There's My Last Week 15 Reading Reflection

Something that really surprised me was that the group of locals were so evil. I can't believe that this group tried to bribe this man's business. It is also crazy then they then spread lies about this and made people think it was a sine to use their company. I think that really reveals what a flawed system it is. I also was surprised that women or more likely to invest money than men are.
The only part I found confusing was what SKS is. I would like to ask the author to explain that a little more. I would also ask why they thugs wanted them let in the country and why they weren't allowed in the first place. I'm also confused on why this financial company was able to allow SKS into India. There is noting I disagree with in this article. I think he backed up all of his philosophies with good examples. I found it very interesting that microfinance has worked so well with poverty internationally, but I still have doubts on how well it would work in the US.

There's My Final Reflection

There are a lot of memories that come to mid when I think about all of the blog posts I have written this semester. I remember the first one and coming up with my big plan. I remembered I called it "there's everything" because I was going to write about different things to eat, craft, do, and go. I guess I didn't understand that I would be given topics to write about (lol). But I had also already had the idea for Sweet Caroline's in the back of my brain, so it was fun to get to flirt with the idea more and watch my goals formulate. Another funny memory I have is getting my friends and family to record themselves for the "Secret Sauce" post. They all took the videos very seriously and they took multiple tries to get their spiels out.

I definitely have more of an entrepreneurial mindset by the end of this semester. Honestly something I'm proud of is that I can spell 'entrepreneur' now without the help of spell check. But on a larger scale, I think I have really learned more of what goes into being an entrepreneur. I have also dug into the concept of what is different between a business owner and an entrepreneur.

My advice to students about to take this course would be to have fun with it. This class is a lot more relaxed and creative than most classes. I enjoyed taking a break from studying marketing or statistics to write a blog post. Also it is awkward to interview random people but sometimes you just have to go for it. Another piece of advice is to watch out for the Sunday deadlines. Those always crept up on me so maybe set a weekly reminder to get them done ahead of time!

This is how I'm feeling right now that one more class is over! Even though it was a fun one :)

There's My Elevator Pitch No. 4

I had received a lot of feedback with mixed opinions about eye contact with the camera. My original goal was to act like the camera wasn't there and just speak to an audience. That made some people feel like I was unfocused and nervous. I had also gotten feedback that I made too much eye contact so I tried to find a good balance with it for this fourth time. I also had comments that I looked intense so I tried to appear more relaxed and didn't wear a button up this time. I think doing this assignment four times has really nailed down the idea of an elevator pitch and I understand the importance of an elevator pitch. 

My Venture Concept No. 2

One day I dream of being the owner of a shop named “Sweet Caroline’s”. This store will be filled with my favorite things and will be a fun getaway for girly girls everywhere. I never thought of myself as an entrepreneur or a business owner, but I’m beginning to see how this dream could easily come to life. It might take a lot of motivation, a good amount of money, and a little sweat and tears, but I really believe it can happen.

I believe that there is an opportunity to fulfill creative gaps in the shopping experience. There is a large market of customers that want an experience when they shop. Back in the day when our grandparents were young, going to the store was a big deal. Department stores employed sales associates who cared and knew their customers. They waited on them with care, not rushing them to make a sale. Most of the time I wish this is how we shopped too. I think the change in this is due to the faster paced lives we live. Everything is on the go and most things are off the rack, the same for every person around the country. I want to change this new stereotype.  

I want to provide a feminine shopping experience for women with engaging sales associates. These sales associates will also not be pushy and will not work on commission. Most customers are looking for an inviting dressing room, with honest advice. I have worked in a clothing store for two years and I have noticed a considerable difference when a sales associate is truthful with the customer. The customer respects the opinion of the employee and building this relationship is much better in the long run than making one poor sale.

Our store will sell to women of all ages. These women will be people who like a shopping experience and like to be doted on. We will not be a cookie cutter store and hope to provide unique items and service. I envision this the perfect spot for mothers and daughters to shop together. Our demographic will consistent of mainly locals. The store will be in the town of Windermere right outside of Orlando. This area is very family oriented and tends to attract a higher clientele. This store concept is being satisfied by places like Park Ave and other small sectors of town that have a nice walkable boutique strip. This experience is still very different however, and Park Ave is at least forty minutes from Windermere. The only other thing that is similar to my idea is Oxford Exchange in Tampa. Sweet Caroline’s will be more of a clothing based store and will much less attractive to men and business people. Even though my opportunity is larger, I really think there is a market craving this idea. I would intend on employing

            The difference between a small business owner and an entrepreneur is not very big. Every small business owner has had to start from scratch and learn his or her own way, which to me, describes and entrepreneur. Innovation is also a key part of being an entrepreneur. What separates my store from being a typical store is that we will have:

·      In trend clothing

·      A floral department

·      A tea room

·      High end and drug store makeup counters

·      Upscale dressing rooms

Our clothes will be moderately priced. Most dresses will be under $80 and most shirts will be under $55. Besides department stores, there are not any boutiques that also have makeup counters with the clothing. These make up counters will be similar to Ulta or Sephora’s. Not the type with a brand representative. The floral section of our store will also be a very unique aspect. We will have a florist in-house and will be able to do custom orders and bouquets. It is very rare to have a floral section in a store with clothing as well. The other unusual aspect of the store will be the tearoom. Women will be able to shop and have tea in the same location. We will have a small tearoom seating roughly fifty at time. This room will also be able to be rented out for private events.

