Assignment 18A

Create a Customer Avatar

1.) Details about my avatar:

• The ideal customer for my product would be business owners. All business owners look differently and have differing core values that affect what products they are willing to buy. But overall, business owners wish to provide the best products and experiences for their customers. 
• My avatar's name is Pam and she is in her thirties. She has a husband, Jim, and two children, CeCe, and Philip. 
• She recently opened her own art gallery to showcase her talents. She decided to open her own art gallery so that she could make her own hours and spend an adequate amount of time with her children. 
• Her hobbies include baking, dancing, drawing, and painting. 
• Her favorite TV show is The Office. 
• She always enjoys reading a good book and has an extensive collection. 
• She met her husband at the paper company where she used to work before opening her own business. 
• Her business is not wheelchair accessible but she is open to installing a wheelchair ramp. 

2.) What I have in common with the customer avatar: 

• The avatar looks similar to me with light brown hair and dark brown eyes. 
• She also has a smile, which accentuates her friendliness.
• I don't think that these similarities and differences are a coincidence. I was naturally drawn to making my avatar look familiar and friendly. 
• I myself am not a business owner and do not have an interest in becoming one. 
• My customer is a business owner, unlike myself, but we share the similarity of having a heart dedicated to helping other people. 

Assignment 17A

Elevator Pitch No. 2

1.) Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0y9grUmDVI

Script

In the year 2013, 3.6 million Americans relied on wheelchairs to assist with mobility. So wheelchairs are everywhere around us and many people use them to help them in their daily lives. But many restaurants and businesses lack the simple accommodations that help these people in wheelchairs even enter their establishments. Yet public transportation is crawling with wheelchair accommodations. Ninety-eight percent of public transportation buses have wheelchair accommodations. So, why are these restaurants and businesses completely neglecting a whole population of people and as a result, losing their business? That was my question. So, I created an innovative wheelchair ramp that can be easily hidden underneath carpet or tile and it's structured like a conveyor belt. This wheelchair ramp will help the people in wheelchairs because they will feel more independent and they will no longer have to ask people to carry them into a restaurant or business or push them up a ramp. The way that the ramp is going to be structured is that the patron will push a button and the ramp will slowly extend out to them. They will slowly wheel themselves onto the ramp initially and then a railing will come up behind them.This part will be extensively safety checked so that no one gets hurt while trying to enter a business or a restaurant. The ramp will slowly lift them into the establishment. They will be able to not feel judged and feel more independent, as a result. The people arou wheelchair ramp will slowly move them up into the business. It is like a conveyor belt and it will relieve a little bit of stress for people that help people in wheelchairs move from place to place. These people don't have to push them anymore and it will also make people in wheelchairs feel a bit more independent.

2.) Reflection on feedback: Overall, my feedback was very helpful. I utilized almost all the suggestions that my peers identified. The most helpful feedback was about making sure that the average consumer would understand the importance of the product. There was also a suggestion of including safety checks and prices in my pitch.
3.) What I changed, based on the feedback: I tried to be even more personable in my pitch so that the consumer would understand that the need for my product is present. I also incorporated the presence of safety checks when testing my products. I neglected to include the detail about price because of lack of time left in my pitch. 

Assignment 16A

What's Your Secret Sauce?

1.) Five ways in which I think I have human capital:

• I am empathetic towards others. Even if I have not gone through the same struggle as someone, I try to listen and be there for them. I believe I am someone that others can trust and rely on because of my complacency.
• I have a passion for helping others. Since becoming a Florida Gator, my passion for helping people has been unleashed. I love donating blood and raising money for sick children. The best feeling is knowing that I am making a difference in this world simply by doing what I love.
• I am creative and always excited for adventure. I enjoy capturing my deepest feeling in poetry; I love that my words can have an impact by transforming into a language that others can relate to. I am also always on the hunt for a new adventure, I love trying new things like swimming with dolphins, riding roller coasters, zip lining, or taking road trips. This love for chasing new experiences can be carried with me for the rest of my life.
• I have the courage to push myself out of my comfort zone. I am often judged as an introverted person. However, my best friend says that I am the most extroverted person she knows and that I could make friends with anyone. I have pushed myself to be more social and conquer my fear of public speaking. I love talking to people, hearing their stories, and being able to relate to them on a deeper level. 
• I am driven and work hard to achieve my goals. I have been an overachiever since I was born. When my little sister was born, I worked tirelessly to steal attention away from her. And now I work just as tirelessly to further my education and change the world. My only goal is to be happy and to be happy, I want to make a difference in the world of medicine and live in a world where children no longer suffer with illness. 

