Assignment 6A- Identifying Opportunities in Economic and Regulatory Trends

• Economic Trend: Baby Boomers aren't retiring
• Source: https://www.thebalance.com/top-usa-future-economic-trends-3305666
• I believe an opportunity exists here because of the fact that there are less people retiring now but will be later. This presents an opportunity for those in the retirement business down the road. It also means that the younger generation is unable to take over jobs which forces them into part time work and other risky career paths.
• The typical customer in this case would be those in the younger generation that are looking for a more permanent career. It could also be the older generation looking to retire finally. Taking advantage of this opportunity would be difficult because of the regulations and changing peoples minds in order to open up the jobs and careers.
• I think I saw this opportunity because of the need for jobs in the younger generations. Many of my friends and I have a hard time finding jobs because of them being taking for a long time.
• Economic Trend: Shipping is still growing despite uncertainties in the world
• https://www.thinkingheads.com/en/global-trend/future-of-shipping/
• I believe that a huge opportunity exists here. This is primarily because of the fact that the shipping industry continues to grow despite many of the precarious situations and strained relations in the world right now. The constant expansion makes me believe a huge opportunity is waiting here.
• The typical customers would be anyone who is buying items that must be shipped. It is also a great opportunity for those who are looking to get into the shipping industry.
• Depending on who you are this trend can be very easy to exploit. If you are looking to get into the shipping industry it should be fairly easy to break into it at this point seeing as how the industry is growing so steadily.
• I saw this opportunity because an expanding field is always ripe with opportunities. Almost anyone can see this as having numerous opportunities. However, with that being said not everyone will be able to exploit these opportunities.
• Regulatory Changes: Changes to allow for electronic transfer with the Federal Reserve
• Source: https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/bcreg20181115a.htm
• I believe an opportunity exists here because of the new ways of transferring funds to the federal reserve. This allows for many new and improved ways of making payments and other transfers to the federal reserve.
• The typical customer would be businesses and companies who need to make payments to the federal reserve for any reason.
• I think that this opportunity is very easy to exploit because of the nature of the new regulation. It allows for an easier way of transferring funds that must be delivered.
• I saw this opportunity because it is a very obvious change to take care of. Anyone can see this opportunity and take advantage of it quite easily.
• Regulatory Changes: Changes of asset thresholds for small and intermediate small institutions
• Source: https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/bcreg20181220a.htm
• I believe there is an opportunity here because of the new thresholds. This allows for banks to be classified as small institutions. This title comes with some interesting guidelines. Those in the small institutions are not held to the same reporting requirements as the large institutions.
• The typical customer is the smaller institutions and those who are close to the new threshold for small institutions. 
• This can be pretty difficult to exploit seeing as you can't make your customers money disappear in order to fall into the smaller threshold.
• I saw this opportunity because I deal with a small institution as my bank and am concerned with how my money will be handled with changing guidelines.

