Economic Trends
Embracing An "I Want It Now" Mentality
a) https://www.forbes.com/sites/stephaniedenning/2018/12/27/2019-business-trends-executives-need-to-consider/#4d6ecec5229e
b) An opportunity exists here for companies of all types to develop innovative ways to interact with their specified audience in a more immediate manner. With technology constantly evolving, smart phones, social media and apps are a great way for both small and large businesses to take advantage of this.
c) Customers of any business are bound to take advantage of this opportunity because they will want to embrace the mentality where they can click a button do things like express ship clothes or order food for delivery.
d) Obstacles one might experience with this opportunity is that big name businesses might already have a similar type of convenience but if local businesses do the same to exploit their services, people in the area would be more prone to use their services because it is something they are more familiar with.
Why? I feel that is opportunity a beneficial one because, as college students, we love nothing more than to get what we want - whether it be food, an Uber or into a bar - as fast as possible. Therefore, anyone in any town or city will want to be able to get their favorite local pizza or make a reservation in the same manner.
Getting Woke - Redefining How Consumers View Business
a) https://www.forbes.com/sites/stephaniedenning/2018/12/27/2019-business-trends-executives-need-to-consider/#4d6ecec5229e
b) An opportunity exists here for businesses to attract more of their consumers and customers by expressing their values and standards in any way, shape or form. By signaling their merits, they are expressing their commitments to their craft which will build a more substantial relationship with their audience to gain further trust.
c) Any customer to a store, restaurant, organization, etc. will take advantage of this opportunity. They will notice what the seller or producer views as important in their production process and feel that they are getting the best service possible, based on their personal beliefs.
d) Obstacles with this opportunity are that businesses could very well lie about their values or bend the truth about them in order to try and gain more consumers. However, getting certified with different verifications will help avoid this and further exploit their services.
Why? This is a beneficial opportunity because "fake news" is constantly being thrown up everywhere we turn and it is important for people to know that, when they are spending money on a product or service, they are getting the best product.
Regulatory Trends
Minimum Wage Increases
a) https://www.thesimpledollar.com/four-economic-trends-that-will-impact-you-this-year/
b) With 19 states across the country increasing their minimum wage on January 1, an opportunity exists here for more people to join the workforce and make a more substantial amount of money to support themselves.
c) High school workers or a single mother supporting her children will appreciate and definitely benefit this spike because they will be making more money that will go toward their ability to get a college education or better their living conditions.
d) A huge obstacle that comes along with this is that the difference between higher-paid workers and lower-paid workers will be even higher. Due to the benefits that minimum wage workers will be receiving, exploiting this to other states should not be difficult as they should also want their residents to be better off because of the pay bump.
Why? Again, as a college student, I feel that this is an extremely beneficial trend. Students working jobs in those selected states while taking classes who might have to pay for their rent or car insurance will hands down appreciate and gain from this transition.
Privacy Regulations
a) https://www.benefitspro.com/2018/01/10/top-10-regulatory-issues-for-small-businesses-in-2/?slreturn=20190025180825
b) This opportunity has come about because privacy has become a huge concern for everyone with social media. People are constantly sharing where they are, who they're with and what they're doing on the internet. Public awareness, and even state regulations have tackled into the issues on this both on and offline.
c) Everyone from businesses to individual citizens can benefit from their in order to improve their confidentiality and safety. They will be able to keep certain information under lock without the worry of outsiders invading it.
d) People hold their privacy to a high standard, therefore I think it is easy to exploit because they want to make sure they are safe. Businesses and individuals will pay however much they need to if it means that their privacy is upheld.
Why? As I said, with social media at the forefront of our every day lives, we are constantly questioning whether our privacy is legitimate or not. Although certain regulations do protect people to a certain extent, the need for a higher, more secure level of privacy is necessary.
Friday, January 25, 2019
5A - Identifying Local Opportunities
1. Brink: St. Petersburg controversial 50-story condo tower? 'That's what downtowns are for.'
- This news article is about a potential 50-story skyscraper that will be built in the downtown St. Pete area.
