My Secret Sauce
1a) I think that one of my best traits is my ability to empathize with people. When it comes to working, I have worked with in many types of industries, and have had the opportunity to meet many different and have different experiences. I think this as helped me improve my human capital, because it will allow me to relate to the people with whom I work.
1b) I'd like to think that I am a really nice person. My parents instilled this quality in me when I was young, and I think it is probably the quality that will take me the furthest in life. Being nice will allow me to form great relationships with people and will open up a lot of opportunities.
1c) Another quality that I think I have is my hard working attitude. This is another quality that was instilled in me by my parents. I attribute all of my accomplishments to hard work and I think that all of my future accomplishments will be because of my hard working attitude.
1d) I'd also like to think that I am a very generous person. Like the rest of the qualities I listed, I learned this from my parents. And also like the rest of my qualities, I think this will help me form strong relationships with people.
1e) The final quality that I think will help me out is my "go with the flow" attitude. I think this quality will help me out in my life and career because it will create a positive environment for myself and those around me.
2a) The first person I interviewed was my mom, Dale Templin. She talked about how I am a compassionate person. She continued by saying that this trait will take me far as an entrepreneur because it will allow me to better deal with customers and employees.
https://soundcloud.com/user-714281871-744356818/dale-templin
2b) The next person I interviewed was my dad, Robert Templin. His interview was pretty long, but the thing that I took from it was that I am a hard worker and I am a very determined person. He said that this would help me be an entrepreneur because it'll allow me to get things done. Whatever I set my mind to, I will get done.
https://soundcloud.com/user-714281871-744356818/robert-templin
2c) The next person I interviewed was my aunt, Ann Bradford. The quality that she liked the most about me was my sense of humor. She believes that my sense of humor will help me be an entrepreneur because it will allow me to form great relationships with those I interact with: customers, employees, employers, etc.
https://soundcloud.com/user-714281871-744356818/ann-bradford
2d) The next person I interviewed was my brother, Robert Templin. In the interview, my brother addressed how hard of a worker I am and how that will help me in both life and as an entrepreneur. He said that being an entrepreneur takes courage, hard work and self-sacrifice and these qualities will help me become a great entrepreneur.
https://soundcloud.com/user-714281871-744356818/robert-templin-iii
2e) The final person I interviewed was my grandmother, Barbara Webb. The big takeaway from the interview I did with my grandmother was that I am willing to take on new projects and risks. She believes that this will help me be an entrepreneur because taking on a new project/risks is the first step in becoming an entrepreneur.
https://soundcloud.com/user-714281871-744356818/barbara-webb
3) I think that the way I see myself and the way others do is for the most part the same. However, there are some differences. For instance, my grandmother sees me as being a risk-taker. I never saw myself as a risk-taker, but I must have done something that gave her that impression of me. Either way, I consider that to be a compliment. In most cases, being a risk-taker is a good thing, especially when you are trying to become an entrepreneur. I think the cause of these differences is purely contextual. By that, I mean that it depends on the occasion that I was spending with that person. For instance, my aunt thinks that I am funny. She might think that because I made one or two good jokes while I was around her, when in reality, I might not be that funny. I'd like to think that the people I interviewed are correct about me because they said some really nice things about me and thats is one of my main goals in life: to be the best version of myself that I can be. If I were to go back to question one and change something, I don't think I would change anything. I wouldn't change anything because all of the people I interviewed brushed over the qualities that I wrote about in part one. For instance, my mom talked about 1a and 1b, and my dad talked about 1c, 1d, and 1e.
Thursday, June 18, 2020
Monday, June 15, 2020
Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2
The Segment
Like last assignment, the segment I will be investigating is small retail stores.
The Interviews
1a) Dee, owner of Ellie Bing
3a) I began the interview by asking Dee what her alternatives were for creating a website and social media. She said that she had to decide whether to create a website/social media herself or pay someone to do it. She thought that she had the "know how" to create one herself, so there was no need to pay someone to do it for her. However, she said that it did not turn out that well, so she is considering redoing it. She said price and quality were the most important factors to her. She said that she was saving money by creating/managing the website herself, but the quality suffered by doing it herself. She said that because quality was suffering she is having to reconsider whether she wants to redo it herself or pay someone to do it. In all, her decision came down to finding a balance between quality and price.
4a) Dee said that if she were going to pay someone to do it, she would try to find someone who is a freelance website creator on Craigslist. She says that if she were to pay someone, she would probably pay them cash to do it.
5a) Dee believes that a successful website is one that generates a lot of traffic. Dee believes that the most important thing about an online presence is the quality of it, because she believes that it is what brings traffic to the website. She says that she will know the purchase was a bad one if the quality isn't good or the website doesn't generate any traffic.
1b) Gloria, manager of Builders Discount
3b) I asked Gloria what her alternatives were when Builders Discount created their website, and she said that there really weren't any because they lacked the "know how" to make one themselves, and they got a really good deal on a vendor making them one. She said that Builders Discount entered into an agreement with a vendor, and the vendor created a website for them. Gloria said that the thing that matters most when. it comes to a website is whether it has the appropriate information on it. Since, she had a vendor create the website for her, she said that she worries about it not having the correct information on it. So, the most important factor when it comes to the website is that it is done correctly and up to date.
4b) She said that it was a B2B transaction when their website was created. She said that the only people involved in the transaction were the managers of Builders Discount and the vendor from which they bought the website. Gloria said that Builders Discount paid for their website with cash and pays them a yearly fee in order to have the website maintained.
5b) Gloria believes the most important thing when it comes to their website is that the information is correct and that there is a lot of traffic. If the website does not generate traffic, then there is really no point in having a website. Also, if the website doesn't have the correct information (inventory, etc.), then customers are going to be disappointed with you when they find out that you don't have what they're looking for. Gloria believes that it was a good purchase if they end up getting a lot of traffic on their website and bad if they don't. Gloria is under the impression that traffic is the #1 determiner of what makes a website good. To Gloria, a bad website is one that tells consumers the incorrect information or is poorly made.
1c) Janette, long-time volunteer at Beam Thrift
3c) As a non-profit, Janette explained to me that they get volunteers with the "know how" who create websites and manage them for free. Janette told me that Beam Thrift probably didn't have to make a choice because they probably took the first person up on their offer to make them a website. Being a non-profit and receiving the offers that they did, they do not need to worry about the price. Janette explained that the only thing Beam Thrift needs to worry about when it comes to the website is the quality.