Assignment 5A- Identifying Local Opportunities

• "Nursing Homes Value profits more than care of elderly" by Steve Watrel in the Orlando Sentinel
• https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AORLB%21Orlando%2BSentinel%252C%2BThe%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0125%21January%2B25&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/1712BE1D9627E7D0
• This article sheds some light on the abuses of  seniors in nursing homes and how it is able to continue and even thrive due to the lobbying that occurs. In the article Watrel talks about how many of the reforms in the nursing home industry strip away rights of those in the care of the nursing homes. He talks about how this is allowed to happen, because the nursing homes pay lobbyists and then claim that they are poor and do not receive enough money to meet many standards put forth and then change them to maximize profits while simultaneously stripping away regulations for the safety of those in their care. He then continues to show another way in which nursing homes are endangering those in their care. This time he explains how many are understaffed in order to create more profits and use this under staffing as an excuse to strip away more regulations they are not fond of. He closes on how this affects peoples lives and the lives of those close to the people under the care of the nursing home.
• Problem: The nursing home industry is slowly being turned into an unsafe machine to pump out profits while not worrying about the health of those being cared for at the nursing home.
• The People affected: The ones affected by this issue is not only the elderly in these nursing homes, though they are the most immediate ones affected by it, but also those peoples families and friends. 
•  "Downtown Miami's office market is diversifying: That's good news for our local economy" by Danet Linares in 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%3A0125%21January%2B25&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/1712C7892FE5B418
• In this article Linares talks about how Downtown Miami is becoming home to more and more big brand name companies after they sought to have Amazon come to the city. In many ways this is a piece to try and show people that Downtown Miami is a prosperous and well off area. This is done to have people be in favor of bringing in more large companies and to also attract those large companies. While this does boost the economy in this area it does have negative affects that are not mentioned in the article. The article is just a glorified advertisement that only focuses on bringing in more business.
•  Problem: The amount of big businesses moving into the Downtown Miami area. This takes away space for smaller businesses and people who have lived in the area for a long time.
• The People: Small business owners and people living in the area are all affected by the encroachment of large companies. It forces those who live there out and those who have business there start to lose money.
• "Make region safe for walkers, cyclists" Anonymous editorial piece in the Tampa Bay Times
• https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3ASPTB%21Tampa%2BBay%2BTimes%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0125%21January%2B25&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/1712D2C5D87225F0
• In this article it is shown that in the Tampa Bay area it is incredibly unsafe to walk. The piece outlines why this is with numerous statistics and accounts.It states that road designs were made in a time period that was only interested in moving vehicles quickly and safely for the vehicles only. It then goes on to state that even with updated infrastructure drivers must pay attention and focus on the task of driving. It then goes into more statistics, this time focusing on how those in poorer neighborhoods are more likely to be struck and that a study found that drivers are more likely to stop for a white woman than one of color. It then closes with a reminder that even with better road designs it is the responsibility of the driver to keep themselves and surroundings safe. 
• Problem: There are a lot of people being struck by cars and other motor vehicles in the Tampa Bay area. It is an issue of not only poor road design but also lack of attention and care on behalf of the drivers.
• The People: Anyone who is walking in the area and anywhere. This also causes issues for drivers because it can lead to stricter rules and increased scrutiny.
• "New hospital site approved" by Bob Mudge in the Venice Gondolier Sun
• https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AVGSB%21Venice%2BGondolier%2BSun%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0124%21January%2B24&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/1712752E13803FA0    
• In this article the events of a County Commission meeting in Sarasota. The article tells that a new hospital has been approved to be built on the county. However this leads into the things that must be done in order to accommodate the hospital and what will appear with the hospital. One of the most noticeable issues is the need to expand existing roads. It also talks about how the public is split down the middle about the decision. With half the population being happy with the decision and half being upset with the choice. Finally it has interviews with the Commission board members about why they voted the way they did.
• Problem: Along with the new hospital comes many other projects to adjust to the new hospital and what comes with it. This project also doesn't allow for a new residential project to be built, since it was an opposing plan to the hospital. 
• The People: Those who do not want to pay more in taxes to bring in this new hospital and other projects that that will subsequently follow because of the hospital. It also affects those who live in the area as there will now be more people in the area causing even more issues.
• "North Trail buildings draw concerns" by David Conway in the Sarasota Observer
• https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AFSOB%21Sarasota%2BObserver%252C%2BThe%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0117%21January%2B17&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/1712DF8704C4EAB0
• In this article the issue of poorly maintained buildings, more specifically motels, and how it is a detriment to those in the area. The article talks about a city commissions meeting in which residents voice their concerns about the out of code buildings and how nothing is being done about them. It then goes on to explain how the residents believe that the city should do something about the buildings when they see them and not wait on a complaint from a resident. It continues to the city explaining their procedure of how they handle these issues and how the city needs rezoning in order to better handle these issues. It ends on the reinforcement of the point that rezoning is needed and that they are doing the best they can to take care of the issue.
• Problem: There are a number of rundown and out of code buildings, primarily motels, in the North Trail area in Sarasota. This is causing the residents to become irritated with the city who is not doing much even with complaints coming in.
• The People: The residents that live around these rundown buildings are having to deal with drops in property values and judgement of people who drive in the area which can chase away potential customers. It also affects the city officials by putting pressure on them to these issues and others such as rezoning.

