Skylar's Entrepreneurship Blog

1. Upon reviewing my Entrepreneurship blog posts from this semester, I think the most challenging part of this course was having to record myself for the elevator pitches. I don't mind presenting in person, but the act of recording myself speaking for over a minute was nerve-wracking and just honestly super awkward. I didn't enjoy this at all. However, I did enjoy the assignment about embracing failure because it truly allowed me to reminisce on a time that I failed multiple times only to pick something special up. 2. If I am being honest with myself, I am only taking this course because it is a requirement and I never have seen myself as an entrepreneur. I do not think I have moved closer to becoming one, however I have learned a lot about what it takes to be one. In my opinion, relying on more corporate careers is safer as you are guaranteed a steady income, and benefits. I do not have the entrepreneurial mindset, and I am fine with that. 3. To a student that is taking th...

1. Opportunity      The opportunity that I decided to look further into has to do with ink pens bleeding through to the other sheet of a piece of paper when you are writing. This is an issue whether you are writing an important document for work, or if you are an artist using an ink pen to create something. I'd say customers are currently satisfying this need by using pencil instead of ink pen, but I wanted to create. a product that would change that. A product that would take the "ultimatum" away: ink pen that will bleed through, and pencil that won't show up. My product would utilize a mixture of both ink and gel ink so that bleeding wouldn't occur. 2. Innovation       My product uses a balanced mixture of gel ink and liquid ink to fix the issue of leaky, smudgy ink pens without forcing customers to compromise. My pen will allow people to continue using their pen of choice- a smooth ink pen without having to ruin their project with ink bleeding. My ...

1) I plan to either sell my idea to retailers or patent it and have it in stores. Ideally, I'd like to sell my business for a large return. 2) My main goal besides being passionate of my work is making a profit. This is my plan because I want my product to make me money- of course. The need for the SmartPen is important to me as I feel the idea has potential 3) I feel maybe if I was slightly more confident with my product I would not even think about selling my idea for a large return. However, since I know the SmartPen is not one of my best ideas I wouldn't be as opposed to selling the idea off for a good sum of money.

1) What was the general theme or argument of the book? I chose to read Coco Chanel by Lisa Chaney. The general theme of this book is basically that anything is possible with hard work and dedication. Gabrielle Chanel truly started from the bottom- from a little girl suffering childhood abuse and neglect to a very successful entrepreneur and business owner. 2) How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003? Similarly to how we learn in this class to not give up after failure, Gabrielle resonates with this too. Failure is a part of success, and you cannot have success without failure. Her perseverance is a skill that we learn is crucial to be a successful entrepreneur. 3) If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve? Since what stuck out most to me was Gabrielle's rise to success in spite of all odds against her. I would like to see an exercise where stude...

1) Earlier this semester, my nephew was born and I decided I wanted to learn how to knit. My great grandmother used to knit all of the newborn babies their very own hand knitted blanket, and when she died, unfortunately so did that tradition. When I met my nephew for the first time I fell in love and I felt if someone in the family didn't pick up this tradition again, he would be cheated, and all the new babies in our families future would be as well. So I went to the craft store and I picked out some needles, and some yarn- I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. Beginning to learn the steps of knitting was frustrating and I had to put the project down and revisit it at least 10 times before I picked it up. The learning process didn't stop there. Once I realized what my preferred knitting needles were and which types of yarn I liked I thought I was set. That was until I royally screwed up the blanket that I worked so diligently on for my nephew. It was uneven, it had holes....

Existing Market- students  First Interview: an art student at UF -She says she could see my next venture having to do with other issues in the art industry because I'm clearly passionate about. -Says that advertisements with a clear view of my product and what makes it different would be beneficial for sales. -Suggests beginning to talk to retailers about the need for a product such as mine. Second Interview: a law student at UF -He says my next venture could have something to do with what's going on in the world right now with the coronavirus. Although this doesn't have anything to do with my idea I found it interesting because that is obviously a very relevant-real issue we are facing right now. -Says that The Smart Pen may be seen as "just another pen brand" so it is important to explain what makes my product different. Why do others need to replace their old pens with mine. Third Interview: a freelance artist -He says my next venture should bounce ...