4c) Janette explained that when they were approached to have a website made, the person was a volunteer of the store and said that he noticed they didn't have a website. He said that he was willing to make a website for them free of charge. In this case, there wasn't really a transaction involved. Janette explained that this is partially due to the nature of running a non-profit. Janette acknowledged that this only happens for non-profits and says that if Beam Thrift were a for-profit store, they would probably have to pay a freelance website creator to do this for them.
5c) She says that the website's and social media pages' main purpose is to tell customers where the stores are located, and tell them their mission, so she says the most important thing for their website/social media to do is bring people into the store. Janette says that more people have come into the store ever since they got a website, so she believes that the website and social media pages are doing what they were designed to do. As far as what makes a website/social media page bad, Janette believes that anything other than making people aware of the stores existence would mean making the website was a bad idea.
6) All fo the businesses that I interviewed were small retail stores. All of them agreed that they saw a benefit in having an online presence. However, the things they needed their online presence to do and how they obtained their online presence were different. Some needed it to attract customers, provide customers with information about the store, or look nice for customers. The amount of traffic that the website generated or the amount of people that came in because of the website determined whether they thought their purchase was good. Finally, some decided to create/manage the website themselves, pay a vendor to create it for them, or have a volunteer make it for them.
7) Based on my interviews, I think that there are three main alternatives for creating/maintaining a website and social media: in-house creation, pay a vendor, or pay a freelance website creator. The main determiners of what option they chose depends on whether they have the "know how", the cost, and the quality of the website. Finally, their happiness after the purchase depended on whether their online presence met their need and all of them had different reasons for wanting an online presence. For instance, one business wanted their website to attract customers to the store, while the other wanted their website to give customers the correct information in terms of inventory. All of these businesses have different wants and needs from their online presence and different ways of obtaining one. However, by obtaining an online presence, they have improved their business.
Like last assignment, the segment I will be investigating is small retail stores.
The Interviews
1a) Dee, owner of Ellie Bing
3a) I began the interview by asking Dee what her alternatives were for creating a website and social media. She said that she had to decide whether to create a website/social media herself or pay someone to do it. She thought that she had the "know how" to create one herself, so there was no need to pay someone to do it for her. However, she said that it did not turn out that well, so she is considering redoing it. She said price and quality were the most important factors to her. She said that she was saving money by creating/managing the website herself, but the quality suffered by doing it herself. She said that because quality was suffering she is having to reconsider whether she wants to redo it herself or pay someone to do it. In all, her decision came down to finding a balance between quality and price.
4a) Dee said that if she were going to pay someone to do it, she would try to find someone who is a freelance website creator on Craigslist. She says that if she were to pay someone, she would probably pay them cash to do it.
5a) Dee believes that a successful website is one that generates a lot of traffic. Dee believes that the most important thing about an online presence is the quality of it, because she believes that it is what brings traffic to the website. She says that she will know the purchase was a bad one if the quality isn't good or the website doesn't generate any traffic.
1b) Gloria, manager of Builders Discount
3b) I asked Gloria what her alternatives were when Builders Discount created their website, and she said that there really weren't any because they lacked the "know how" to make one themselves, and they got a really good deal on a vendor making them one. She said that Builders Discount entered into an agreement with a vendor, and the vendor created a website for them. Gloria said that the thing that matters most when. it comes to a website is whether it has the appropriate information on it. Since, she had a vendor create the website for her, she said that she worries about it not having the correct information on it. So, the most important factor when it comes to the website is that it is done correctly and up to date.
4b) She said that it was a B2B transaction when their website was created. She said that the only people involved in the transaction were the managers of Builders Discount and the vendor from which they bought the website. Gloria said that Builders Discount paid for their website with cash and pays them a yearly fee in order to have the website maintained.
5b) Gloria believes the most important thing when it comes to their website is that the information is correct and that there is a lot of traffic. If the website does not generate traffic, then there is really no point in having a website. Also, if the website doesn't have the correct information (inventory, etc.), then customers are going to be disappointed with you when they find out that you don't have what they're looking for. Gloria believes that it was a good purchase if they end up getting a lot of traffic on their website and bad if they don't. Gloria is under the impression that traffic is the #1 determiner of what makes a website good. To Gloria, a bad website is one that tells consumers the incorrect information or is poorly made.
1c) Janette, long-time volunteer at Beam Thrift
3c) As a non-profit, Janette explained to me that they get volunteers with the "know how" who create websites and manage them for free. Janette told me that Beam Thrift probably didn't have to make a choice because they probably took the first person up on their offer to make them a website. Being a non-profit and receiving the offers that they did, they do not need to worry about the price. Janette explained that the only thing Beam Thrift needs to worry about when it comes to the website is the quality.
4c) Janette explained that when they were approached to have a website made, the person was a volunteer of the store and said that he noticed they didn't have a website. He said that he was willing to make a website for them free of charge. In this case, there wasn't really a transaction involved. Janette explained that this is partially due to the nature of running a non-profit. Janette acknowledged that this only happens for non-profits and says that if Beam Thrift were a for-profit store, they would probably have to pay a freelance website creator to do this for them.
5c) She says that the website's and social media pages' main purpose is to tell customers where the stores are located, and tell them their mission, so she says the most important thing for their website/social media to do is bring people into the store. Janette says that more people have come into the store ever since they got a website, so she believes that the website and social media pages are doing what they were designed to do. As far as what makes a website/social media page bad, Janette believes that anything other than making people aware of the stores existence would mean making the website was a bad idea.
6) All fo the businesses that I interviewed were small retail stores. All of them agreed that they saw a benefit in having an online presence. However, the things they needed their online presence to do and how they obtained their online presence were different. Some needed it to attract customers, provide customers with information about the store, or look nice for customers. The amount of traffic that the website generated or the amount of people that came in because of the website determined whether they thought their purchase was good. Finally, some decided to create/manage the website themselves, pay a vendor to create it for them, or have a volunteer make it for them.
7) Based on my interviews, I think that there are three main alternatives for creating/maintaining a website and social media: in-house creation, pay a vendor, or pay a freelance website creator. The main determiners of what option they chose depends on whether they have the "know how", the cost, and the quality of the website. Finally, their happiness after the purchase depended on whether their online presence met their need and all of them had different reasons for wanting an online presence. For instance, one business wanted their website to attract customers to the store, while the other wanted their website to give customers the correct information in terms of inventory. All of these businesses have different wants and needs from their online presence and different ways of obtaining one. However, by obtaining an online presence, they have improved their business.
