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.