7A Testing my Hypothesis

Environmentally friendly sleep aid

Many individuals use sound machines to play the sounds of rain or waves in order to help them sleep at night, even in Florida, when during the summer those sounds can occur naturally so this uses up an unneeded amount of electricity.

• The who: people in rainy areas who need a sound machine to sleep
• The what: use unnecessary electricity
• The why: playing recorded sounds of waves/rain and playing it through speakers all night in order to have a relaxing enough environment to sleep

Testing the who: According to the National Sleep Foundation, approximately 5% of the American population alone use a sound-conditioner to sleep, which runs all night long filling the room with white noise. This means that in America alone there are 16,285,000 people that would need sounds like rain to sleep. Many of these individuals would be in rainy areas and therefore would not need to artificially produce the noise and may be able to benefit from a more environmentally friendly way to produce these sounds that could just amplify the natural sounds of rain. However, this doesn't even begin to include people who just enjoy hearing the sounds of rain without needing it to sleep who may also want the sounds of rain to be amplified. So there is a relatively big prototypical market for this opportunity.

Testing the what: Many people using these sleep-conditioners are not only subject to high electricity bills from using an electronically powered machine every night for at least 6 hours a day, but some may also care about the environment and want a more natural way to obtain these noises. Being environmentally conscious has been a huge trend in society lately so many people may want this opportunity. Some of these sleep noise options may not be natural enough sounding so someone may prefer the sound of the natural rain, but the noise of rain against the roof is simply too quiet to help at night. While the boundaries of this need may seem small since not many people use a sleep aid, many people do just enjoy the noise of rain and may want natural ways to amplify the sound.

Testing the why: For the people that need white noise to sleep, there is currently only one option and that is a sound-conditioner so they have no choice but to use this extra electricity because many cannot sleep without these noises playing in some capacity. The need for a relaxing environment for sleep is what causes these problems.

Interview #1:

A fifteen year old teenager told me that her entire family needs the sound of white noise in order to sleep at night so on any given night, they have five sound machines going at once. She was concerned about how that might not be environmentally friendly, but said that the sound of rain at night is not loud enough at her house to help even when it does rain so the sound machine is still needed. She said her family is normally very environmentally conscious and tries to conserve as much electricity as possible, turning lights out when not in use etc. but that her family makes an exception when it comes to playing white noise at night in all bedrooms.

Interview #2:

I conducted this interview with a fifty year old father who has two daughters that need sound machines to sleep at night. He said he was not concerned so much about the environment as he was about the price of the electricity bill and the cost of needing iPods and speakers in each room. But he also said it was worth the investment if it meant not having his kids up until late hours of the night as a result of not being able to sleep, especially if his kids interrupt his own sleep when they are unable to sleep themselves since his kids are young. He said he saw sleep machines as the only solution to a child unable to sleep at night because every other sleep aid did not work for his kids and giving a sleeping pill to a young child is not a viable solution.

Interview #3:

For this interview, I talked with a college student who loves the rain but apparently does not play any sounds while sleeping. She told me that she loves the sound of rain, but has only thought to play rain noises to lull her to sleep one time when she was having an unordinary level of difficulty sleeping. She said she typically needs a very quiet room to sleep. She also said that part of the reason she loves when it rains is the sound of the rain faintly hitting the roof as a quiet background noise and not a noise that fills the room like a white noise machine would.

Interview #4:

I spoke with a Sustainability Studies major from the University of Florida who is very environmentally conscious and likes to use environmentally friendly products. He said using too much energy is bad for the environment and can lead to global warming. He felt very strongly that having individuals use electricity overnight, especially to have it being consumed when a user is in deep sleep and cannot even consciously process the effects of using that energy is just wasteful. He said the trend of going green and protecting the environment against phenomena like global warming is up to us as individuals and that we should all look to choose more green products, which thankfully a large number of individuals are beginning to realize. He went on to say that environmentally aware individuals are especially emerging from the Millennial generation and that this generation would definitely be receptive to natural, environmentally conscious products as a whole.

