Elevator Pitch Number 4

Final Reflection

 Recall all of the experiences you've had a long the way -- the highs, the lows -- the fun moments, and the moments of drudgery, and even the moments of dread.

- Overall this class was a memorable experience and it pushed me out of my comfort zone.  I am a shy  person, so the thought of interviewing people with powerful positions terrified me.  But I did it, and I can say that I am proud of what I was able to accomplish!

- The lowest part for me would be interviewing customers, no matter how hard I tried or practiced I was so awkward!  There were a few times that when I walked away I asked myself "Why are you so awkward" or

"Gosh dang Bridget it's just one question, and it's about food, good lord"

 What sticks out to you as the most formative experience?

- I would say that the first few weeks of developing our products was the most formative.

The experience that you'll remember years later?

- I'd say the email I received from one of the designers of a label design company, she had lots of good advice and was very kind.

What was your most joyous experience?

- Having this blog was fun.  After a while it became a creative outlet.

What experience are you most proud of yourself for accomplishing?

- Just finishing this course was a major accomplishment.  I had to push myself and face my fears in order to get a good grade. 

 Now, at the end, do you see yourself as an entrepreneur? Do you think you have moved closer to developing an entrepreneurial mindset?

- I would consider myself to be a person with an entrepreneurial mindset, I enjoy coming up with ideas and presenting them to consumers.  This class has even encouraged me to start up an Instagram and share my photography.  Maybe one day I can create a professional webpage and sell my prints, but for now I enjoy sharing my work with the world.  

What is the one recommendation you would make to the students who are going to journey down this path in the future?

- Stay ahead and do not fall behind!

What would you recommend they do to perform best in this course?

- Be as organized as possible and to make sure you know what's happening a week or two in advance otherwise you'll be overwhelmed.

-Have fun, believe me it is possible!

What would you recommend they do to foster that mindset?

- Have a calendar or a white board in your room with due dates listed.

- Make your blog your own!  Personalize it, add pictures you like and share your stories.  By doing this you'll find that you put more effort in your work, it might even become a creative outlet.

Week 15 Reading Reflection

1) The company only gives out loans to women, because they are better investors according research they conducted.
2) I'm just a little bit confused about the pressure system.  I would be worried that with other women paying off others loans that might lead to problems in the household.
3) How are people able to live on $1 a day?  In places where inequality of women is an issue, how would your business work there, wouldn't anger arise from the men?
4) No I don't think the author was wrong about anything, the business article was an interesting read.

Week 14 Reading Reflection

1) What stood out to me the most were the different ways they author provided to encourage innovation in the work environment.
2) I wouldn't say it was confusing but I wish the author provided more examples on how to prepare for failure.
3) With more businesses join social media websites such as Etsy and Pinterest have increased exporting?  (same question), how about with importing?
4) No there wasn't anything I disagreed about.

Very Short Interview, Part 2

I interviewed Paula Herron of Paula Herron Photography in Virginia Beach.  We communicated through email.  Now that I have some idea or knowledge about entrepreneurship I felt more comfortable asking questions.  Three months ago I would have felt I was asking to personal of questions or pushing the boundaries.  This time around I asked her questions that I have been thinking about throughout the semester.

1.  As an entrepreneur in Marketing to a specific target market, what are some of the most important points you must address?

 

Each segment or audience requires a specific tactic in order for me to reach them. Even though I am offering the same photography service, I cannot address single men the same way I address a single female, nor do I market the same way to the “father” of a family the same way I do the “mom” of a family. But when it comes to weddings I target them all the same. They are stuck together like glue and try to please each other so I am really appealing to a couple and the parents.

My business is a very emotionally driven one. So if my images and marketing strategy pulls at their heart strings, I have a better chance of selling myself and my products.

 

2.  Have you had to change your product line much, such as packaging and final product over the years?

 

Yes, it is hard to keep up with trends. While my final product is truly an image, it is displayed in many different ways. My images are framed using paper, canvas or even metal; displayed in albums; cut and are stuck on kids bedroom walls as full size images; or even commercial posters or displays. Not to mention the many images that only are given out as digital files and are placed on the internet for sharing or marketing use. Once they were only 8” x 10” or 4” x 6” images displayed in a book. This have changed and continue to change.

 

3.  You have mentioned you have a small business, how much time do you commit to your sales and marketing?

It is actually a huge part of my business. With my business plan, I have committed several hours each day to working on social media, returning calls to prospective clients, updating digital adverts I may have out there and putting together my monthly e-newsletter to current clients. My best clients are my list of current ones. I send them a monthly what’s up and if I have any specials going on – Holiday treats. They bring me in my “word of mouth” new clients.

I have my name in the phone book and that also feeds to the online searches which is great and is what links to my website. Google search, SEO, is huge, so I keep checking that out making sure I am close to the top with my Google words.

Social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Linked in get me a bunch of leads too. Since I am my best marketing person, I spend about 2 hours with my morning coffee keeping up on things daily. It takes time and between the calls it is worth it. Because, once I grab my camera, I do not have time to stop.