2.) Interviews from the five people who know me best: 

• Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTGUD174CwY
• My best friend,  Elizabeth: She lives in Virginia and she knows me like no one else. She accentuated my willingness to push myself out of my comfort zone, my ambition and determination ,my compassion, my fun-loving personality, and my willingness to help others  
• My boyfriend, Justin: We have been dating for five months and I have established a connection with him that is unlike anything I've ever known. He also said how infectious my smile is, my kind heart, my honesty, how driven I am, the way I encourage others, how I always make people feel included, and how I make him want to be a better person.
• My sister, Amanda: I have truly become the woman that I am today with my sister by my side. She has always been the person that I am driven to protect and guide. I am so thankful to have such a genuine bond with her. She talked about my compassion, how I continue trying after failing, how driven I am, my honesty, and my infectious laugh. 
• My close friend, Laudori: We were suite-mates my first year of college. She has always been such a light in my life. We would spend hours talking about our dreams and ambitions. The friendship I have built with her is so genuine and pure. She talked about my understanding towards others, how optimistic I am, my ability to be genuinely caring, how driven I am, and how hard it is to find someone with such great qualities.
• My mom: My mom has been my best friend since the day I was born. She is always my shoulder to cry on and my biggest supporter. I am so grateful to have such a strong woman to look up to and strive to be. My mom talked about my honesty, my strong morals, my determination, my strong voice, my commitment to helping others, my can-do attitude, how I inspire those around me, and my creativity, and unique way of seeing the world.

3.) Reflecting on the differences: The way that the people closest to me view me as a person is very similar to the way that I view myself. From these interviews, I learned that people see me as a caring, driven, and genuine person. The people around me see me for who I truly am, so I can not point out any differences between the perception and my description of myself. I am passionate about helping others and being a cheerleader for those I love. It brings a smile to my face that the people I choose to surround myself with appreciate the biggest qualities of my personality.

Assignment 15A

Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

1.) Picking a segment: I decided to interview three individuals associated with local businesses. One is the owner of a boutique, one is the owner of a retail clothing store, and one is the owner of a phone-repair store. These individuals all have one thing in common—they are all owners of businesses that lack wheelchair ramps and the major market where I would be selling my product.
2.) Alternative evaluation: During my interviews with these local business owners, they all expressed genuine concern about the lack of wheelchair ramps throughout their businesses. They agreed that this population of people in wheelchairs deserves to be accommodated. They asked about potential solutions. I pitched them my idea and while they envied most of the aspects, they still had concerns. One of the concerns that was universal was the lack of style of wheelchair ramps on the market. All of the business owners that I spoke with expressed that they wanted to install a wheelchair ramp but they didn't want the ramp to detract from the style of their restaurant. I rebutted and mentioned that my ramp could easily be hidden under carpeting or tile. Two out of the three business owners claimed that the price could be too expensive. I eased their minds by articulating that my product would be relatively inexpensive for the innovative technology that is included. Overall, the concerns of the business owners I spoke with were the style and price of the ramp. 
3.) How/where do they buy?: There are medical equipment companies and popular stores that sell wheelchair ramps. These popular stores include Lowe's, Wal-Mart, and Walgreen's. This product is different from other products, there wouldn't be a retail store where consumers could buy our ramp. I want to construct this business as more of a service where businesses could order their ramp online. They could input the measurements that they want the ramp to be and a style that would fit their decor. And then the ramp would be built to fit these requests and would be installed at no extra cost to the consumer. 
4.) Post-purchase evaluation: For the most part, my interviewees agreed that the most important factor of a purchase was whether or not it gets used. They said that being able to see customers in wheelchairs enter their business with no hassle would make the product useful. If they never saw the ramp in use or saw anyone defacing the ramp, then they might come to the conclusion that the purchase of the ramp was a bad idea or investment.
5.) The findings: I learned that business owners are overall empathetic to my cause and they are willing to make a change to their business to be more accessible for wheelchairs. Their main concern about purchasing my ramp, or any ramp, is the style and price. The most important part about buying this ramp would be making sure that it is put to use. 
6.) Drawing conclusions: All of my interviewees expressed that they wanted the wheelchair ramp to be stylish. The style of my product needs to align with my customer's wants. Another concern was price so the price of my ramp needs to be competitive with big brand name stores and still have innovative technology that sets it apart. Their decision to purchase my ramp would come from empathy and a passion to accommodate a whole population of customers. All of the individuals I interviewed wanted to see the wheelchair ramp in use to determine if the the purchase was a good decision or not.

