Solving the Problem

My opportunity deals with off-campus students not being able to use SNAP to get home at night because SNAP’s route does not include off-campus stops. The new route would only travel about 2-3 miles off campus. Even if it did not reach every student's address, being dropped off halfway would be a lot of help. One solution would be for SNAP to expand their current route to include off-campus stops. The SNAP driver would have to learn a new route altogether and may be forced to work new hours. In regards to current stops, the off-campus stops could be the last stops that are done. All of the on-campus students could get dropped off first and then the off-campus students get dropped off last. UF would also have to increase its budget for SNAP because of the increase in miles driven and gas used.

Another solution would be to have a separate car designated for just off campus stops. That way the current drivers would not have to learn a new route. New drivers would have to be hired and trained. Also, the school would have to get another car for the rides. This would cost more money then the first solution of simply expanded the existing route, however, I believe it would be the more convenient option for both on campus and off-campus students. It also would open up more job opportunities, or give current drivers the option to work more if they wanted to.

Identifying Opportunities in Economic and Regulatory Trends

Economic: “Apple Shares Stumble, but Company Keeps Trillion-Dollar Valuation”

Source: https://www.wsj.com/articles/apples-stock-drop-threatens-trillion-dollar-valuation-1541165564

I believe an opportunity exists here because Apple is a major corporation. By their stock price dropping 6.6% to $207.48, they almost lost their trillion dollar stock valuation. They also removed about 100 points from the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Since Apple is such a big corporation, their stock decrease has contributed to the decline in the market. The Prototypical customer is the CEO and other employees of Apple, and everyone who buys and owns stock with Apple. I do not think this will be easy to exploit because Apple the companies valuation could still change when it updates the share count. Also, the only people who can solve this are Apple's top management. I saw this opportunity because Apple plays such a large role in the market. I became even more interested when I found out that if Apple's stock price falling would have an impact on the overall market.

Economic: "The government shutdown could cause a disaster for the US economy if Trump follows through on his threat to continue the fight for 'months'"

Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/government-shutdown-gdp-consumer-spending-us-economic-impact-2019-1

I believe there is an opportunity because according to the article if the government shutdown lasts for months, it could have major repercussions on the US economy causing it to shrink. This could cause many problems for Americans such as a decline in business and consumer sentiment or US equity markets. Federal employees and people who rely on government programs are also negatively affected if the shutdown continues. The prototypical customers are all federal employees, everyone who relies on government programs, working Americans, and Americans who are business owners. 

I think this opportunity would be easy to exploit because the solution is very simple. Government officials simply need to reopen the government. I found this opportunity interesting because it is an issue that is affecting so many Americans and can have a major impact on the future of the economy if not resolved quickly enough.

Regulatory: "Nuclear Power Regulators Scale Back Draft Safety Rule"

Source: https://www.wsj.com/articles/nuclear-power-regulators-scale-back-draft-safety-rule-11548378555?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=8

I believe there is an opportunity because some government officials believe that nuclear power plants should have tougher safety rules to plan for natural disasters. However, the final vote ended up removing the language of more safety precautions. However, if a natural disaster was to occur and the plant could not handle it, it could cause a nuclear disaster. The prototypical customers would be anyone working for the plant, all of the top management and investor in the plant, and people who live in the areas surrounding the plant. I do not think this is easy to exploit because this sort of regulation requires a lot of deliberation and planning. It also requires a lot of funding for the 98 nuclear plants in the US. I found this opportunity because it would have a major impact on the nuclear plants in the US since there are so many. Officials voted for what they thought was the best decision however if a major natural disaster happens they may need to deal with major consequences.

Regulatory: "House Passes Three-Week Spending Bill to Reopen Government"

Source: https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-considering-agreeing-to-sign-three-week-spending-bill-as-early-as-friday-11548439078?mod=hp_lead_pos1

I believe there is an opportunity because the President still has an unmet need of funding for the wall and there is always the chance that it could get shut down again after the 3 weeks are over, or the president would use emergency declaration funding. The prototypical customers are the President, people who work in Congress and Senate, and all other federal employees such as TSA and post office workers. This opportunity is not easy to exploit because only the President has the ability to shut down and reopen the government. Also in terms of negotiations and bills, only select people have that right and authority. I found this opportunity because, based on the events happening today, this could decide whether the government's further actions will be productive or damaging. 