Interview #5:

This interview was done with a thirty year old who recently moved to Los Angeles who uses a noise machine at night to play white noise. She claims that she needs the noise to drown out the sounds of the city since she isn't used to those noises yet since the move was so recent. She thinks that overtime she will adjust to the city noise and not need a sound machine, but that for now it helps her feel like she is back in her hometown to hear the noise of rain. She is not very environmentally conscious, but did say that with rent being so high in LA the cost of the electricity necessary for the machine is something she was concerned about. She did view the sound machine as something temporary though and did not see herself needing it for very long so she was willing to have a higher bill if it helped in her transition to the new city.

Summary

These interviews definitely helped me to see this opportunity in a new light and gave me better insight into this opportunity. I originally thought that those who just simply love rain, but don't necessarily need a sleep machine, may still be interested in a product that amplifies the rain sound, but it turns out some people find the quiet aspect of the rain hitting the roof to be the best part and wouldn't want it amplified, which may limit my market. Also, I thought more people would be environmentally conscious and have that as their main concern, but many people ended up being more concerned with the money aspect of having a high electricity bill so my product would have to be cost conscious. From interview four, you can tell that there is still a big market for environmentally conscious individuals though. However, I had not considered that people who use a sound maker may be using it as a temporary solution as in interview five. This would limit the market for my product because those people may just fade out the sound machine instead of investing in a different product that would be for environmental purposes since they've already invested in the noise maker.

6A Opportunities in Economic & Regulatory Trends

Economic Trends

A strengthening residential sector

Source: https://commercial.jpmorganchase.com/pages/commercial-banking/executive-connect/home-improvement

There is a continually growing population rate yet the housing construction market has yet to return to pre-recession rates. This implies there is an unmet need, consumers just need the product that can convince them that housing construction is worth spending money on again.

I think the prototypical consumer would be children moving out of the house for the first time and beginning families of their own or families who are downsizing and need new homes. These consumers, if convinced of the value, may consider constructing a new house and not going into a small apartment or other housing options. Appealing to one's sense of creating their "dream home" could get consumers to build homes and not just buy an existing home.

I think with the right product or service, this opportunity could be relatively easy to exploit since many of these consumers are already looking for a place to stay, it is just a matter of showing the value of building a new home.

Due to the fact that my mom is a decorator, I am very in tune with how many houses are being built versus how many home renovations are being done, as well as the reasoning behind why some people choose a renovation over building a new house entirely. When I saw this trend, I saw the opportunity to show the value in building a home since most people just end up trying to "make do" with the home they buy instead of loving every aspect of the home itself.

Declining demand for the dairy industry

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/nyregion/farmer-suicides-mark-tough-times-for-new-york-dairy-industry.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FEconomic%20Conditions%20and%20Trends&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=72&pgtype=collection

Dairy farmers are collectively suffering loses both financially and physically. Farms are declining and farmers are selling milk at a loss because people are switching to milk alternatives and milk is priced low. This is leading to many farms closing down, and as a result many farmers are committing suicide.

This leaves room for either a trendy dairy-based product to be created to provide these farmers with work that can sustain their farms. Another opportunity would be to create a website where farmers can find one another and combine resources so that their farms can be sustainable when resources are combined since running so many individual farms is not working and so many farms are failing.

The prototypical consumer for this opportunity would either be dairy-consuming people who enjoy trendy products, or it would be the dairy farmers themselves who may be trying to find ways to keep their farms up and running.

This opportunity may be difficult to exploit because dairy products are being transitioned away as being vegan becomes more and more common. Also, many of these farms are family owned and operated so farmers may be opposed to combining resources. However, the need for a service like the one described above is definitely there.

I used to run an online account that helped people who were feeling suicidal, and it is because of this that I know the main reason for people feeling that way is a lack of hope for the future. So when I saw that farmers in many locations were feeling this way, my mind immediately sought to find a way to present this group with hope for their farms and their future in the form of an entrepreneurial opportunity like the ones I mentioned above.

