Reflection: This time I did not introduce myself. I also tried to be more composed and concise with my words. This video is about the same length as the first pitch, and I feel that is something interesting. I actually didn't get any comments on my first pitch so there isn't anything I can really reflect on from that perspective. Overall I feel I am getting the hang of the pitches, this one took me a lot less time to do.
Friday, October 26, 2018
Assignment 17
Reflection: This time I did not introduce myself. I also tried to be more composed and concise with my words. This video is about the same length as the first pitch, and I feel that is something interesting. I actually didn't get any comments on my first pitch so there isn't anything I can really reflect on from that perspective. Overall I feel I am getting the hang of the pitches, this one took me a lot less time to do.
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Assignment 18
My prototypical customer would be a car owner who enjoys working with their car/ other cars. My customers can be male or female, but given the nature of car enthusiasts, most would be male. Average age would be early 20s to 40s. My customers would be the type to always look for ways to improve their car, tinkering with different aspects to make it their own. I believe that all walks of life are part of the car community. However, on average, most car enthusiasts are single men that make enough money to support themselves and their hobbies. Common phrases spoken by my customer would be "my car is the only girl I need". Some customers will have girlfriends. Most won't have children, some will. Their hobbies would be mainly focused on their car. They would watch mainly action shows and play video games in their spare time. My customers wouldn't read books often. Politics isn't important to my customers. Many of my customers would be going through a mid-life crisis where they buy a sports car and try to feel young again. These would be the customers around the age of 40.
I am very similar to this prototypical customer because I own a sports car and I do work on it often. I play video games and watch action movies. Many of the things described in my avatar are similar to myself. I have a girlfriend that enjoys what I do, and I am on the younger side at 21. I believe this is not a coincidence because I understand what my customers want. I understand what they want because I am a prototypical customer. If I had the opportunity to use my business idea when it was not my own, then I would.
I am very similar to this prototypical customer because I own a sports car and I do work on it often. I play video games and watch action movies. Many of the things described in my avatar are similar to myself. I have a girlfriend that enjoys what I do, and I am on the younger side at 21. I believe this is not a coincidence because I understand what my customers want. I understand what they want because I am a prototypical customer. If I had the opportunity to use my business idea when it was not my own, then I would.
Friday, October 19, 2018
Assignment 15
1. My segment was used car owners, and owners that modify their cars.
2. Through my interviews, I found that it is common for car enthusiasts to work on their own cars. For example, 2 of my interviews were a couple with the same car, both modified. The boyfriend works on semi-trucks as a profession, so his answer to alternatives to my business was to just fix it himself at his house. I asked them what do they do if they cannot fix it and they said they take it to the nearest Nissan dealership (they drive Nissan 350z). It seems that fixing it right matters the most to them in this scenario. If they can't do it right themselves, they will find someone who can. I asked my third interviewee what he does when he needs to take his car in to the shop and he said he finds the place that will charge him the least. So for alternatives, price and quality matter the most.
3. Most people will buy car parts online as that is where the best prices come from. However, sometimes they will buy used parts from other car owners. These are usually discounted heavily because of the wear. Cash is usually whats used. So price is a major factor. How fast the shipping is also another factor.
4. I asked how they usually feel after a purchase and the couple in my interviews said that they are always happy with a purchase. If the purchase puts a smile on their face then they made the right buy. For example if they finally get their car fixed after a long time being broken, they won't be able to stop smiling after they get their car back. If they made a purchase and eventually found a cheaper option, then they wish they would have waited.
5. Interview 1/2: this is the couple that owns the same modded cars. They basically are willing to work on their car themselves until they no longer can fix the problems. Then they take it to a dealership. They judge their purchases on how happy it makes them.
Interview 3: This person mostly tries to buy his parts in stores to save time on shipping. He might not find the best deals but the time waiting is worth it to him. He also will work on his car whenever he can, and send it to a professional when the work gets too advanced. He determines if the purchase was good or not based on weather the part worked well with his car, and if it was the feeling he was looking for.
6. The alternatives for this segment are other professional shops, but only to the extent that they cannot fix the problem themselves. purchase decisions are made based on price and quality, usually being bought online. Post purchase evaluation is mostly based on the happiness that it generates for them at the time of purchase/installation.