Sunday, June 14, 2020
Halfway Reflection
Being Tenacious
1) This course has required me to develop/hone a few behaviors in order to meet the requirements for this class. One of the behaviors I have had to improve are my people skills. I have always considered myself to be a people person, but this course has required me to do something that I have never had to do: interview business owners. I don't know why, but I found it hard to go into a random business and interview a business owner about improving their online presence. I was able to overcome the anxiety associated with this, and I have improved my people skills because of it. Another behavior I have honed by taking this course is my ability to identify opportunities. This class has required me to pay attention to what is going on in the world and identify trends. By identifying trends, I can figure out things that are going to become important to people and identify future opportunities. In all, I think the best skills to have to become an entrepreneur are people skills, and the ability to be hard workers. These are some of the most important skills because they will help you find a need and then help you make the necessary relationships to take advantage of it.
2) One moment during the class when I felt like giving up was when I was having to interview business owners, especially the "Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No.1" assignment. The assignment required me to find business owners that had a need for an online presence. I had to interview eight or nine businesses in order to find three that had a need for an online presence. I was very discouraged by this because it showed me that there might not be an actual need for a service that creates/manages online presences for small businesses. The thing that actually pulled me through was finding that first business that had a need. It showed me that even though every small business might not have the need, there are some that would benefit from having someone help them create/manage their online presence. I think that I have definitely developed a tenacious attitude by taking this class. Like the moment I described earlier, there have been many times that this class has been hard and I have had to work hard to make it through. Like I said earlier, the times when I have had to interview people have been the hardest for me because I have to find people who own small businesses and don't have an online presence(I don't know many) and then I have to interview them. Some of these assignments have been hard, but having a tenacious attitude helps get you through them.
3) Three tips about skills that support tenacity and developing a tenacious mindset:
1a) You have to be willing to work hard.
2a) You have to be willing to adapt.
3a) You have to be willing to ask for help.
1b) You have to know that you will get through the adverse situation
2b) You have to be fine with misidentifying an opportunity because there are plenty more of them.
3b) You have to be fine with taking criticism/advice.
Note: This is Tenacious D, Jack Black's band. This picture just exemplifies tenacity.
Thursday, June 11, 2020
Reading Reflection No. 1
Ray Kroc and Grinding It Out
When we think of McDonalds, we think of Ronald McDonald, Big Macs, french fries, fast food, etc. This would not be possible without Ray Kroc, the man behind the golden arches. While working as a salesman, Kroc went to the original McDonalds in San Bernardino, California and loved it. He saw that there was an opportunity here to create a national restaurant chain and he jumped on it. He worked long hard days, dealt with a lot of difficult decisions, made a lot of personal sacrifices, and "grinded it out" in order to create a successful business. Thanks to him, people all over the world can enjoy a McDonalds' hamburger, french fries, and milk shakes.
When we think of McDonalds, we think of Ronald McDonald, Big Macs, french fries, fast food, etc. This would not be possible without Ray Kroc, the man behind the golden arches. While working as a salesman, Kroc went to the original McDonalds in San Bernardino, California and loved it. He saw that there was an opportunity here to create a national restaurant chain and he jumped on it. He worked long hard days, dealt with a lot of difficult decisions, made a lot of personal sacrifices, and "grinded it out" in order to create a successful business. Thanks to him, people all over the world can enjoy a McDonalds' hamburger, french fries, and milk shakes.
1) The one thing that surprised me the most was how coincidental all of this was. At the time, Kroc was selling Multimixers to stores and restaurants all over the country. He had accrued a large amount of debt and needed to make sales. One day he had heard that these guys wanted to order eight Multimixers for their restaurant in San Bernardino, California. Kroc was amazed by this and said that he had to go and see it for himself. When he got to the restaurant, he was amazed by how many people were there. He said that their drive-thru was packed and could envision McDonalds across the country with eight Multimixers in each. He acknowledged that he primarily concerned with making more and more Multimixer sales, but he realized that Multimixer's days were numbered. After receiving a tour of the restaurant, he knew that the restaurant had to be expanded. Like I said it was all very coincidental. If he hadn't decided to go out to San Bernardino, he probably wouldn't have been able to enjoy McDonalds anywhere outside of California.
One thing that I admired about Ray Kroc was his ambition and willingness to take risks. Before starting McDonalds and before selling Multimixers, he worked as a piano player and Lily Tulip Cup salesman. He said that he would work from 7am to 5pm selling paper cups, and then from 6pm to 2am, he would play piano for a radio station. Personally, I couldn't imagine waking up everyday at 7am and then working 16 hours. He said that he did it because "I was determined to live well and have nice things, too, and we could do so with the incomes from my two jobs" (Kroc, 23). I believe this ambition also contributed to him being more tolerant of risky situations. For instance, when he decided to sell Multimixers. He brought the Multimixer to Lily Tulip headquarters and demonstrated how it worked and said that they should start selling them. They said that there was no way they sell Multimixers, so Kroc went off by himself to sell them. Even though we know it doesn't necessarilly work out for him, you have to admit that it takes a lot of guts to give up a well paying job to go make something of himself.
The thing is least admired about Ray Kroc was how ruthless he was to people with whom he worked. The most egregious of these was when he kicked the McDonald brothers out of their own restaurant. On page 115, Kroc writes that "The most important item in my plans for the company was to end our relationship with the McDonald brothers. This was partly for personal reasons; Mac and Dick were beginning to get on my nerves" (Kroc, 115). Personally, I think this is a terrible thing to do. The McDonald brothers did everything on the operations side of the business. They determined how the restaurant should be set up, how long the food should be cooked, etc. Kroc ended up buying the McDonalds brothers out of the restaurant for a million dollars each and giving them 0.5% of all sales. He writes that they were happy with the settlement, but I personally feel it is mean to get rid of the people who were instrumental in the success of the business just because you don't like them. An analogous situation would be when Mark Zuckerberg forced Eduardo Saverin out of Facebook. Unlike the McDonald brothers, Saverin ended up getting what the money he rightfully deserved.
The most adverse situation that Kroc encountered while working at McDonalds has to be when they started. Many of the people they franchised to weren't living up to their standards and were actually competing with the company instead of working with them. This put them in a deep hole because they had to take out several large loans in order to continue operating. In the end, this was a very good sign, because it made them take a look at how they run their business. Harry Sonneborn recommended that McDonalds get into the real estate business instead of the hamburger making business. This ended up being the way to go. Today, this is how McDonalds' Corporation makes all of its money. They lease franchisees the physical property and collect rent and royalties from the store. This idea was very innovative and changed the landscape of how they handle their franchises and is the primary reason that they were able to get out of the large hole.