- Those living in this area are against a skyscraper of this height being built, as they think it is absurd. They feel it will ruin the small, homey feel that exists in the area by turning into a big city with skyscrapers. Although these speculations still stand, the exact height of the probable building has yet to be determined.
- The problem lies within the views of the downtown St. Pete area being obstructed by a skyscraper which, if approved, will most likely lead additional ones being built.
- That being said, the developers and the citizens of downtown St. Pete have the problem.
- This news article is about the increased resistance Tampa Electric Co. is facing regarding its plan to convert a coal-powered unit to natural gas.
- At a Hillsborough County Commission meeting, members of the public and various environmental groups expressed their concerns with the plan's cost as well as its health and environmental impacts.
- The problem is that many advocates of the environment strongly believe that renewable resources, like solar energy, would be a better alternative.
- Tampa Electric Co. and Hillsborough County have the problem.
- With a spike in internet shopping in recent years, many malls and shopping districts in the Tampa Bay have been forced to be shut down.
- Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater each had a plethora of retail stores, movie theaters and restaurants in its downtown areas that brought it masses of people from the early through the mid-1990s. It was a place where locals would see familiar faces and employees knew regular visitors by their name.
- The problem is that many of these household name spots have had no choice but to shutdown because they were not making a profit due to the lack of customers; customers have transitioned to online shopping.
- Owners of these stores and restaurants have the problem.
- Prices of single-family home skyrocketed in the month of December causing sales to plunge - something that is partially due to higher interest rates seen throughout 2018.
- Statewide sales of single-family homes saw a 10 percent decrease and nationwide sales also saw a 10.3 percent. The housing market in the Tampa Bay area reflects these statistics as prices for a basic three-bedroom, three-bathroom home were up anywhere from 4 to 6 percent.
- The problem is that people cannot afford suitable homes because of the increased price. The supply of available homes has inched up, but that does no good if no one will purchase one.
- Realtors and potential home buyers have the problem.
- Following the month of April, Holland America is dropping Port Tampa Bay as a cruise ship launch point though it might not be permanent.
- Several of Holland America's cruise ships are moving to new itineraries. The cruise ship line only carries about 50,000 of the one-million plus passengers traveling out of Port Tampa Bay, so the company has decided to list no sailings from the port. However, the port remains in contact with Holland America to potentially come back in the future.
- The problem is that Holland America was one of four cruise ship lines that traveled out the port. This could decrease the port's business rapidly if it does not do well with the cruise lines it continues to dock.
- Port Tampa Bay has the problem.
Friday, January 18, 2019
3A - Your Entrepreneurship Story
The one entrepreneurship experience that I stuck out in my mind that I have been exposed to was when my dad's family built their own wooden lobster trap boat and began a business in commercial lobster trapping. Although I was not born when the boat was built, as my dad was only 6 years old (the youngest out of his two brothers) when it was, the boat has lasted over 40 years in the business. My dad has worked on the boat all his life. The boat is put on land during the summer to be repaired and repainted for the upcoming season starting in September. Season lasts throughout the fall and winter months. He takes out hundreds of traps during season and goes to pull them every other week. Although actual lobster season is only a few months long, my dad works year-round making wooden lobster traps almost every day after his day job for the following year. His weekends are devoted to either being at the boat yard or going out on the boat to pull traps. He loves the business because we has grown up on it and a great perk is that we always seem to have an unlimited supply of fresh lobster at my house.
In taking ENT3003, I am looking to build my entrepreneurship skills as much as I possibly can. Business is my concentration, as I am a public relations major in the College of Journalism and Communications, looking to work specifically in entertainment or high fashion. I think that this class will act as a great asset under my belt in thinking of bigger and better concepts and actually being able to carry them out in a professional manner. I am looking forward to building on my ideas and learning how to effectively set them in motion.
In taking ENT3003, I am looking to build my entrepreneurship skills as much as I possibly can. Business is my concentration, as I am a public relations major in the College of Journalism and Communications, looking to work specifically in entertainment or high fashion. I think that this class will act as a great asset under my belt in thinking of bigger and better concepts and actually being able to carry them out in a professional manner. I am looking forward to building on my ideas and learning how to effectively set them in motion.
