Local Opportunities

Article #1

Title
Garage Glitch may be Costing City Dearly

Link
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/169976F5697D8560?p=WORLDNEWS

Description
Ken McGurn, a developer in Gainesville, owns parking garages near downtown. Over the past years, nighttime revenue has decreased dramatically from $257,000 to $58,000 in 2007 and 2017, respectively. Although competition exists, such as free nearby parking, McGurn has little confidence in the cash exchange systems. McGurn believes parking attendants have been stealing and that the automated ticketing systems are faulty.

Problem
The problem in this article is the fact that McGurn's yearly nighttime revenue is decreasing dramatically. McGurn believes employees are stealing because the other garage he owns, located near Second Avenue, has had a steady increase in revenue. 

Whose Problem?
McGurn and the city of Gainesville hold this problem. For starters, McGurn's revenue is decreasing. Furthermore, the city is responsible for purchasing a new automated ticketing system which may cost upwards of $200,000.

Article #2

Title
FBI sting nabs Hallandale mayor on campaign finance, money laundering charges
Link

http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/169A8F5857A953C8?p=WORLDNEWS

Description
Hallandale Beach Mayor Joy Cooper was arrested Thursday because she solicited campaign distributions. This occurred because of an FBI sting operation that took place in the May of 2012. The article states that Cooper "solicited campaign contributions for herself and others in amounts exceeding the legal limits." The current active mayor is Cooper's political rival, Keith London.

Problem
Cooper solicited campaign contributions and falsely reported said contributions on claim reports. There seems to be questioning in regards to Cooper being charged by state officials rather than federal.

Whose Problem?
This is Cooper's problem as she deliberately solicited funds.

Article #3

Title
Local solar companies brace for tariff

Link
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/169A751FB6883098?p=WORLDNEWS

Description
Gainesville solar company businesses believe Trump's tariff on solar panels will destroy the growing industry. The Trump administration imposed a tariff of 30% on the majority of imported solar panels. The tariff will also raise consumer prices by roughly 5%. The article states that companies that may be greatly affected by the tariff are those that purchase from Chinese distributors.

Problem
The problem is the fact that the solar panel industry is growing but a tariff will limit its rate of growth. Solar panel businesses believe the tariffs will completely destroy the industry.

Whose Problem?
This problem affects the solar panel industry. The problem also affects consumers as prices will raise by 4 or 5 percent.

Article #4

Title
During tax season, you're at greater risk of identity theft

Link
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/169A8F5865628E80?p=WORLDNEWS

Description
Identity theft experts warn to pay close attention to mailboxes to ensure others don't steal tax documents. The source states "walkers" follow mail carriers in order to look through others' mail. Aside from providing a list of tips, the article also suggest that consumers know and trust the person doing their taxes.

Problem
The problem is that during this time every year, identity theft increases. Therefore, the news article is providing suggestions and tips in order to decrease the number of victims.

Whose Problem?
This problem belongs to the public as anyone can fall victim to identity theft.

Article #5

Title
6,000 pounds of shrimp seized by the Coast Guard
Link

http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/16997D896674D170?p=WORLDNEWS

Description
The U.S. Coast Guard seized roughly 6,000 pounds of shrimp from a 68-foot fishing vessel. The vessel's crew was cited for illegally fishing inside a marine sanctuary. Captain Jeffrey Janzsen advises boaters and fishermen to know the rules and regulations of the water in the Florida Keys.

Problem
The problem is that fishermen illegally harvested sea life from a marine sanctuary near Dry Tortugas.

Whose Problem?
The problem belongs to the fishermen of the Robert E. fishing vessel due to the fact that they must deal with the citation they received.

Opportunity Belief

There is an unmet need in terms of parking at the University of Florida for undergraduate students that do not live on campus. The university tends to favor faculty, staff, and graduate students in regards to parking. For example, Orange Decal parking spaces are available throughout the main locations on campus. The majority of parking offered to undergraduate students living off campus, however, is located near the Southwest Recreation Center, nearly 2 miles from the center of campus.
Aside from calculating the commute to campus, students that purchase the "Park and Ride" decal (undergraduate, off-campus student parking) must also incorporate bus schedules into their daily routine. Personally, it seems inefficient driving to campus in order to take a bus rather than simply riding a bus directly from point A to point B. 
In order to meet this need, consumers are either parking off-campus in public zones, such as those with parking meters, or riding the bus from their original location. Consumers may also wait until 4:30pm to park on campus due to the fact that parking restrictions are lifted at such time. 
Touching on the subject of the certainty this opportunity exists, I am 95% positive there is an issue within the parking situation for undergraduate, off-campus students.

