8A – Solving The Problem

The service I would offer my customers would be a car wash / detailing service in the same parking garage where they already self park or valet park.  I would need to close off maybe 5 parking spots and have my equipment available as well as a water hook up or even a large tank that holds plenty of water for multiple car washes.  By the responses I received, I'm sure that if people see an actual spot dedicated to doing this, they would come up to me and ask for more details.  For other customers I would even offer to sell the soap or any other products that I could also make small profits from.  So even people that do not want me to service their vehicle can still ask for suggestions or for products for specific cleaning.  This would require me to talk to the building manager and see if I can set up a spot for this.

7A – Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

Car Wash / Detailing

I would like to try to set up a car wash in a garage where I already work part time as a valet parking attendant.  My customers would be people who valet their cars in the morning for work in a 9 story building.  These are professionals from lawyers to Realtors, business owners and even people working in the call centers.   Since they are leaving their cars for at least 5 hours, I believe they would not mind going home with a fresh, clean car.  Not many people have time to do it themselves or they may not like having it done in the drive-thru washes.  This may be a great alternative for those since , they are not having to travel elsewhere but already at work.

Patrick- Patrick is in his early 30's and owns two businesses in the building.  He is constantly working even on nights and weekends and doesn't own a home or even have space to wash his own building.  The apartments he is at just has a garage.  He would be more than willing to pay to keep his BMW cleaned inside and out and would be fantastic as he could keep it the garage.  He even advised that he could bring his other vehicle in on a different occasion just to have them both clean.

Samantha-  She is in her late 20's and doesn't care much for her car.  She says she lives in a home with her brother and usually makes him wash it for her for free.  However, sometimes he takes weeks to wash it after she asks.  She did also state that since it's already at work, on a good week for her; she wouldn't mind having a regular interior/exterior wash.

Juan- Mid 50's and just got a new car.  He is trying to protect the paint on his car and he must go to the drive-thru washes.  He usually vacuums it himself and cleans the inside himself as well.  I informed him that the drive-thru washes after some time can actually damage the paint and he said he would be wiling to pay someone to hand wash the exterior.  If he likes it , would potentially also be a repeat customer only for the exterior since he does enjoy cleaning the inside of the vehicle himself.  He also lives in an apartment where he cannot wash his own,  and gets frustrated that he has to park outside.  Sometimes it rains or he gets bird droppings on car right after getting his car washed.

Noel-  Mid 60's and has an older car.  He doesn't wash his car as it is old and beat down. (his words)  He wouldn't pay anyone to wash it because he doesn't need the extra expense and does not make too much money as it is.  He says if he had the money he would help me out but for now the best way he can help me out is to refer more people, he is the janitor in the building and has relationships with others as well in the offices.

Rebecca- Mid 20's and drives a Mustang.  She is a car enthusiast who works long hours at the office.  She likes washing her own car and even works on her own car so says most likely she wouldn't want to us the service.  However, some weekends she must also work and it would be very helpful for her to get the car waxed since she goes to many car meets and events.  Although she doesn't earn much at her job it would also depend highly on the cost of the service she receives. 

I didn't know that so many people lived in apartment building which don't allow self washing or don't provide water to do it.  I was also amazed at how many people said they would definitely use the service if it was available and so convenient for them. 

6A – Identifying Opportunities in Economic & Regulatory Trends

ECONOMIC

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/article225068545.html

More technology firms are looking at Miami as a city to home the hubs for their companies.  This will add to the companies already in place , which is mostly financial institutions, real estate, and law and professional services.  This will attract much more people to the already populated city.

Their is opportunity for new business to cater to the rise in population.  New modes of transportation among the already busy city should definitely take place.  New cafes and restaurants near these buildings will also be needed to satisfy the employees of these major companies.  Even all around services to people and buildings such as office cleaning could see a major rise in demand.