Identifying Local Opportunities

“The Fight to Win Republican Support for LGBTQ rights in Florida Divides Activists” by David Smiley from The Miami Herald
https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AMIHB%21Miami%2BHerald%252C%2BThe%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0123%21January%2B23&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/171227B19E47E848
Senator Joe Gruters who is also the chairman for the Republican Party of Florida, has sponsored a bill filed in the Senate, that will keep employers from discriminating from the LGBTQ community. The non profit organization SAVE is supporting this however, other activism group are not. The opposing groups are saying that the new bill is a downsized version of the Florida Competitive Workforce Act, which also keeps private business and landlord from discriminating against the LGBTQ community. SAVE thinks that splitting up the anti-discrimination problems into different bill would be the more effective way to get more conservatives on board. Other activist believe SAVE is leaving out the rights of trans people to appeal to the conservatives.
The Problem: LGBTQ activists are dividing and fighting each other because of a bill supported by a Republican man does that does not cover all the rights they want protected. They feel that their rights are being compromised for this conservative Senator.
The People: Anyone who identifies as part of the LGBTQ community. SAVE employees and Senators and other government officials.

“Recall Expanded Again for Heart, Blood Pressure and Kidney Drug Over Possible Carcinogen” by David J. Neal from The Miami Herald
https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AMIHB%21Miami%2BHerald%252C%2BThe%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0123%21January%2B23&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/17121EC969E22718
Torrent Pharmaceuticals has expanded its recall on the drug Losartan for the second time this month. An amount of N-nitrosodiethylamine was found in the active ingredient. NDEA was classified as a possible carcinogen and amounts exceeding the acceptable intake were found in Losartan, causing a recall.
The Problem: Amounts of a possible carcinogen were found in the active ingredient in the drug Losartan causing recall of the drug.
The People: Anyone who has to take Losartan, the pharmacies that carry and distribute it, and the scientists who create it.

“Delray Beach Decides it Wants Trees, Not Bike Lanes on Swinton Ave.” by Lulu Ramadan from The Palm Beach Post
https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/20190122/just-in-delray-beach-decides-it-wants-trees-not-bike-lanes-on-swinton-ave
Delray beach halted a $2.6 million plan to add bike lane to Swinton Avenue. During a town hall meeting people voiced their concerns because adding the bike lane would result in the removal of 100 trees along the avenue which would alter the historic landscaping. As a result, they decided to use the money to repave the avenue to add more sidewalks, which would not cause the removal of any trees.
The Problem: 100 trees were almost removed from Swinton Avenue to make way for new bicycle lanes.
The People: People who ride bicycles, people who walk on Swinton Avenue, and conservationists.

“County Votes to Stop Using Prison Labor” by Sarah Nelson from The Gainesville Sunhttps://www.gainesville.com/news/20190122/county-votes-to-stop-using-prison-labor
Commissioners voted to end the use of prison labor for county work. The states’ Department of Corrections gets paid $500,000 for the county work, while prisoners and paid nothing in return for doing hard labor. Commissioner Mike Byerly was against this change and even questioned its ability to make a step towards prison reform. The inmate’s position will be filed with full time employment opportunities
The Problem: Prison inmates were performing hard labor on county work projects without getting any sort of compensation except for 10 days off their sentences.
The People: Prison inmates, people looking for employment, State Department of Corrections employees, the correctional officers who oversee the inmates, and the workers who train the inmates on how to perform the tasks.

“County Raises Tobacco Buying Age to 21” by Sarah Nelson from The Gainesville Sunhttps://www.gainesville.com/news/20190122/county-raises-tobacco-buying-age-to-21
Alachua County is the first county to increase the legal age for buying tobacco to 21 years old. The new rule is made to stop youth from buying tobacco products, however they will not be penalized if they do so under the age of 21. Tobacco vendors must buy a sales license that costs $230 each year and they cannot sell their products within 1,000 feet of a school. Officials hope this will positively affect the youth.
The Problem: Vapes, e-cigarettes, and other tobacco products are being bought and used by young children at an alarming rate.
The People: Student who buy tobacco products, and vendors who sell these products, such as smoke shops.

Forming an Opportunity Belief

There is an opportunity to create a new UF driving system or even expand the route of SNAP to cater to students who are living in off-campus housing. This satisfies the unmet need of a student who does not own a car or scooter who live off campus. This would be beneficial for students who have to leave campus late at night and do not feel comfortable walking alone at night or even if the weather is too cold to walk back. This need has always existed but I noticed it when I was walking home from campus at night. It was cold, dark, and windy and the bus that I would have taken to get home does not run at that time of night. I am aware that the UF SNAP program does go to a few apartment complexes such as Tanglewood Apartments but looking at the map of stops they make, that is the only off-campus housing they travel to. There is also a late night bus service called the Later Gator bus service.
1ST YEAR FEMALE

Do you live off campus and if so how many miles out?

No, I do not.

Do you have a car or a scooter?

No.

How often do you end up heading home at night?

Every night.

Do you ever feel nervous when you're alone at night outside and if yes, why?

Yes, because I know that college campuses are known for having all types of people that I can’t trust. I know college campuses are known for having some rime and suspicious activity.

Do you use SNAP and how often?