Regulatory Changes

General data protection regulations in the European Union are requiring the tightening of networks to make data more secure

Source: https://www.cmswire.com/digital-experience/what-the-gdpr-will-mean-for-your-bottom-line/

These regulations are expected to come to the United States as well. This regulation is making data policies in the European Union stricter and many businesses are needing updated systems. Many small businesses especially need to update security protocols to protect consumer data.

This means there are many businesses looking for ways to effectively meet these new requirements and many US businesses also looking to get a head start on updating systems in the most cost effective way. These businesses would be the prototypical consumer for this opportunity and it would not be hard to exploit this opportunity since in many areas it is a mandated improvement or a soon to be mandated improvement.

Due to my mom herself owning a small business, I know that many business owners like to be prepared for new trends, and if meeting standards early and having a head start will save money in the long run, many small business owners would jump for an opportunity like that instead of getting blindsided by mandatory regulations later. But also many small businesses do not have the means or the knowledge to implement these changes themselves and would need outside people to come in and bring their businesses up to the standard so there is definitely an opportunity for both those with the regulations as well as those who are expected to be seeing these regulations in the near future. I know that my mom has had to have outside companies come in to help bring her business up to speed on some new software services so there would definitely be a market for it.

May 1st - May 7th is now designated "National Physical Education and Sport Week"

Source: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/sres516/text/ats

This new regulation encourages schools during this week to implement physical education programs, provide educators with physical health and wellness development, give children opportunities for physical activities before and after school and during summer months, and promote district-wide mental and physical health and wellness. This bill is intended to lower rates of obesity and encourage better education regarding physical activity.

As a result of this regulation, many schools are going to have to change and offer more physical opportunities that are not currently offered. This leaves an opportunity for entrepreneurs to present some options for physical activities that a school could easily add or educational courses for teachers to be taught the mandated health and wellness information.

While it is easy to implement many of these changes and therefore easy for entrepreneurs to exploit this, due to tight budgets of many schools and the wording of the bill only "encouraging" these changes, many schools may be able to get out of making these changes, and it therefore may not be very easy to exploit this opportunity.

As someone who grew up in schools that offered many different athletic programs, I considered myself lucky because I had many friends at schools where they were not as fortunate to have athletic programs and opportunities like I had. So when I read that there is a new standard for what schools are expected to provide as far as physical education, I immediately knew of schools, even in my own area, that would need additional programs added and saw the opportunity in that.

5A Identifying Opportunities in Palm Beach County

I used the Palm Beach Post to find articles which stuck out to me as having opportunities to satisfy the unmet needs of different markets.

"Alberto likely to bring heavy rain"

https://global-factiva-com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/redir/default.aspx?P=sa&NS=16&AID=9UNI006200&an=PMBP000020180527ee5r0000u&cat=a&ep=ASI

This article discusses subtropical storm Alberto coming to Florida and bringing heavy rain, winds, and tornados with it. The article also talks about the flooding and small tornados that will result from the storm, and warns people to look out for weather warnings.

The problem discussed in this story is that there are many storms approaching that are causing dangerous local weather. This weather is also keeping people stuck inside as a result of dangerous wind conditions.

Associated with this problem is that because Floridians are stuck inside from summer storms, more electricity is being used. Many people also use speakers to project rain and wave noises to sleep to at night. Instead of racking up a high electricity bill and using unnecessary power that could cause environmental problems, making a device that could amplify the natural sounds of the rain could help Floridians to sleep through these indoor rainy summer days in an environmentally friendly way.

Anyone living in range of these storms who is getting stuck inside as a result of the weather, especially people who use a sleep machine who could save money on electricity, would be who has the problem.

"Few use Palm Tran’s app, website"

https://global-factiva-com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/redir/default.aspx?P=sa&NS=16&AID=9UNI006200&an=PMBP000020180527ee5r0000k&cat=a&ep=ASI

The article is about how the Public Transit Agency has spent a lot of money trying to create an app that will help riders have better awareness of bus arrivals and capacity levels in order to increase customer satisfaction and compete with services such as Uber and Lyft. However, it is failing because few people use it that are aware of it, and few people even know the app exists.

