14A- Halfway Reflection

1)    Tenaciousness is a competency. What are the behaviors that you have used (or developed) to keep up with the requirements of this course? 

To keep up with the requirements of this course I am vigilant when it comes to watching each lecture online and writing notes on them. I also have learned the way he sets up the course and that has helped me efficiently schedule out when to do the assignments and cupcakes. I know that all assignments are due Friday at 12pm and that every cupcake is due Monday at 12pm and that helps me coordinate with each of my other courses and give this one the appropriate time it needs to complete the work due each week. Behaviors such as organization, routine, and consistency I’ve inputted in this course. And a behavior that I’ve learned through each assignment is the concept of complex thinking because the assignments are really not black and white; they require you to dig deep and really think with an open mind.

2)    Tenaciousness is also about attitude. Talk about a moment or two when you felt like "giving up." What pulled you through? Do you feel like you've developed a tenacious attitude during the past two months? What experience or experiences most contributed to this?

I honestly wanted to give up during weeks 4 and 5, because having 3 assignments due those weeks stressed me out. What pulled me through was that I was completely capable of completing each assignment and that the assignments themselves were actually interesting to complete. I was able to re-assort my thinking and complete one a day for 3 days and that made it less stressful for me. I definitely developed a tenacious attitude towards the last 2 months. I know that each week I have to complete at least 2 assignments, peer reviews, watch the 2 lectures and complete a cupcake. At first it seemed like a lot, but now I am dedicated to completing the work using efficient time-management.

3)    Three tips. What are three tips you would offer next semester's student about (1) fostering the skills that support tenacity and (2) developing the 'tenacious mindset' ?

Tip #1) Listen to the lectures and the professors’ explanation on how to complete the assignment. That was extremely helpful to me, and gave me the ability to complete the assignment accurately and get the most out of the actual assignment.

Tip #2) Actually do the assignments not in a rush. I have learned so much more about myself in an entrepreneurial aspect, just by efficiently doing an assignment exactly the way their supposed to be done.

Tip #3) Write notes on each lecture, and the professors’ examples of certain subjects. His applications of a definition to a real-life scenario has helped me better understand the concepts he explains. This will also help with the cupcakes.

13A- Reading Reflection No. 1

Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, Ashlee Vance

1) You read about an entrepreneur:

·       What surprised you the most?

I was surprised to learn that Elon Musk grew up in poverty raised by a single mom. I thought that he would have derived from money and was successful because of that.

·       What about the entrepreneur did you most admire?

I admire how Elon Musk grew up in poverty and watched his mother work 5 different jobs to support him, and decided to escape living the same life his parents did.

·       What about the entrepreneur did you least admire?

I honestly didn’t find anything that I least admire when reading this book. He grew from nothing, and worked his way to the top and is extremely dedicated and passionate about his companies.

·       Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it?

Yes definitely. Elon Musk grew up in a single family home in poverty and was bullied as a kid. When he was older and created his companies, Tesla and SpaceX, the recession took place and nearly wiped out both of his companies due to financial issues. He still overcame the adversity and potential failures.

2) What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited? 

Elon Musk is intelligent, hard-working, and dedicated to his work. He has competencies in the ability to overcome adversity and barriers. He is a pure entrepreneur and successful at it, as he developed companies such as Tesla, SpaceX, and SolarCity.

3) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

The only confusion in the book was the explanation of the technical aspects of his companies. It was only confusing to me because I don’t have that background and knowledge on that subject.

4) If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?

The questions I would ask would be: What made you choose the path to create your first company? And did growing up in poverty and a single home family have any impact on where you are today?

5) For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion?

I think that Elon Musk must believe that hard work is essential to the creation and progression of any business. I think that the main thing that he had was a strong work ethic and that could be the reason he has made it where he is today. And I believe that I definitely share that opinion, I grew up watching my family and grandparents work hard every single day to give me the life that I have. Hard work and dedication is instilled in me.

12A- Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No.1

1)    Pick a segment. In class, we have discussed how you might intuit the existence of segments that might exist in your venture's market. For this exercise, you must pick one segment.

