29A – Venture Concept No. 2

1. My venture concept still entails the topic of aiding parking situations on college campuses. At many college campuses, it is a common issue and topic that is constantly ignored. It affects the lives of students and faculty workers every day.
2. I have gotten lots of feedback over the time of the course and have the understanding that this is definitely a need or an opportunity and students would appreciate this. The feedback also showed me how it can be incorporated in other areas.
3. I changed it by incorporating more details like different features and allowing it to be offered on all platforms. I also took into consideration the idea of including funding into tuition.

30A – Final Reflection

1. I had a few highs in this course, some including interviewing individuals and seeing their reaction to my product. Something I would consider a low would be the cupcakes, I always missed them or felt time constraint when taking them.
2. What I learned about this class is a  whole new strategy for planning and developing a product. It has shown me that it is imperative to pay attention to every single detail and make sure you are always on top of things.
3. Yes, I definitely think I have more of an entrepreneur mindset, this class has been very helpful in ensuring that.
4. I would recommend to always complete the assignments ahead of time and ensure that you have each part completed.

16A –What’s Your Secret Sauce?

1. I think what makes me unique is the fact that I have great social skills. I can entertain a conversation that I have no idea of the topic and run with it. I am also very passionate about my product so it would not be hard to present it to anyone and encourage them to support it. Another advantage that I have is that I am very innovative. I always think outside of the box and am very crafty in any project or task that I do.

Jade: She said that I was hardworking and dedicated to all the projects that I put my mind to. She agreed with what I said and the fact that I always pay attention to improvement.

Robert: He explains how I complete my projects on time and in a correct fashion. He summarizes how my products will be a success due to my driven mindset.

Denise: Denise said I am very driven and dedicated and once I put my mind to certain projects I always get the job done.

Angelina: She agrees with what I said and mentions that I am an out of the box thinker.

Hayley: She explains how I can hold a conversation with just about anyone and how I am a good friend to have.

Differences: I think how I perceive myself is very similar as to how others do. I did not notice any differences in responses and it was on a similar track to the list I made prior. I would not change anything about the list that I made before interviewing people.

28A- Your Exit Strategy

1. For my exit strategy, I plan on staying with the business if it is a success. If the business thrives and I am making a good profit I will stay with it and see where I can take it. If not, I would try to work on a new project and keep striving for success. This class has taught me a lot about trial and error and this product and opportunity may be a failure but I have learned to pick up from it and do better.
2. I have selected this strategy because it seems the most beneficial to me. If the business is not doing well then I would rather focus on something else that would be a success.
3. I think my exit strategy has made me be more optimistic and always think about different ways to go about things. Being open-minded allows me to think of alternative ways to improve and make use of my talents. 

27A – Reading Reflection No. 3

1. I chose the book "The Art of Social Media" by authors Guy Kawasaki and Peg Fitzpatrick, I chose this book because it seemed very interesting to me and thought it would not only relate to the production of my product but also my major of Public Relations. The authors discuss how social media is evolving in our world and how there is a set of skills that individuals can use in their personal life and business life.
2. This book definitely has a connection to this course because social media plays a huge role in businesses and organizations today. Social media is something that has grown tremendously in the past decade and has become one of the largest factors of success for products. The book offers tips on how to use social media to your advantage when promoting a product and how to make it appeal to your targetted audience. 
3. An exercise that I would implement based on this book is social media branding. I think that promoting your product on social media is key in the steps to success. The exercise would be to choose a social media platform and create an ad or promotion, once it is created, it should be posted and students can record the insights that they get from each platform. Today, apps allow users to view their reach so it would give students a better insight as to how desired or interesting their product is.
4. One thing that surprised me is when the authors mentioned how social media is like a second resume. Although I already knew this the way that the authors explained it really highlighted the importance of social media and how the world views it. Students are always told not to put anything out on social media because once it is out, anyone can see it. In the book, the author mentions how instead of companies going through other individuals and a series of interviews to decide the status of employment, they use things like Facebook pages as an alternative. 

26A – Celebrating Failure

Throughout this course I have faced many challenges, considering what is going on in our world right now there has been other things that add onto it which make it difficult to succeed. An example is getting back on track after the transition to all online. Before the virus outbreak, I had a solid schedule of my classes and had a good balance of online versus in-person classes. Although this class has always been online I felt overwhelmed with all the new recorded lectures and shifts in due dates that I was faced with. It took me a while to get back on track but thankfully I am and think I have learned to always be ready to face failures and challenges. This course has taught me to appreciate failures and look at them as a steppingstone rather than in a negative way.