The problem is the lack of awareness for the app, but also that the app is only for smartphone users and may be limiting the number of bus riding consumers who may have access to a smartphone and therefore the number of customers who can actually utilize the app.

I think the public transit system may be assuming the lack of app use is due to a lack of promotion, but there may be some other factors that lead to opportunities for new entrepreneurial ventures. One thing they aren’t considering is that their new services are only for smart phones and some bus riders do not have the means to afford updated smart phones or smart phones at all. There could be a text reminder system where an individual can subscribe to certain routes, and get notifications for when that bus is approaching their typical stops. But another problem may be consumers having to go out of there way to get to the bus stop. The bus system may have simply become outdated so maybe they should start selling more expensive subscription passes where they could offer home pickup services so consumers would not have to find a way to get to the bus stop.

The Public Transit Agency who spent the money to implement this new app system would be the one who has the problem and would therefore be the one interested in spending more to have the most effective system in order to compete with other transit services.

"Rely on official sources in a storm"

https://global-factiva-com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/redir/default.aspx?P=sa&NS=16&AID=9UNI006200&an=PMBP000020180527ee5r0000e&cat=a&ep=ASI

This story is about how people exaggerate so much, and how social media can be catastrophic for keeping people calm during storms and natural disasters. However, social media can also be a big tool for keeping people informed on the right protocol and evacuation zones so it cannot be eliminated and instead needs to be taken advantage of by officials. 

The problem is how natural disasters can be unreasonably exaggerated on social media to the point where the public doesn't know how to react or prepare. This can cause an unnecessary crisis. 

The current Emergency Management Service of Palm Beach County is simply using twitter, but has had communication issues. I think there is an opportunity here to have a website with features that combine features found throughout various social media platforms where people can check for up to date storm information that is reliable. It could include a feature like Facebook offers where an individual can mark that they are safe, but also provide links to new sites with weather updates, and also have emergency posts broadcast about evacuation zones, and what to bring to shelters for individuals who may not have been in storms of that type before.

The Emergency Management Service would be who has the problem of needing to better communicate storm updates and provide the public with reliable information during natural disasters.

"3rd-grades see reading gains, lag state average"

https://global-factiva-com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/redir/default.aspx?P=sa&NS=16&AID=9UNI006200&an=PMBP000020180526ee5q0000f&cat=a&ep=ASI

This article is about how the state scores on statewide reading exams that largely determine whether or not a child moves onto fourth grade have been falling below average, and many students have been getting low scores. Representing Palm Beach County with good, passing scores is very important to the district hence improving these scores being the benchmark of the district's goals for a few years now.

The Problem is that many third graders are not fully prepared for these FSA tests and therefore are not passing. The children can move onto fourth grade if they can prove they are ready in other ways through literary tests etc, but it is poorly representing the district education wise when children have low scores.

Many students find reading to be boring or a chore so I think a program should be developed to teach them the necessary skills for the state tests, but in a fun and interactive way where it is presented as a game. This program would be used from pre-school through third grade so that the students will be familiar with the language of the exams far before having to pass the test in the third-grade. That way, as the article states, teachers do not have as much catching up and cramming to do in the third-grade.

The one who has the problem is the School District of Palm Beach County because it is their job to make sure educational facilities in the district are thriving and up to state standards, which means children need to pass the state exams.

"Bus driver called hero for saving a girl's life"

https://global-factiva-com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/redir/default.aspx?P=sa&NS=16&AID=9UNI006200&an=PMBP000020180525ee5p0000b&cat=a&ep=ASI

The article talks about how a driver in a daze almost hit a young girl crossing the street after exiting the bus. The driver was not paying attention, and therefore not slowing down, and the girl could not make it across the street quickly enough. The bus driver was able to get the other driver to hit the brakes by blaring the loud bus horn that got the driver’s attention in time.

The problem is that the current ways of gaining the attention of drivers approaching an unloading school bus are not effective enough because they can be hard to notice and therefore leads to situations like the one outlined in the story above.