For this assignment I chose to choose a segment of the homeless population in Gainesville, Florida. I chose this segment because it seems to be the most vulnerable and easily targeted segment of human trafficking, according to my online research and interviews in the last assignments. Choosing this segment, I will further enhance my knowledge if the unmet need is certain for this demographic population.

2)    Begin with need awareness. In earlier exercises, you have identified an unmet need and developed a solution. If the person you are talking to does not have the same unmet, then you need to move on. You may not include this as one of your three interviews. If the person you are talking to does have the problem, then you're on the right track! For need awareness, we need to figure out at what times, situations, places, contexts, etc., their need becomes the most salient. The questions you ask should be related to determining exactly when, how, and where their need awareness occurs. 

I conducted interviews on 3 individuals in Gainesville’s homeless population and asked them what times, situations, places and contexts their need becomes the most salient. According to the interviewees, they confirmed that usually the most unsafe time of the day is at night time, when it becomes dark out. They stated that there are less people out, if any, and that may leave them as an open target. Some places that they described were the most dangerous are in less populated areas, such as outside of downtown and midtown. Two interviewees stated that any highway or location near the highway would be most dangerous as they could easily be lured, picked up, and taken out of town with an easy access of the highway. Two of the interviewees were woman, and they stated that they are more vulnerable to be a target being on the streets at night, as some people may believe them to be prostitutes and try and pick them up.

3)    Move to information search. When the person you are interviewing becomes aware of their need, what is the very first thing they do to find a solution to their problem? What sources of information do they look for? When they search in Google, what are their search terms? Do they talk to friends and family.

All interviewees stated that they are most aware of their need when it becomes dark outside. They all stated that they try to go to a well-lit area in town, such as downtown or midtown. The two woman I interviewed stated they stay out of the streets at night-time to avoid someone targeting them. The male interviewee said that he tries to avoid talking to anyone that doesn’t look familiar to him. They stated that they usually hear from word of mouth throughout the homeless population of any potential harmful predators that have targeted a homeless individual recently or if someone they knew in the population has gone missing. They said that they all keep an extra eye out when they hear news like that. Each interviewee stated that they do not have a cell phone and do not search anything on google, and they have no way of contacting any family members, nor do any family member wish to speak to them. The interviewees stated that a lot of people throughout the homeless population use drugs, and that could make them more of a potential threat because they are less coherent of their surroundings.

4)    Report the findings of your research. Simply summarize what you learned in the interviews.

After conducting my interviews it seems that the homeless population is very aware of the need for safety. From what I learned, they seem to have a decent method of avoiding being a potential victim. Throughout the community they keep each other safe by word of mouth. I didn’t expect them to have such a well communicated network throughout their population, I expected them to all independently fend for themselves. But from what I learned they network with each other whenever there is a concern of being a target. I also learned that without cell phones, they wouldn’t be able to reach for help by calling 911 if any problem did arise. So, they primarily have to avoid any situation where that would be needed. They also stated that they have been aware of friends disappearing in multiple occasions and I think that the product I created could be of great use to their population.

5)    Draw conclusions. Based on what you know about this segment and what you learned in your interviews, how would you succinctly describe this segment in terms of need awareness and information search? 

Based on what I learned on my interviews the need awareness is definitely there for the segment I chose. This segment is highly aware of the potential threat of being trafficked, and through my information search I learned that they take certain precautions daily and mostly nightly, to avoid being an easy target. They mostly rely on natural instincts and word of mouth to keep themselves from being a victim to any situation.

11A- Idea Napkin No.1

1)    You. Who you are. What your talents are. What your skills and experiences are. Also: what are your aspirations? Specifically regarding your business concept, how do you see this business (if you were to start it) playing a role in your life?

Hello, my name is Victoria. I’m a Junior at the University of Florida and I’m studying Business Administration at UF’s College of Warrington. My passion for the last two years has been in being of service to those who have economic struggles such as addiction. I’ve been a mentor in changing peoples lives for the better including my own success story. I’ve instilled my dedication in growth and empowerment throughout my college career in relation to Business, while I’ve earned certificates in Business Specialist, Business Operations, and Accounting Technology Specialist. With the skills I obtained I received an Associates Degree with High Honors and transferred to the University of Florida. Right now I’m looking for an internship for this summer where I can enhance my skills in the field of Business and Economics.