2. Through my interviews, I found that it is common for car enthusiasts to work on their own cars. For example, 2 of my interviews were a couple with the same car, both modified. The boyfriend works on semi-trucks as a profession, so his answer to alternatives to my business was to just fix it himself at his house. I asked them what do they do if they cannot fix it and they said they take it to the nearest Nissan dealership (they drive Nissan 350z). It seems that fixing it right matters the most to them in this scenario. If they can't do it right themselves, they will find someone who can. I asked my third interviewee what he does when he needs to take his car in to the shop and he said he finds the place that will charge him the least. So for alternatives, price and quality matter the most.
3. Most people will buy car parts online as that is where the best prices come from. However, sometimes they will buy used parts from other car owners. These are usually discounted heavily because of the wear. Cash is usually whats used. So price is a major factor. How fast the shipping is also another factor.
4. I asked how they usually feel after a purchase and the couple in my interviews said that they are always happy with a purchase. If the purchase puts a smile on their face then they made the right buy. For example if they finally get their car fixed after a long time being broken, they won't be able to stop smiling after they get their car back. If they made a purchase and eventually found a cheaper option, then they wish they would have waited.
5. Interview 1/2: this is the couple that owns the same modded cars. They basically are willing to work on their car themselves until they no longer can fix the problems. Then they take it to a dealership. They judge their purchases on how happy it makes them.
Interview 3: This person mostly tries to buy his parts in stores to save time on shipping. He might not find the best deals but the time waiting is worth it to him. He also will work on his car whenever he can, and send it to a professional when the work gets too advanced. He determines if the purchase was good or not based on weather the part worked well with his car, and if it was the feeling he was looking for.
6. The alternatives for this segment are other professional shops, but only to the extent that they cannot fix the problem themselves. purchase decisions are made based on price and quality, usually being bought online. Post purchase evaluation is mostly based on the happiness that it generates for them at the time of purchase/installation.
Friday, October 12, 2018
Assignment 13
1. I read about Elon Musk in Ashlee Vance's biography. What surprised me the most is how hard Elon's upbringing was. He had to get away from the bad life he had in South Africa and move to Canada to make his start. I admire his worth ethic. He was determined to make it big in America and he made all the sacrifices necessary to accomplish that goal. In Vance's book, she talks about how Ideas influenced his work ethic. But others have said that he worked so hard because he believed his ideas were unassailably correct. I do not admire this kind of thinking as it can be a slippery slope to self satisfaction. Elon encountered the most hardship during his home life in South Africa. His father was abusive and would make Elon and his siblings sit silent for hours while the father lectured them. He over came this adversity by leaving his home life to start anew in Canada.
2. I think Elon displays the ability to sacrifice when he knows its better for him. He had to leave his family to get away from what was holding him back. According to the 21 laws of leadership, Sacrifice is important when leading.
3. I am confused by the later half of the book. It seems that it steers away from a biography and more of an admiration of Musk.
4. Q1: How hard was it to leave your family at such a young age? I want to know how much of a sacrifice it truly was for him.
Q2: What kind of metrics does Elon account for when hiring employees for his companies. It must be hard to impress Elon and I would be interested to know this.
5. I think Musk's opinion of hard work is putting in all the time you believe is necessary to accomplish your goal. Elon worked 100 hour weeks when building a business and was very hard om himself. He never skipped a step and considered all the options.
2. I think Elon displays the ability to sacrifice when he knows its better for him. He had to leave his family to get away from what was holding him back. According to the 21 laws of leadership, Sacrifice is important when leading.
3. I am confused by the later half of the book. It seems that it steers away from a biography and more of an admiration of Musk.
4. Q1: How hard was it to leave your family at such a young age? I want to know how much of a sacrifice it truly was for him.
Q2: What kind of metrics does Elon account for when hiring employees for his companies. It must be hard to impress Elon and I would be interested to know this.
5. I think Musk's opinion of hard work is putting in all the time you believe is necessary to accomplish your goal. Elon worked 100 hour weeks when building a business and was very hard om himself. He never skipped a step and considered all the options.
Assignment 14
1. One thing that I can recommend as an online student is keep up with the lectures. Be sure to look out for any details that might be on a Cupcake. They are easy point quizzes that come straight from the lecture. I think another important behavior is to try and put yourself in the shoes of someone/something you're writing about. It really helps connect the information.
2. As someone taking 16 credits of online, I felt like some of the assignments weren't even worth my time. But after consideration, I felt that the assignments were necessary to keep me engaged and up to date with the information. This class is not meant to challenge you in the same way a statistics class or calculus class does. It makes you think about the real world in a "what if" sort of way. I felt like I have build a tenacious attitude. I have given myself a regimen that I stick to in order to balance all the work I have.
3. My three tips are:
1) Don't give up on any 1 assignment
2) Keep up to date with the lectures. Don't skip class.