1. Opportunity      The opportunity that I decided to look further into has to do with ink pens bleeding through to the other sheet of a piece of paper when you are writing. This is an issue whether you are writing an important document for work, or if you are an artist using an ink pen to create something. I'd say customers are currently satisfying this need by using pencil instead of ink pen, but I wanted to create. a product that would change that. A product that would take the "ultimatum" away: ink pen that will bleed through, and pencil that won't show up. My product would utilize a mixture of both ink and gel ink so that bleeding wouldn't occur. 2. Innovation       My product uses a balanced mixture of gel ink and liquid ink to fix the issue of leaky, smudgy ink pens without forcing customers to compromise. My pen will allow people to continue using their pen of choice- a smooth ink pen without having to ruin their project with ink bleeding. ...

1. Creativity Valuable: My creativity is helpful in making my venture successful because I can easily find ways to work through a problem that other people maybe wouldn't think of. Rare: Fairly, yes. Inimitable: One cannot teach themselves to be creative. I am just a creative person by default. So this trait is not inimitable. Non-substitutable: No. Creativity is its own thing. 2. Networking/Connections Valuable: Knowing people who would benefit from my product, or that could help improve my product is a valuable resource. Rare: No, you just have to look around and put yourself out there. Inimitable: No. Non-substitutable: No. 3. Critical thinking Valuable: Being able to think critically is valuable in problem solving during my venture. Rare: Fairly, others can think critically. Inimitable: Yes, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Non-substitutable: No substitute. This is an important part of being an entrepreneur. 4. Patience Valuable: Business ventures don...

https://youtu.be/Uyvo6p3kX8U

1) What was the general theme or argument of the book? I chose to read "How To Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big" by Scott Adams. The general theme of this book is the importance of failure- and why it is needed to succeed. As a society, we reject failure but the author seeks a different approach: embracing failure to later use to your advantage. Throughout the book, Adam discusses how some of his greatest successes stemmed from the most embarrassing failures. 2) How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003? I felt this book connected perfectly with the skills we use in this class. To be an entrepreneur, you must fail multiple times before you succeed. It is part of the process, and instead of using those instances of failure to feel sorry for yourself, we learn in this course to be proactive and fix the problem instead. Those same principles are illustrated in this book. 3) If you had to design an exer...

Domain Expert: Debra F. Debra is employed at a Michael's craft store and specializes in canvas work and pen work. She feels the art industry especially is missing a product like this. Artists who use paper to create their work may ruin paper with ink pen that is too runny. My product would solve that and Debra appreciates this. She does however, wonder how the product would actually be once produced. It sounds like a great idea in theory but it would most likely need a lot of trial and error and test runs. Market Expert: Santiago M. Santiago works at Target and oddly knows a lot about pens. He says he really enjoys writing with ink pens and his favorite brands are G2, and Zebra. He likes the idea of my product, and feels if I market it in a way that sets my product apart from other pens, that it could do well. I appreciate this feedback. It would be nice if my pens were sold in Target, and good marketing is definitely a step. Supplier: Target or Michaels I feel that my produ...

1. You My name is Skylar Schultz and I am a psychology major at the University of Florida. The first thing that stands out when I think about myself is my creativity and my determination. I am not afraid to work hard for something I am passionate about. I feel my creativity allows me to think outside the box. I aspire to make others happy with my product and obviously make a profit. 2. What are you offering to customers? The Smart Pen is an ink pen crafted for those who like to work with ink pen but don't want smudges or bleeding through. My product uses a special blend of gel and ink to create the perfect pen for drawing, or writing in general. 3. Who are you offering it to? My product is really for anyone, but I feel artists who utilize pens already would find the most use out of my product. People in school or people who need a pen for work that does not bleed or smudge. 4. Why do they care? My potential customers care because they are sick of ruining important documents ...

https://youtu.be/_Wf_KJxexaY I am open to all feedback :)

My customer avatar would be a middle aged artist who utilizes ink pen for their artwork often. They would most likely live a frugal artist lifestyle (Artists don't normally make a lot of money) driving a less than luxury car, and just scraping by. They most likely express themselves through colorful hair and clothing, and have cool sense of style. I find artists in general to be pretty cool, laid back people. My ideal customer would use their free time drawing, or using other mediums to make other pieces. I feel I have quite a bit in common with these customer because I too enjoy doing art on my free time. I don't think these similarities are a coincidence because I enjoy the same things these people do. These specific group would be the most beneficial because they would find the most out of my product because of their career and/or hobby.

Rather than interviewing those who draw everyday, I have decided to now interview people who would use ink pens in a professional settings. I believe this segment is more relatable to a lot more people than my previous segment. Although I believe I did well on my first set of interviews, it is nice to expand and interview different people as their responses may differ. Interview 1: 27 year old law student Alternative Evaluation-  He believes the idea of an ink pen that doesn't bleed through other pages is a good idea because many people in professional settings like to write with ink pen. He questions how I would implement my idea, but thinks that if it were implemented properly, it has great potential. He also questions whether something similar to this exists already. How/where do they buy?-  He believes it would be beneficial to start selling my product online, and once is gains traction then hopefully have it be in stores. The first step would be creating a website and...

