Julianna's Entrepreneurial Blog

Person 1 1) Who they are and what their background is. My grandfather, Howard. 2) Which 'slot' you are filling with each person (i.e., domain expert, market expert, supplier), and how the person fills the spot. He is filling the spot of "Domain Expert" 3) A description of how you found the person and contacted the person. My grandfather frequently volunteers at Boca Helping Hands, a local soup kitchen with two locations around Florida.  Since he has been volunteering there for such a long time, he has become an expert in cooking mass quantities of food and getting to know the business of helping the less fortunate. 4) The nature of the exchange you have with the person -- what favor did they do for you? What is the return expectation?  If I needed help in my business of Homeward Bound Florida providing for the homeless of Alachua County, Howard would help me with the food aspect, helping to make mass quantities of food for the people at the facility. ...

1)  You.  Who you are. What your talents are. What your skills and experiences are. Also: what are your aspirations? Specifically regarding your business concept, how do you see this business (if you were to start it) playing a role in your life? I am a second year business student at the University of Florida trying to figure out what my passions are in life.  My talents include being sympathetic to the needs of others, organization, good writing skills, and creativity.  I have experience working for small companies and working with others through team sports and my sorority.  My aspirations are to be happy in life and find a career that I will be passionate doing.  If I were to follow through with my business concept (Comprehensive facility for the homeless called Homeward Bound Florida), I would be CEO and chief strategist.  I could see myself overseeing all parts of the business, looking to improve it, and energizing employees to do their best. ...

The pitch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl16Goe-f98 A reflection on the feedback of my last pitch: After my first pitch, I showed it to a few of my friends and family members, and they noted that I should give a few more details about what specific services will be offered at Homeward Bound Florida.  They said that I was a little vague, and could make my pitch a tad longer. What did I change, based on the feedback? For the second pitch, I made sure to include specific services that Homeward Bound Florida would offer--specifically, cooking classes, Microsoft office lessons, and financial literacy classes.

Part 1: My Avatar My customer avatar is name Jessica.  Jessica is a UF senior journalism student who lives in the standard.  She is not in a sorority, but is in a few honors societies and religious organizations.  In fact, Jessica already has a well-paying job lined up for next year where she will be managing a small team of people in a publishing firm. Her favorite hobbies include art, yoga, and listening to Taylor swift.  Since Jessica doesn't have a car, she relies on walking and taking the bus as her main mode of transportation.  Jessica often has to walk to the corner of University Ave. and 13th street to go to class, but she is faced with a recurring issue: the homeless population of Alachua County.  Jessica feels pity for the people who must loiter around the Standard and ask passing college students for money.  She also knows that they are a disruption for many of the people that frequently pass by.  Jessica would be a prime custome...

F ive ways in which I have human capital that is truly unique.   1.  I'm very neat and organized:  I make my bed every day, fold my clothes neatly, keep a planner, and am concerned with aesthetics.  This part of me speaks to my creative side.  Everything must look a certain way. 2.  I'm very thorough with my work:  Sometimes I take longer to finish a task because I am a perfectionist and want to make sure that it's just right. 3.  I have excellent writing and grammar skills:  I was a big reader when I was little, which gifted me with a big vocabulary and natural talent to write well. 4.  I am extremely loyal and reliable: If someone asks me to do something for them, I will always make sure it gets done in a timely manner because I don't want to let anyone down. 5.  I put others before myself:  This can prove to be more of a flaw than an asset, because sometimes I am so much of a people-pleaser that I end up unhappy....

Findings             Alternative choices would not be based on money since I am running a non-profit organization to help the homeless.  Rather, the "alternatives" might be different services I would offer the people taking advantage of my organization, how to go about providing those services, and who to solicit for money (since a portion of our capital will come from donations).  The people that I interviewed all agreed that an important part of patronizing a nonprofit would be transparency, and making sure that their money is going to an honest place.            The people donating to the organization would most likely be donating with checks, but there would be a way to donate on our website as well.  One incentive to donating to Homeward Bound Florida, besides being altruistic of course, would be a tax-deductible donation.  This would save people money while also having the opportunity to be c...