30A-Reflection

         Honestly, this is the second time taking this class because I did not finish with an acceptable grade the first time. I had issues with time management and did not take advantage of the cupcakes, two things I made sure to work on/fix when taking it again this semester. I would have to say the entire semester and the ability to have a second chance is what happened to be the most formative experience for me. Taking the class again made me realize how easy it was to complete it, making me regret how I treated the course last semester; however, it taught me that I should put in as much effort as I have the first time. I, not once, watched the lectures during my first time taking this class, whereas this time, I watched every single one. I learned a lot from the lectures and actually found them quite entertaining and informative. I am proud of myself for accomplishing the course with a much better grade than before, but I know it is how I should act. I definitely see myself as an entrepreneur if the opportunity presented itself. I would recommend future students to plan out a schedule, watch the lectures, and do every assignment. If you are unsure how to complete an assignment, check the blog directory to see what your other classmates have done to get an idea of how to specify the assignment to your business plan. Having a positive and determined mindset will get you far in this course and in life. 

29A-Venture Concept No. 2

Not much beats a beautifully relaxing day out on the boat. Being in Florida, boat owners can spend hours upon hours away from the hectic life of a city, and out on the open waters. With the free spirit can come forgetfulness of practical objects such as bug spray, sun block, rash guards, or a shortage of food. One could even drop their sunglasses in the water, never to be seen again.

With ORDER2SHORE, now anybody can acquire the basic necessities one might find at a CVS. Lost sunglasses? We can sail it to you! Ran out of hot dogs? O2S will deliver it right you your boat. Using GPS, our experienced team of boaters can locate and deliver the package to anyone within 25 nautical miles offshore.  Currently, no other company offers an on demand service for those in the open water; therefore, this opportunity is a once in a lifetime to be the first ones to do so. Like all trail blazers know, there comes an inherent risk of business when balancing out costs because there is no precedent for what the income will be like. However, because this service is so unique and the season for boating is year round in the south, that can more than make up for the difference. 

Signing up is completely free, and each delivery cost will cover the item(s) needed as well as a delivery fee: $2 per nautical mile (roughly $40 per hour). For our more adventurous sailers, $20 a month will gain entry into our platinum membership program to enjoy a flat rate delivery fee of $20. 

Don’t let forgetfulness or mishaps ruin your relaxing boat trip! Sit back, relax, and let O2S takes care of that. This venture is so enticing because there is no other company in the world doing this. The shortcomings include geography and cost. Clearly, our business will be best on coasts because boaters on rivers are not far from shops. Also, the platinum membership cost breaks even if 

In our top-of-the-line classy cargo ships, products that help you live a life of luxury are there at the touch of a button. With the O2S app, you can easily locate one of our captains and order the items you need for your cookout, fancy evening, or even a summer sunburn. Consider the business plan of Uber and UberEats, providing a variety of meals right to your doorstep. Why not have your meals and necessities delivered to the bow of your yacht? This business does require a great investment up front, but the main pool of consumers will be upper middle class and upper class families and retirees who would take advantage of this service for a more premium price than Uber. After all, the services we provide do require the skills of a knowledgeable crew and captain, not to mention beautiful spacious ships worth millions. We plan on starting in Florida, centering around the Gulf of Mexico and the Keys, targeting those tourist areas that people love to sail in. Want to become a ship captain? With training, there’s money in this for you too. With a base rate and pay per delivery, this business truly does benefit everyone. 

I wasn't sure what to change for my updated Venture Concept. Most of the feedback I received was positive, providing me with little suggestions to move forward. Many of the comments acknowledged the opportunity they see with this business and the ability it has to flourish. It was questioned about the service ability on the app, opposing the question that if a customer has no service, how will my business reach them? My business will have a limit on how far out from shore it will deliver, being a distance that all phone services will reach. If the customer can not reach cell service to order my delivery, then this service will not be available to them. I think they largest concern for the business is advertising and making a name for itself. 

28A Exit Strategy

EXIT STRATEGY

My business is something that I enjoy and find entertaining. Being on the water, on my own boat, meeting new people every day, doesn’t sound like a terrible way to spend your life. If my business were to be successful, a business I could live comfortably on, I would maintain it as long as I could. If later on down the road, I founded a business more profitable but equally likeable, I wouldn’t mind having to give the delivery service up. I think it would be a great family business to have; giving you the opportunity to hire your children, and their friends. It isn’t something that would matter much to me, but would be a great benefit to my family and I later on down the road. I don’t think it has influenced me a lot in future decisions or identifying opportunities. This service is not something I am entirely passionate about, so I am not bias when finding opportunities. However, seeing the benefits this business would have in the future, I am now aware and acknowledge the future of business decisions, rather than the present effects.

Reading Reflection 3

Reading Reflection: Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

I did not know Elon Musk owned Paypal, the company that made him his money, once selling it to Ebay. I admired his determination when trying to date his potential wife. He thought about everything scientifically, even relationships. He describes his childhood and explains the rough household he grew up in and how he was bullied in school. It is interesting to see people who weren’t so liked or appreciated become so successful later on in life. 

Elon Musk, like stated earlier, had a thorough process when trying to solve a problem, regardless of what it was. He made it clear that the hard part was figuring out the right questions to ask, in order to learn more. His determination allowed him to stick with ideas regardless of what he is going through. He also advertised one common goal. For him, it was humanity. He hinted that when passionate about something, projects will be more successful when they all include a centralized idea. 

I was confused when he discussed the importance of a centralized idea regarding all of your future projects and ideas, however I do not see the correlation between PayPal and Telsa. 

If you could go back in time and change any of your life-altering decisions, would you? Did you ever think you would have been this successful? 