1.) In order to keep up with the requirements for this course, I have learned it is very important to keep a calendar of all upcoming assignments. I have found that if I am aware of which assignments are coming up, I am far less likely to miss an assignment. That first point follows directly into my second point, planning ahead. Planning ahead and taking a look at the assignments due is crucial to ensure you have enough time to complete the work thoroughly. 2.) I did really poorly on a Statistics exam this following week, and I felt extremely discouraged. I wanted to drop out of the course, but what made me pull through was my support system. My friends and family made me realize that one test score is not my final grade, and there are people that can help me bring my grade up. Recently, I have been working extremely hard on that coursework to ensure a better exam grade next time, which I believe illustrates my tenaciousness. 3.) First, I would say it is so important to keep yourse...

I chose to read Miracles Happen by Mary Kay Ash for this reading reflection. 1.) I was most surprised to learn that Mary Kay Ash was enduring a series of obstacles just before starting her business. Her father was sick and she had lost her husband just one month before kickstarting her business. I find it very inspiring that although she was going through hardships, her faith in God, and in herself remained strong. I admire the author's perseverance and ability to remain positive throughout even the difficult points in her life. There isn't anything that I dislike about the author, however in my personal opinion it can get a little annoying when people constantly reference their belief system. This is her autobiography though, so she can write what she wants. As mentioned previously, Mary Kay Ash faced adversity when her father fell sick and she lost her husband. Throughout these hard times, Mary remains optimistic which is admirable. 2.) Some competencies that are extremel...

Segment:  Students at UF that draw every day. Interview 1: 19 year old student -She says her writing utensil of choice is a coptic marker. -Coptic markers bleed through paper even more often than ink pens. -Does not use ink pens unless she is writing notes for school. -Never uses pencil. -Thinks my solution sounds like a great idea that many art students could use. Interview 2: 23 year old grad student -Uses ink pen to outline things on his paintings. -It really bothers him when the ink bleeds through. -Says he uses pencil in school, and ink pen for art. -Likes the idea of my solution, but thinks I need to expand on it. Interview 3: 20 year old student -She uses a mixture of different mediums for her art including ink pen. -Finds that ink pen doesn't bleed if you push softly. -Uses pencil in class, never ink pen because it bleeds through. -Likes the idea of my solution but also thinks it needs to be expanded upon. Conclusion:  I feel this segment of cu...

1.) I am a psychology student and I really enjoy doing art, and my talents include my work ethic, my essay writing abilities, and my problem solving. Because I do art so often, I have found that ink bleeding through my pieces is a problem that I face more often than those who may not draw. I'm sure pens do exist that don't bleed, but my goal is to find a pen that still has that same feel of an ink pen- without the transfer to the other side. 2.) My product would allow those who enjoy writing with ink pen to still have the same smooth writing experience without having the ink bleed through. 3.) My product would be for anyone who writes often, or someone like me who enjoys using ink pen for drawing and making other creations. 4.) The customers care about my solution because they also hate when their pen bleeds through to the other side. Those who care about the environment and wasting paper, those who encounter this issue on the daily when they are taking notes or drawing. ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOB2Txu2ko8&feature=youtu.be I am open to feedback :)

5 Interviews 28 year old accountant  I learned... -She has to write daily for her job as an accountant. -Her pen of choice is a gel pen so that the ink does not bleed through. -Most of what she writes on are important documents so this opportunity is very relevant to her. -Cannot use pencil as it is unprofessional on official documents. 18 year old high schooler I learned... -She is a senior in high school so she still uses pencil in school for just about everything. -Uses pens when writing essays and such. -Uses ink pens and doesn't mind when they bleed through. -Prefers pen over pencil but school requires her to write in pencil usually. 31 year old lawyer I learned... -He uses ink pen for just about everything he writes. -Doesn't usually have an issue with ink bleeding through as he writes delicately. -Writes with ink pen on important legal documents, and for signing documents. -Types a lot of the time. 62 year old preschoo...

Problem: When an individual is writing using an ink pen, the ink will bleed through to the other side of the page making it unable to use which wastes paper, and looks sloppy. Solution: In my opinion, the best solution is to avoid using ink pen on assignments where you need to utilize both sides of a sheet of paper. Using gel pen instead could help to solve this opportunity. Other solutions mentioned included how hard an individual pushes their pen into the page. Possibly the only people that have an issue with this are those who write with a lot of pressure, and those who write softly don't encounter this as often.