15A – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

• Robert Pitter
• Do you use Apps on your mobile device daily?
• Yes, all the time, I use various types of apps every day.
• Where do you think parking is the worst?
• Definitely at places that are common for being crowded.
• Is there a need for better parking situations?
• Yes, finding parking takes up so much time and if there was a way for it to be easier than I would appreciate it.
• How much are you willing to pay for an app?
• It depends on what the app offers if it is like a game I won't spend money on it but if it helps me daily then probably up to $10.
• Parker Day
• Do you use Apps on your mobile device daily?
• Yes
• Where do you think parking is the worst?
• For sure college areas and places like theme parks, I go to school near a theme park and finding parking is almost impossible.
• Is there a need for better parking situations?
• If there was a way to make parking easier than I do think that there is a need to fix it.
• How much are you willing to pay for an app?
• If it is an app that will help my day go easier then I would pay an amount that is reasonable like $20 but if it is higher than that then I would not see the point. It also depends if there is in-app purchases or if it is a reoccurring charge.
• Chris Radler
• Do you use Apps on your mobile device daily?
• Yes, all day every day.
• Where do you think parking is the worst?
• I think my apartment complex because it is first come first serve and there is no distinction between resident and guest parking.
• Is there a need for better parking situations?
• Yes, I think that there is so much room for improvement, an app would make it a lot easier to park.
• How much are you willing to pay for an app?
• I usually do not pay for apps so I would only be willing to pay $5 but if the app benefits me a lot I would be open to spending more.

Conclusion: This segment gave me good insight as to what consumers are looking to use and what they are willing to pay for. I have a clear idea that this product is needed and that it will be used daily. I also have a better understanding as to what niche I should be aiming for.

25A – What’s Next?

What’s Next?

Existing Market:

Step 1: In the future, I hope to offer this app to other businesses and locations that are common for being busy. An example would be theme parks or malls, this way individuals can enjoy their leisure time without having to worry about the issue of parking.

Step 2: After interviewing my peers, I received the feedback that this app would definitely be used in other businesses but I should start thinking about funding and fees that people need to pay to get the app.

Step 3: What makes the most sense for the future is launching the product in an area that I know wants it. Once this product has been available for a set amount of time I can look into the usage and the statistics and see if it could be used in other places. I want to start in areas with younger generations because they use technology more than older generations. The youth has a better idea of apps and technology so it would create various types of feedback and additions to the existing app.

New Market:

Step 1: Older generations who do not use technology as much.

Step 2: Targetting the older generation and those who do not use technology as much would be hard but not impossible. Troubles with finding parking are a universal problem not just a problem for younger people. Although they do not use as much technology, if there was a solution or something that could make it easier to park, I believe it would be used.

Step 3: After interviewing people of the older generation, I gained feedback that although it may be hard to learn the new technology, once it is learned it would be used. Some offered ideas like classes that can be held or tutorials that help individuals learn how to use the app. They also offered insight into how leisure places could definitely make use of this product.

Step 4: I learned a lot about this new market. At first, I thought that older generations would not even think about getting more involved in technology but I was wrong. They do not want to get into aspects of technology like social media where they do not see the benefits of it but would be interested in technology that helps ease their stress of the day. People of the older generation are intrigued of the advances of technology and support it if it has a good cause which the app that I would be offering does.

24A – Venture Concept No. 1

 Venture Concept No. 1 
Business Name: Park Easy
When I started this course my ideas were everywhere and I did not know which route to take. I narrowed all of them down to the biggest issues that I face when I am at college. I wanted to focus on a product that relates to my community because I thought it would be easier to collect data and relate to the purpose of my product. When I came up with the idea to work on fixing the parking situation at my college I asked my peers if they face the same problem. Everyone that I talked to said yes and even other individuals at other campuses. That is when I knew I had to center my product on this group of consumers. After receiving feedback from my classmates I know I am on the right track and made the right decision on making a product that would benefit students and others on college campuses. I have gotten a lot of feedback on more ideas to add to the product and other products that are similar but not exactly the same to mine.

23A – Your Venture’s Unfair Advantage

1. Location: This product will be available at the locations that need it most like college campuses. Students are more willing to use technology so they would use the app more than an elder.
2. Time-Saving: This product will save students and faculty a lot of time in their day when they are trying to head to their commitments of the day.
3. Unique: This product is not like any other product that is offered for students because it does not exist on college campuses.
4. Money: Eventually I would like the app to be included in tuition or fees that college students pay already to help support the growth of the app.
5. Reliability: The app is accurate and has specific information about each parking spot that will allow students to have a clear image of their parking situations.
6. Social Skills: I am very social and am passionate about this product so it will not be hard to encourage individuals to use my product.
7. Universal: Although it will be offered for college students right now, it could be taken globally and can be used in other businesses.
8. Easy: The app is detailed and specific so it is easy for students to use and work with.
9. Features: Not only does it help parking spots but it gives an insight into how busy days are on a college campus.
10. Less Stress:  This product would ease the stress that students have every day and make their college career a bit easier with one less thing to worry about.

I think my best advantage is the reliability that the app offers, It will collect data and show users specific spots and insights to what their parking situation is of the day. This will be helpful when planning their day.