3) Put yourself in the shoes of an Entrepreneur. It will help you stay focused on what is important. Don't enter this class as a student. Enter as a business owner!
2. As someone taking 16 credits of online, I felt like some of the assignments weren't even worth my time. But after consideration, I felt that the assignments were necessary to keep me engaged and up to date with the information. This class is not meant to challenge you in the same way a statistics class or calculus class does. It makes you think about the real world in a "what if" sort of way. I felt like I have build a tenacious attitude. I have given myself a regimen that I stick to in order to balance all the work I have.
3. My three tips are:
1) Don't give up on any 1 assignment
2) Keep up to date with the lectures. Don't skip class.
3) Put yourself in the shoes of an Entrepreneur. It will help you stay focused on what is important. Don't enter this class as a student. Enter as a business owner!
Friday, October 5, 2018
Assignment 12
1. I chose to pick used car owners and enthusiasts that have modified their own car.
2. All three of my interviewees own cars that occasionally need work done to keep running, and they also like to add things to their car here and there. They enjoy the car scene and are an active part of it.
3.All three of my interviews responded with the need for a place to do work on their car. One interview said that he works on his car in his hometown, but somewhere closer would be better. Another said that he would use my service just because it wasn't something he had considered. The same person said that if his car had broken down, he would tow it to my business and work on the car himself to get it running. There is a clear need for people in my market.
4. The first thing they google is nearest car shop. Depending on what work they want done, it might be a muffler shop, body shop, mechanic shop etc. The second thing they look for is pricing. Before that, they think "can they do this themselves?" This is something I can relate to as when considering work on the car, I ask myself how easy would it be if I did it myself. Ease of completion and pricing are two big factors in the decision to use my business or not.
5. What I found is that there are two main things people consider when choosing a business similar to my own: ease and price. If they can do the work themselves and it wont take them too much time, then they consider taking it to my business. I assume that if the work is too time consuming then they will just take it to a professional place and leave it at that. Now if ease of completion is not a factor then they will consider price. This is somewhat objective as a shop will charge you but you won't charge yourself. The experience gained from doing the work is worth the time spent.
6. I think my business would be more popular given that it had time to develop. Current automotive shops hold a big part of the market and most people don't second guess those choices. My business would mostly be popular with the car enthusiasts that enjoy the car scene. I can imagine that some people might use my business as a way to meet new members of the car scene and that could potentially grow my business.
2. All three of my interviewees own cars that occasionally need work done to keep running, and they also like to add things to their car here and there. They enjoy the car scene and are an active part of it.
3.All three of my interviews responded with the need for a place to do work on their car. One interview said that he works on his car in his hometown, but somewhere closer would be better. Another said that he would use my service just because it wasn't something he had considered. The same person said that if his car had broken down, he would tow it to my business and work on the car himself to get it running. There is a clear need for people in my market.
4. The first thing they google is nearest car shop. Depending on what work they want done, it might be a muffler shop, body shop, mechanic shop etc. The second thing they look for is pricing. Before that, they think "can they do this themselves?" This is something I can relate to as when considering work on the car, I ask myself how easy would it be if I did it myself. Ease of completion and pricing are two big factors in the decision to use my business or not.
5. What I found is that there are two main things people consider when choosing a business similar to my own: ease and price. If they can do the work themselves and it wont take them too much time, then they consider taking it to my business. I assume that if the work is too time consuming then they will just take it to a professional place and leave it at that. Now if ease of completion is not a factor then they will consider price. This is somewhat objective as a shop will charge you but you won't charge yourself. The experience gained from doing the work is worth the time spent.
6. I think my business would be more popular given that it had time to develop. Current automotive shops hold a big part of the market and most people don't second guess those choices. My business would mostly be popular with the car enthusiasts that enjoy the car scene. I can imagine that some people might use my business as a way to meet new members of the car scene and that could potentially grow my business.
Assignment 11
You: Who am I? This is always difficult for me to talk about myself. My name is Phillip Haley, I am currently getting my BSBA at UF after transferring from Santa Fe. I have experience working on cars as I've personally owned four. I also have experience with computers as I've built two of my own. I've been told that I am a quick learner and that I can understand topics easily (general I know). I enjoy learning about natural sciences like astronomy and geography. I take a special interest in the long term effects of humanity on the planet and our ability to live as a species. My aspirations are to work for myself after graduating. Not directly after, but eventually I want to be my own boss. This business theoretically would be perfect for me as I can work for myself and I also have experience working on cars. If it were to become real, I see it becoming a big part of my life.