Yes, I do. Every single day.

Do you think SNAP would be beneficial to off-campus students as it is currently being running now?

I think that if there were more off-campus stops it would be much more convenient.

Do you think it would be a burden to on-campus students if SNAP added more off-campus stops?

Yes, it would be inconvenient if the off-campus stop was before my stop on campus but there could be a separate system for that.

REFLECTION: The need for an expansion on the SNAP stop route seems to be affected by whether the student lives off campus. If the student lives on campus, SNAP will most likely drop them off wherever they need to be, so they do not have an unmet need that must be satisfied. Also, students on campus may have to their travel time lengthened because of off campus stops.  

FEMALE 3RD YEAR 

Do you live off campus and if so how many miles out?

I live off campus I live off cabana beach, its 4.1 miles away.

Do you have a car or a scooter?

No.

How often do you end up heading home at night?

Pretty often cause I’m always out and about.

Do you ever feel nervous when you're alone at night outside and if yes, why?

Yes, I feel nervous because I hear the statistics and numbers of students getting assaulted at night.

Do you use SNAP and if yes, how often?

No, it doesn’t apply to me unfortunately.

Do you think SNAP would be beneficial to off-campus students as it is currently being running now?

Yes, I just wish they would expand more.

Do you think it would be a burden to on-campus students if SNAP added more off-campus stops?

Not necessarily I’m not too familiar with all the resources they have for students on campus, but I don’t feel like it would be a burden cause off campus students are students here too and I feel almost as if there aren’t enough resources because we are off campus.

REFLECTION: This off campus student said she does not use SNAP because it does not apply to her. However, she said that she does feel nervous when she is alone at night. She has a strong need for the SNAP route expansion, so she can feel safer on and off campus, especially living so far away. She currently uses the later gator bus system to get home.  

MALE 2ND YEAR

Do you live off campus and if so how many miles out?

Yes about 2-3 miles

Do you have a car or a scooter?

Car. I have both, but I use my car a lot

How often do you end up heading home at night?

A lot cause I’m on the football team

Do you ever feel nervous when you're alone at night outside and if yes, why?

My freshman year I did but now I really don’t care

Do you use SNAP and if yes, how often?

I’ve used SNAP like twice since I’ve been at UF

Do you think SNAP would be beneficial to off-campus students as it is currently being running now?

Yes, it would

Do you think it would be a burden to on-campus students if SNAP added more off-campus stops?

A little but not that much. It would probably take a little longer but that means the school would just have to have more drivers to accommodate for the extra mile being driven.

REFLECTION: Males would not be affected much by the expansion. The male student interviewed live off campus however he had a car. Although males may feel nervous at night alone, they most likely do not feel as nervous as females.

SUMMARY: A majority of my original belief is still prevalent. I would have to make a few modifications such as proposing dropping off campus students off last or using cars specifically assigned to off campus routes. I do believe that it is accurate after speaking with a few people wo use SNAP and based on my own personal experiences. I think entrepreneurs often adapt their opportunities based on customer feedback because entrepreneurship is about solving unmet needs. There may be different variations and exceptions to these needs so the entrepreneur need to create a solution that best fits the need no matter how many exceptions it may have.

My Entrepreneurship Story

The exposure I have with entrepreneurship would be through my parents, specifically my mother. My mother is currently working towards starting her own business, an Assisted Living  Facility. When she first told me about the idea, I thought it was crazy and extremely risky. However, as time progressed, I can see it turning into an actual business right before my eyes. I was not aware of all the licensing and inspections that had to be done to get the business started. I have also witnessed my mother doing a large amount of networking with people that she happens to meet. This has shown me the first-hand benefit of networking for entrepreneurship because she has connected with people that can provide her with patients and help her meet other requirements for the business. My mother told me it was her dream to open her own nursing home, so it is outstanding to see her putting her dream to life, on a smaller scale. Attached is a picture of the rough draft of the logo for the business.

I originally enrolled in this course because I needed an upper-division elective for this semester. However, after I watched the first lecture I am glad I chose this course to enroll in. I never thought of myself as being entrepreneurial but by the end of this course, I hope I can have more of those qualities. I also think this course will give me a different outlook on business and life in general. With writing the first half of this assignment, I realized I did not have any entrepreneurial experience of my own and if I did, I could not remember them. I hope this class will give me the confidence to go and create those experiences. I also want to gain the mindset of an entrepreneur. I want to be able to view the world, find the problems in it, and create the solutions to fix them. I do not think entrepreneurship is mainly about being creative, rather I believe it is about being a problem solver, a skill I hope to build and improve upon.

Bug List

1. During the warmer months in Florida, when I walk into a building the air conditioning is put on high, making me very cold.
Why it exists: The people who control the Air conditioning in the building do not want the customers to feel the heat after being outside so they keep the temperature very low.

