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.