This all could have been prevented if the bus stop signs were more noticeable. When a bus is letting children out, there are stop signs that protrude from the bus that other drivers are supposed to know means stop until the bus is moving again. However, if unnoticed, could be fatal. This leaves an opportunity to install some kind of noise or siren that is played while the children are crossing the street so that drivers are more aware of their surroundings and will know to stop because their full attention will be drawn to the unloading bus.

The School District of Palm Beach County would be the one who has the problem and would want to invest in a product like this because it is their responsibility to ensure the students opting to take the bus home are fully protected and safe.

4A Consumer Evaluation of New Product Opportunity

I believe there is an unmet need for high quality drugstore nail polish options. Currently, many drugstore nail polish brands chip within 24 hours of being applied to the nail. This can lead consumers to feel painting their own nails is not worth their time and effort, nor is it worth their money for the poor quality product. I believe I could provide a nail polish that is a drugstore nail polish bottle, but that applies and lasts like a salon gel polish. Consumers who currently spend a lot of money on getting gel nails at salons, consumers who frequently paint nails but have it chip, and people who may not often paint their nails because of chipping nail polish may be interested in this product. For years, I have heard many girls complain about chipped nail polish and how that is the reason painting their nails is not worth their time so this need has been unmet for a long time. While many companies claim to make a durable gel polish, the polish applies like other nail polishes and still chips just as quickly. While some may find it worthwhile to use these subpar products just to save the time and money of going to the salon to get their nails done, these consumers still deserve better products and are aware of that fact. It is because of the awareness of needing better nail polish options from consumers that I am 65% sure there is an opportunity here.

#1 College Female Who Frequently Paints Her Own Nails

• Do you often use nail polish?
• Yes, about three times a month.

• Do you typically paint your own nails or do you get them done in a salon?
• I paint my own because I can't afford the time or cost of going to a salon.

• Did you know it can cost an average of $1,300 a year to consistently get your nails done in a salon?
• I didn't know, but I am not surprised. Salons are expensive.

• Did you know it would only cost an average of $500 a year to consistently paint your own nails?
• I actually did not realize it was that much a year, but I guess that sounds right.

• Did you know it also would save an average of 78 hours a year to paint your own nails instead of going to the salon?
• I didn't realize it would save so much time, but that definitely makes sense. The one time I went to the salon, it took about two hours.

• What are some problems you have experienced with painting your own nails?
• It takes time to paint them and have them dry. Plus the nails sometimes get messed up before they are dry or chip really quickly, which is frustrating. I also don't do patterns as well as a salon could.

• Do you think you would use a drugstore nail polish to paint your own nails if you could get a gel product that is salon quality?
• I would definitely give it a try.

Reflection: Young people who frequently paint their own nails already would probably be the main consumer of this kind of product. Young people typically stay trendy and want what is done in salons, but due to being young and in college, do not have the budget to get that level of service. Also, young people are typically more willing to try something new with an open mind. People who frequently paint their own nails are also more likely to have fewer objections to the process of painting nails so their main concern would be more so chipping nail polish, which this product would address. However, what I did not consider was concerns regarding drugstore nail polish outside of the quality of the product itself such as salons being able to provide professional pattern designs that a salon quality gel polish would not address.

#2 Middle-Aged Female Who Frequently Goes to the Salon

• Do you often use nail polish?
• Yes, I go to the salon once a week.

• Do you typically paint your own nails or do you get them done in a salon?
• I go to the salon, I do not have time to paint my own nails.

• Did you know it can cost an average of $1,300 a year to consistently get your nails done in a salon?
• I did not, but that makes sense when I think about how much each visit costs.

• Did you know it would only cost an average of $500 a year to consistently paint your own nails?
• No. I do not really think about prices.

• Did you know it also would save an average of 78 hours a year to paint your own nails instead of going to the salon?
• No, I had no idea so much time could be saved...