The only difficulty here will be the high rents for some businesses to establish themselves in these areas.  Another difficulty will be the competition as these are already in place.  Many new business will be looking to take the top spots along with trendy new innovations.

I see this opportunity because of the high attraction Miami has towards me.  Since moving to South Florida a few months go I have seen the trendiness of everything as well as the large diversity in people and culture.  Many people complain about traffic and population but I must also see the good things to come from these events.

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article224745985.html

The government shutdown has caused many federal workers to not get paid for the last month.  Many of these workers have had to find second jobs or simply have not gotten any money for the past month.  For this reason, inspections have slowed down due to a decrease in workers and job effort for the ones still there.

This is an opportunity for many local farmers and florists because they will likely have an influx of customers due to many big businesses having their imports from other countries backed up and delayed.  This will also cause business to increase their costs due to spoilage of flowers , plants , and produce.

For the established businesses who grow their own products here in the US , it shouldn't be too difficult to exploit.  They would just have to try and increase the amount they grow to keep up with the high demand.

I see the opportunity because as their are problems within the government shutdown, there are also ways to battle these problems with opportunity.  Instead of finding more ways to complain about the shutdown, there are solutions we can do to make it better.

REGULATORY

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/ct-trump-government-shutdown-20190125-story.html

President Trump wants his wall to be built, and he is adamant about it.  He's already caused the longest government shutdown and has already mentioned a "powerful alternative".  This leads me to suggest that some day, the wall will be built.

Construction companies and builders will most likely be the customers if the walls is funded down the road.

Once the wall is funded, it will be easy to exploit since someone has to build the wall.  I believe the harder part is actually getting the funds for it, which has gone a lot further than many people thought.

Not that I agree with the building of the wall, as I feel that this money could be used on more parks and recreation I still see the opportunity that there is to conform with the president's decisions.  The more you look at it, the more you can see the opportunities that open up.

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article225010105.html 

The legal age to buy tobacco has been raised from 18 to 21 in the county of Alachua.  This will be the first county in Florida to raise the legal age to purchase tobacco products.

The increased popularity in vaping and e-cigarettes leads me to believe that an opportunity exists for certain businesses.

The prototypical customer would be people under 21 and over 18 years of age.  Since the legal age to buy tobacco has been raised to 21, the people between 18 and 21 would start to buy more vapes as an alternative.  Thus, creating opportunities to vape shops and anyone selling vapes.

I see this because of the experience I've also had with vaping.  It's much less bothersome than smoking tobacco and I've seen the rise in activity within my circle as well.  I think it's a better alternative than tobacco and although I haven't researched much, also a healthier alternative.

5A – Identifying Local Opportunities

Scooter ban coming to Fort Lauderdale beach during Spring Break

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fort-lauderdale/fl-ne-scooters-spring-break-lauderdale-20190122-story.html 

Scooter renting has become a popular activity in the are of Fort Lauderdale.  For people new to the area, its very easy to just go on an app and rent one.  They are directed to the nearest scooter and  they can take it anywhere they'd like.  After reaching their destination they can simply just drop it off anywhere.  

The problem with this, is that many time people leave them in the middle of the sidewalk or street, which can make it inconvenient for pedestrians or drivers to get around them.  Others have also complained about people driving these scooters too fast or recklessly.  For this reason, the city plans to ban these for Spring Break since such an influx of people will be in the area.

This will be a problem for responsible riders, who won't be able to get around by the use of scooter rentals.  They will have to Uber, rent cars, or find other means of transportation which will populate the roads even more.

More chilly weather and storms heading for South Florida

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/weather/fl-ne-hot-and-cold-weather-20190123-story.html 

Colder weather has been seen by residents and tourists alike in South Florida recently and it has lasted longer than usual.  Usually a month or a few weeks will go by with cold fronts and then back to warm, sunny skies in South Florida.  According to the article however, we should be expecting more cold fronts and possible showers and thunderstorms.