Assignment 14A

Halfway Reflection

1.) Tenaciousness is a competency. Every week I write down all assignments and responsibilities for the week. Since this course consists of two assignments a week with a quiz and peer reviews as well, that is a great deal to keep up with. By organizing my assignments and commitments for the week, I am able to hold myself accountable. Below is a photo of my personal calendar.

2.) Tenaciousness is also about attitude. During the first two weeks of this course, I submitted the wrong URL for the first three assignments, therefore I did not receive credit. I felt like giving up because I was worried that I wouldn't be able to recover from this. But instead of giving up, I buckled down and continued to work hard and submit the right URLs. I think that this course has strengthened my tenacity and caused me to be a bit more resilient when it comes to obstacles.

3.) Three tips

• At the beginning of the week, write down all assignments for this course and their due dates. This will help you stay organized and prepared for the week ahead. 
• If at all possible, try to pace yourself every week. Don't wait until the last minute to watch the lecture videos or do the assignments. Try to accomplish little goals throughout the week. 
• Always do the extra credit assignments. They could affect your grade in a pinch later in the semester. 

Assignment 13A

Reading Reflection No. 1

1.) Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald's by Ray Kroc

• What surprised you the most? The most surprising part of Ray Kroc's story is that McDonald's was not started by a large group of people. The first restaurant was actually opened by the McDonald brothers, Mac and Dick. Ray was actually a Multimixer salesman at the time. A Multimixer was a tool used to make milkshakes, Ray was so entranced that the McDonald brothers had eight Multimixers in use at the same time. As he looked at their internal operations and their unique products, he saw the promise of a prosperous business. So he decided to make McDonald's a chain restaurant and eventually bought the McDonald brothers out of their share of the company. It was surprising that Ray Kroc was in a different business before he found the McDonald brothers and that he was a salesman before becoming a business owner. 
• What about the entrepreneur did you most admire? Above all, I admire Ray Kroc's tenacity. He always kept fighting to make his dream a reality. That is the same goal that I wish to accomplish. There was a quote that he said that reads "Taking reasonable risks is part of the challenge, its the fun"(59). This quote stuck out to me because throughout Ray Kroc's career, he always took reasonable risks that often had large pay-offs. Ray's attitude was always positive as well, which I really admire. No matter what situation he was in, he always tried to find the positive angle to look at the situation. I think this quality strengthened his abilities as a salesman and as a businessman.
• What about the entrepreneur did you least admire? The quality that I least admired about Ray had nothing to do with his business. I disliked that he cheated on his wife. I think that this kind of dishonesty has the potential to taint an individual. While he did cheat on his wife, he still ran a very successful business that was constantly growing and becoming a household name.
• Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it? Ray encountered a great deal of adversity and failure. For the most part, he never broke down and gave up on his dream. He always kept fighting to transform his company into something great. When he found out that Clem Bohr was not actually opening up franchises like he promised, he had to find a way to pay the debt that he now owed multiple people. This failure strengthened his business because he had to bounce back from this failure and still land on his feet. Ray said "adversity can strengthen you if you have the will to grind it out"(106). This quote was extremely inspiring to me because even one of the world's most powerful business moguls had to encounter failure to end up on top.

2.) What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited? Ray Kroc wanted his business to grow throughout the United States and beyond. But he also wanted to keep making a valuable product that would change the future of fast food.

3.) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you. When business words and concepts were discussed, I had a little bit of trouble following. When these concepts were introduced, I had to read the passage again and I could usually get an understanding of the concept. 

4.) If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why? 

I would ask Ray Kroc what his favorite moment from his McDonald's journey, I would ask this question because I am interested in what aspect of growing his business was the most influential to his success. I would also ask him if he regretted not finishing school? I believe that my education is the only thing that cannot be taken from me and I wonder if he wished that he finished his schooling.

5.) What do you think that author's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion? 

Ray Kroc's opinion of hard work stood out to me throughout my reading. He said that "Work is the meat in the hamburger of life. There is an old saying that "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy". I never believed it because, for me, work was play"(15). I agree with his viewpoint of work, I believe that without hard work and dedication, there can be no success. Ray worked tirelessly to see his dreams come to life and that is evident with the booming success of his business. I hope to follow my passions much like Ray Kroc. 

