Identifying local opportunities

“How to get a stronger Wi-Fi signal”

https://www.news4jax.com/tech/2020/01/29/how-to-get-a-stronger-wi-fi-signal/

Description: This article is about what can impact Wi-Fi signal in homes. It explains that other household items such as refrigerators and microwaves can interfere with the routers signal.

The problem presented in the article: The Wi-Fi signal in homes is sometimes weak or non-existing in certain parts of the house.  

Who has this problem? Everyone that has Wi-Fi could have this issue. According to the Pew Research Center, almost a third of all Americans have internet services at home.

“Florida Senate focuses on failings in school security”

https://www.staugustine.com/news/20200122/florida-senate-focuses-on-failings-in-school-security/2

Description: This article is about some of the downfalls of security measures in public schools in Florida. It reports that many schools do not have security plans that meet the standards of the policies that are meant to help protect students and faculty.

The problem presented in the article: Schools in Florida do not have adequate security to keep students and faculty safe in case of an emergency.   

Who has this problem? Anyone who attends a school, works at a school or has a family member who does.

“Florida iguanas not just a nuisance; these lizards contributed to a $1.8M repair bill in West Palm”

https://www.gainesville.com/news/20200122/florida-iguanas-not-just-nuisance-these-lizards-contributed-to-18m-repair-bill-in-west-palm

Description: This article is about how iguanas, an invasive species in south Florida, have begun to cause damages to infrastructures such as dams.

The problem presented in the article: The iguanas are digging burrows that are damaging the dam.

Who has this problem? Anyone in the area who would be impacted by damages to the dam. It also impacts taxpayers are essentially funding any repairs made by the city.

"Don't get scammed this tax season: Here are some tips to protect your identity

https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/local/dont-get-scammed-this-tax-season-here-are-some-tips-to-protect-your-identity/77-4c1acbef-b333-4396-94ad-ba49cf137a08

Description: This article talks about the different types of potential scams related to taxes. It warns about what people should look out four during tax season when filing their taxes.

The problem presented in the article: People are being scammed during tax season.

Who has this problem? Anyone who is filling taxes and potentially sharing their information with other people.

“Stay Up and Save: Phantom charges could be costing you hundreds”

https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/money/stay-up-and-save-phantom-charges-could-be-costing-you-hundreds/77-0b261260-6bf0-4d82-bf04-166fcaa489db

Description: This article is about recurring charges that are a result of signing up for “free” services or “free trials”. They make the point that many of the companies that offer these free services often use these as marketing tools to reel in customers to subscribe to recurring payments for their services.

The problem presented in the article: Many people who sign up for these “free trials” end up paying a subscription without noticing it.

Who has this problem? Anyone who signs up to receive a “free trial” and enters payment information.

Forming an Opportunity Belief

Anyone that has a cat is familiar with the pain of dealing with a litter box. I believe there’s an opportunity to provide a product that would help with containment and disposal of the waste with minimal contact. I think that most people dread cleaning the litter, but there really isn’t an alternative when you have an indoor cat. Currently, most people use litter boxes that have to be cleaned by hand. Some products attempt to offer a solution such as sifting bags or automatic “self-cleaning” litter boxes. I would say that there is a 70% chance that this opportunity exists.

1.     Female in early twenties that lives with her boyfriend.

Do you currently have an indoor cat? If not, have you ever had a cat or had to care for one?

“Yes”

How often do/did you clean your litter box?

“I have to clean it every other day. Except for when I ask my boyfriend to and he doesn’t do it. He’s afraid of it.”

Do you consider the cleaning process easy or simple task?

 “No, because my cat misses the box sometimes.”

Do you often find yourself thinking of new ways to deal with your cat’s waste? If so, how many different products are you tried? Are you happy with the one you currently have?

“I would say I think about it every time I clean the litter box. I’ve tried two different litter boxes and three different kinds of litter. I’m somewhat happy with what I’m currently using, but I’m always on the lookout for a better alternative.”

Reflection: This is a good example of someone that is currently using a product that “solves” their problem, but they are not happy with at all. That coupled with the fact they have felt the same way about several of the products they have tried in the past is a good sign that there is an opportunity.  

2.     Male in his late twenties that lives alone.

Do you currently have an indoor cat? If not, have you ever had a cat or had to care for one?

“I have not had an indoor cat, but I have had to care for one.”

How often do/did you clean your litter box?

“I only had to clean it once or twice.”

Do you consider the cleaning process easy or simple task?

“Not at all. It was very tedious and disgusting. I love my friends, but I hope I never have to watch their cat again.”

Do you often find yourself thinking of new ways to deal with your cat’s waste? If so, how many different products are you tried? Are you happy with the one you currently have?

“I don’t have a cat, so this doesn’t apply. I do think that my friends have had the same litter box for as long as I can remember. I think they’re happy with it, but I’m not absolutely sure.”

Reflection: Not everyone has a cat. This example provides some useful information, but I’m not sure that it’s necessary reliable for this particular idea. It could be that this person just doesn’t like cats in general.

3.     Female in early twenties that lives alone.

Do you currently have an indoor cat? If not, have you ever had a cat or had to care for one?

“I do”

How often do/did you clean your litter box?

“I only have to clean it once a week”

Do you consider the cleaning process easy or simple task?

“I think it’s simple, but it’s very messy.”  

Do you often find yourself thinking of new ways to deal with your cat’s waste? If so, how many different products are you tried? Are you happy with the one you currently have?

“Not really. I’ve tried a couple different things. I feel happy with what I have. It’s better than some of the ones that I’ve used in the past.”

