you to learn from your mistakes and too view failures as a device and a tool. He stresses that if success was easy everybody would be successful. You have to fail in order to succeed because failure makes you stronger, smarter, more talented, more experienced, and most importantly gives you the inspiration to try again. 

I think, How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, links with what we are learning in ENT3003 by delivering us an authentic idea of what to expect when trying to make our ideas and products into real, profitable businesses. Adams informs us that even if we have this billion-dollar idea, it is still going to take time and failure to succeed. He prepares us for a future filled with disappointment, discouragement and difficulty. 

If I had to design an exercise for this class, based on this book, I would have the class write down a list of times they failed and describe how they felt at the time of the failure and how they feel now, was there something they could have done differently, and what they learned from the failure. 

My biggest surprise when reading, How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, was Adams advice to be selfish. The actual act of being selfish when it comes to work, and play wasn’t what surprised me. The advice to be selfish towards yourself from work and play and get good sleep, eat well, and not participate in stressful things is what flabbergasted me. I would have anticipated to be told to work tougher and pull all-nighters to get things completed but Adams advises that you can’t be successful if you aren’t feeling successful mentally and physically. 

20A- Growing Your Social Capital

20A- Growing Your Social Capital 

1.    Kamela Brewer: Kamela Brewer is the founder of Bold Sunless Tan, a self-tanner product and mobile spray tan service. Brewer is a domain expert in my industry. She has been growing her brand almost 10 years. She has branched out from just spray tan application service to a full online product distribution. I found Kamela through her sponsorships of beauty pageants, including the Miss USA pageants and the Miss Cowboys Model Search. I contacted her through her website.  I asked Kamela about getting started in the skin care industry and how she got her product reviewed and certified. I also asked her thoughts on my elevator pitch. Including Kamela Brewer in my network will enhance my opportunity by helping guide my path on getting my product produced and sold. 

2.    Eddie Hennessy: Eddie Hennessy is the son of Phillipe and Sylvie Hennessy, founders of Pevonia. Pevonia is an all-natural skin care cosmetics line. Eddie Hennessy would be an expert in my market. He has been around the skin care market his entire life and knows the ins and outs of every aspect of the industry. Hennessy is the husband of Kimberly Hennessy, my boss and close friend. I contacted Eddie through Kimberly and asked him his thoughts on my elevator pitch. I expect to gain more advice on how to make my service great and also which sunscreen would work best in the machine itself. Including Eddie Hennessy in my network will enhance my ability to exploit the opportunity by providing me with a contact for a possible all-natural sunscreen provider, which from my interviews I learned is very important. 

3.    John Regan: John Regan is the Chief Executive Office of Product Quest Manufacturing, LLC. Product Quest is a company that bottles and designs bottling for large companies. John Regan would be an important supplier in my industry. He can either be a manufacturer of my machine or he can give me advice on which manufacturer to go to. I found John Regan through my mother. She and John are close friends, so I contacted him through her. I asked Mr. Regan to look at my idea napkin and see if he thought my sunscreen application machine design was doable and practical. Including John Regan in my network enhances my ability to exploit the opportunity by providing me with a reference to a potential manufacturer of my machine, as well as, a contact that works with many large companies that could take interest in my machine.

This experience will shape how I participate in future networking events by influencing me to make the first move or to be the one to start the conversation. At future events I will not hesitate to ask for other opinions and advice on my ideas as well as look for opportunities to work and grow together. 

This experience was different from my networking experiences in the past. In the past most of my networking was done face to face at meetings, events or parties and not through email or phone calls. 

19A- Idea Napkin No. 2

19A- Idea Napkin No. 2

Who you are: I am a business major who is passionate about the outdoors and being in the sun. I previously was head of marketing for a sunscreen company, Havana Sun Quality Sun care Cosmetics, which was made by the founder of Hawaiian Tropic. There I ran all marketing including social media, web design, promotional bikini pageants and expositions. I was greatly involved in the public relations of the company and understanding the sunscreen market.  At this company is where I came up with the idea for an automatic sunscreen application machine. 

