Thursday, May 31, 2018

Identifying Local Opportunities

Identifying Local Opportunities

Opportunity #1
Title: Vibration from Orlando City Stadium construction damaged high-tech business next door, lawsuit says
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/brinkmann-on-business/os-bz-orlando-city-stadium-vibrations-20180530-story.html
Description: A high tech company that produces silicon parts for fighter jets experienced over 1 million dollars in losses during the contraction of the new soccer stadium because of the vibrations that messed up their delicate production process.
Description of Problem as presented in the story: Vibrations mess up high tech companies production and even after many meetings with the construction crew nothing was done about it.
Who has the problem: E.R. Precision Optical the company located next to the stadium

Opportunity#2
Title: Puerto Ricans in Central Florida still reeling from Maria as new hurricane season nears
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/weather/os-hurricane-prep-puerto-ricans-stress-20180515-story.html
Description: After Irma many Puerto Ricans moved to Orlando or sanctuary, as their homes had been destroyed. 
Description of Problem as presented in the story: They are not focused on the next hurricane coming, but on surviving in general, this means finding a job, shelter, and being able to pay the bills.
Who has the problem: Puerto Ricans that moved to Central Florida.

Opportunity#3
Title: FWC investigating deaths of 100s of turtles along the St. Johns river
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/environment/os-st-johns-river-dead-turtles-20180530-story.html

Description: Turtles along the St. Johns River including some in orange county (my county) have been mysteriously dying.
Description of Problem as presented in the story: The turtles have been dying and FWC is looking into it now, and isn't sure what the cause may be.
Who has the problem: Depends on how you look at it, the turtles technically have the problem because they are the ones dying, but the FWC has the problem of looking into hoe they are dying.

Opportunity #4
Title: Lake Eola turtles need sunbathing patches, say's clubs petition
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-eola-turtle-perch-plea-20180504-story.html
Description: Lake Eola is a lake centered in downtown and is surrounded by walking paths with tons of people. An activist club is motioning that the city builds sunbathing patches on and around the lake so they do not danger themselves going out of the lake where there are runners and bikers moving about.
Description of Problem as presented in the story: The club activists don't want the turtles to be hurt, especially with more foot traffic around the lake due to it being cleaned up.
Who has the problem: Technically it is the turtles again, but this time the activist club is fighting for them.

Opportunity #5
Title: The business of pop-up restaurants 
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/food-restaurants/os-cfb-pop-up-restaurant-20180510-story.html
Description: Many families, wanting to showcase their native cuisine have gone about opening up restaurants that serve as these families main streams of income. 
Description of Problem as presented in the story: Maria and Kevin Ruiz wanted to start up a business serving their native Peruvian cuisine, and in Orlando, the market for international foods has proven itself profitable. However, the real estate was very expensive, and they had to take out a loan in order to start their business.
Who has the Problem: Maria and Kevin Ruiz and any other people wishing to start a restaurant but don't have the money for the initial start up.


Thursday, May 17, 2018

An Opportunity Belief

Beginning point: Wireless charging system in buildings.
  • Unmet need: People always need to be charging their phone, but with the wireless charging system people can walk around their home or office and charge their phone without having to keep track of cords or have their phone plugged in.
  • Who has the need: People who want to charge their phones more efficiently.
  • Where did the need come from: Phones having bad battery lives, and people wanting to have their phones on them at all times.
  • What are people doing to meet this need now: People are using charging pads/charging cases/normal chargers. 

Prototypical Customer #1
Q:What is the nature of charging you phone?
A: I just plug it into a charger and leave it in another room while I'm at work/home

Q:When do you usually charge your phone?
A: When I'm asleep or at home doing nothing 

Q:How satisfied are you with how you charge your phone now?
A: I'd say pretty satisfied after my battery runs out in the middle of the day it gets a little annoying but other than that it's good.

Q:When did you fist become aware of the need to charge your phone frequently?
A: A few months after I got my iPhone the battery life significantly decreased.
 
Q:How are you dealing with that and how satisfied are you with how you are dealing with it?
A: I just charge my phone at work until I get home again, and that is fine, its a little annoying to have to have it plugged in a majority of the time but its only a minor inconvenience.

What I learned: That for some people charging their phone isn't that big of an inconvenience.


Prototypical Customer #2
Q:What is the nature of charging you phone?
A: I have to charge it all the time wherever I go.

Q:When do you usually charge your phone?
A:All the time whenever I'm on the go and not home.

Q:How satisfied are you with how you charge your phone now?
A: Not really that satisfied I hate having to worry about if I have a charger wherever I go.

Q:How are you dealing with that and how satisfied are you with how you are dealing with it?
A:I just carry phone cases all over the place and bring chargers wherever I go, and I feel like it is annoying but that's just how it is.

What I learned: For some people it is a constant struggle to keep their phone a charged 

Prototypical Customer #3
Q:What is the nature of charging you phone?
A: I charge it through out the day to make sure it doesn't die.

Q:When do you usually charge your phone?
A: When I wake up, about halfway through my day and the end of my day.

Q:How satisfied are you with how you charge your phone now?
A: I'm kind of indifferent, if it was improved it would be great, but there are no really good cheap options on the market right now.

Q:How are you dealing with that and how satisfied are you with how you are dealing with it?
A:I think it would be nice to not have to have my phone plugged in somewhere all the time and not to constantly have it die.

What I learned: The charging system would be a nice thing to have for most people but they wouldn't be willing to spend the extra money on it if it was expensive.

Summarize 

  • I'd say a good portion of my original opportunity is there, people will only really buy it if it is inexpensive
  • I'd say my new opportunity isn't as accurate as when it started and it would target a larger segment of people.
  • Entrepreneurs would have to adapt the plan to cater to the customers who want a lower price point.