2. After my headphones have been in my bookbag pocket all day when I finally take them out to use them they are very tangled.
Why it exists: Since I have nothing to keep them wound up in a specific way they are free to move around and become tangled.

3. During the beginning of the semester, the Student Government Printing Lab computers move extremely slow.
Why it exists: Since so many students come to the printing lab to print out notes and syllabi, the computers and printers are being used in high demand all at the same time which is slowing them down.

4. After a long day at school, sometimes when I go to my apartment to make a cup of tea I realize I ran out of tea bags.
Why it exists: During the week my mind is full of so many other things that I forget I ran out of tea bags and do not buy more.

5. I took a jumpsuit to the cleaners to get it altered and showed them how much I wanted it taken in. However, when I got it back, it was still too long to wear.
Why it exists: The tailor did not want my outfit to be too short and since this was their area of expertise, they assumed the length that they cut it to would suffice.

6. Somedays, when I check the rider app to see if a bus is coming, right when I look at the app it says the bus is boarding and leaving my bus stop.
Why it exists: The buses run on a set schedule and the time I am ready to leave does not pair up with the buses' schedule.

7. When my computer battery drops to 13% or 12% it says it is supposed to last for 17 more minutes. However, if I continue using it, it will shut off about 2 minutes later.
Why it exists: Since I continue using the computer that may use up more of the battery power. Also, since my computer is 2 years old and is starting to act up, it may run out of battery life faster than it should.

8.If the weather is warm enough, sometimes I will decide to not bring a sweater to campus. However, if I end up leaving late at night I have to walk home in the cold.
Why it exists: I assumed that I would not need to bring a jacket, and as the sun sets the temperature drops.

9. If I want to listen to a song with my headphones, when I plug my headphones in and play the song, it will still play out loud from my phone speakers.
Why it exists: Sometimes my phone does not register that my headphones are connected, even after I plug them in.

10. If I am eating with someone, it bugs me when they constantly check their phone, especially if we are having a conversation.
Why it exists: The younger generation is greatly attracted to the phones and social media. Whenever a notification goes off, it seems like second nature to check it or read it, almost like a natural reflex.

11.When I am leaving a public restroom and the door handle is wet.
Why it exists: Sometimes after people wash their hands, they do not feel like waiting for the air dryer to dry their hands. Also sometimes the paper towel machine may not be working so they just leave with their hands wet with water.

12. During the middle of the day when I go to the Chick Fil A at the Hub, the line is extremely long.
Why it exists: The middle of the day is when the campus is most full and when a lot of students are out of class. Since Chick Fil A is so popular and the Hub is in a busy area of campus, it attracts a lot of students for lunch.

13. If I go to Marston library during the hours of 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm it is very difficult to find somewhere to sit.
Why it exists: Marston Library is located in a busy area on campus, and since those hours are when most students are on campus that is when they go to Marston to do work.

14. Sometimes if I go into a public restroom, the floor is wet and dirty.
Why it exists: People may have very dirty shoes from being outside, and they bring the dirt and mud with them into the bathroom making the floor wet.

15. If I want to make a certain recipe for a meal, once I start cooking it, I realize I am missing an ingredient that I need.
Why it exists: When I start to cook I assume that I have all the ingredients I need and do not check to see if I am missing something important.

16. If I go to a restaurant and I want to order something different off the menu, I end up not enjoying it as much.
Why it exists: I am a picky eater so if I try a new item, it may contain ingredients that I do not like or usually eat.

17. If I buy clothes from an online store, it will take about 3 to 4 weeks to ship.
Why it exists: The online store I shop from is located in Asia and shipping quickly is not their main objective.

18. If I buy clothes online, the size that I chose may not be the size that fits me properly, so I have to return the item.
Why it exists: Some online store sizes tend to run on the smaller side. Also, sometimes the measurements on the website are not accurate to different body types.

19. When I am on campus or at my apartment and I am trying to watch a video,  sometimes it will lag and start to buffer.
Why it exists: In a different area of a building the internet connection may be weak or nonexistent at all.

20. If I am trying to watch a lecture for one of my online courses, sometimes the video will stop playing and I will have to restart it.
Why it exists: Since the lectures are recorded and played online, sometimes there are glitches or errors in the app that is being used.

Reflection: This assignment was a little difficult for me. I believe I had difficulty because it is not every day that I think about what bugs me and what causes it. Trying to think of why the bug existed also gave me some trouble. I was forced to think of why it was occurring, and essentially looking at the situation from a different perspective. I also found it difficult to simply think of the bugs in the first place. I asked myself, "What bugs me?" I noticed some of my bugs were technical while others focused on decisions that I made myself.

Test Post

Test post for Principles of Entrpreneurship Assignment 1D.