2) Some competencies that I noticed Ray Kroc exhibit were his human skills, his determination and his ability to identify opportunities. In order to turn McDonalds into what we know it as today, it took a lot of convincing. Kroc thought McDonalds could be a national chain, while the McDonald brothers were fine with what they already had. Kroc's human skills allowed him to convince the McDonald brothers to expand and turn the restaurant into the global force that it is. Another competency that Kroc demonstrated was his determination. I think the quotation in the third paragraph says it all. He was so set on living a nice life and having nice things that he was willing to work two jobs. I believe with a work ethic like that, you can do anything that you can imagine, as long as you can find the right opportunity. Speaking of opportunities, Ray Kroc was great at identifying opportunities. All it took for him to know that McDonalds would be successful was just one visit. He saw how efficient the restaurant was, how much people liked going there, and knew that McDonalds was going to become a global sensation. Ray Kroc has the competencies that all entrepreneurs want to have because in the right situation, you will be certainly be successful.
3) The one part of the autobiography that I found confusing was the part about him pushing the McDonald brothers out of the restaurant. I think the main thing about this that confused me is that I had watched The Founder, the movie about McDonalds before having read this book. Both the book and the movie portray the event in two different ways. In the movie, they portray the event as the McDonalds brothers getting the raw end of the deal, while the book portrays the event as a mutual agreement where both parties were happy with the end result. When I read the part of the book where this came up, I had to look it up on the internet. I found out that the event happened like how Ray Kroc described it. I guess the only reason they decided to change how it actually happened was to make Ray Kroc seem like a ruthless businessman, an archetype we see a lot in movies.
4) I think the first question I would ask him is if he regrets going into business with people like the McDonalds brothers or Harry Sonneborn. In the book, he describes both people as being influential in how the business was run, but both being huge pains to deal with. He said that the McDonald brothers were trying to run everything, which he called a "drag on our development" (Kroc, 115). However, the McDonalds brothers created the operating system that made McDonalds a successful restaurant. In regard to Harry Sonneborn, he said that Sonneborn was overriding everything Kroc would do. Kroc disliked this and eventually pushed him out of the business when Sonneborn developed some health problems. However, Sonneborn was instrumental in creating McDonalds' business plan and handling the business' finances. The other question I would ask Kroc is if he ever thought McDonalds and other fast food restaurants would be blamed for obesity in the United States and how he would have responded. For a while, obesity in the United States was a hot-button topic and restaurants were trying to find ways of solving it. I know McDonalds responded by serving salads, offering apples instead of french fries, offering milk, etc. I wonder how Kroc would have responded to this.
5) I think Ray Kroc's opinion of hard work was that you aren't working hard unless you are working several different jobs at one time. While reading the book, I don't think I ever read a part where he didn't have multiple jobs. Before McDonalds, he was playing the piano and being a salesman, only sleeping five hours a night. Later he decided to take on a third job of buying and selling real estate in Florida. After that, he sold Multimixers and tried to get McDonalds off the ground. I consider starting/running a business to be two jobs so he gets a pass from 1954 to 1974. I don't share that same opinion at all. I think people working 9-5 jobs are working hard and doing a great job, and is about as much work I hope to do in my life. What he did was very admirable, and is demonstrative of all of the hard work that goes into being an entrepreneur.
Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1
The Segment
1) The segment I am choosing to pursue is small retail businesses in the Jacksonville Beach, Florida area. I think this segment is the most affected by government restrictions on people buying things in person, and these businesses would benefit the most from having an online presence.
The Interviews
2a) Jim Rojas, owner of Jim's Dog House and Jim's Dog House Discount Guns.
3a) When I interviewed Jim Rojas, I first asked if he had any sort of online presence. He responded by saying that he had a website, but didn't use social media at all to promote his business. I asked him if he think he would benefit from using social media and he believed that his business would. He said that he became aware of this need when a customer approached him and asked if there was a Facebook page. He said that this happened about a year or two ago, but he has never gotten around to making one. He believes sales have been positively affected by having a website, especially since the government prohibited people from entering certain stores. He says he doesn't know if a social media page would be beneficial because it would require more work on his part, to possibly do the same thing that his website does.
4a) I asked Jim how he went about trying to find information about whether it is worth it or not to have a social media page. He said that the first and main thing he did was ask customers what they would think about his business having a social media page. He said that he got mixed reviews. Some customers said that they were fine just using his website, while others said that a social media page would be a great way for them to receive deals and other things like that. Outside of talking to people, he says that he doesn't really do much research. He said that when it was brought to his attention by a customer, he looked up what the pros and cons of businesses having social media accounts were, but other than that, he did not do too much research on the internet.
2b) Bruce, one of the owners of One of Each Gift.
3b) When I interviewed Bruce, I asked him if the business had any sort of online presence. He said that they have a Facebook page, and that is it. I asked why they chose not to have a website or any other type of social media page. He responded by saying that he believes that their Facebook page does everything that he would expect a website to do and it's easier to run. I brought to his attention that a website could help improve the business' ability to reach customers. I told him that a website could help them reach people outside of Jacksonville Beach and people other than those who follow their page. He agreed that a website could help his business, but he said Facebook does the job and running it is a little bit more his "speed". I followed up by asking him when he realized that the business needed to create a website and he said that it was during our conversation. He says that he never considered doing anything else before our conversation because he didn't want to "mess with a good thing". However, he says that he sees a lot of the same people coming into the store, which he appreciates because he has been able to form relationships with many of them and they have been . He feels that One of Each Gift has so much more potential and a website could be the thing that helps it live up to its potential. His main concern is that he will not be able to run the website by himself.
4b) The last thing I asked him about was how he is going to go about searching for a solution to his problem. He said that he had no idea because this is the first time that he has ever seriously considered this, but he said that if he were to start anywhere, he would probably start in the same place that he did when he created the business' Facebook page. When he did that, he talked to the other owner, his family, and some suppliers with whom he has developed friendships. He says that they provided great feedback, and he believes they will do the same when he asks for their opinions on creating a website. He said that he really didn't use the internet to help him look for information on creating a Facebook page, he primarily relied on the relationships he had developed while working at One of Each Gift.
2c) Dana, owner of Ashe's boutique and tea room.
3c) When I interviewed Dana, I asked if Ashe's had any sort of online presence. She responded by saying that they have a website, Facebook, and an Instagram account. I asked her if she believed these helped her business in any way, and she said it definitely has. She said that her social media pages have definitely been a great help. She posts pictures of clothes that the boutique is selling, the food the tea room is serving, she uses it to reach out to customers, etc. The website on the other hand has been kind of difficult. Dana showed me what Ashe's website looked like, and it looked like it was professionally done. She says that she used GoDaddy to help create the website, but that is it. She says they offer a plan where they can help manage it for you, but she did not want to pay the additional money to have them do that. I asked if she thought this was a problem and if so, when she realized that it was one. She said it was a minor problem that occurred relatively recently. The website was created in 2020, so it is up to date as of now. However, in the future when it needs to be changed, she will have to do it herself, which she claims to have no knowledge of doing.