• What is stopping you from switching to painting your own nails?
• Well, it had been to save time, but from what you are telling me, I would have to say it is just not having to worry about waiting for my nails to dry, and being able to have the full salon experience.

• Do you think you would use a drugstore nail polish to paint your own nails if you could get a gel product that is salon quality?
• I do not think I would. I enjoy going to the salon for the entire experience, and to make sure the nails are painted professionally. I wouldn't trust myself to paint them properly. 

Reflection: I thought someone who was used to getting their nails done and paying such an expensive price every time may be open to switching to a less expensive, yet still salon quality product. However, after this interview I realized someone middle-aged who is very used to getting the full salon treatment would likely not be a prototypical consumer. This group of people may try the product, but overall they go to the salon for the experience, not for the sole purpose of having their nails painted, and are most likely used to their routine and would not want to change it.

#3 College Female Who Occasionally Paints Her Nails

• Do you often use nail polish?
• No.

• Do you typically paint your own nails or do you get them done in a salon?
• If ever I paint them, I do it myself.

• Did you know it can cost an average of $1,300 a year to consistently get your nails done in a salon?
• No I didn't.

• Did you know it would only cost an average of $500 a year to consistently paint your own nails?
• I thought it would be less than that actually.

• Did you know it also would save an average of 78 hours a year to paint your own nails instead of going to the salon?
• I figured it would be something like that.

• What are some problems you have experienced with painting your own nails?
• It just takes too long to dry. Plus it hardly ever lasts long so it isn't worth all the effort.

• Do you think you would use a drugstore nail polish to paint your own nails if you could get a gel product that is salon quality?
• Eh, maybe. It would make the effort worth it, but it would probably still take too long to paint them.

Reflection: This might be a person who would buy the product, but due to the fact that the main concern is how much effort it takes to paint nails, and not so much the quality of the product, they may not paint their nails enough to be a frequent purchaser. However, when they do decide to paint their nails, they would likely choose this product.

SUMMARY

After conducting my interviews, I realized there may not be as big a market as I thought originally. I do still believe there is a market for it, but it will just be the market currently buying drugstore nail polish, which will most likely not include those currently going to nail salons. Some people may continue to simply not paint their nails or continue spending their money at nail salons, but there is certainly a good number of consumers who would enjoy a step up in drugstore nail polish that could last without chipping and make their nails look as nice as salon nails. I would say that after conducting these interviews, there is a 55% opportunity here because the market is smaller than I originally thought, and the consumers that would be the target market of this product will have to choose between many different drugstore nail polish brands. Also these interviews made me realize concerns outside of just the quality of the product are present as well, but would not be addressed by this product.

I definitely think entrepreneurs should adapt their product based on the market feedback because the product needs to satisfy the actual needs of the consumer in order to be successful. Consumer feedback is crucial and will signal to entrepreneurs what the target market of their product is and how to advertise said product, as well as how to create the product in a way that is useful to consumers. Entrepreneurs need to be adaptable in order to fit the needs of their consumers otherwise their product will not sell.

3A My Entrepreneurship Story

There are a few times in my life where I was exposed to entrepreneurship, but did not even realize it was entrepreneurship. Not only is my mom an entrepreneur, but I myself was the founder of my own organization in high school.

My mom began her own interior design company in 2005. My brother and I helped her in the marketing process of the business by distributing flyers around local areas, and getting word out about her company. Originally this business was a small interior design company targeted at decorating for people with a tight budget. However, 13 years later, the business is now targeted at more high end clients with a larger budget, there are a few employees working in the business, and my mom owns her own furniture store as well. The furniture store that is now open is targeted toward a niche market of consumers looking to buy Moroccan furniture, and is located on a high end street known as antique row. The business has done nothing but expand since it first began, and I have gotten to see and be a part of that growth along the way.

As for my own personal entrepreneurial experience, I began an organization at my high school called Here to Help. I began the club as a place where community service minded people could find opportunities to help others in the local area. Our organization focused on both animals and people in the community since our goal was to help the entire community surrounding the high school, a goal different from most of the other community service organizations at the school.