Issue: When you are writing an assignment and the pen's ink bleeds through to the other page. Who  The individual writing the assignment. What When the ink bleeds through to the other page, you are then unable to use the backside of that sheet. Why This wastes paper, and looks messy. Hypothesis/Pushing the boundaries of Who, What, Why: Who I think other people share this issue with me. I suppose the "bleeding" could vary depending on how hard each individual writes. What Are all pens a problem or is it just ink pens? Is it just because I am writing too hard? Why Some people may not mind that they cannot use the backside of the sheet, maybe they only use the front side anyway. 5 Interviews: 19 year old male -Rarely happens to him because he usually writes with pencil -Feels the issue is more prominent when he is using a pilot pen specifically -When he is using pen, and it bleeds through to the other side, he gets frustrated. -He suggests usi...

Economic Opportunities 1. The United States-China trade war is an ongoing economic conflict. These trade barriers and increased protection subsequently caused higher tariffs and less output. Trump said his planned tariffs on Chinese imports would make the United States "a much stronger, much richer nation." I however, find it very concerning that these tariffs will strongly affect Chinese imports which are a major part of the products we use and enjoy in the states. I understand wanting to instead make some of those products in the states to make a profit, but cutting off imports completely sounds ludicrous and detrimental to me. 2. The outbreak of the coronavirus could trigger a rise in global food prices. This is because many people in China are worried and stocking up on a lot of food so they can stay indoors and not risk getting sick. The country could possibly have a shortage because of this pandemic and could need imports from other countries to help feed the Chinese...

1.) Title: Virtual reality training helps humans spot mental health woes. https://www.gainesville.com/news/20200123/virtual-reality-training-helps-humans-spot-mental-health-woes Virtual simulation company Kognito have created a program that can help identify signs of depression or anxiety. It is said that the program is quick, effective and possible less intimidating than face to face counseling. The problem addressed in this article is that many children- students specifically are suffering from depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts and going untreated.  The students are the people who have the problem in terms of depression and anxiety. However, it is the goal of the administration to support the students' mental health in every way possible. 2.) UF Health monitors rumors of coronavirus spreading to Gainesville https://www.alligator.org/news/uf-health-monitors-rumors-of-coronavirus-spreading-to-gainesville/article_69a9b1a0-426c-11ea-86b2-87354e5a2a4e.html There...

Problem: I believe that it is a problem that there is very minimal guest parking at my apartment.  The unmet need in this situation is lack of parking for guests to visit. This affects residents of the apartment building, and friends of residents. This need came from the way the parking garage was constructed. This need has existed for residents as long as they have lived in the building. Nothing is being done to meet this need now and I do not believe anything will be done. A possible solution would be adding a floor to the parking garage for guests. The prototypical customer in this situation is the residents.  First Interview: Shelby  1.Do you experience the problem with parking often? "Yes. The person that does my nails comes to my apartment and there have been times where we have had to reschedule because all of the 5 guest parking spots were taken. It is also frustrating when I want to have friends over because where are they supposed to park if there are n...

My sister is an entrepreneur. She created her own business where she coaches and encourages women online on how to start their own businesses. This is commonly known as online business coaching. I admire her creativity and persistence with her field of work and I hope to someday be successful like she is. I enrolled in ENT 3003 to further my Innovation minor, but I am eager to learn new tools and concepts. Below I've included a picture of my sister and I last year after she asked me to be her maid of honor :-)

1. When others visit and leave a mess for me. why: It is disrespectful to not clean up after yourself. 2. When friends always expect me to pick them up. why: I am not a taxi. 3. When I am trying to switch lanes and the cars around won't let me in. why: This bothers me because I need to get to my destination. 4. When cars drive really close behind me. why: This stresses me out. 5. Crumbs on the countertop. why: Countertops should be wiped down so they don't feel gross. 6. When people do not brush their teeth. why: It smells bad. 7. My 10 piece McNugget only came with 7. why: I was hungry. 8. Having to wake up early to go to class. why: I like to sleep in. 9. When I am in the middle of writing and the pen runs out of ink. why: Because I may not have the same color pen and the way it looks bothers me. 10. When my roommates do not refill the Brita. why: Because I am thirsty and you should refill the Brita after you use it. 11. When I am trying to study and it is...

This is my very first blog post :-)