What are you offering to customers: I am offering an automatic sunscreen application machine. This machine will work like a spray tan machine that mists you head to toe in a matter of seconds. The machine will be easy to use and affordable that you can use the machine multiple times to re-apply sunscreen if you are out in the sun for long periods of time. This machine allows you to quickly apply sunscreen without having to purchase an entire bottle of product that may not go to use if you are traveling. The machine will also allow you to choose what level of SPF you’d like and also if you would like your whole-body sprayed or only one area. 

Who are you offering it to: I am offering this product to hotel pools and public beaches where sunscreen application is necessary. I will sell the machine along with the sunscreen that I recommend to hotel/resort pool decks along with the machine’s refill service. From there the hotel will sell the use of the machine to its hotel guests. Customers will be people who have the desire to quickly apply sunscreen including parents of young children and single beachgoers who do not have a way to apply sunscreen to their backs. 

Why do they care: Customers care about the sunscreen application machine because they are not interested in wasting money on sunscreen products they won’t use. The machine allows for travelers to purchase sunscreen as needed vs in an un useable quantity. The machine is also quick and easy to use and provides a helpful hand for those who have their hands full with little ones and those whose hands can’t reach their own backs. 

What are your core competencies: My product stands out because it is not only a product but a service. It provides you with the sunscreen and also applies it for you. It is a luxury to have something so easy and accessible. The sunscreen application machine is also unique because there is not another sunscreen out there that applies it for you. 

I do think that these elements go together. My background in the sunscreen industry will provide me with the knowledge I need to advance my application machine to the highest standards and quality. I think that the luxury of an application service machine goes perfectly with the bonuses and splurges that go hand and hand with vacationing and traveling. 

From my feedback I got the idea to make the machine have more specialized features like application area selection. I also got the idea to be able to select different SPFs to different parts of the body. Since Adam said his concern was re application, I could provide the option to select stronger sunscreen in the areas like shoulders and face that burn more easily. 

I incorporated these ideas into my napkin by focusing on my background in the sun care industry and introduced more features to my product. 

18A- Create a Customer Avatar

18A- Create a Customer Avatar

My prototypical customer segment is active moms. These people generally drive a minivan or larger vehicle to fit their children. These people may be interested in shows on HGTV to look for new improvements on family living. These moms may have multiple children, and some may be adopted. These moms are always on the go running from sport practices to tutoring and maintaining a proper household. They are any mom who has young children. Moms pretty much always feel tired and older than they are because they are caring for multiple people. My prototypical customer would enjoy being outdoors and socializing and are interested in traveling. 

I don’t think I have a lot in common with my customer avatar now, but I do aspire to be similar to it. I do want to be an active mom who takes her kids on vacations and to the beach. I think that it is not a coincidence that I am designing a product that combines my past with my future. I used to work at a sun screen company, and I hope to be a mom one day and my product is to help quickly apply sunscreen at the beach which is very useful to parents. 

15A- Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

15A- Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

For applying sunscreen there is not many different ways you can apply it. There is applying sunscreen on yourself, on others, and then spray or lotion. When I interviewed people, I found that most said they applied sunscreen on others, however, if they were alone, they would apply it the best they could. The most important factor to my customer segment was quality. They said that they are willing to pay more for high quality sunscreen that is easy to apply and prevents sunburn. Also, the easy use factor. Spray sunscreen is great but for sensitive skin it is not as effective as lotion. 

Most of the people I interviewed said they buy their sunscreen at a convenience store like Walgreens or CVS and one person said that they order their sunscreen with a tanning oil online from a boutique website. I found that most find buying sunscreen online weird and that it is something you buy at the store like toothpaste or shampoo. 