I really enjoyed being a part of both of these entrepreneurial ventures in my life. Seeing my mom begin her business from scratch and getting to see how far it has come since the beginning really inspired me to look more into entrepreneurship myself. This interest in entrepreneurship caused me to look into getting the entrepreneurship minor, which is why I enrolled in this class. I hope to find out more about entrepreneurship as a whole, and hope to see if it really is a good fit for me both in regards to getting the minor and having an entrepreneurial career path.

2A 20 Things That Bug Me That Don't Need to Happen

1. The McDonald's ice cream machine is almost always broken at any location toward the end of the day.

• This is sometimes because the ice cream machine really is broken, but it is often because McDonald's locations are open 24 hours and, at certain times of the day, the ice cream machine has to be cleaned so employees just say it is broken. Instead, McDonald's could have a set time of day for cleaning ice cream machines when customers would know ice cream is temporarily unavailable, and would not expect the machines to be working, which would result in better customer satisfaction.

2.  My car dashboard has anywhere from 1 - 6 lights on at any given time when the lights are not displaying for the intended reason i.e. the tire pressure light will be on even when the tire pressure is what it should be.

• The battery was recently replaced, but was installed incorrectly so now lights turn on that should not be flashing. When the dealership looked into it, they fixed the problem for 24 hours, but the lights recently began to flash again so the problem was not actually fixed.

3. Headphones that break in only one earbud or need to be held at a certain angle in order for the sound to play properly.

• Many headphones are made from a material that is not durable, which leads to them breaking and being on their last leg after only a short amount of time. For instance, I have a pair of headphones right now where sound only faintly plays out fo one earbud, but I have had headphones in the past that only played sound if you held the wire in a certain way. Problems, which could all be fixed by making headphones from more durable materials, both wires and speakers.

4.  Gas prices being priced differently in various regions.

• Gas prices are higher is certain areas yet lower in others as a result of regional based pricing that help owners to maximize profits. A way of avoiding this could be to have a card gas station members can pay for on a monthly basis in order for consumers to be able to receive the lowest price of gas that the company offers out of all of its locations. 

5. My social media will tell me it timed out, not load properly, or will not properly refresh the page.

• This happens when my connection is bad or the WiFi is weak, which is pretty much any spot on the University of Florida campus, specifically the Heavener building.

6. Headphones that get unreasonably tangled after one minute of sitting around or being in a pocket.

• Headphones are not designed to have a feature that prevents tangling, and due to the fact that they are made of curly wires, headphones often curl up into a tangled mess that takes a lot of time to untangle every time you want to use the headphones. Every time headphones are put into a pocket or a purse, ten minutes is wasted detangling them before they can be used.

7. Paying $40 for a HITT Clicker that is only needed for one class during one semester.

• This only occurs because the bookstore is one of the only places you can buy the clickers, but it does not have a rental option for clickers needed for classes. The clickers are able to be reused, and often students buy the clickers from other students who have previously owned them anyway so it makes sense to offer a rental option at the bookstore.

8. Socks that get wet from stepping in puddles of water that were created by melted ice cubes under the fridge.

• This happens when ice doesn't make it into the cup of someone dispensing the ice from the freezer, and it is instead left on the floor to melt and create a puddle. The socks become uncomfortably wet because they are made of a material that is not water proof. This then leads to slippery socks that are extremely uncomfortable to walk in.

9. Hand dryers in public bathrooms that do not properly dry hands.

• Some bathrooms do not offer any paper products to dry hands, and instead only have an air blowing hand dryer. However, many of those hand dryers are not effective and one is left to walk out of the bathroom with sopping wet hands.

10.The chat feature on snapchat!!

• The most recent message disappears after it is read so most snapchat conversations consist of asking what was last said. This mainly happens when the person you are chatting with does not respond right away. This feature needs some kind of method of seeing the last message sent by the account that the chat is being viewed from.

11.  Florida pools become over and under filled at different times during the year depending on the amount of rain or heat that occurs.