2A - Bug List
1. Turlington Tablers
Walking through Turlington in between classes and being stopped by organizations about joining their club or team. Although I understand their motive to have as many people be informed about the organization, it can be frustrating while walking to class in a time crunch. Turlington is located in the heart of campus where there is heavy foot traffic by students, making it an ideal place for these tablers to recruit new members. However, many students are walking through as fast as they can in order to make it to class and don't have the time to be stopped along the way.
2. Lacking of Parking
With the University of Florida having such a large student body, the surrounding areas are highly congested with housing and apartment complexes. Parking within these areas is extremely scarce and can be a difficult task for any one who does not live nearby. Residents themselves already have a hard time if they do not pay for a parking spot from their complex and there is little to no street parking, therefore making it twice as difficult for guests or nonresidents to find a parking space.
3. Midtown Lines
Lines at midtown are always jam packed. With such a large number of students attending the university and only a handful of bars and restaurants in the area, huge lines of people waiting to get in are present on almost every day of the week. This is an annoyance for us as students because we do not want to have to wait an hour (sometimes two) to get in to a bar on Friday night, and the added irritation of those cutting the line does not help.
4. Scooter Parking
Mopeds and scooters are a popular means of transportation throughout the university area. Many students use them to carry out their day-to-day activities like going to class or running errands. With that, the demand for parking is always high. Although it is easier to park a scooter than a car, the scooter parking that is available is constantly full or overcrowded. This will then cause some scooters to park in spaces meant for cars or areas that aren't meant for parking in general.
5. 13th Street Publix
The Publix located across from The Standard, next to Piesanos is definitely a convenience due to its location but also an inconvenience for its poorly designed and small parking lot. Cars are constantly having to wait for others to pull out and leave, creating a line of cars behind them to have to do the same. Workers also have to park in the lot because they are unable to do so across the street or in the surrounding lots, leaving fewer spots available for customers themselves.
6. Grill Pans
Because many apartment complexes do not allow outdoor grills for cooking purposes on property, residence have to use grill pans if they wish to cook as if it were a grill. Many of these grill pans are hard to clean, leaving a crusty, burnt residue on the surface that sticks. When reusing the grill pan, the residue burns and creates a smoke cloud that fills up the entire apartment. This is extremely frustrating because we have to open up every window and turn on every fan just to cook a steak.
7. Winged Eyeliner
Although trendy, creating a winged eyeliner look is easier said than done. Liquid eyeliner is challenging to maneuver on your eyelid in general, but creating a "wing" is twice as difficult. In many cases, the wing on one eye is too long, short, thick or thin than the one on your other eye. A lot of the time, you'll find yourself having to do it over and over again until you get them as close to matching as possible.
8. TSA Lines
TSA is safety measure taken by all airports and although we all appreciate its precautionary purpose, the lines that they create can be irritating. Airports can be a stressful, crowded place in general, and waiting in what seems to always be a never ending line at TSA adds to the distress. These lines come about because some people move slower than others and officers sometimes have to perform extra tests on those who set off an alarm or they feel need an added check, causing others to miss their flight.
9. Slow Walkers
I consider myself an extremely fast walker, whether I'm browsing the mall or trying to get to class on time. Many people on the other hand are the opposite and seem to walk with no purpose of getting somewhere. This frustrates me every single day because I am constantly having to walk around people everywhere I go. In some cases, they don't move or the take up the entire walkway making it even harder to get to where I need to go in the brisk manner that I walk.
10. Candle Wicks
I am an avid candle burner and a lot of the time the White Barn 3-wick candles I love do not completely burn toward the end of its use. If you do not cut each wick down after each use, you will find yourself with a lot of candle wax left to burn but no wicks to burn it with. This could be a result of a mishap in the production of these candles or from using improper ingredients within the production process.
