In terms of my product, I would like to expand the off-campus route to 3-4 miles off campus to go to housing that is further away like the Niche. This way I can help even more off-campus students, so they are not forced to spend money on Uber and Lyft. Also, I would want to get more vans having about 3 in total only for SNAPX that way more off-campus students can use SNAPX and would not have to wait for just one van. It would also take the stress off the drivers.
The thing that makes the most sense to make my venture grow would be to differentiate myself from Uber and Lyft. Uber can Lyft can both pick you up from anywhere on campus and drop you off wherever you want to go. However, SNAPX is completely free, so that is one thing that will help it grow. Also, I will investigate making more stops to pick up students, so they do not have to walk to certain areas just to get a SNAP. One idea an interviewee gave me was to create a SNAPX app that would track students as they were going home if they were forced to use an uber. If a student happened to miss ours for SNAPX and was forced to Uber or Lyft, the app would track where they were going and notify them if the course wasn't following the GPS to get to their housing There could be a button they could press that would immediately connect them to the authorities if they ever felt like they were in an unsafe situation.
New Market: A completely new market would be the locals of Gainesville and the others in the Alachua County area. SNAPX would be able to create value for these people by adding in stops that go to areas in the surrounding Gainesville area. This would include another van set specifically for Gainesville stops. If people have a car that broke down while working late at night, they could request a SNAPX to take them home. This would be especially useful for UF faculty and staff because they would not have to worry about walking around campus at night if they worked late.
Through my interviews, I got some very good ideas. One idea I really liked was to include refreshments and snacks for the Gainesville local riders. Since they are not UF students, they would be charged per ride, but UF faculty and Staff would get a discount. Providing snacks and refreshments for longer rides would balance out the cost of having to pay for the actual ride by creating a more positive experience. SNAPX could also provide airport travel service to the people who must catch a late flight home during breaks. Since parking at the airport is expensive, SNAPX would be a cheaper and more convenient option for them.
Reflection:
This market does not seem as attractive as my existing market because it would be harder to reach. Also, SNAPX is a UF program so extending it to the people of Gainesville would be a major liability. I believe for this to work, SNAPX would have to become a privately-run program. What surprised me the most was that with the new market it would be more difficult to differentiate SNAPX from Uber and Lyft because it would not be free anymore. This newer market is harder to attract and create value.
Hi Agatha! I liked how you pointed out the weaknesses in the new market you were researching. I think it gives a good idea of where not to go while expanding your business. I do like the idea of an app for SNAPX. Just the other day, a friend of mine helped a girl who managed to escape from a car that pretended to be her Uber, so having a safety feature that can automatically connect someone to the authorities if they aren’t following the route home would be extremely helpful.
ReplyDeleteAgatha,
ReplyDeleteI liked how although you did provide a future endeavor for your product, you ended up ultimately saying that your venture is in a good place in the market it is in. My ventures future could go both ways but you were honest with your product realizing sometimes less is more!
Hey Agatha!
ReplyDeleteAwesome job on your discussion. You differentied both the markets very well. I see that the existing market applies only too people living in a 3-4-mile radius from campus. The new market would be the locals of gville. Both of these markets would be very beneficial however I agree that uber and lyft could cause some conflict for the new market. Overall having your business being privately owned is the way to go.