2)    What are you offering to customers? Describe the product or service (in other words, how you'll solve customers' unmet needs). 

My product/service that I could sell to customers to provide a solution to this epidemic is the creation of a navigation chip that could be surgically placed under the skin of an individuals’ body. This chip would be able to give the exact location of that individual at any given time in the case of an emergency via an online website. Each chip would be given a pin to enter onto the website to track the location according to the chips pin. This would provide a large solution to where a missing individual is and where other victims of human trafficking are located. I could price the procedure at a low cost so that any family could be able to afford it, and also retain a percentage of the profits to donate this procedure to the local homeless community and have online representatives given the information of the homeless populations pin numbers and names in the case that one is reported missing.

3)    Who are you offering it to? Describe, in as much detail as possible, the demographic and psychographic characteristics of your customers. Think especially of this question: what do your customers all have in common?

My selected opportunity is human trafficking in Gainesville, Florida. Human trafficking in Gainesville is now marked as a green zone, which means that it’s on the human trafficking map of locations for Florida. This problem directly affects woman, children, teenagers, and the homeless population. My customers all have in common that are they are the normal target of predators due to their sex being female, and age. People under 18 such as teenagers and children are more vulnerable compared to an adult and females are more vulnerable in comparison to a stronger and larger male.

4)    Why do they care? Your solution is only valuable insofar as customers believe its valuable to them. Here, explain why customers will actually pay you money to use your product or service. 

I believe that customers will use my product because it can be applied to a widespread of concerns, not only concerning human trafficking. My product will offer the safety and peace of mind of knowing where a person is when needed, such as a simpler and higher accurate version that an Iphone does with “sharing your location” with someone. For someone or for a demographic that is directly affected by human trafficking, my product would be the best option to ensure someone’s safety and direct location if any concern would arise. My product is priceless when it comes to purchasing it. Any family would choose to spend the price of the product to ensure the safety of their loved one or themselves.

5)    What are your core competencies? What sets you apart from everyone else? Also: what do you have that nobody else has? 

My product would be new to the market. There has never been a tracking chip company that places an electronic chip in people to acquire their location. Something that cannot be replicated would be that it the chip is patented to be undetectable to any system or scanner. So, when the company becomes more exposed with more users, sex traffickers will also be aware that their victim could have my chip placed and try to scan the body of the victim for it; though, my chip is undetectable and cannot be found on the body through any scanner or electronic system once it is placed. This would be give me a further advantage from my future competitors, because I would be the only undetectable chip with my patent.

10A – Elevator Pitch No. 1

9A- Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Who: Assignment 7 helped me better understand who is in my target market. I have came to the conclusion that my target market would be moms and dads that have children, children, teenagers, woman college students, and the homeless. After conducting my interviews I was able to determine who lies outside my boundary definition; and that was single men, the elderly, and men in college. They didn’t feel as if they were directly affected by human trafficking and would not pursue my product.

Interviews:

Two Woman mothers ages 32 and 35- I decided to interview two adult woman that have children and should have the unmet need according to my demographics. During the interview I asked them if they think human trafficking is a direct issue for them and their family; they responded saying that they aren’t concerned with human trafficking affecting themselves or their children; that there are many other concerns in the world that could directly affect their children before a case of human trafficking could. They were more concerned with bullying, pedophiles, and other abusive people coming into contact with their children. They stated they don’t believe they or their children would ever be targeted for human trafficking because they live in a safe neighborhood and their children go to a safe school. I informed them about my product, and they said that maybe in the future that could be a need, but they wouldn’t immediately purchase it right now because they weren’t concerned by their children disappearing because they are always with them.

1 Female homeless woman age 41- I interviewed a homeless woman by the name of Erica and asked her about her concerns on human trafficking and if she believes that she could be a potential victim. She stated that she has no concern that human trafficking would target her because she has nothing to offer them, she said that she’s old and has no money, and that they would choose to go after a child before ever choosing her. She stated that she has been homeless for a long time and has never once thought about the threat of human trafficking. She also stated that she was more concerned about being a victim of other crimes among the homeless population, instead of the almost impossible chance of being targeted for human trafficking. I informed her of my product and service for her and the homeless population and she stated that it would be helpful for being a victim of other crimes, as she believes that there is a chance of being abducted for other reasons but not by trafficking. She said that she has seen people go missing in the homeless population but she always believed it was due to family or meeting someone else and traveling to a different area. She stated that if a missing person alert was created for a friend that had my product, she would use the service I have to see if that friend is alright.