11. Dragging Feet
One of my biggest pet peeves is when people drag their feet while walking. Like I said, I am an extremely fast walker and, nine times out of ten, people who walk slow often drag their feet as well. The sound of shoes dragging across the ground is something that always catches my attention and has always made my skin crawl. People do this out of laziness or aren't even aware that they do it in general and they would probably walk a lot quicker if they just picked up their feet and walked at a normal pace.
12. People Who Stand Close to You in Line
Another one of my biggest pet peeves is when people stand extremely close to you while waiting in line. I don't consider myself someone who has claustrophobia, but it is really annoying when you are waiting in line and the person behind you is practically standing on top of you. Standing that close to someone is not going to make the line move any faster or change their spot in the line, so there's simply no need to stand that close to the person in front of or behind you. People tend to do this just so they feel further along in the line, when really they are in the same place they've been in.
13. The Price of Feminine Products
Feminine products are something that will never not be in demand. Women don't have the choice but to use them throughout our entire lives. Products such as tampons and pads are rather expensive and can cause an issue for women on a tight budget because they do not have the choice but to purchase them in their times of need. Companies that make and distribute these products know that they are a necessity for us as women, and I feel they mark up the prices for that very reason.
14. Loud Chewers
Often times, people who chew loudly do not realize that they do. They smack their food in their mouth and don't even know that those around them can hear it and are effected by it. I feel that it is something people are not aware of until someone points it out and only then will they stop for the time being. It's probably a habit that can be broken but definitely something that people catch on to easily.
15. Matching Makeup Colors
This is something that almost always poses as an annoyance for those who wear makeup. Matching a face foundation color to your skin, as close as possible, can be quite time consuming. There are hundreds of brands that use different formulas for each skin type. Sometimes they match your skin color but not your skin type and other times it is the opposite. This can also be even more difficult when your skin is sun burnt or more tan at certain times because then you will need an entirely different color to match temporarily.
16. Smoking Inside
With e-cigarettes being such a popular commodity in recent years, smoking inside has become something that is acceptable in many restaurants, bars and clubs. This can really irritate people who do not smoke and can even make them sick. In some cases, those who do smoke inside are not necessarily considerate of those who do not and will smoke wherever and whenever they want. Many people will even leave wherever they're at if this is taking place.
17. Spam Emails
Spam emails really do seem unavoidable. It is extremely annoying that just because you sign up for a promotion when shopping or for a coupon code, that you get spam emails from people you don't know about things you do want. You'll have to spend a decent amount of time afterward deleting these messages that roll into your inbox day after day. This is a very easy way for companies and brands to display advertisement but nine times out of ten, the people receiving them don't even read any of it and just click delete.
18. Cracked Phones
With technology constantly on the rise, phones seem to be cracking easier and easier with just one accidental drop. These days, many phones are touch screen and are very delicate to handle making it almost impossible that, if your drop it, there will be some sort of crack or scratch when you pick it back up. There are hundreds of cases that you can purchase as a preventative measure and I feel a lot of phone companies have taken this into consideration when thinking of newer, more durable phone designs to put on the market in the future.
19. Coughing & Without Covering Your Mouth
Everyone coughs, but coughing without covering your mouth is just gross. It is very easy to simply cough without covering your mouth because we probably all do it when we are not around a group of people. Then when we are around people, we do it without thinking and it's extremely rude because you're spreading germs. Covering your mouth with either your hand or your arm is the easiest way to prevent spreading germs by coughing and those around you will be very appreciative that you did.
20. Talking Over People
This is also on my list of top things that bug me. When someone is talking and someone else interjects loudly and out of nowhere, it is extremely rude and disrespectful. When you do this, you are essentially saying that you do not care about what the other person is saying and you feel that what you are saying is more important. It is much more polite to just let that person finish speaking and then say what you want to or need to afterward. It makes for an overall better, more productive conversation.
I found this assignment to be a lot more difficult than I though it would be. I know I definitely go through my day-to-day life and probably say there are about ten things that annoy me. But, having to think about specific things and then write about why they exist and what makes them a "bug" was difficult to do. This definitely was a reflective assignment for me to do because I found myself having to think back to what others do or just things in general, that are out of my control, that truly bug me.