4c) The final thing I asked her was how she was going about finding a solution to this problem. She said that she first looked on some websites for freelance website creators, or anyone who knew how to fix websites, but as of now, she has had no luck. She also said that she had asked her daughters if they knew how to do this, but they said that they didn't. She says that she hasn't done this yet, but her next best hope is to take a class to figure out how to change the website herself.
5) Pretty much all of the people I had interviewed had some form of an online presence: website social media page, etc. Although they all had one, there was an aspect of their online presence with which they were disappointed, something which many of the people I interviewed noticed right away. Even though many of them were disappointed with an aspect of their online presence, they decided not to fix it right away because they were happy with what they had. This can be seen especially in Jim's and Bruce's interviews. Once they realize that they needed to address the problem, they all decided to take different starting point. One decided to talk to customer, look on the internet, talk to family and friends. Even though they had different starting points, they all ended up going to the same places seeking advice, and ended up with the same result: disappointment in how they are seen online.
6) The biggest takeaway from all of the interviews is that many small businesses already have some sort of online presence. For instance, I talked to about six business owners/managers for this assignment. The three that I wrote about above were the only ones that I thought had a need for my service. So, that statistic that I bring up occasionally about 46% of businesses not having an online presence might not be entirely true. However, only interviewing six businesses is a small sample, so I am still holding out hope that there are enough customers for my service. Another takeaway is that even though these businesses had some form of online presence, there was some room for my service to help improve it. If I were to describe how they became aware of the need, I would say that they all subconsciously knew that they had the need. For instance, they all acknowledged that their existing online presence was helping increase sales, so on a deeper level, they realized that having another online platform would help increase sales further. Finally, many of them used people as the primary way they tried to find information. Many of them went to talk to family, friends, customers, suppliers, coworkers, etc. After they would talk to people, they usually would go to the internet. I think this just shows the importance of having a group of people who you really trust when you start a business. I think it is important because these are people who want you to succeed and will try their best to steer you in the right direction.
2c) Dana, owner of Ashe's boutique and tea room.
3c) When I interviewed Dana, I asked if Ashe's had any sort of online presence. She responded by saying that they have a website, Facebook, and an Instagram account. I asked her if she believed these helped her business in any way, and she said it definitely has. She said that her social media pages have definitely been a great help. She posts pictures of clothes that the boutique is selling, the food the tea room is serving, she uses it to reach out to customers, etc. The website on the other hand has been kind of difficult. Dana showed me what Ashe's website looked like, and it looked like it was professionally done. She says that she used GoDaddy to help create the website, but that is it. She says they offer a plan where they can help manage it for you, but she did not want to pay the additional money to have them do that. I asked if she thought this was a problem and if so, when she realized that it was one. She said it was a minor problem that occurred relatively recently. The website was created in 2020, so it is up to date as of now. However, in the future when it needs to be changed, she will have to do it herself, which she claims to have no knowledge of doing.
4c) The final thing I asked her was how she was going about finding a solution to this problem. She said that she first looked on some websites for freelance website creators, or anyone who knew how to fix websites, but as of now, she has had no luck. She also said that she had asked her daughters if they knew how to do this, but they said that they didn't. She says that she hasn't done this yet, but her next best hope is to take a class to figure out how to change the website herself.
5) Pretty much all of the people I had interviewed had some form of an online presence: website social media page, etc. Although they all had one, there was an aspect of their online presence with which they were disappointed, something which many of the people I interviewed noticed right away. Even though many of them were disappointed with an aspect of their online presence, they decided not to fix it right away because they were happy with what they had. This can be seen especially in Jim's and Bruce's interviews. Once they realize that they needed to address the problem, they all decided to take different starting point. One decided to talk to customer, look on the internet, talk to family and friends. Even though they had different starting points, they all ended up going to the same places seeking advice, and ended up with the same result: disappointment in how they are seen online.
6) The biggest takeaway from all of the interviews is that many small businesses already have some sort of online presence. For instance, I talked to about six business owners/managers for this assignment. The three that I wrote about above were the only ones that I thought had a need for my service. So, that statistic that I bring up occasionally about 46% of businesses not having an online presence might not be entirely true. However, only interviewing six businesses is a small sample, so I am still holding out hope that there are enough customers for my service. Another takeaway is that even though these businesses had some form of online presence, there was some room for my service to help improve it. If I were to describe how they became aware of the need, I would say that they all subconsciously knew that they had the need. For instance, they all acknowledged that their existing online presence was helping increase sales, so on a deeper level, they realized that having another online platform would help increase sales further. Finally, many of them used people as the primary way they tried to find information. Many of them went to talk to family, friends, customers, suppliers, coworkers, etc. After they would talk to people, they usually would go to the internet. I think this just shows the importance of having a group of people who you really trust when you start a business. I think it is important because these are people who want you to succeed and will try their best to steer you in the right direction.
Monday, June 8, 2020
Idea Napkin No. 1
My Napkin
My Business Concept
1) My name is Will Templin and I am wanting to start a business that helps small businesses gain an online presence in an affordable and easy way. I think that I am a great people person and I consider it to be one of my best skills. I have been able to hone this skill by working in multiple industries: restaurant and research. Both of these industries involve working with others and being accommodating. I think these skills will be very helpful because they will allow me to form great relationships with potential customers and investors. Regarding my business, I hope that I can help all small businesses gain an online presence. In today's business world, it is very important to have a website, social media, etc, because it can be the difference between the business being open and having to close down. I think this is a need that most small businesses have and if my assumption ends up being true, I would like to pursue this full time, because it would be a great way to help small businesses across the country.
2) I will be providing small businesses with a way to gain an online presence (website, social media, etc). My plan is to offer potential customers plans, which will vary in price based on how much I will be creating for them. For instance, a website would be a cheaper option compared to me creating a website and running their social media accounts. After that, I would charge them a yearly or monthly fee for me to run everything. Doing this will give small businesses the online presence they need in order to reach customers over the internet.
3) I will be offering this service to a wide variety of people. Luckily, the interviews I did allowed me to figure out exactly needs my service. I learned that retailers, private practice physicians, small marketing firms, restaurants, salon owners, mechanics, and many more would benefit from my service. Although they would use their online presence for different reasons, they could all benefit from having one. One thing that all of these potential customers have in common is that they are all small businesses. Unlike large businesses, small businesses don't have the in-house capabilities to make and run their online presence, so they would understandably benefit from this service.