The prototypical consumer of such parking would be undergraduate students that live off campus and wish to park closer to their classes and/or pay less for "Park and Ride" decals. 

Interview #1: Undergraduate, off-campus student with car.
Male, 19, Full-Time Student
Have you ever purchased a UF parking decal?
"Yes, but I am going to return it."
Why are you returning the parking decal?
"Because for off-campus students, they only allow "Park and Ride", which I'm not interested in for $80."
Do you have an issue with parking on campus?
"Yes, there is none."
Do you believe building more parking garages will help the issue undergraduate, off-campus students face with parking?
"Yes, it will give off-campus students reasonable parking spaces."
Would you purchase a parking decal if garages were built for undergraduate, off-campus students?
"Yes, because then I can park and not have to walk miles to class nor have to worry about preparing hours before having to be on campus."
Reflection
This interview comes from a prototypical consumer. The consumer purchased a parking decal, however, they returned it once they became informed about the parking situation on campus. This interview reveals that parking is not sufficient for the prototypical consumer at its current state.

Interview #2: Undergraduate, off-campus student without car.
Female, 20, Full-Time Student
Do you believe there is an issue with parking at UF?
"Sure there is. After learning how the decals work, I noticed how problematic parking is."
What is your opinion on the location of "Park and Ride" parking?
"The "Park and Ride" parking location seems useless if that's the only place students that live off-campus can park. I think the other decals should be available to students who live off campus because they make up roughly 75% of the student body. This will allow them to park closer to their classes and commute faster.
What would you do if you wanted to park on campus?
"I don't have a car so I don't have an option but to take the bus. The good thing about where I live is that I have 3 bus routes that run towards campus. However, not all apartment complexes are near bus routes that are constantly running so if you have a night class that ends at 7, you may not have a bus ride home since some busses stop running after a certain time."
What can the university do to offer more parking for undergraduate, off-campus students?
"UF can make parking more accessible to students that live off campus. They can also make a large parking lot, like the commuter lot, specifically for off-campus students.
Reflection
From this interview, it is apparent that even those without cars see an issue regarding parking on campus. This interview reinforces the idea that expanded parking lots would benefit undergraduate, off-campus students.

Interview #3: Parent of undergraduate, off-campus student with car.
Female, Mid-40s, Parent
Does your child have a parking decal for the University of Florida?
"No, it is not useful since he is an undergraduate student that lives off campus."
How do they get to campus?
"When he was in Santa Fe College, he would drive and park on campus. Since he's at UF now, he has resorted to waking up extremely early to catch the bus."
Would you allow your child to pay $80+ for the "Park and Ride" decal?
"No, there's no point in paying to park and use the bus when the bus is already free for students."
Do you have any safety concerns regarding your child not being able to park on campus during the day?
"Yes. I worry when my son needs to stay on campus all day and has to catch a bus late at night. Sometimes the bus route he uses isn't even active."
Reflection
From this interview, we can understand that parents are also concerned about the lack of spaces available for undergraduate students that live off campus. The difference is that parental concerns regard the safety of their children riding the bus during late hours.

Summary
The opportunity belief is still relevant after conducting a handful of interviews. Based on the interviews, I believe a wide variety of consumer face the issue regarding parking for undergraduate, off-campus students. This leads me to believe the university should implement ways in which parking will be more accessible to the prototypical consumer.
I believe entrepreneurs should adapt based on feedback. Consumers' opinions matter whether they agree with an idea or not. Negative opinions may provide new methods or alternatives that may be tested in order to make a product or idea greater.

Entrepreneurship Story

Given that this is the first time I have been asked about my entrepreneurship story, I am now coming to the realization that the women that raised me had entrepreneurial mindsets.
In Miami, my family and I have a mango tree in our backyard. During peak mango season, we have a surplus of mangos that we do not eat. Rather than letting them rot on the tree, my grandmother and I decide to sell the mangos we do not consume to locals, such as our neighbors or commuters. We understand the prices that supermarkets charge, therefore, we sell our mangos for roughly $1-$1.50. This allows us to make a profit and also offer a more affordable alternative to consumers.
My mother also has an entrepreneurial mindset. A few years ago, she began baking as a hobby. She would bake solely for family. However, upon researching local bakery prices, she began to bake for business. She invested in equipment, set up her own prices, created a website, and started a small business under the name of "Sweet Creations by Eva". My role in the business was to find potential consumers through the use of flyers and business cards. Unfortunately, due to the fact that she still had a full time job while running her business, she had to stop baking for profit.