Walking through Turlington in between classes and being stopped by organizations about joining their club or team. Although I understand their motive to have as many people be informed about the organization, it can be frustrating while walking to class in a time crunch. Turlington is located in the heart of campus where there is heavy foot traffic by students, making it an ideal place for these tablers to recruit new members. However, many students are walking through as fast as they can in order to make it to class and don't have the time to be stopped along the way.
2. Lacking of Parking
With the University of Florida having such a large student body, the surrounding areas are highly congested with housing and apartment complexes. Parking within these areas is extremely scarce and can be a difficult task for any one who does not live nearby. Residents themselves already have a hard time if they do not pay for a parking spot from their complex and there is little to no street parking, therefore making it twice as difficult for guests or nonresidents to find a parking space.
3. Midtown Lines
Lines at midtown are always jam packed. With such a large number of students attending the university and only a handful of bars and restaurants in the area, huge lines of people waiting to get in are present on almost every day of the week. This is an annoyance for us as students because we do not want to have to wait an hour (sometimes two) to get in to a bar on Friday night, and the added irritation of those cutting the line does not help.
4. Scooter Parking
Mopeds and scooters are a popular means of transportation throughout the university area. Many students use them to carry out their day-to-day activities like going to class or running errands. With that, the demand for parking is always high. Although it is easier to park a scooter than a car, the scooter parking that is available is constantly full or overcrowded. This will then cause some scooters to park in spaces meant for cars or areas that aren't meant for parking in general.
5. 13th Street Publix
The Publix located across from The Standard, next to Piesanos is definitely a convenience due to its location but also an inconvenience for its poorly designed and small parking lot. Cars are constantly having to wait for others to pull out and leave, creating a line of cars behind them to have to do the same. Workers also have to park in the lot because they are unable to do so across the street or in the surrounding lots, leaving fewer spots available for customers themselves.
6. Grill Pans
Because many apartment complexes do not allow outdoor grills for cooking purposes on property, residence have to use grill pans if they wish to cook as if it were a grill. Many of these grill pans are hard to clean, leaving a crusty, burnt residue on the surface that sticks. When reusing the grill pan, the residue burns and creates a smoke cloud that fills up the entire apartment. This is extremely frustrating because we have to open up every window and turn on every fan just to cook a steak.
7. Winged Eyeliner
Although trendy, creating a winged eyeliner look is easier said than done. Liquid eyeliner is challenging to maneuver on your eyelid in general, but creating a "wing" is twice as difficult. In many cases, the wing on one eye is too long, short, thick or thin than the one on your other eye. A lot of the time, you'll find yourself having to do it over and over again until you get them as close to matching as possible.
8. TSA Lines
TSA is safety measure taken by all airports and although we all appreciate its precautionary purpose, the lines that they create can be irritating. Airports can be a stressful, crowded place in general, and waiting in what seems to always be a never ending line at TSA adds to the distress. These lines come about because some people move slower than others and officers sometimes have to perform extra tests on those who set off an alarm or they feel need an added check, causing others to miss their flight.
9. Slow Walkers
I consider myself an extremely fast walker, whether I'm browsing the mall or trying to get to class on time. Many people on the other hand are the opposite and seem to walk with no purpose of getting somewhere. This frustrates me every single day because I am constantly having to walk around people everywhere I go. In some cases, they don't move or the take up the entire walkway making it even harder to get to where I need to go in the brisk manner that I walk.
10. Candle Wicks
I am an avid candle burner and a lot of the time the White Barn 3-wick candles I love do not completely burn toward the end of its use. If you do not cut each wick down after each use, you will find yourself with a lot of candle wax left to burn but no wicks to burn it with. This could be a result of a mishap in the production of these candles or from using improper ingredients within the production process.
11. Dragging Feet
One of my biggest pet peeves is when people drag their feet while walking. Like I said, I am an extremely fast walker and, nine times out of ten, people who walk slow often drag their feet as well. The sound of shoes dragging across the ground is something that always catches my attention and has always made my skin crawl. People do this out of laziness or aren't even aware that they do it in general and they would probably walk a lot quicker if they just picked up their feet and walked at a normal pace.