4) I think customers will pay for the service because of semi-recent business trends, the government restrictions that were implemented due to the coronavirus. E-commerce has been increasing over the past decade. As of now, e-commerce accounts for 12% of total sales in the United States and is increasing. Not having an online presence means that you are going to missing out on this trend and potential sales. Also, the government has placed restrictions on businesses during the pandemic. In many states, businesses are not allowed to sell to people in person, and rely on their websites and social media accounts to sell to customers. The businesses that don't have an online presence are at risk of closing down because they are unable to sell to customers during this time. During this time, an online presence could be the difference between staying open and being forced to close down.
5) I think the thing that gives my idea a competitive advantage of others that do the same thing is that I will try to make it as affordable as possible. I think the reason that many small businesses do not have an online presence is because they can't afford it. If I were to make my service affordable, I would be able to provide the small businesses that normally can't afford an online presence with one. Also, I might be able to sway some businesses that already use a service to use mine because it is so affordable. The other thing that could set me apart from others is that mine will be easy to use and change. I will be the one running their online presence, so they won't have to worry about anything except completing all of the online orders they get.
Evaluation
I think that for the most part all of the parts of my business concept fit together well. For instance, a large part of owning and running a business is have people skills. You need people skills to reach out to customers, investors, etc in order to get your business off the ground. Also, I think that the problem small businesses are facing is a big enough one that they will be willing to pay for my service, especially if the service is affordable and easy (my core competencies). The only thing that doesn't really fit well is the technical skills I have. I don't know how to put together a website from scratch or anything like that. I can make social media accounts and run those, but as far as creating and running websites, I don't know how to do that. Like Dr. Pryor said, that isn't the end of the world to lack the technical skills or experience. As long as you have the entrepreneurial spirit, you can overcome that roadblock.
My Business Concept
1) My name is Will Templin and I am wanting to start a business that helps small businesses gain an online presence in an affordable and easy way. I think that I am a great people person and I consider it to be one of my best skills. I have been able to hone this skill by working in multiple industries: restaurant and research. Both of these industries involve working with others and being accommodating. I think these skills will be very helpful because they will allow me to form great relationships with potential customers and investors. Regarding my business, I hope that I can help all small businesses gain an online presence. In today's business world, it is very important to have a website, social media, etc, because it can be the difference between the business being open and having to close down. I think this is a need that most small businesses have and if my assumption ends up being true, I would like to pursue this full time, because it would be a great way to help small businesses across the country.
2) I will be providing small businesses with a way to gain an online presence (website, social media, etc). My plan is to offer potential customers plans, which will vary in price based on how much I will be creating for them. For instance, a website would be a cheaper option compared to me creating a website and running their social media accounts. After that, I would charge them a yearly or monthly fee for me to run everything. Doing this will give small businesses the online presence they need in order to reach customers over the internet.
3) I will be offering this service to a wide variety of people. Luckily, the interviews I did allowed me to figure out exactly needs my service. I learned that retailers, private practice physicians, small marketing firms, restaurants, salon owners, mechanics, and many more would benefit from my service. Although they would use their online presence for different reasons, they could all benefit from having one. One thing that all of these potential customers have in common is that they are all small businesses. Unlike large businesses, small businesses don't have the in-house capabilities to make and run their online presence, so they would understandably benefit from this service.
4) I think customers will pay for the service because of semi-recent business trends, the government restrictions that were implemented due to the coronavirus. E-commerce has been increasing over the past decade. As of now, e-commerce accounts for 12% of total sales in the United States and is increasing. Not having an online presence means that you are going to missing out on this trend and potential sales. Also, the government has placed restrictions on businesses during the pandemic. In many states, businesses are not allowed to sell to people in person, and rely on their websites and social media accounts to sell to customers. The businesses that don't have an online presence are at risk of closing down because they are unable to sell to customers during this time. During this time, an online presence could be the difference between staying open and being forced to close down.
5) I think the thing that gives my idea a competitive advantage of others that do the same thing is that I will try to make it as affordable as possible. I think the reason that many small businesses do not have an online presence is because they can't afford it. If I were to make my service affordable, I would be able to provide the small businesses that normally can't afford an online presence with one. Also, I might be able to sway some businesses that already use a service to use mine because it is so affordable. The other thing that could set me apart from others is that mine will be easy to use and change. I will be the one running their online presence, so they won't have to worry about anything except completing all of the online orders they get.
Evaluation
I think that for the most part all of the parts of my business concept fit together well. For instance, a large part of owning and running a business is have people skills. You need people skills to reach out to customers, investors, etc in order to get your business off the ground. Also, I think that the problem small businesses are facing is a big enough one that they will be willing to pay for my service, especially if the service is affordable and easy (my core competencies). The only thing that doesn't really fit well is the technical skills I have. I don't know how to put together a website from scratch or anything like that. I can make social media accounts and run those, but as far as creating and running websites, I don't know how to do that. Like Dr. Pryor said, that isn't the end of the world to lack the technical skills or experience. As long as you have the entrepreneurial spirit, you can overcome that roadblock.
Thursday, June 4, 2020
Elevator Pitch No. 1
The Pitch
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2
Reminder of My Opportunity/Solution
This is just a reminder of what my opportunity is and how I plan on solving the problem. 46% of small businesses don't have an online presence. In today's world, having an online presence is important because it allows you to reach customers, receive feedback, and make money, especially with the current government restrictions on small businesses. Many small businesses might have to close down because they can't reach customers during the pandemic. I plan is to create an affordable and easy way for small businesses to get an online presence. All they would have to do is contact me, and I would create and manage their website, social media, etc. If they find that something needs to be changed on their website or social media, all they would have to do is contact me and I will make the change. I believe this will satisfy many small businesses' need for an online presence, and help their business prosper.
The Interviews
Ann Kurzweg
I interviewed Ann Kurzweg, a family friend and owner of a bar in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I started the conversation by asking what she thinks of bars using websites and social media. She believes that it is very important for bars to have a website, but especially a social media. She says that her establishment uses social media in order to stay in contact with customers. She says that they use it to tell them about specials and deals, about upcoming events, etc. She also says that it is a good way to remind customers that you're still there ready to serve them whenever they decide to come back. I asked her what she thought of my idea. She says that there is definitely a need for it in the restaurant/bar community. She says that she runs all of her bar's online platforms, but there are definitely people out there who would be happy to see an affordable/easy way to attract customers. However, many bars might not be willing to pay for someone to develop a website or social media for them because in many states, like Pennsylvania, bars are being forced to close because of the coronavirus.