Two male Freshman college students ages 20 and 21- I interviewed two college students that are single and asked them a few questions pertaining to human trafficking. I first asked them if they were informed of the up rise in human trafficking in Florida and they said that they have heard about it but haven’t researched anything or thought too into the problem. I then asked them if they worried of being a potential target and they stated that they don’t believe that they would be targeted and don’t think about it at all in their everyday lives. Unlike the single woman I interviewed in assignment 7 that were worried to even go out at night, these two men stated that they don’t live in fear of being a potential victim because they don’t believe they are the target of human trafficking. I explained to them my product and they thought that for them there was no need for it, and that it would be invasive.

What: After conducting interviews with people from my perceived target market, I found out that some people that should have this unmet need do not. 3 of my interviewees were much more concerned with being a victim of other crimes targeted at them and their children. While the last 2 people I interviewed didn’t have the unmet need at all, and they thought that my product was invasive.

Why: I think that some experiences and lifestyles could lessen the chance of this unmet need; such as, the two single moms I interviewed live in a nice community and their children go to safe schools. This factor would lessen the risk of human trafficking, compared to parents of children that do not live in a nice community and do not attend safe schools. As for the homeless woman I interviewed, she had a completely different perception of human trafficking as compared to the first homeless man I interviewed in assignment 7. I believe this could be due to different education on the topic, and also due to different life experiences. For the 2 young male college students, I interviewed them because I thought that they would be a little worried about the possibility of human trafficking since they are young and have family, but they aren’t concerned about the problem at all. I believe this could be due to being a male, they don’t believe they could ever be a target of any sex related crime due to societies perceived idea of that only affecting woman, when in fact that is not true.

	Inside Boundary	Outside Boundary
Who:	Children Teenagers Female college students Fathers and mothers with children The homeless population	Male college students Single males The elderly
What:	Reduce human trafficking in Florida and even help reduce other crimes	To eliminate human trafficking entirely
Why:	Feeling unsafe in everyday living situations	People that feel safe in everyday living situations

8A- Solving the Problem

My selected opportunity is human trafficking in Gainesville, Florida. Human trafficking in Gainesville is now marked as a green zone, which means that it’s on the human trafficking map of locations for Florida. This problem directly affects woman, children, teenagers, and the homeless population.

My product/service that I could sell to customers to provide a solution to this epidemic is the creation of a navigation chip that could be surgically placed under the skin of an individuals’ body. This chip would be able to give the exact location of that individual at any given time in the case of an emergency via an online website. Each chip would be given a pin to enter onto the website to track the location according to the chips pin. This would provide a large solution to where a missing individual is and where other victims of human trafficking are located. I could price the procedure at a low cost so that any family could be able to afford it, and also retain a percentage of the profits to donate this procedure to the local homeless community and have online representatives given the information of the homeless populations pin numbers and names in the case that one is reported missing.

7A- Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

Opportunity:

Human Trafficking in Gainesville- Gainesville is now on the human trafficking map in Florida as a green zone.

-The who: College students, children, and teenagers.

-The what: People feel unsafe going to out in general, and especially going out to where traffickers are known to do abductions such major grocery stores, or night to clubs and bars.

-The why: Due to the rise in sex trafficking in Florida, Gainesville has become a predominant location due to the proximity to the highway and the amount of college students here.

·      Testing the who: Sex trafficking affects the entire nation, especially minors or woman. This opportunity is open to any location in the world, but predominant in certain states such as Florida.

·      Testing the what: Anywhere in the world one could be targeted for sex trafficking. Gainesville’s night clubs and bars with a growing population and ever revolving student population provides a unique atmosphere to be targeted.

·      Testing the why: There are highways every where but the human sex trafficking maps show that rural areas that are not near major highways are not at increased risk. Gainesville has been moved into a green zone on the sex trafficking map. This increased awareness of the danger could have parents more concerned about their teenagers, college students, and children.