• In Florida, most homes have pools and these pools need to be filled by a hose or drained at certain times of the year due to heavy rainfall that overfills pools, or extreme heat that evaporates the water causing an under-filled pool. A way of automatically monitoring and adjusting the pool to the right level should be built into the pool so that homeowners need to do less maintenance each year.

12. Beach picnics always seem like a good idea until sand is in both the food and the drinks.

• This happens because most containers and coolers do not effectively keep the sand out, and even if they do, once they are open, sand seems to still find its way into both the food and drinks. Also when individuals go swimming at the beach, sand gets stuck to their skin and can transfer into the food that way. This adds an unwanted texture to the picnic food.

13. Fuzzy pants and blankets get ruined and become no longer fuzzy after being washed.

• The material is the kind of material that cannot undergo an intense wash because the water causes the fuzz to clump up and then it comes out of the washer being no longer fuzzy. There should be a cycle available on a washer that is less intense than the normal wash load that would not ruin a fuzzy fabric.

14. Every year I am unable to eat the mangoes grown on my mango tree.

• Every single year, without fail, the squirrels and raccoons in my neighborhood enjoy the fresh mangoes that should have been mine. Due to the fact that there is no way for me to protect the fruit tree fully, I can do nothing but watch as the animals eat the fruit before it is ripe enough for me to pick it and eat it myself.

15. Some companies interview applicants, but then do not send out emails informing the individuals who do not make the next round in the hiring process. These companies will only notify applicants of rejection when the applicant calls to ask about the status of their application.

• These companies only inform those moving on who absolutely must know the information in order to be prepared for the next step in the process. However, this leaves rejected applicants wondering about the status of their application when all that is needed is an automatic system to send out rejection emails.

16. Jupiter Donut Factory sells out by 10 AM, and then the shop closes down once the doughnuts are sold out meaning individuals have to wake up very early to get the preferred doughnuts. 

• The shop does not produce more doughnuts once they are sold out because it would cost more in labor and utility costs to keep the business open for additional hours.

17. Hat Hair.

• The weight of hats can be very heavy and the rim of the hat is often tight on the head leaving imprints and what is more commonly referred to as "hat hair". This could be avoided by a change in materials used in making the hat. Using lighter materials that do not weigh the hair down as much would eliminate the issue at hand. 

18. Having freshly painted nails get messed up or having nail polish chip in less than 24 hours.

• Most nail polishes purchased at drug stores are made of cheap ingredients that are not made to be durable. What needs to be bottled is nail polish that will paint like the gel polish received when getting a manicure in a spa because that kind of nail polish lasts for a long time.

19. At the University of Florida, the route for bus 9 is never accurately displayed on the Rider app.

• The bus 9 route changed this year, and has not been updated on the Rider app so it is never accurate regarding arrival times or approaching locations. 

20. The UPS guy always leaves before an individual has time to answer the door and sign for the package meaning the package is not received.

• This happens because UPS employees have a large area to deliver to so they are in a rush. As a result this means that postal workers making deliveries typically do not wait very long at the door. Many times individuals receiving a package they have to sign for have to chase after the postal delivery man or simply miss the delivery altogether.

At first I thought listing 20 things that bug me would be easy, but when I started to think about it, I realized I could only think of about three things. I then put it at the back of my mind and went through my day, and suddenly I had a full list of 20 items. I do not typically think of the world in a "how could this experience be better" way, but thinking that way was very eye opening and I realized there were so many areas where products or companies could be invented or improved, and as a result life would be improved. 

I will admit that paying attention to the complaints friends were making to me throughout the day, and paying attention to jokes being made on social media sites like Twitter helped to give me some of these item ideas. However, I realized those methods are some of the best ways to look for inspiration on which industries to improve because the feedback on certain companies and experiences in everyday life were widely shared by a mass number of people. Instead of joining in and agreeing on the problem and then simply moving on, this assignment helped me to see the potential those complaints give entrepreneurs. 

Welcome to my Blog.

I will be using this blog every week for my Principles of Entrepreneurship class at the University of Florida and will be sharing many entrepreneurship related posts as a result.