Week 13 Reading Reflection

1) One part of the reading that I found impactful was on page 484.  Here the author arranged a list of what entrepreneurs should ask themselves when starting a business.
2) There really wasn't much that was confusing.  If anything I had to reread over the differences between a manager and entrepreneur's mind-set.
3) Would you say that having a combination of managerial and entrepreneurial mind-sets would be beneficial? Did you write this chapter based on your experiences or did you have to collaborate with others?
4) The description of a small business I feel no longer really applies as it used to.  Now a days a "small business" can have a far reach to customers outside their main location with the help of the internet, social media, and postal services.

Venture Concept 2

Feedback

The feedback for Venture Concept 1 was positive! Readers agreed that The Food Pack would be a great product for students.  I did get great advice from one reader, she brought up a few companies that could be competition, and encouraged me to think of how I would stand out. 

What Did I Change

I added a few more details within the original venture concept, I touched on the possible competitors and how my product differs from theirs.  Along with this I  brought attention to the design of my product and how it will attract consumers.

My Venture

What is one thing that all people on this planet have in common?  Our need to feed.  Unfortunately in the college setting this is in the form of fast food and vending machines.  Many young adults today do not know how to cook or have very poor culinary skills, and their confidence/self-esteem reflects this.  How can we fix this in a world of frozen food, fast food, and convenience mindset?  Three words - The Food Pack - my product provides the consumer with the ingredients they need along with easy to follow steps (or online tutorial) on how to prepare home cooked meals.  They will learn and develop their culinary skills, build confidence in the kitchen, and be exposed to different cultures through their cuisines. I am certain that this product will be successful, and as a responsible, goal oriented, and organized entrepreneur myself and my team will make cooking an experience to remember!

Through research conducted, when given the choice students would rather buy their meals out (which is very expensive in the end) because they simply do not know how to cook.  Many reported that they do not know what goes well together, how to prepare meals, and some are even intimidated by the idea of just frying an egg!  Many of us often stick to what we know, and after a while making what’s essentially supplying our bodies with nutrients has become boring.  How awful is this?  Especially with being in a country that has a supply of fresh ingredients to choose from.  Do you know how lucky we are?  

We need to change this perceptive of looking at making our meals as a chore and rather see it as a way to improve and nourish our bodies while making an experience out of it!

The consumers I want to reach are mostly students between the ages of 17-25.  During this time young adults are living away from home in a new environment, their responsibilities have increased while their budget has decreased.  It’s fair to see why many resort to fast-food or poor quality processed foods, rather than homemade meals.  During this time frame students are making decisions, learning lessons, and developing skills to use for the rest of their lives.  One of those skills that students develop is cooking, as long as they give themselves the chance or opportunity to learn.  Without the basic knowledge of cooking they will be forever reliant on the restaurant chains around them, frozen and premade food, or the person they might live with.

If one does not eat, they will not survive or be healthy, the same applies when a person decides on eating something unhealthy.

Today the grocery industry is far different than what it used to be in the 1940s.  A single grocery store sells all merchandise we need.  The market is ran by consumer demands, people are all about convenience but also want options.  We are slowly transitioning from the packaged food era to fresh food.  In fact a major deciding factor in grocery store choice for 75% of consumers is whether or not the store has a produce department.  This department includes meats, seafood, local produce, and bakeries where they can see the processing and handling of products in person.  

 With a switch in viewpoints on the importance of having fresh ingredients comes along the need and want to learn how to prepare such ingredients. 

I am offering a product that contains all the ingredients students will need to cook along with directions/video links on how to prepare the meal.  The product will have an attractive label that is geared toward attracting the younger demographic.  On the front of the boxes will be images of the meal the consumer will be making, and it will be realistic.  By this I mean an accurate representation of the finish product.  Within The Food Pack will contain the necessary ingredients to prepare a meal.  There is no need to go and buy 20 different items that you may only use a few times.  There are so many venues we can go with this product!  We can teach students how to cook healthy meals while expanding their culinary taste buds.  We can have lines for Indian, French, South American, African, Middle Eastern foods you name it!  Not only can they make themselves dinner or lunch but we could also have Food Packs for deserts, breakfast, and snacks.  Imagine they could make their own granola bars, crackers, and for breakfast they could even learn how to make Beignets from Café Du Monde!  How fun does this sound? Unlike other pre-made boxes that only focus on desserts or breakfast, The Food Pack covers it all. There will be options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, desert, and my personal favorite snacks.  Unlike companies such as Blue Apron, my product if available when they want or need it. 

They don't need a membership to use our product. The Food Pack is there when they need it!

Now that students have the ingredients in The Food Pack, the next thing they need is equipment to prepare their meals.  Our next venture is My Kitchen, the kitchen essentials set. Nothing's worse than not having the proper equipment for cooking. That's like showing up to a baseball game with a hockey stick. Sure you can improvise but it's not the same and your performance will reflect this.  I want to sell a set of all the necessary and must have cooking tools.  None of this broken up, buying separate items, let’s get it over with and give you exactly what you will need, the essentials! People will feel even more confident and more likely to want to cook.  Nothing's better than using your new set of knives that actually slice through chicken rather than mutilate them.  It will increase consumer loyalty, and we can have the tools color coordinated to make it easier for people following The Food Pack recipes.  For instance “To slice the chicken use the purple knife.  To chop the carrots use the orange knife. Sauté the green beans in the yellow pan”. 

They will carry the skills and techniques they learned from preparing meals with The Food Pack and My Kitchen. They'll gain confidence in what they are doing and continue to develop their skills.  Who knows they might then pass on what they learned to their children one day!