Assignment 4A- Forming an Opportunity Belief

     I believe that there is a need for more accurate ways for finding apartments or places to live in other than going to each place individually to talk in person or on the phone. Almost everyone is confronted with this issue at some point in their life and has to adapt and deal with it. Many people are incredibly busy and unable to make lengthy trips or phone calls to make sure information is accurate. Obviously this is nothing new as people have been searching for places to live and rent for an incredibly long time, but they always have the issue of not getting what it is they thought they were going to get. Many websites only show the model of what you will be getting. This includes the upgraded appliances and amenities, which tricks you into believing this is what you will receive. However, the reality is that you receive a downgraded version of this with much less to offer. My thought on this is that a service can, and should, be created to show and confirm that you will be receiving what it is you believe you are receiving without physically visiting. I do understand that this isn't the easiest task to complete but it is a necessary one. There are resources available today for people looking to do this but each one has its flaws. Online reviews can be a great way of checking what you have seen but many are skewed by bias or anger and don't provide wholly factual information. I am about 75 percent sure that a product to simplify this search is needed.
   
      Interview #1: Male student living in apartment 20 years old

• Have you personally searched for an apartment or living space?

         "Yes I have and it was a difficult experience."

• What methods did you us to find your living arrangements?

           "I went to numerous locations myself after finding one online and getting suggestions from the places I visited."

• What did you find problematic through this searching process?

           "The fact that I had to visit every place in person. It took to much time and information varied from place to place which was very confusing."

• When did you first realize that your way of searching was inconvenient?

           "I realized that things could have been more simple and enjoyable pretty early on. After my second visit I realized that information was conflicting and becoming more confusing."

• How are you currently addressing this issue?

          " I am currently living in an apartment so nothing currently, but if I ever have to do it again I will be using online resources and physical visits, even though they are inconvenient."

• If there was a website or service that provided accurate and up to date information how would you feel about using it?

          "I would love to use it if it means I don't have to go to the physical location myself and spend hours looking for the actual price."

Reflection: There happen to be some people who prefer going to the physical location in order to hear details from a person in order to make sure things won't switch down the road. However, they agree that having to go from place to place is a sizable time commitment.

Interview #2: 19 year old male currently searching for an apartment.

• Have you personally searched for an apartment or living space?

      "Yes. I am currently searching for a place to live in Gainesville."

• What methods did you us to find your living arrangements?

           "I looked online extensively and eventually decided where I was going to live."

• What did you find problematic through this searching process?

           "The prices and room types and amenities did not match what I had seen online and they were not negotiable. They told me that the price had changed and I had simply not acted soon enough. I also had to deal with the fact that I had only really seen models of what the apartment was supposed to loo like, not what it actually looked like.'

• When did you first realize that your way of searching was inconvenient?

           "I realized that my search was inconvenient when I arrived at my apartment complex and found that many thing were different from what I was expecting to receive."

• How are you currently addressing this issue?

          "I am currently having to deal with my living situations but I am looking online and calling various locations trying to find a new place to live once my lease expires. I am not going off of what I find online anymore."

• If there was a website or service that provided accurate and up to date information how would you feel about using it?

          "I wish there was a website like that out there. It would have saved me a lot of trouble and arguments with people. I visited so many websites promising that their information was accurate, but rarely was it as accurate as I needed it to be.

Reflection: It seems that my website/ product would be of more use to those that are primarily doing their research online. This shows because some people prefer physical interactions and believe them to be the most trustworthy and simply wouldn't trust an online resources as much.

 

Interview #3: 22 year old male looking for a new apartment.

• Have you personally searched for an apartment or living space?

          "Yes I have. I currently live in Gainesville. The search itself was a rough one."

• What methods did you us to find your living arrangements?

           "I used the internet to narrow down my options and then visited each one."

• What did you find problematic through this searching process?