The problem is for the people who have traveled down to South Florida to try and escape the brutal cold weather from northern cities and states.  Although warmer than northern states, its not the warm, sunny weather that they were expecting.

The problem with this is for the snowbirds who have come down to experience warm weather.

Window Sign Short List. Comply or Get Cited

http://margatenews.net/window-sign-short-list-comply-or-get-cited-p886-192.htm 

Signage codes were put into place in 1990 in the city of Margate.  Over the years however, it seemed that the laws were not being upheld and nobody was getting punished for it. New laws have since passed to fix this issue.

Many business owners will need to replace their signs due to a new law passing and proper signage must be up to code.  

This problem is for any business owner in the city who doesn't have the proper signage.  It can also affect resident if they rely on these signs that must be taken down.

Teen accused of setting his mom on fire and beating her with bat

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/davie/fl-ne-davie-attempted-murder-mother-20190124-story.html 

This story is of a 17 year old boy who made a weapon out of alcohol, a bottle, rag, and set it on fire to create an explosion of fire, otherwise known as a Molotov cocktail.  He not only made this but threw it at his mother while she was asleep causing her severe burns and cuts due to the glass.  If that wasn't enough he also beat her with a baseball bat, all because his mom caught him using social media and sneaking out at night.  

The problem is that people , especially kids and teenagers would do harm to their parents for such petty things.  The first time I heard of the Molotov cocktail was from a video game.  These are video games that are supposed to be for mature audiences and not to be used in real life.  

This is a problem for our society as a whole.  For some reason there are more mass shootings and acts of violent crime such as these occurring more than anywhere else in the world.  It is not normal for a child to want to kill his parents because of being punished for wrongdoings.  Unlike games, people do not come back to life after killing them and these are serious crimes.  

Eight deputies heard gunfire at Stoneman Douglas but didn't rush in. Here are the consequences so far.

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/parkland/florida-school-shooting/fl-ne-cb-eight-broward-parkland-deputies-20190123-story.html

 The article above describes how 8 different deputies were near a high school shooting but failed to act in a timely manner.  Instead, many claim they didn't know where the shots were coming from or they took cover for a very long time while the shooter was still firing off inside the school.  It describes what has happened to their careers since the shooting in which many of them were transferred to different cities, retired, or are currently under investigation.

The problem is that crime can happen anywhere.  Many of these officers were veterans and sought to work in the city because of such a low crime rate.  They may have figured they wouldn't get too many calls about having to deal with crime , especially not a high school shooter.  Deputies, especially ones trying to keep our youth safe should be much more trained and ready for the worst to happen at any given moment.

This is a problem for parents, teachers, students, and the police force itself.  If these deputies are scared to apprehend a shooter who is killing our children in the school, then how can we feel safe taking our children back to school?  Knowing there is always an officer on campus should be enough safety a parent needs in cases like these.  We are expecting to drop our kids off and pick them up every single day. 

4A – Forming An Opportunity Belief

I believe senior citizens cannot hand wash their own cars anymore and need people to do it for them.

The unmet need is that the older population can no longer hand wash their cars.  This need is because the older generation have cars as well and need their cars cleaned but cannot do so themselves.  Many times they take them to the drive thru car washes. 

However, these drive thru car washes often leave scratches and swirl marks on the vehicles and don't leave them as clean as a hand wash.  They also sometimes can't physically vacuum or clean the inside due to their physique. I feel there is a high percentage that this opportunity exists, especially in 55 and over communities and apartment complexes.

During the weekend, I spent some time at the country club near my home.  It's here where I spoke to an older gentleman about my idea.  He currently drives a 2015 Cadillac, and loves to have it sparkling clean.  Often times he gets the car waxed and detailed , as well as a good deep clean for the inside of vehicle.  He stated that many years ago, he would take care of his car himself but as the years passed, he finds it very difficult to wash it himself now.  He noticed the need about 5 years ago when his son moved to California.  He would help wash his car on his spare time.  Now he currently takes it to a gas station where he waits about an hour for people to clean the exterior and interior of his Cadillac.  He is satisfied with the work they do but says he doesn't like to wait for them to be done.  He would much rather be playing golf.  He notices the need for someone to come to him, while he waits for his wash and thinks it would be a great idea for the car wash to come to him.