Assignment 12A

Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

1.) Picking A Segment: I decided to speak to restaurants, one of the types of businesses my product would be targeting. Many restaurants have wheelchair accommodations but there are also restaurants that lack these accommodations. Three out of three restaurants did not have wheelchair ramps to accommodate guests with disabilities.
2.) Three People Who Fit The Segment: I interviewed the owner of one restaurant, a waitress of one restaurant, and a customer in the third.
3.) Need Awareness: In my first interview, the owner expressed that he does believe that wheelchair ramps are vital and necessary, thus establishing his business's need. He articulated that it is difficult to find the extra revenue to afford this expense. This need is extremely salient and is most present when handicapped individuals attempt to enter his restaurant and cannot as a result of the lack of ramps throughout the establishment. The second person I talked to was a waitress at a restaurant. She agreed that there is a definite need for this innovation. She mentioned a time when a man came in asking for a table and specified that he had a sister in a wheelchair and she had to turn them away because they have steps outside their restaurant and no wheelchair-friendly ramp. She got a little emotional talking about this incident because she said she had a lot of sympathy for this woman who was unable to even enter the restaurant. She also articulated that because there is not a particularly large amount of individuals in wheelchairs that attempt to eat at their restaurant, that the owner does not see a need to spend money on a wheelchair ramp. She made a valid point that if there was wheelchair access, they might get even more business. My last interview was with a customer in a restaurant that lacked wheelchair access. She stated that she never thought about the lack of wheelchair access but that it is a need. She said that it is a consistent need among restaurants but that she has only seen a select few with wheelchair access.
4.) Information Search: When tasked with this problem, all of my interviewees were quick to suggest the installation of a wheelchair ramp to solve the problem. Their google search would most likely consist of googling the price of a wheelchair ramp for the restaurant in question. Since this is a critical issue, they would most likely talk to their friends and family about implementing innovative wheelchair ramps.
5.) The Findings: After conducting these interviews, I learned that many individuals care about this issue and it can be universally agreed that this product is needed among restaurants. When tasked with the issue of lack of wheelchair accessibility, all of the interviewees tried to find the most viable solution to the problem.
6.) Drawing Conclusions: This segment has an immediate need and a clearly apparent information search among the public.

Assignment 11A

Idea Napkin No. 1

1.) You: My name is Autumn Farmer and I am a sophomore here at UF. I am pursuing a Biology major and an Innovation minor. I am an Innovation Academy ambassador which means that I get to act as the liaison between newly admitted students and parent and the Innovation Academy. I am also a dancer for Dance Marathon at UF. DM at UF is a fundraising organization on campus with all proceeds going directly to the patients at UF Health Shands Children's Hospital. I have a passion for helping others and my product stems from this passion. I have seen the lack of wheelchair accessibility and my desire to help was unleashed. This product would help me achieve my goal of helping others as a result. I have dreams of pursuing a career in the medical field and this product is intertwined with that dream.

2.) What I'm Offering to Customers: My product is a wheelchair ramp that functions as a conveyor belt and can be easily hidden underneath carpeting or tiling in any business. This product will solve the issue of a lack of wheelchair accessible throughout businesses and help harvest independence for wheelchair users.
3.) Who Am I Offering It To?: My customers all have a lack of wheelchair accessibility in common. This product would be offered to businesses that do not have wheelchair access for their customers. These businesses would specifically have steps that are difficult or impossible for wheelchair users to conquer, thus establishing a need for an innovative wheelchair ramp. The demographic characteristics of my customers varies among all ages, races, and genders.
4.) Why Do They Care?: My customers will only care about the product if they have empathy for those in wheelchairs. Wheelchair users will care about this product but my target market is businesses that lack wheelchair accommodations. To make these businesses care, I need to reiterate that by adding this wheelchair ramp, they will have an increase in customers and therefore an increase in profits.
5.) What Are My Core Competencies?: This wheelchair ramp functions as a conveyor belt which I have never seen in a wheelchair ramp.It can also be easily hidden and therefore is not bulky and taking up extra space.
6.) How My Elements Fit Together: I believe that for the most part, the elements of my business plan work together. I think that my passion for helping others carries through all aspects of my business and could help contribute to its' success. I believe that the only outlier of this plan is convincing businesses that lack wheelchair access that they should make the necessary accommodations. Convincing these businesses to make a change might be the most difficult facet of making my business successful.