I think the author was faced with several struggles, all motivating him to persevere. His hard work is definitely the meaning of determination. Regardless of what is thrown at you, you will overcome if you want your goal bad enough.  

26A Celebrating Failure

This assignment is perfectly timed considering I tried to surf for the first time today. I am on vacation with my boyfriend’s family, in Costa Rica. Him, his parents, his sister, and the other family we vacationed with, are all quite comfortable with a surfboard. I took my first lesson yesterday, spending most of the time laying flat on the board and having someone push me into the wave. I stood up a few times, giving me a little confidence when swimming out today. I went out early this morning and failed, epically. I was so embarrassed and uncomfortable that I didn’t even want to try again. I was nervous about looking stupid or doing something wrong. I realized that this mindset would only be a disadvantage and I looked more stupid for giving up. Although I failed once, I am never going to get better if I don’t practice. It is good to remember that everyone starts somewhere. I was making myself even more upset because I know being the person who doesn’t try is worse than the person who is failing. Taking a step back made me realize it isn’t that big of a deal and I will get more comfortable with the more time I spend with it. I am going back out tomorrow, so hopefully I can continue to try, despite my failing attempts. I am only considering this class now and everything it has taught me, making it even easier to try again.

24A Venture Concept

24A- Venture Concept 

Not much beats a beautifully relaxing day out on the boat. Being in Florida, boat owners can spend hours upon hours away from the hectic life of a city, and out on the open waters. With the free spirit can come forgetfulness of practical objects such as bug spray, sun block, rash guards, or a shortage of food. One could even drop their sunglasses in the water, never to be seen again.

With ORDER2SHORE, now anybody can acquire the basic necessities one might find at a CVS. Lost sunglasses? We can sail it to you! Ran out of hot dogs? O2S will deliver it right you your boat. Using GPS, our experienced team of boaters can locate and deliver the package to anyone within 25 nautical miles offshore.  Currently, no other company offers an on demand service for those in the open water; therefore, this opportunity is a once in a lifetime to be the first ones to do so. Like all trail blazers know, there comes an inherent risk of business when balancing out costs because there is no precedent for what the income will be like. However, because this service is so unique and the season for boating is year round in the south, that can more than make up for the difference. 

Signing up is completely free, and each delivery cost will cover the item(s) needed as well as a delivery fee: $2 per nautical mile (roughly $40 per hour). For our more adventurous sailers, $20 a month will gain entry into our platinum membership program to enjoy a flat rate delivery fee of $20. 

Don’t let forgetfulness or mishaps ruin your relaxing boat trip! Sit back, relax, and let O2S takes care of that. This venture is so enticing because there is no other company in the world doing this. The shortcomings include geography and cost. Clearly, our business will be best on coasts because boaters on rivers are not far from shops. Also, the platinum membership cost breaks even if 

In our top-of-the-line classy cargo ships, products that help you live a life of luxury are there at the touch of a button. With the O2S app, you can easily locate one of our captains and order the items you need for your cookout, fancy evening, or even a summer sunburn. Consider the business plan of Uber and UberEats, providing a variety of meals right to your doorstep. Why not have your meals and necessities delivered to the bow of your yacht? This business does require a great investment up front, but the main pool of consumers will be upper middle class and upper class families and retirees who would take advantage of this service for a more premium price than Uber. After all, the services we provide do require the skills of a knowledgeable crew and captain, not to mention beautiful spacious ships worth millions. We plan on starting in Florida, centering around the Gulf of Mexico and the Keys, targeting those tourist areas that people love to sail in. Want to become a ship captain? With training, there’s money in this for you too. With a base rate and pay per delivery, this business truly does benefit everyone. 

25A What's Next?

Existing Market

I offer most products available at your local CVS or Walgreens, allowing customers to have everything they need at the touch of a button. As time progresses, I will focus on adding more delivery boats, larger delivery boats that are able to bring more, and a larger variety of products offered. 

After talking to customers, I have realized that they are more concerned with the pricing of the products and delivery rates. I have come to the conclusion that I will need to create relationships with lesser known brands to establish deals/discounts to use as my products. I have also considered buying in bulk at a warehouse like Sam’s Club or Costco, where I am able to sell individually for a much higher price than what I purchased. I have also considered offering a deal to the local marina, where we would advertise their business and service in exchange for free gas; making my only cost to be my product and employees. 

The most important thing to my market and business is advertising. While I know most marketing will be done through word of mouth, it is important I am making myself known, especially to tourists. I will dock my boat and/or drive slowly around the major islands. I might even stop on a few islands and walk around handing out business cards with some sort of sample product. My customers have made it clear that they would pay reasonable prices and would tell as many people as possible. 

New Market

The new market I decided to try were people without boats. Now, my business is a boat delivery service, so targeting people without boats is quite difficult. I decided to lean towards the people that spend their time on bridges, docks, or small beaches off of the intercoastal. With a smaller type of boat, I could easily come up to shore and have my products available. 

After speaking to people who belong to this market, they were quick to say no to paying for a delivery fee, as they are already on land in close vicinity to other convenience stores. I decided that this market might be an option if a delivery fee was not charged. As for other customers who would be ordering through the app, this specific market could have the boat come to them. I could create a schedule, where at certain times of the day I would make stops at popular beach approaches, bridges, or other fishing spots. This way, customers who may not have as much money or own a boat, would be hit with the convenience of products offered at a cheaper price. 

This market is definitely not as attractive as my existing market. Although it is possible to cater to the new market, it wouldn’t be worth the time and labor for the profits earned. I think my business is to specific in order to change the market. The only other idea that would be somewhat successful would be to change the entirety of products offered, as in turning the store into a fish/bait/tackle store, targeting fisherman.