The reason I enrolled in ENT3003 is because it is one of the electives that I may take. However, I have always had an interest in entrepreneurship and look forward to understanding the mindset that entrepreneurs have.

Bug List

1. People that don't use their turn signals when driving.

Why: This bug may exist because drivers simply forget to use their turn signal. It may also exist because drivers deliberately ignore the use of their turn signal.

2. Traffic in Miami on NW 7 Street during a Marlins game.

Why: This problem exists because Marlins Park is located directly on NW 7 Street. Due to the fact that games are held around 6pm, game-day traffic and commuter traffic interferes causing major backups along NW 7 Street.

3. Lack of organization at 24 Hour Fitness in Coconut Grove, FL around midnight.

Why: People that workout late at night may be in a hurry, therefore, they may leave their dumbbells and workout equipment anywhere on the gym floor. Also, during the night shift, there may be only one employee, meaning they cannot check people into the gym and organize the gym floor simultaneously.

4. iPhone charging cords are too fragile.

Why: iPhone charging cords may be weak in order for the user to purchase a new cord from an off-brand company or Apple itself.

5. iPhones tend to die quickly due to their batteries.

Why: Similar to #4, Apple may purposely weaken phone batteries in order for users to purchase a new battery, which costs approximately $79 (now $29 due to the recent lawsuit regarding intentional "slowdowns"). 

6. The traffic signal on the intersection of SW 34 Street and SW 39 Blvd. takes roughly 5 minutes to activate around midnight.

Why: This issue may exist because the cameras above the traffic signals do not recognize that a car is waiting for the signal to change (assuming that is how the traffic signals work).

7. Getting snagged while fishing.

Why: This problem occurs because of the surface of the ocean floor. In Miami, the ocean floor tends to be rocky near the coast, thus causing frequent snags. 

8. College students walking in front of cars while the car is moving slowly.

Why: This may exist because students must get to class in a short amount of time, therefore they risk their lives for an education.

9. People that don't know how to merge.

Why: This may occur when drivers do not have enough experience merging. It may also happen if drivers are attempting to merge, but refuse to look back to see if theres another car approaching. 

10. People that don't let me merge.

Why: This problem may exist because people feel as if though another car in front of them may slow them down, in regards to arrival time. This may also occur because other drivers may not see that I am attempting to merge.

11. The Rider bus app shows the 1 Bus as approaching within 20 minutes, then it does not show the bus, and then it reveals the bus as approaching with 2 minutes.

Why: The 1 Bus stops at the Butler Plaza Transfer Station before approaching my stop. Once at the station, the bus waits roughly 5-10 minutes. During the time the bus is stopped at the station, the Rider bus app may not show the bus' location on the app. 

12. People that don't let a song play through.

Why: This bug may exist because people may not enjoy listening to the chorus of a song more than once.

13. My apartment smells like food after I am done cooking.
Why: This happens because the food odor is stronger than the odor of the cleaning products I use.

14. People that use the self-checkout at Walmart when they have a full shopping cart.
Why: The customer with a full shopping cart purchasing through self-checkout may not enjoy speaking to employees.

15. My glasses falling when looking straight down.
Why: Since I've had this specific pair of glasses for over a year, the screws have most likely loosened meaning they will constantly fall if looking down.

16. UF Parking is only free after 4:30pm.
Why: The university may charge for decals to park before 4:30pm so that drivers do not take advantage of parking zones.

17. My wifi in Miami is really weak (<1.5mbps).
Why: When we purchased the internet package we were unaware of speeds. The package we have has a max speed of 1.5mbps but we have yet to update.

18. People that cancel plans less than hour before the plans are supposed to happen.
Why: This can occur because the person may have something more important to do that they recently realized.

19. Driving behind scooters/mopeds on major roads (such as Archer Road).
Why: The average speed of scooters/mopeds is 30mph. The speed limit on Archer Rd. is 45mph.

20. Trucks that swerve on the Turnpike (and other highways) during night hours.
Why: The truck driver may have been driving for a long time, therefore, becoming drowsy.

I try to view the world with positivity. Because of this, it was challenging to identify 20 Bugs. The first 5-10 bugs on my list were relatively simple to identify as they were common. However, it took a few days to figure out what else truly bothered me. 
I feel as if though the reason it is difficult to think of pet peeves is because, with time, we get used to the things that affect us. 

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