As for post-purchase evaluation, my customers evaluated the ‘rightness’ of the purchase by level of sunburn, amount of sunscreen in the bottle or can, and how often they had to reapply. One of the people I interviewed said they hate buying spray on sunscreen because they think it is overpriced for the amount of sunscreen you get inside. Another said that they buy the same brand of sunscreen every summer and it would take a lot of work to convince them to switch.  

I found that the people who use sunscreen regularly like Florida locals, have their favorite sunscreens picked out already and that my main target segment would be those who are traveling and those who have families. I found that mothers care about the quality of the sunscreen, but they need help with the application process.

Based on what I know about this segment I think most mothers will want the sunscreen in my machine to be one that is easily researchable. So, I should partner with a large, established sunscreen company. Also, most locals do not need the application machine as much because they do not need single use sunscreen, they have use for an entire bottle. Lastly, I found that my product must be effective and prevent people from burning but also be quick and easy to use. 

14A- Halfway Reflection

14A- Halfway Reflection 

Some behaviors I have developed is getting my work done early in this class. If you put it off till the end of the week it is easy to forget about it or choose something else over it. It is very important to sit down at the beginning of the week and get your work done ahead of time. One thing I have done is to treat my assignments like they are due a week earlier. This way if I miss an assignment, I still have time to complete it. 

A time I felt like giving up was when I began to feel over whelmed with school, work and friends. I felt like I was spending so much time studying for school and still not getting the grades I deserved. I have pushed through this by analyzing and learning from my mistakes. I have learned to manage my time better and have learned to go back and see what I did wrong on an assignment or what I missed on a test. 

Three tips I would give to next semesters students would be to work ahead, choose a business opportunity that you are passionate about and to always try an assignment, even if it looks difficult and discouraging, keep your head up and figure it out. 

13A- Reading Reflection No. 1

13A- Reading Reflection No. 1

For my reading I chose Coco Chanel by Lisa Chaney. The thing that surprised me most about Coco Chanel was that she was raised by nuns. The nuns are the ones that thought her to sew which lead to her career as a fashion designer. What shocks me about this is that Coco’s designs were revolutionary because she was making clothes for women that were powerful and sexy and had elements of men’s style in them. I would have thought being raised by nuns Coco would have designed things more reserved and modest. 

The thing I most admire about Coco Chanel was the fact she gave women the power to walk away from corsets and other uncomfortable things and she pushed comfort. I could not imagine having to wear a corset everyday of my life, so for that I thank Coco Chanel. 

The thing I least admire about Coco Chanel was her relationship with Nazi military officer, Hans Gunther von Dincklage. While her relationship is still up in the air from her part in World War II and her personal views on the war a lot of people view her relationship as a betrayal to her country. 

Coco Chanel did encounter failure in her life and her early life was very rough. At the age of 12 Coco’s mother died and her father put her in an orphanage where she would be raised by nuns. From there Coco worked as a singer in clubs but it didn’t go far and that’s when she started designing. 

A competency that I noticed about Chanel was her confidence. Without her confidence she wouldn’t have become the iconic Chanel. She believed in herself and her designs and what she thought was right and put all of it out there. I think if you are starting your own business you have to trust yourself and believe that you are on the right path. 

One part of the reading that was confusing to me was all the names of places and people who I didn’t know. I had to look up where these places where to understand the story. 

If I could ask two things to Coco Chanel it would be: How did you mentally prepare yourself to be on your own? I would ask her this because as a young adult it is hard to find the confidence to do something all on my own. Second, I would ask her if she could do anything different why? I am also interested in learning from others mistakes and my mistakes. 

I think Coco’s opinion on hard work would have been work smarter not harder. I think Chanel as a person and a brand is about luxury and simplicity. She created a legacy off of a simple black dress. I share this opinion with her. I think there is a lot of people who choose the hard road when the easy road is there you just have to look at it differently. 