Offering: I am offering a place for car owners to come and rent out the use of a lift to work on their cars. They do not have to pay labor costs as they do the work themselves. Most tools will be provided to them so it can be a simple in and out event for most people. Specifically, a car enthusiast unmet need to do work on their car that requires a lift would be met. Most people that mod their cars cannot afford to have their own lift. Rental rates would be lower than the average labor rate in the city so customers can save costs.
Who to: I believe the biggest market I will hit is the car enthusiast that likes to work on their own car. Most likely the car they come to my business with won't be their only car. I feel like my customers will be like me, who enjoy changing out parts on their car to make it their own. Many of my customers will probably be returning customers, and they hopefully recommend it to other car enthusiasts. There aren't many alternatives to this idea in Gainesville specifically, and I can only find a similar business in Miami. My business can also cater to people who want to fix their own cars to save money. This demographic might be lower as most people cannot afford to take the time to work on their car, and would rather pay someone else to do it.
Why: Customers will pay me money because they value the ability to use a lift without owning one. Some car work does not require a lift, so purchasing one would be a big investment for someone who occasionally works on their car. If I am able to provide them with the ability to rent this lift, then they are inclined to consider my offering. They also value not having to take it to a standard shop and pay labor fees since they are able to do the work themselves. This is very important to me specifically as I have stated before that I changed my own compressor saving more than $1000.
Competencies: I think what sets this business apart is that I am a car enthusiast myself. I am offering the ability to use a car lift to other car enthusiasts. I can connect to my customers on a deeper level than most shops. I can provide insight and experience to new customers and I can have meaningful interactions with my returning customers. This business is something I haven't yet seen in Gainesville, and it would be a new business venture. I think that I have a passion for this business that no one else has shown. I also think that this business has the potential to grow as my potential customer base is anyone with a car. I know that is not realistic but the opportunity is still there.
Evaluation: I think my elements fit together in theory. My worry is that my business simply will not see much traffic for a variety of reasons. One being that people can't afford to spend time working on their car. Another is people not having the knowledge to work on their own car. This is why I specifically stated that my customers would be enthusiasts that LIKE to work on their own cars. I think the standard shop business will be a huge competitor and I would have to strive for a competitive advantage over these businesses.
Offering: I am offering a place for car owners to come and rent out the use of a lift to work on their cars. They do not have to pay labor costs as they do the work themselves. Most tools will be provided to them so it can be a simple in and out event for most people. Specifically, a car enthusiast unmet need to do work on their car that requires a lift would be met. Most people that mod their cars cannot afford to have their own lift. Rental rates would be lower than the average labor rate in the city so customers can save costs.
Who to: I believe the biggest market I will hit is the car enthusiast that likes to work on their own car. Most likely the car they come to my business with won't be their only car. I feel like my customers will be like me, who enjoy changing out parts on their car to make it their own. Many of my customers will probably be returning customers, and they hopefully recommend it to other car enthusiasts. There aren't many alternatives to this idea in Gainesville specifically, and I can only find a similar business in Miami. My business can also cater to people who want to fix their own cars to save money. This demographic might be lower as most people cannot afford to take the time to work on their car, and would rather pay someone else to do it.
Why: Customers will pay me money because they value the ability to use a lift without owning one. Some car work does not require a lift, so purchasing one would be a big investment for someone who occasionally works on their car. If I am able to provide them with the ability to rent this lift, then they are inclined to consider my offering. They also value not having to take it to a standard shop and pay labor fees since they are able to do the work themselves. This is very important to me specifically as I have stated before that I changed my own compressor saving more than $1000.
Competencies: I think what sets this business apart is that I am a car enthusiast myself. I am offering the ability to use a car lift to other car enthusiasts. I can connect to my customers on a deeper level than most shops. I can provide insight and experience to new customers and I can have meaningful interactions with my returning customers. This business is something I haven't yet seen in Gainesville, and it would be a new business venture. I think that I have a passion for this business that no one else has shown. I also think that this business has the potential to grow as my potential customer base is anyone with a car. I know that is not realistic but the opportunity is still there.
Evaluation: I think my elements fit together in theory. My worry is that my business simply will not see much traffic for a variety of reasons. One being that people can't afford to spend time working on their car. Another is people not having the knowledge to work on their own car. This is why I specifically stated that my customers would be enthusiasts that LIKE to work on their own cars. I think the standard shop business will be a huge competitor and I would have to strive for a competitive advantage over these businesses.
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