My Solution

I decided to come up with a few solutions for an opportunity in the flint Michigan post I made earlier. A water delivery service could be established to provide water to those affected by the bad water. People could pay to disconnect their systems and attach them to an external source such as the service could provide. 

Looking for Opportunity

1.     Economic Opportunity 1: Jewlers could potentially be replaced by online dealers

a.      Where I found it: http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/26/investing/signet-tiffany-jewelry-earnings/index.html?iid=hp-stack-dom

b.     What makes me think an opportunity exists: Jewelry stores are having to discount their jewelry to improve the market

c.      Who is the customer: Jewelers or wealthy people?  

d.     Is the opportunity easy or hard to exploit: The opportunity will be difficult to exploit because of the receding market and the stiff competition that already exists.

e.      Why did I see the opportunity: I am an ISOM major and as such am constantly looking for opportunities for business online.

2.     Economic Opportunity 2: Online banking security is at risk as hackers are becoming increasingly prevalent.

a.      Where I found it: http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/26/technology/swift-bank-hack-philippines-lazarus/index.html?iid=hp-stack-dom

b.     What makes me think an opportunity exists: Banks are willing to invest in order to save them from theft and negative media.

c.      Who is the customer: Banks

d.     Is the opportunity easy or hard to exploit: Hard, as hackers are difficult to protect against and one slip up can mean complete failure.

e.      Why did I see the opportunity: As someone who does online banking this concerns me and I hope that my bank would be protective of my information.

3.     Regulatory Opportunity 1: Bridges are starting to fall apart as the infrastructure needs updating.

a.      Where I found it: http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/25/politics/infrastructure-roads-bridges-airports-railroads/index.html

b.     What makes me think an opportunity exists: National park service is hiring others to repair outdated bridges.

c.      Who is the customer: National park service and other government

d.     Is the opportunity easy or hard to exploit: Hard, repairing bridges on a national scale requires billions and is difficult to get the grant for.

e.      Why did I see the opportunity: I have been interested in historical decay as a whole.

4.     Regulatory Opportunity 2: Flint, Michigan has no clean water.

a.      Where I found it: http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/20/health/flint-michigan-crisis-at-a-glance/index.html

b.     What makes me think an opportunity exists: Clean water needs to be transported to flint cheaply.

c.      Who is the customer: Flint residents.

d.     Is the opportunity easy or hard to exploit: Easy, it is relatively cheap to transport water gallons and sell them.

e.      Why did I see the opportunity: I have been following flints water crisis since it came on the news and was interested in the tragedy that happened. 

Identifying Local Opportunities

1.     Title: Lane Ranger: Traffic jams common in once-rural area

a.      Link: http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15CE71BE5E0A6E00?p=AWNB

b.     Description of story: Growth is causing more and more traffic jams in once rural areas.

c.      Description of the problem presented: Traffic lights have not been updated to account for population growth.

d.     Description of who has the problem: Rural farmers and townspeople

2.     Title: WIC opens farmer's market at Health Department

a.      Link: http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15CE71BE59BAEDE8?p=AWNB

b.     Description of story: Local farmers have created a farmer’s market in east Gainesville.

c.      Description of the problem presented: Farmers markets traditionally lose more customers as they age.

d.     Description of who has the problem: Local Farmers

3.     Title: Robert B. Gentry: Superintendent's apology is not enough

a.      Link: http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15CEC51E49885E60?p=AWNB

b.     Description of story: Several high ranking officials have been accused of plagiarism.

c.      Description of the problem presented: How do we prevent plagiarism in the future?

d.     Description of who has the problem: Authors whose content was copied.

4.     Title: County to consider fixes to funding for arts groups

a.      Link: http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15CEC51E1F9B81C8?p=AWNB

b.     Description of story: Funding is being unequally distributed for different groups in the county.

c.      Description of the problem presented: Art funding is not being adequately funded.

d.     Description of who has the problem: Arts programs in Gainesville

5.     Title: Lower gas prices seen for summer driving

a.      Link: http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15CEC51E3544DF10?p=AWNB

b.     Description of story: Barrel prices are rising while gas prices are staying the same.

c.      Description of the problem presented: Gas prices might go way up during the summer.

d.     Description of who has the problem: Motorists.

Bug List

1.     Why is the wifi so slow at cabana beach apartments?

It’s cheaper to get slower internet and a worse router.

2.     Why is cat litter so hard to get out of carpet?

The minute sand particles easily get trapped in the carpet.

3.     Why don’t plates fit neatly in the dishwasher?

Traditional plates were made on a potter wheel making them round and not square.

4.     Why do tv screens have large edges?

The edges are easy to place additional electronic devices in.

5.     Why do mirrors shatter so easily?

Stress is trapped in the glass during production that is easily released during a fall.

6.     Why are Samsung and Iphone chargers so short?

Using a phone while it is charging can cause damage to the battery.

7.     Why do laptops not take cell phone chargers?

Most laptops require more power than a cell phone charger can output.

8.     Why is email so complicated to get on your phone?

Email was common before internet on phones were around.

9.     Why is it so hard to get an individual pill out of a bottle?

Child proof caps can make it difficult to design a bottle which allows for individual removal.

10.  Why are all lights not remote controlled?

It can be expensive to install a universal lighting remote that can send signals through walls.

11.  Why are fans not located directly below vents?

Vents have to be located away from dust and allergy sources.

12.  Why does an oven not turn off automatically after a set amount of time?

It was historically difficult to create an automatic timer that would shut off the oven.

13.  Why does a microwave not have a mute button?

It can be easy to forget food in the microwave without having a noise.

14.  Why are puzzle pieces not easier to find?

The price of puzzles is highly sensitive and making them easier to find could increase the price.

15.  Why do soda cans take so long to refrigerate?

Cooling them too quickly could result in ice forming inside the drink.

16.  Why do chips not come in a resalable bag?

It is too expensive to redesign and execute a new seal for the bag.

17.  Why are wires not sticky so you can easily combine/hang them?

Sticky wires can tangle extremely easy and can result in ridiculously complicated knots.

18.  Why do earbuds tangle so easily?

The length of earbuds makes them highly susceptible to becoming tangled.

19.  Why do remotes have such limited range?

It can be expensive do develop a remote that could be capable of sending out signals that could reach the receiver from far away.

20.  Why does the University of Florida’s IT department make me reset my password every six months for my gator account?

It increases the security of the UF server and internet system.

Overall, I found this exercise moderately difficult. I found it easy to complete the first 15 or so items, but then began to have trouble after that. I soon found it very difficult to think of anything else that bugs me. Even more difficult was doing research to determine why that bug exists. I often had to check multiple sources for a good explanation. 

My Entrepreneurship Story

My first entrepreneurship experience happened when I was very young and still in kindergarten. My school cafeteria sold many chocolates and candies in addition to the usual lunch. Unfortunately for me, my parents didn't want me to eat my own weight in chocolate and refused to finance my escapades. I decided to try and make a few extra bucks and run a service to carry others backpacks to class for a measly 50 cents. Soon though, I ended up with over ten clients and had to carry eleven backpacks up two flights of stairs for five dollars. My business shut down that afternoon. 

I wish I had an equally interesting story of how I ended up in ENT3003, but the honest truth is that it was required for my major, though I am excited to be enrolled. I hope to expand my creativity and entrepreneurial mindset throughout this course. 

Test Blog

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