11A- Idea Napkin No. 1

11A- Idea Napkin No. 1 

1.    Who you are: I am a business major, studying to go into event production and entertainment management. I have worked in entertainment production for 3 years starting as an intern and working my way into event production assistant which allowed me to work in fields such as artist relations, stage management, hospitality and event promoter. I also worked for 3 years as head of marketing for a sunscreen company. There I ran social media, web design, and all events like pageants, and expos. There is where I came up with the idea for a sunscreen application machine. I think this machine could provide a career for me. It can combine my love for tropical and warm places with work. 

2.    What are you offering to customers: I am offering a machine that applies sunscreen to pool and beach goers in popular areas. The machine will be like a spray tan where you step in, press go and then you are misted from head to toe with sunscreen. You will be able to choose between different SPF’s like 15, 30 or 50. The machine allows you to quickly apply sunscreen without having to purchase an entire bottle when you are traveling. 

3.    Who are you offering it to: I am offering my product to hotel pools and resorts that are in warm areas where sunscreen application is necessary. I will sell the machine and the sunscreen refill service to the hotels and then they will sell the use of the machine on their property to their guests. The customers will be people who want to quickly apply sunscreen and people who are alone and can’t apply it to their backs. These people can be of all ages especially parents with young children who can’t apply sunscreen by themselves. 

4.    Why do they care: Customers care because my machine supplies an easy way to quickly apply sunscreen and not waste money buying sunscreen you will not use. Most people have to buy an entire bottle of sunscreen for a two-day trip. They end up throwing away the left-over sunscreen and wasting their money. 

5.    What are your core competencies: What makes my product stand out is that it is taking a product and making it into a service. This makes my machine not only give you sunscreen but puts it on for you. My machine is a luxury that people can use when on vacation. My product is unique because there are sunscreen application tools but there is not anything that does it 100 percent for you. 

I do believe these elements fit together. I think that my previous work in the sun care industry will provide me with the knowledge I need on what sunscreens to use in my machine and where I can sell my product. I think that the luxury of the machine will go perfectly with our target audience of people on vacation who don’t need an entire bottle of sunscreen as well offering a solution to sunscreen application problems. 

10A- Elevator Pitch 1

10A- Elevator Pitch 1

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9A- Testing the Hypothesis Part Two

9A- Testing the Hypothesis Part Two 

Who: The people who fall outside of the boundary are those who own bigger, more established businesses. For example, the Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach, does not have a major panhandling issue because they always have people outside like valet, and they have a large entrance. To be blocking the entrance of the hotel you would have to be far up the drive way and deep into hotel property. From my interviews I learned that there are people who would not want my product. For big hotels and businesses to want my product it would need to incorporate a whole security aspect that includes security cameras and monitoring systems. Since most large hotels and businesses already have that, my product is only needed by smaller businesses so I learned it will have to be priced accordingly and easy to use. 

What: My need for stricter panhandling laws and regulations differs from regulating others by panhandlers actually affecting business. While it can be unappealing to have homeless people outside of a business, if they are acting appropriately and respectfully, they should affect customers coming in to the business but if there are people outside the business-like panhandlers who are harassing and begging for money then people will not want to go into that business. From my interviews I learned that my device will need to be customizable for each business. Since a lot of large business will not need my product, I have to be able to work with smaller businesses which are generally more unique in their needs. 

Why: The underlying cause of the outsider’s need is not different than the people who are inside the boundary, it is just less of a need. Big hotels and businesses still need panhandlers to be regulated, it just isn’t as big of a problem as it is to smaller businesses. 

	Inside the Boundary	Outside the Boundary
Who is in/not	Small business owners who have their entrances close to public sidewalks, and have panhandlers harassing and scaring customers away.	Big businesses who have their entrances far from public sidewalks and are not as affected by panhandlers.
What the need is/not	The need is to have stricter panhandling laws and have them regulated more frequently and efficiently.	The need is not to remove all homeless and street performers from the sidewalks and streets.
Why the need exists/does not	The need exists because there are a lot of panhandlers in busy parts of Daytona Beach and other tourist towns that are harassing customers and effecting business.	The need does not exist for businesses that can afford more onsite security and that does not rely on police to do so.