I realized that looking for the customers in this age range is a great idea because many of them are willing to pay for the job.  They also find it very difficult to do this job themselves.

After speaking with 2 of his friends, I realized that they all have the same need.  One of his buddies says he had a man coming to wash his car, but it was too pricey so he ended up not continuing the service.

The opportunity is there and narrowing down the customer base is a huge plus, but also tweaking some prices may definitely happen.  However, I think feedback is great but, some things like pricing can't be too flexible.  

3A – Your Entrepreneurship Story

I've been known to wash my car very often.  I do this in my driveway, so pretty much all my neighbors have seen me at least once washing my car.  A couple times people have jokingly drove by and said good morning and asked me to wash their cars.  Thinking they were just joking we laughed it off and they kept driving.  I needed a little extra money one year so whenever people asked , I asked if they were serious.  Some of them were so I would walk to their house with my chemicals and wash their cars for them.

The reason I joined this class is because I've always wanted to start my own business.  I've done landscaping and car washes in the neighborhood and felt that there was a lot of competition to take it to the next level.  I'm hoping this class can teach me how to look for opportunities that are no so commonly seen or take owning my business from a different perspective.

2A - Bug List

1.  The window blinds always let in light through the cracks of each one, or by the wall.
It's not one whole piece but several different pieces of wood which have cracks.

2.  My hot water takes a minute before it actually changes from cold to hot.
I suppose the hot water heater tank doesn't begin working until it senses someone needs hot water.

3.  The dew on my car windows in the morning force me to open the window and let in the cold air, but its the only way I can see outside.
Humidity in South Florida in the morning.

4.  My chair hits the underside of my desk and makes the arm rest tear apart which makes for uncomfortable arm rest.
The chairs armrests are too high for the desk.

5.  My job is headquartered in Greece and many times I get emails in the Greek language with symbols I can't even make out.
This is the language they speak and communicate through many times.

6.  The only assigned parking spots at work are under trees, many times my car has bird or animal droppings.
These animals seem to love to do their business on clean cars.

7. New car stickers always leave that glue on the glass of a car.
The heat from south Florida must melt the glue from these stickers.

8.  Finding new dog feces in my lawn.
People don't have the decency to pick up after their pets.

9.  Having to use high beams in my neighborhood at night.
 because not enough streetlights.

10.  Needles to inflate balls are made so fragile, they always break.
They are made fragile

11.  When gated communities, leave the gate open at all times.
The gate probably does not work.

12.  People driving on the left lane on the street and going under the speed limit.
They must be texting and driving, or don't know about the "fast lane"

13.  Alarm going off in a store after u just purchased it.
cashiers, didn't do their job properly or the detector is messed up

14.  Packaging for items being so difficult to open without tools.
such hard plastic is used to seal the product.

15.  Restaurants having only one restroom.
they can only afford to have one.

16.  Food delivered cold to home.
delivery drivers have so many orders, so last one gets cold.

17.  Calling customer service , but having extreme difficulty due to accents.
These calls are now outsourced to different countries.

18.  One small thread on clothes being out gets pulled and end up being 20 ft long.
The way the fabric is sewn on.

19.  Have to wait 15 minutes to cross the street during rush hour.
 Traffic lights that change to red in about 5 seconds

20. Having to take out keys from pocket to open door.
I need a new wireless lock.

A few of these were difficult just because I couldn't think of all the day to day struggles I have.  Also, sometimes i only focus on the ones that really bother me.  Throughout the day, I realized there were more small things that irk me.  Overall not too time consuming.

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