            " I found that some of my search data and what was told to me at the physical location didn't match up. It made it difficult to make a choice between the options I had preciously decided on." 

• When did you first realize that your way of searching was inconvenient?

           "After my first visit I was a little confused when certain key details didn't match up with the information I had already collected. After my second visit I realized that my research was not going to as reliable as I thought it should have been and should have been. I was surprised by the similarities of the discrepancies as I continued to visit." 

• How are you currently addressing this issue?

           "I am once again searching for an apartment but this time I am simply using my online research as merely a guideline, not as a permanent fact."

• If there was a website or service that provided accurate and up to date information how would you feel about using it?

          "I would want to make sure that it actually is what you say it would be because I have been promised that time and time again, but none of them ever deliver. Also I would still go in person to check and make sure that everything still matches, which would kind of defeat the purpose."

Reflection: People seem a little more closed off from the idea seeing as they have already had bad experiences with other products that would be considered similar and don't hold up their promises. However, people would still be willing to try the product with hope that it will be better than the others they have already tried.

Summary: I do still truly believe that my opportunity is still there. Through my interviews I have seen that people may not be as optimistic or accepting of the idea whether it be due to personal preference or bad experiences with similar products, which does limit my customer base by a bit. I do believe that my new opportunity is more accurate after talking to some people that would be possible customers. It helped me realize that there would need to be something that would make my product stand out more in order for it to be a viable option for people. It also helped me realized that there are some people that just wouldn't be interested as they are more trusting of physical interactions. Overall I do believe that entrepreneurs need to adjust their opportunities based on customer feedback. It is essential that you listen to potential customers in order to help as many people as possible and to evolve the idea to greater heights.  

Assignment 3A-Your Entrepreneurship Story

      When I was younger my grandfather and parents stared a construction company together and began building homes and neighborhoods. Seeing as I was to young to really understand what was occurring I can't really provide many details on how they were able to get to that point. The only thing I can say is that both my mother and grandfather were graduates from the University of Florida and that this business took a lot of time to start up and continue running until my grandfather retired and my mother moved into a different area of work.



      A more recent time I was able to talk to an entrepreneur was when my uncle started his own handyman company with aspirations to build it into a construction company. This was a very long and drawn out process for him. He first had to work for a different company under management that was lacking in both the skills and knowledge of the trade. He then had to take the risk of leaving this job and and starting his own company. He then hired people he had worked with in the previous company to go and work for him. He is still in the early stages of the business and building it up but it looks very promising so far.
      The reason I am in enrolled in this course is because I originally wanted to become a researcher in the STEM fields. However after taking Macroeconomics I became more interested in the business field. In particular the management side of things. I found this course and thought that it would be a good opportunity to acquire some skills that may come in handy later in life if I decide I want to open my own consulting firm or even become an Entrepreneur myself.

Assignment 2A- Bug list

    1. Dirty toilet seats in the bathroom in dorms.

Why: People are unable to aim into the toilet and do their business successfully and because some toilets are not designed properly which allows for things such as splash back. Past these issues people refuse to clean up after themselves because they assume that it is someone else's job to do so.

    2. The WiFi that cuts out at peak times to study such as late at night in dorms on campus.

Why: People have a tendency to wait to try and complete their work until the last minute and then rush to try and complete it on time. This creates a massive influx in the traffic that routers have to deal with causing them to slow and in many cases crash.

   3. People who leave shavings in the shower in dorms on campus.

Why: This is very similar to the dirty toilet seat issue. Many people take care of their business while in the shower and leave their clippings behind. They assume that someone will clean it up for them because its their job.

   4. When it takes days or even weeks to register a device for WiFi on campus.

Why: People are always trying to add devices to the University's registrar of acceptable devices and they don't have enough people to deal with these constant requests.

    5. People who park on sidewalks and grassy areas in front of dorms on campus during game day.

 Why: This is done so that the University can collect more money from people based on the football games. However, while they do this they disregard the inconvenience for the students who live there and pay to go to school here.

   6.The keys coming off my Dell laptop.

Why: While the laptop is a great product there were shortcuts made with some of the material and assembly.