12. People Who Stand Close to You in Line
Another one of my biggest pet peeves is when people stand extremely close to you while waiting in line. I don't consider myself someone who has claustrophobia, but it is really annoying when you are waiting in line and the person behind you is practically standing on top of you. Standing that close to someone is not going to make the line move any faster or change their spot in the line, so there's simply no need to stand that close to the person in front of or behind you. People tend to do this just so they feel further along in the line, when really they are in the same place they've been in.
13. The Price of Feminine Products
Feminine products are something that will never not be in demand. Women don't have the choice but to use them throughout our entire lives. Products such as tampons and pads are rather expensive and can cause an issue for women on a tight budget because they do not have the choice but to purchase them in their times of need. Companies that make and distribute these products know that they are a necessity for us as women, and I feel they mark up the prices for that very reason.
14. Loud Chewers
Often times, people who chew loudly do not realize that they do. They smack their food in their mouth and don't even know that those around them can hear it and are effected by it. I feel that it is something people are not aware of until someone points it out and only then will they stop for the time being. It's probably a habit that can be broken but definitely something that people catch on to easily.
15. Matching Makeup Colors
This is something that almost always poses as an annoyance for those who wear makeup. Matching a face foundation color to your skin, as close as possible, can be quite time consuming. There are hundreds of brands that use different formulas for each skin type. Sometimes they match your skin color but not your skin type and other times it is the opposite. This can also be even more difficult when your skin is sun burnt or more tan at certain times because then you will need an entirely different color to match temporarily.
16. Smoking Inside
With e-cigarettes being such a popular commodity in recent years, smoking inside has become something that is acceptable in many restaurants, bars and clubs. This can really irritate people who do not smoke and can even make them sick. In some cases, those who do smoke inside are not necessarily considerate of those who do not and will smoke wherever and whenever they want. Many people will even leave wherever they're at if this is taking place.
17. Spam Emails
Spam emails really do seem unavoidable. It is extremely annoying that just because you sign up for a promotion when shopping or for a coupon code, that you get spam emails from people you don't know about things you do want. You'll have to spend a decent amount of time afterward deleting these messages that roll into your inbox day after day. This is a very easy way for companies and brands to display advertisement but nine times out of ten, the people receiving them don't even read any of it and just click delete.
18. Cracked Phones
With technology constantly on the rise, phones seem to be cracking easier and easier with just one accidental drop. These days, many phones are touch screen and are very delicate to handle making it almost impossible that, if your drop it, there will be some sort of crack or scratch when you pick it back up. There are hundreds of cases that you can purchase as a preventative measure and I feel a lot of phone companies have taken this into consideration when thinking of newer, more durable phone designs to put on the market in the future.
19. Coughing & Without Covering Your Mouth
Everyone coughs, but coughing without covering your mouth is just gross. It is very easy to simply cough without covering your mouth because we probably all do it when we are not around a group of people. Then when we are around people, we do it without thinking and it's extremely rude because you're spreading germs. Covering your mouth with either your hand or your arm is the easiest way to prevent spreading germs by coughing and those around you will be very appreciative that you did.
20. Talking Over People
This is also on my list of top things that bug me. When someone is talking and someone else interjects loudly and out of nowhere, it is extremely rude and disrespectful. When you do this, you are essentially saying that you do not care about what the other person is saying and you feel that what you are saying is more important. It is much more polite to just let that person finish speaking and then say what you want to or need to afterward. It makes for an overall better, more productive conversation.
I found this assignment to be a lot more difficult than I though it would be. I know I definitely go through my day-to-day life and probably say there are about ten things that annoy me. But, having to think about specific things and then write about why they exist and what makes them a "bug" was difficult to do. This definitely was a reflective assignment for me to do because I found myself having to think back to what others do or just things in general, that are out of my control, that truly bug me.
Monday, January 14, 2019
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