Reflection: I found the answer to the last question kind of interesting. They say they’re happy with the solution they currently have, but only because it’s better than the ones they’ve had in the past. I’m not sure that means it’s an ideal solution, it could just be that they don’t think there’s anything better. There could still be an opportunity.  

Summary:

I still think that there’s a huge opportunity to provide a product that helps people manage their cat’s waste. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, 25.4% of American households own a cat. Based on the feedback I received, I would say that most people are probably just settling for a “solution”. It’s also a great opportunity because this product is going to require some type of maintenance and upkeep. This means there is potential for a long term or even lifetime customers.  

My entrepreneurship story

Entrepreneurship experiences in my life so far have been primarily influenced by my parents. My family moved here from Colombia when I was twelve years old. As a result, my parents had to make a significant career change to adapt. They went from working office jobs in a bank and an accounting firm to working construction and general maintenance. As a teenager, I was very involved with my dad’s entrepreneurial ventures in construction, specifically residential and commercial painting. I would help with marketing the business through networking and creating promotional materials such as brochures and coupons. Although we were ultimately not successful with the company, I learned many important lessons about entrepreneurship. I found that failure was a really important part of the process because it helps you develop and improve over time. The key is that you have to be persistent and passionate about your goals.

I enrolled in ENT 3003 for a few different reasons. First of all, I would like to learn how to brainstorm and pursuit entrepreneurial ideas. I think it’s always been something that interests me, but I have never given it enough thought to gain any traction. I also think that the entrepreneurship process can be applied to almost any situation in life. I hope that this class will help me challenge myself to think more about how the entrepreneurial process can benefit my business ideas, work, and life in general.

Bug List

1.     Uncomfortable airplane seats

Why it exists: Airlines have to fit as many passengers as possible in each flight to optimize earnings. This means they often have to compromise comfort and room.  

2.     Cat hair on furniture and clothes

Why it exists: Many people love to have their cats indoor. This means that have to deal with the shedding that frequently ends up on clothes and furniture.

3.     Having to deal with cat litter

Why it exists: Indoor cats that are not allowed to go outside are forced to go to the bathroom indoors. The only option available is to have them “go” in the litter box.  

4.     Soap scum in glass showers

Why it exists: Soap from showers tends to end up everywhere. It is especially visible in showers that are made out of glass.

5.     Weeds in the yard

Why it exists: Weeds always find a way of growing faster and thicker than grass and in unwanted spots. These plants are typically more resilient and grow in a variety of conditions   

6.     Finding spiders in the car

Why it exists: Bugs, pun intended, seem to find their way into weird places. This is probably why you’ll see spiders in your car sometimes. They’re probably just looking for bugs to eat.   

7.     Having to iron/steam clothes

Why it exists: Clothes easily wrinkle after being washed and dried.  

8.     Having to carry keys around everywhere

Why it exists: We use keys to open many things in our day to day lives. This means that we have to carry them around with us all day. They are usually all together to make it easier not to lose any of them.   

9.     Folding laundry

Why it exists: Clothes have to be folded after they are washed and before they can be stored.   

10.  Uncomfortable shoes

Why it exists: Shoes come in different shapes and are made out of various materials to suit different styles. Unfortunately, many times those two things will sacrifice comfort.  

11.  Over/under heating food in the microwave

Why it exists: We microwave all sorts of different foods that come in a variety of shapes and sizes. This makes can often make it difficult to figure out how much time different items require.    

12.  Ice melting in drinks

Why it exists: Ice used to cool beverages will start to melt as soon as it’s immersed in the drink because of the ambient temperature.

13.  Dog toys that don’t last

Why it exists: Many dogs are persistent in destroying their toys. They enjoy playing with them in ways that end up tearing them apart.

14.  Cleaning/polishing wood floors

Why it exists: Messes and dirt easily accumulate and show up on wood floors. This means they have to be cleaned quite often.

15.  Dirty/dusty ceiling fans

Why it exists: Ceiling fans are constantly moving and pickup up dust in the air.

16.  Electronic devices running out of battery

Why it exists: The time we spend on or electronic devices each day drains their batteries.

17.  Pollen on cars

Why it exists: Most cars are outside in the open air for the majority of the time. This means they are always exposed to pollen and can have it build up very quickly.

18.  Oil changes for vehicles

Why it exists: Oil helps lubricate the engine and absorb heat. Over time, this oil breaks down and needs to be replaced.

19.  Cats scratching furniture

Why it exists: Cats usually scratch furniture because it helps them remove the outer layer of their claws and as a way to mark their territory.

20.  Changing air filters for A/C unit

Why it exists: AC units constantly have air running in and out of the unit. The air filter helps make sure the air is clean and free of debris.  

I thought this assignment was going to be fairly easy, but it ended up being a lot more challenging than I expected. I initially found myself thinking of “bugs” that I could solve or that have not been discovered yet. I didn’t feel like I should list things that we already have a “solution” until I started thinking about how effective that solution is, or if I felt that the solution is convenient. For example, I know I have to change the filter for my AC unit because it helps it run better, but it doesn’t make it less annoying to have to order it and change it every few weeks. I think a lot of times we tend to think of things that we do routinely as necessities because they are upkeep for other items that “solve” problems. What we don’t think about is that maybe these items, like an AC in this case, can be replaced by something else that would be easier to maintain and manage. I’m definitely not claiming to have a replacement for AC unit at this point, but I do think this exercise has helped me view “bugs” from a broader and less limited perspective.