5A- Identifying Local Opportunities

Opportunity #1: 
-"Secret showroom appeared to hold $9.6 million in luxury fashion. None of it was real."
-http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/169A575441ECC088?
p=WORLDNEWS
- This article is about a store in Miami that presented counterfeit high-end merchandise so it can attract more customers and earn more profit from selling those fake goods. The owner was arrested and charged with selling these counterfeit goods. 

-The problem in this story is that the store was selling counterfeit merchandise to customers for a lot of money. Not only did the owner put his store in jeopardy, but many innocent customers got their money cheated off them. 

-Both the store and the customers have a problem in this scenario. The innocent customer has a problem because he/she got their money finessed. The store has a problem because it needs to sell counterfeit merchandize to stay afloat. Meaning, the fake accessories they sold was a large source of their income. 

Opportunity #2:

- "Inspectors caught Carnival crew hiding dirty conditions. It's their third ship to fail."
-http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/169807E4E9C9DC58?p=WORLDNEWS
- This news article talks about multiple reasons of why Carnival failed its inspection test on a couple of its ships and how the dirty conditions are unhealthy for the staff and passengers. However, ever since its last inspection, Carnival started to up their game and reportedly received a good score on an inspection that was just taken. 
-The problem in this article was the bad condition of the Carnival cruise line and how that can harm their passengers, crew, and their reputation. Failing health inspections can also most definitely harm Carnival due to the fact that potential customers can chose not to vacation with that cruise line which leads to loss in revenue. 
-Both passengers trying to enjoy the vacation they paid so much for and the cruise-line itself both have problems in this situation. The passengers are losing a sense of well-being by having to cope with dirty conditions. The company itself has a problem that needs to be fixed in order to be able to maintain its customers. 

Opportunity #3: 
-"Fishing captain accused of dumping dozens of lobster traps along reef"
-http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/1697439800C386B0?p=WORLDNEWS
- This article is about a fisherman that dropped over 30 lobster traps on a reef and he was then arrested for doing so. 
- The problem here was that the marine life on the reef is threatened by the traps. Reefs are very fragile environments that provide homes for an array of marine life. These traps are a threat in that they can damage coral and trap lobster and other fish on the reef. 
- The problem is not only faced by the marine life but it also relates to the people who come and enjoy the reef and its life. People expect to see an untouched masterpiece of marine beauty and if traps are seen that could definitely spoil that. 

Opportunity #4: 
-"H&M removes online ad after hundreds of social media users called it racist"
-http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/1695BB1C83037FE8?p=WORLDNEWS
- This article is about an ad that was perceived as racist by a bunch of people and it had to be removed. It was of a little black boy that modeled a hoodie that stated, "Coolest Monkey in The Jungle". 
-The problem here was that H&M should be aware of what they are advertising and how that might influence customer behavior. I believe that some of H&M's reputation was damaged since people did not take this advertisement too kindly. 
- The problem is in H&M's hands, they made a mistake which in return lost them customers. However, the article also states that the boy's parents where also at fault because they allowed that to happen. 

Opportunity #5
-"Tour boat carrying cruisers sinks in Mexico. It's the second accident in recent weeks."
-http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/169511549A4C0E40?p=WORLDNEWS
- This article talks about another diving boat sinking carrying about 10 tourists. The passengers lost a lot of items in the and are still waiting get reimbursed.
- The problem here is the quality of these tour boats and how easy it was for water to start flowing in. There really should be inspections made before taking tourists out and the company is at fault for that. 
- The problem is faced by both the customer and the supplier in this situation. The customers should have done better research and found a safer more well known boat. The company is at risk because it's reputation is harmed dramatically due to the fact that the boat randomly sank. 

4A- Forming An Opportunity Belief

     I have developed a strong belief that an opportunity exists at the Chipotle on Archer Road. I have come to believe this because I noticed that they never give trays when you purchase your food. I usually order multiple items from Chipotle and I am always juggling them around when I go to fill up my drink. Since I always order a tortilla on the side, my hands would burn when I pick it up so I end up having an unpleasant experience when I receive my food. This started to happen recently because before they would always hand me a tray even if I just ordered a bag of chips. I believe that the employees are doing nothing to meet need because they don't even bother to ask if you need one. A reason for which I believe this unmet need exists is because the restaurant must have decided it can save time by not picking up a bunch of stray trays. Therefore, I am 90% sure that this opportunity exists and Chipotle should do something to understand that. I have spoken to 3 people about this situation:

1.  The first person I spoke to is my roommate Josh, who I always go to Chipotle with. I told him about my belief in this opportunity and he agreed with me. However, he explained to me that it did not necessarily annoy him as much as me because he usually just orders a bowl and a drink, both of which can be carried with ease. What he did say was bothersome is the fact that he has to make two trips to also grab forks and napkins. He told me that he experiences this need all the time, but he knows a way to resolve it himself. He orders his Chipotle to go so they give him a bag in which he can throw his forks and napkins in. He claims he is satisfied with the solution he created. 
2. The second person I talked to was a customer that was standing in line behind me when I was ordering my Chipotle. I asked the man about the opportunity in hand and he completely agreed with me since he also orders a tortilla on the side which burns his hand when he carries it. He says that he experiences this need all the time and all he does is place the rolled tortilla on his food. He says he rather not have a piece of tin foil sitting on top of his guacamole and sour cream, but he has no other choice but burning his hand. He claimed that he usually never deals with this at any other Chipotle and this is fairly new. He told me that he was very unsatisfied with this unmet need. 
3. The third person I spoke to was someone fairly new to Chipotle and rarely goes. She claimed that she never realized that they gave out trays before and that it did not really bother her when she picked up her food. Just like Josh, she does not order a tortilla on the side. I asked her if she then thought a tray would help and she said it would definitely help out more especially when getting napkins and utensils. I feel like she became aware of this need due to the fact that I told her about it and that might have lowered the level of her satisfaction with Chipotle. 