   7. The requirement of a textbook in class for language classes.

Why: It is done so that you have an extra resource with you in class. However, in many cases you are either not allowed to use them for activities or the activities are not within the book and press you to expand your knowledge outside the book.

   8. The noise of all the people around me in my dorm
Why: The walls, ceiling, and floor are all concrete and anytime someone has anything semi solid hit them the sound travels through into my room. The people simply don't care about the noise they make because they are dealing with this issue as well.
   9. Having sub par cooking appliances in my dorms lounge.
Why: This is because the housing department doesn't have the money to replace and upgrade outdated appliances and amenities in older dorms because they are focused on keeping the newer dorms in better condition and upgrading older dorms in highly populated areas.
   10. The broken toilet in my dorms bathroom that continually flushes.
Why: The plumbing system is so large in my dorm and area that issues such as running water go unnoticed. Also when we call to get it fixed the issue won't occur and we are seen as untrustworthy.
   11. The difficulty of swapping roommates if you decide to do so.
Why: You need both roommates to agree that one of them is moving out and that someone new will most likely be taking their spot. This is an issue because one roommate can hinder the other from leaving by simply saying they don't want to live with someone new.
   12. The lack of toilets in the bathroom in the dorms.
Why: The University had to save money and space within the dorms so they had to cut down on certain things in order to satisfy the needs of the students while still saving the things they wanted to save.
   13. Parking near the stadiums for students.
Why: Many of the students that live around the stadiums have to constantly move their cars for various events even though they aren't parked close to the stadiums to begin with. Many have to move cars half a mile to a mile away from where they live all because the University wants to make a little extra money off parking.
   14. Going to the beach in Melbourne Florida and getting caught by fishing hooks.
Why: There are multiple reasons this issue exists, one being that fishermen are not required to fish a certain distance from swimmer. Another is that fishermen simply cut their lines if they feel any sort of resistance that they know isn't a fish, leaving the hooks and fishing line in the water for swimmers to get caught in.
   15. Washers and Dryers in our area don't work a majority of the time. 
Why: The machines themselves are quite old and have been added upon with new systems to allow you to pay with a vending account. This causes many issues as the older machines constantly breakdown and the system in place to pay experiences glitches non-stop. This leads to days or even weeks when you are unable to do laundry.
   16. My dorm is the only dorm without a trash chute.
Why: The building I live in is one of the oldest dorms and when it was built they did not include a trash chute so we must take the trash outside and across the area to dispose of it.
   17. There isn't enough basketball courts at the Southwest Recreation center.
Why: When the rec center was being planned and built they underestimated the amount of people who would like to play basketball there than at other locations. Seeing as it is one of the few places with indoor basketball courts more people tend to go there.
   18. Financial aid isn't distributed before many charges are due.
Why: There seems to be a disconnect with in the bursar's office and the source of financial aid that causes the charges that the financial aid would pay for to be due before it can actually pay for it.
   19. That places that use flex bucks from the meal plan don't put it out there more.
Why: This is because the flex bucks are like a credit. You aren't exactly paying for the items you receive. Instead you have to pre-pay for the flex bucks. 
   20. That showers are so tiny in the dorms.
Why: This was done to conserve space and money. While being designed and built they figured that the smaller they made the showers the less money it would cost to construct them and the more space that is left over to make it seem like the students have room.  

Reflection: This was a difficult assignment because of the amount of issues I had to think of. Obviously we all have complaints about things from day to day, but they seem so small and insignificant when they occur and when you look back at them. So much so that you begin wondering to yourself "why did this bother me in the first place?". Another thing that was difficult about it was coming up with a legitimate reason as to why these were issues because most of the time they are very petty and small issues that don't impede you except for the split second you notice them. 

    Another reason this was a difficult assignment for me was the fact that as I was writing them out I realized that I am guilty of doing a few of these things myself which made me rethink whether or not the issue was worth mentioning.

Assignment 1D

First post in this blog and hopefully it goes well. Looking forward to the many to come. Time to get to work.