Interview #1

·      I interviewed a senior UF student majoring in biology about human trafficking and he was aware that it was a problem down south but had not thought about it being a major problem in Gainesville. He does not have kids or siblings that live here, and he believes that since he is a man it doesn’t directly affect him. He explained that even when he goes out, he doesn’t have to worry about other threats including human trafficking because of his sex.

Summary: After doing this interview it’s very obvious that some people aren’t directly affected by this opportunity. Being a large male, he explained how he is able to defend himself if any threat came his way. He isn’t as concerned as the other people I interviewed, giving he is an only child and most of his family are adults making the threat of human trafficking for his family and him less viable.

Interview #2

·      I interviewed a lady at church who has three children and lived in Gainesville her whole life. I asked her about her awareness of human trafficking in town and she responded that she sees post on facebook about friends and family warning her of the up-rise of human trafficking in central Florida. She said that she has done research about it and is aware of the potential dangers to her and her children even here in Gainesville. She told me that when she goes out, she keeps her children close and has also taught her children not to go with strangers no matter what. So, she explained that she has taken certain precautions making the threat of being a victim for her and her children less possible.

Summary: After doing this interview, it is clear that the threat of human trafficking has affected the respondent directly. She is aware of the up-rise in town, and has to live every day being aware by taking precautions for her and her children from becoming a victim to this threat. The opportunity is definitely valid in her predicament giving she is a single woman parent to 3 children, which 2 are girls.

Interview #3

·      I interviewed a Female Junior Finance Major student at UF at my bus stop. We had a 15-minute wait for the bus so I took advantage of the opportunity and we had an in depth conversation about human trafficking. She explained to me how she’s completely aware of human trafficking increasing in central Florida. She stated how being a young woman while this up-rise is taking place is extremely scary to her. I agreed completely. She stated that she takes precautions when going to grocery stores and purposely avoids going at night-time, and also takes precautions when going to clubs and bars by being in a large group of friends. She said that she has a taser also as a self-defense mechanism for any potential threat.

Summary: After interviewing this college student it is valid that this opportunity directly affects her. Being a young woman she could be a potential target. She is aware of the progressiveness of human trafficking in Gainesville, and finds it extremely alarming. This opportunity affects her everyday life decisions and that is honestly a hard way to live.

Interview #4

·      I interviewed a construction worker who has a wife and one son. When I asked him about human trafficking in Gainesville he was extremely informative. He told me that Gainesville has an increased gang presence from the construction workers that have come because of the building boom that is currently taking place. He also said that the bars in Gainesville are dangerous and that his wife before he had met her had been drugged. He has his concealed carry and takes his families safety extremely personal.

Summary: This interviewee was aware of human trafficking and other potential threats that could affect him and his family. He has gone to the extent of carrying a concealed weapon just in case of any threat that would target him or his family. He has personal experience with the threat of human trafficking as his wife has been drugged at a bar, and that is a main M.O for many traffickers in the nation. They may use methods such as drugging someone at a bar who appears as an easy target and take advantage of the opportunity.

Interview #5

·      I interviewed a home-less man in Downtown about his awareness of human trafficking and if it affects him in any way. His response was that he knows it is happening in the world, and that it could affect him. He explained how being homeless in town, there’s always a potential threat of any kind of violence towards the homeless population and they have to always keep an eye out of their surroundings no matter what. He told me how friends of his that were also homeless, one day, just disappeared and he hasn’t seen them since. He said he has no idea where they went or if they’re even alive still, but there is definitely a possibility of someone abducting them since they’re homeless and nobody could report them missing.

Summary: After conducting my interview with this homeless man I was shocked of his awareness of the threats of human trafficking and other harmful threats. I thought that his position of being homeless and not being surrounded by social media and the news, would hinder his knowledge on the subject. But, he has first-hand experience of the threat of human trafficking; as homeless people are an easy target because most of them don’t have families with nobody to report them missing. After learning about how his friends have gone missing and he doesn’t know where they are or if they’re alive or dead, the opportunity of human trafficking in the homeless community is large, as before this assignment I thought it only affected woman and children.