Nick Campbell
I interviewed Nick Campbell, my parents' neighbor and partner at a local law firm in Jacksonville, Florida. In response to my question about the use of the internet in private law firms, he said that they use it as a way to attract people to their firm. He says that the firm uses their website as sort of a "resume". Their website contains "bios" on the lawyers that work there, important statistics regarding the cases of which they have been a part, etc. He said that people usually don't have a lawyer, and they rely on the internet to search for one. I asked him about his thoughts on my idea, and he said that most law firms usually have the money set aside and the "know how" to create a social media, website, put out ads, etc, because the most important part of running a business is getting people to come to it/use their service. He believes that law firms would not be a good business to target.
Dr. Jim Schaffer
Another person I interviewed was a family friend and my pediatrician, Dr. Jim Schaffer. I based this conversation on one that I had with my dad, where we talked about the emergence of telemedicine. I asked Dr. Schaffer about how he is meeting with patients during the pandemic, and he said that many are coming into the office since he mainly sees young children and they are not an "at-risk" population. He also said that since he is a part of a large hospital system (UPMC), many feel comfortable with the precautions that they are taking to mitigate person to person contact in the office. I asked him about how the patients who decide to use telemedicine get to their appointment. He responded by saying that they make an appointment with the receptionist, then they get an email on the day of their appointment, which takes them to a UPMC website which serves as a waiting room until their appointment. I asked him about my idea and if doctors would be interested in it. He said that some private practice doctors or doctors that serve "vulnerable" populations might be willing to use the service so they can perform telemedicine in an affordable way. He continued by saying that doctors a part of large hospital systems would have no need for it because they already have the websites and IT necessary to perform telemedicine.
Erik Lindgren
I also interviewed Erik Lindgren, an old boss of mine from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Erik owns a Menchie's Frozen Yogurt chain and says that the pandemic has been very hard on the business. He says that he was forced to furlough practically all of the people he employed because it was costing him more money ti pay him than they were bringing in from sales. He said that they were relying on delivery for all of their sales during the pandemic. I asked him about how people go about ordering frozen yogurt. He says that people can go through either Grubhub or Bitesquad. I asked him if there was a need for an affordable/easy way to get an online presence. He responded by saying that there really wasn't because Menchie's is a multinational corporation that provided each franchise with the tools to reach customers over the internet. If customers wanted to provide feedback or order cakes or anything like that, they would use the corporate website, and that would get you in contact with the closest franchise. He believes that this idea would best serve small businesses that do not have the help of large corporations.
Andrew Bender
The final person I interviewed is a family friend and works at a hair salon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I asked him about how hair salons use websites and social media. He said that they mainly use websites to display information about the salon, like the time they're open, their phone number, etc. As of now, he believes that their website serves no real purpose because hair salons have been forced to close in Pittsburgh during the pandemic, but once the restrictions are lifted, it will start to be beneficial again. I asked him about his opinion on my idea, and he said that it could be a good way for smaller salons to provide potential customers with deals and necessary information to make appointments. For instance, he said that a salon could offer half off on a haircut or on a keratin treatment for first time customers. The one thing he did make a note about was that you have to find salons early on because one of the first things they will create is a website/social media in order to reach customers and provide them with their information.
The Table
Inside The Boundary
Who Is In: From my interviews, I have come to the conclusion that restaurants/bars, retail stores, hair salons, private practice doctors, small marketing firms, or businesses looking for a change in how their online presence is run.
What Is The Need: The need is that 46% of small businesses and businesses that have yet to be created lack an online presence. In today's world, having an online presence is of upmost importance to keep your business open.
Why The Need Exists: The need has existed for a while, really since the creation of the internet. However, the restrictions on small businesses brought on by the pandemic really created this need.
Outside The Boundary
Who Is Not: From my interviews, I have determined that businesses that already have an online presence, or are a part of a large corporation that runs it for them.
What The Need Is Not: The need is not that businesses would slightly benefit form having an online presence, but that this could be the difference between them staying open and being forced to close indefinitely.
Alternative Explanations: I think an alternative explanation for this opportunity existing is that there is a trend that has been going on for the past decade, and that is that buying things over the internet is becoming the go to way to buy things for an increasing number of consumers.
Conclusion/Summary
From the ten interviews that I have conducted over the past couple of weeks, I have learned a few things about my opportunity. I have learned that not all businesses may have a need for an online presence. For instance, in my talk with Andrew Bender, I learned that hair salons don't really rely on websites other than to display information about the business. Even though it is important to display information about the business, many salon owners may see this as an additional cost that could/should be avoided.
I also learned about what makes my idea different than others. Many small business owners love to save money because it is extra money that they can invest elsewhere in their business. Even though some of the small business owners have someone who manages their online presence, I think that they would be willing to consider my option because it would allow them to invest the money they just saved into their business.
Finally, I think that I learned the reason why some people might not benefit from my solution. Many small businesses may already have someone or a large corporation that can provide better service than I can. For instance, my old pediatrician is a part of UPMC, one of the largest hospital systems in the world, and they can most certainly provide better service than I ever could. This leads me into why some people might need the service I am providing. Not everyone has UPMC's assets and can't afford to have the same quality online presence as my old pediatrician. I will be there to provide an affordable option to those who don't have the money to pay a large company to create one for them.
This is just a reminder of what my opportunity is and how I plan on solving the problem. 46% of small businesses don't have an online presence. In today's world, having an online presence is important because it allows you to reach customers, receive feedback, and make money, especially with the current government restrictions on small businesses. Many small businesses might have to close down because they can't reach customers during the pandemic. I plan is to create an affordable and easy way for small businesses to get an online presence. All they would have to do is contact me, and I would create and manage their website, social media, etc. If they find that something needs to be changed on their website or social media, all they would have to do is contact me and I will make the change. I believe this will satisfy many small businesses' need for an online presence, and help their business prosper.
The Interviews
Ann Kurzweg
I interviewed Ann Kurzweg, a family friend and owner of a bar in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I started the conversation by asking what she thinks of bars using websites and social media. She believes that it is very important for bars to have a website, but especially a social media. She says that her establishment uses social media in order to stay in contact with customers. She says that they use it to tell them about specials and deals, about upcoming events, etc. She also says that it is a good way to remind customers that you're still there ready to serve them whenever they decide to come back. I asked her what she thought of my idea. She says that there is definitely a need for it in the restaurant/bar community. She says that she runs all of her bar's online platforms, but there are definitely people out there who would be happy to see an affordable/easy way to attract customers. However, many bars might not be willing to pay for someone to develop a website or social media for them because in many states, like Pennsylvania, bars are being forced to close because of the coronavirus.