• I learned that Josh does not understand how bad the opportunity is since he never orders a burning hot tortilla on the side. I've also learned that Josh's resolution is not really the best because it causes more trash and waste coming from the bag and the lid on the bowl when you order it to go. In my second meeting, I really got some very good clarification of the extent of the opportunity. I was surprised to find somebody that actually was as outraged by this as I was. Finally, in my last interview I was able to understand that a need for trays is present however some people can be just fine without them. I was surprised to hear that the she did not remember a time when they gave out trays for every meal because that really could have yielded a different outcry. 

     Moreover, most of my original opportunity is still present after interacting with these customers. I do believe that my opportunity is more accurate now because there are people that could handle not having trays. However, I still believe that the cons significantly outweigh the pros in not having the trays because the level of customer satisfaction significantly decreases. I believe customer feedback is one of the most important measures in running a business properly. Entrepreneurs should always use customer feedback to help them appeal to the consumers of their business as well as make it more functional. Adapting the the changing environment and consumer behavior is a big reason why some business tend remain while others are shut down. 

2A Bug List

1. The wifi in my room is just way too slow.
WHY IT EXISTS: The router for the wifi is all the way downstairs and pretty far from my room.

2. When Chipotle on Archer forgets to give me a tortilla on the side and then I have to wait for it.
WHY IT EXISTS: The employees simply forget that I asked for one.

3. When I come downstairs to cook and everything has been used and is dirty.
WHY IT EXISTS: My roommates and I get lazy so we end up not cleaning anything.

4. People who honk at me when the light turns green when I drive in Miami.
WHY IT EXISTS: Some people are just impatient and cant wait a literal second.

5. The amount of traffic on Collins Blvd. because of all the new construction going on.
WHY IT EXISTS: Lanes on the road get closed down to make way for construction.

6. When food at a restaurant is so hot that it burns my mouth and I cannot enjoy my meal.
WHY IT EXISTS: The food is unbearably hot when I receive it and it really shouldn't.

7. When people walk their dog on my lawn and don't bother to pick up the feces left over.
WHY IT EXISTS: Those people are too lazy and inconsiderate to pick up their own mess.

8. The fact that I need a quarter every time to get a cart at Aldi and I never have one.
WHY IT EXISTS: The carts require a quarter to take because Aldi does not want people stealing them.

9. When watching a sports game and they referees take longer than 2 minutes to review a play.
WHY IT EXISTS: The refs want to be absolutely sure of the call even when it is obvious. 

10. When you call downs in basketball and they just ignore you and keep playing their game.
WHY IT EXISTS: Some people are just scared to play new competition.

11. When I buy shoes that I think fit me fine at the store but when I get home they are bothersome.
WHY IT EXISTS: The pressure that the salesman puts you in to actually purchase the shoe.

12. Walking into Southwest Rec to see that the gym is packed and I have to wait for people.
WHY IT EXISTS: Too many people go at the same time as I do.

13. When Chelsea concede a last minute goal to lose or tie the game.
WHY IT EXISTS: Bad play calling and lazy players who think they won the game take over.

14. When I jam my fingers when I play basketball.
WHY IT EXISTS: It is so minor, but very bothersome to play in.

15. The fact that my toilet is broken and cannot take large loads and nobody has come to fix it.
WHY IT EXISTS: Maintenance keeps forgetting that I've mentioned it multiple times.

16. The fact that you cannot get a five dollar footlong for 5 dollars.
WHY IT EXISTS: Taxes.

17. When any McDonald's says that their ice cream machine is not working.
WHY IT EXISTS: I believe that the employees lie and are just really lazy to make me an ice cream.

18. When lines to get into a club are so long.
WHY IT EXISTS: The bouncers only let in one person in for every person who comes out.

19. The lid of my trash bin does not work so I need to remove it.
WHY IT EXISTS: The lid was not made properly.

20. When the battery on my phone turns off when I am on 10 percent.
WHY IT EXISTS: The battery was either damaged or has malfunctioned.

-The biggest challenge with this list was taking the time to think about certain things that bug me. There are many things that bug me and it was difficult to simply pick 20 of them because I was thinking way too hard. The list was not difficult to come up with but it was tedious because I had to narrow down certain things that bug me into a list of 20.

Assignment 3A- My Entrepreneurship Story

     I was first introduced to entrepreneurship in middle school where one of my teachers would play the show "Shark Tank" at the end of every class. I learned that the people who would come up to the sharks were entrepreneurs trying to start or extend their own and unique businesses. They were trying to get the sharks to invest money in their idea so they would be able to do the things in which they desire. This includes help with financial risks that come with starting a new business. While sitting there and watching this show almost everyday, I would always imagine myself as starting my own business and appearing on the show. I would actually spend some time sitting there trying to come up with a multitude of potential business ideas. One of my ideas involved a more efficient windshield wiper that would work in any weather scenario. Moreover, watching that show and creating some of my own ideas definitely assisted in my understanding of the concept of entrepreneurship.
     The reason why I took this course is because I feel like it can assist me in making good business decisions and learning more about how I can accomplish my business goals. I expect to acquire skills that I can use in a real world corporate setting.

How to Ball

Make it rain