Nick Campbell
I interviewed Nick Campbell, my parents' neighbor and partner at a local law firm in Jacksonville, Florida. In response to my question about the use of the internet in private law firms, he said that they use it as a way to attract people to their firm. He says that the firm uses their website as sort of a "resume". Their website contains "bios" on the lawyers that work there, important statistics regarding the cases of which they have been a part, etc. He said that people usually don't have a lawyer, and they rely on the internet to search for one. I asked him about his thoughts on my idea, and he said that most law firms usually have the money set aside and the "know how" to create a social media, website, put out ads, etc, because the most important part of running a business is getting people to come to it/use their service. He believes that law firms would not be a good business to target.
Dr. Jim Schaffer
Another person I interviewed was a family friend and my pediatrician, Dr. Jim Schaffer. I based this conversation on one that I had with my dad, where we talked about the emergence of telemedicine. I asked Dr. Schaffer about how he is meeting with patients during the pandemic, and he said that many are coming into the office since he mainly sees young children and they are not an "at-risk" population. He also said that since he is a part of a large hospital system (UPMC), many feel comfortable with the precautions that they are taking to mitigate person to person contact in the office. I asked him about how the patients who decide to use telemedicine get to their appointment. He responded by saying that they make an appointment with the receptionist, then they get an email on the day of their appointment, which takes them to a UPMC website which serves as a waiting room until their appointment. I asked him about my idea and if doctors would be interested in it. He said that some private practice doctors or doctors that serve "vulnerable" populations might be willing to use the service so they can perform telemedicine in an affordable way. He continued by saying that doctors a part of large hospital systems would have no need for it because they already have the websites and IT necessary to perform telemedicine.
Erik Lindgren
I also interviewed Erik Lindgren, an old boss of mine from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Erik owns a Menchie's Frozen Yogurt chain and says that the pandemic has been very hard on the business. He says that he was forced to furlough practically all of the people he employed because it was costing him more money ti pay him than they were bringing in from sales. He said that they were relying on delivery for all of their sales during the pandemic. I asked him about how people go about ordering frozen yogurt. He says that people can go through either Grubhub or Bitesquad. I asked him if there was a need for an affordable/easy way to get an online presence. He responded by saying that there really wasn't because Menchie's is a multinational corporation that provided each franchise with the tools to reach customers over the internet. If customers wanted to provide feedback or order cakes or anything like that, they would use the corporate website, and that would get you in contact with the closest franchise. He believes that this idea would best serve small businesses that do not have the help of large corporations.
Andrew Bender
The final person I interviewed is a family friend and works at a hair salon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I asked him about how hair salons use websites and social media. He said that they mainly use websites to display information about the salon, like the time they're open, their phone number, etc. As of now, he believes that their website serves no real purpose because hair salons have been forced to close in Pittsburgh during the pandemic, but once the restrictions are lifted, it will start to be beneficial again. I asked him about his opinion on my idea, and he said that it could be a good way for smaller salons to provide potential customers with deals and necessary information to make appointments. For instance, he said that a salon could offer half off on a haircut or on a keratin treatment for first time customers. The one thing he did make a note about was that you have to find salons early on because one of the first things they will create is a website/social media in order to reach customers and provide them with their information.
The Table
Inside The Boundary
Who Is In: From my interviews, I have come to the conclusion that restaurants/bars, retail stores, hair salons, private practice doctors, small marketing firms, or businesses looking for a change in how their online presence is run.
What Is The Need: The need is that 46% of small businesses and businesses that have yet to be created lack an online presence. In today's world, having an online presence is of upmost importance to keep your business open.
Why The Need Exists: The need has existed for a while, really since the creation of the internet. However, the restrictions on small businesses brought on by the pandemic really created this need.
Outside The Boundary
Who Is Not: From my interviews, I have determined that businesses that already have an online presence, or are a part of a large corporation that runs it for them.
What The Need Is Not: The need is not that businesses would slightly benefit form having an online presence, but that this could be the difference between them staying open and being forced to close indefinitely.
Alternative Explanations: I think an alternative explanation for this opportunity existing is that there is a trend that has been going on for the past decade, and that is that buying things over the internet is becoming the go to way to buy things for an increasing number of consumers.
Conclusion/Summary
From the ten interviews that I have conducted over the past couple of weeks, I have learned a few things about my opportunity. I have learned that not all businesses may have a need for an online presence. For instance, in my talk with Andrew Bender, I learned that hair salons don't really rely on websites other than to display information about the business. Even though it is important to display information about the business, many salon owners may see this as an additional cost that could/should be avoided.
I also learned about what makes my idea different than others. Many small business owners love to save money because it is extra money that they can invest elsewhere in their business. Even though some of the small business owners have someone who manages their online presence, I think that they would be willing to consider my option because it would allow them to invest the money they just saved into their business.
Finally, I think that I learned the reason why some people might not benefit from my solution. Many small businesses may already have someone or a large corporation that can provide better service than I can. For instance, my old pediatrician is a part of UPMC, one of the largest hospital systems in the world, and they can most certainly provide better service than I ever could. This leads me into why some people might need the service I am providing. Not everyone has UPMC's assets and can't afford to have the same quality online presence as my old pediatrician. I will be there to provide an affordable option to those who don't have the money to pay a large company to create one for them.
Monday, June 1, 2020
Solving The Problem
The Opportunity
1) Approximately, 46% of all small businesses have no online presence (website, social media, etc.). E- business is growing in importance in today's business world, especially with government restrictions on when businesses can open. Businesses with no online presence will run the risk of having to close down because they can't sell their product or perform their service while the government continues to restrict businesses operations. Many of the small businesses don't have an online presence because they lack the money to pay someone to make and run a website, social media, etc, or they lack the experience to make and run one themselves. If there were a way to provide these small businesses with an affordable/easy online presence, the chances of them closing down during the pandemic will drastically decrease.
The Solution
2) I believe that I can solve this problem by providing small businesses with an affordable way to gain/maintain an online presence. I would help create a website and social media for these small businesses and then maintain them for them. Many of the small businesses that need an online presence don't have one because the owners don't have the money or the "know how" to make one. My solution would help those who can't afford it by charging them an upfront cost to make it and then a subscription fee to maintain it. I would have to figure out a price that works for most businesses and me. My solution would also help those who don't have the "know how" because I would be the person who maintains the website/social media for them. If they want anything to change on their website/social media, they could contact me and I would change it for them. I think that this would help solve the problem that many small businesses are facing, and potentially prevent many of them from closing down during the pandemic.
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