      My venture concept will reverse time, and take shoppers back to a slow and relaxed place to shop. It will be creative and unique and unlike any stores people find today. I want to change the way people see stores. I understand that this store is not for everyone. Not everyone wants a shopping experience, but rather wants to get what they are looking for and be on their way. But for the people who love fashion and for girly girls everywhere, this will fulfill a never addressed need.

      On a more logistical note, we plan on having three people in the store during normal hours, a florist, and staff for the tearoom. I plan on hiring a total of nine people to begin with. The store will be open Monday-Saturday 10-7 on weekdays and 11-6 on Friday and Saturday. I will remain the owner and buyer for the store. My mom, Mary Beth, will be the backbone and manager of the store. She is my “secret sauce” and my “unfair advantage”. She is the most hardworking and creative person I know and she happens to be just as excited for Sweet Caroline’s as I am! We don’t know what is next for us in this business adventure. We may look at waiting to open up the tearoom once the store is successful. If the store is successful then we might look at opening up a second location across town. We look at this business concept as an adventure, and I can’t wait to take it on with her.

      My mom was the one who originally dreamed up this concept with me. She doesn’t want to be the primary owner, but is confident that I would do a good job. I’ve learned there is nothing better than having someone support you and believe in you when dreaming about being an entrepreneur.

I received some questions that I made sure to address in this revised business concept. The first was how many people do I plan to hire and I decided on nine. The other question I received was what my store hours would be which I also answered. 

I got a lot of positive feedback. People really liked the name of the store and thought the idea was unique and fun. People also liked how my family is involved in the idea too. One concern I received was that there might not be enough of a market for this venture, but that is a risk I am willing to take because I believe in this idea.

I included this picture of the Oxford Exchange because it is the only place I know of that has a similar idea to Sweet Caroline's. There is a huge market for this place and people travel just to visit it. My dream for my venture is that it might become as successful as Oxford Exchange.

There's My Google Gold

I honestly didn't utilize search engine optimization that much. I see how it is extremely important for most businesses to utilize. I know that I mostly pick the first site from google that comes up. Since this blog was for a class though, I didn't want it to get all that much traffic though. I might use this idea for the blog at another time and not base it off of a business venture but off of a creative ideas. One thing I did use those was key words. Almost all of my blog titles start with "There's My". This consistency helps my blog get more traffic. It also helps my blog to aesthetically look better and it gives it more of a touch of creativity.
I did not use social media to promote my blog, but I do see how it would be very effective. I follow a lot go bloggers and you tubers and to keep up with their new posts I follow them on Instagram and SnapChat to get updates about their new posts and videos. I know that social media would help promote my blog if I really wanted to get it out there. The best part about it is that it is free advertising that starts with your friends, and then expands outward to people you don't even know.
My most popular posts both had nineteen views and five comments which I think is a ton! They were "The Twenty Percent" and "Elevator Pitch No. 2". My "Interviewing Customers No. 2" had eighteen views and six comments which is also a lot. I honestly have no idea why these posts had more traffic than others but I'm glad they did. Despite my excitement over my views, I did not make it on the first page of Google, and actually I couldn't even find myself so I guess I need to utilize SEO more!

At first I was happy when I saw how many views I had, then I was sad when I realized I couldn't be found on Google.

There's My Week 14 Reading Reflection

The concept of corporate entrepreneurship was a surprise to me. I tend to think of entrepreneurship on a small scale. Maybe just one person or a small group working on a startup. I never think about a corporate company working on a entrepreneurial project but it makes sense.
I thought the quote from researchers Charles Baden-Fuller and Henk Volberda was confusing. I don't really see how a company that is chaotic ca even survive in the short term. Also I felt like they just used uppidy words to sound more professional and it only made their point more ambiguous.
I would want to ask the author ore about the Proctor and Gamble section. I think it is interesting how they lay out their company into 80 different brands. I would ask why so many brands and I would ask if they plan on creating more brands, or just creating more products for the existing brands.
There is nothing I really disagree about in these chapters. I think for the most part they are pretty self explanatory and I think the author is right on about most of it.

There's My Very Short Interview, Part 2

The person I chose to interview is a close family friend who started his own law firm about fifteen years ago. He left a large firm to be his own boss and to make his own rules. He has now expanded the firm with three other partners. I was not able to record the interview this time because this person lives in my home town but this is the general idea if the conversation:

Q: If this new law firm didn't work out, would you have sensed an element of failure?
A: Yes and no. Yes because whenever you do something that doesn't work out, you feel like you've failed. But no because I would know that I had tried to do everything I could to make something work and I went out on a limb which is also a success.

Q: What was the deciding factor that made you want to step out on your own?
A: I saw the chain of command of where I was heading, and knew I would never be in charge one day and that there was only so much higher to go. I liked the idea of planning my own schedule and working with the people I wanted to work with. It was really about freedom.

Q: What has been the most satisfying part of m=being an entrepreneur?
A: The best part is that I can arrange time-off whenever I need. I don't have to travel and leave my family, and I'll never have to miss one of my kids' sporting events for work. I like bringing work home with me and I like doing it on my time.

I look back on my first interview and think that a lot has stayed the same. I still lean towards the same type of questions and I'm still nervous about the same things. But I feel a lot more encouraged about the idea of failing. I am more excited about the idea of being an entrepreneur than ever.

I definitely feel more confident talking about entrepreneurship! I didn't even hesitate to come up with questions. I was less anxious to interview this person and I feel like I have really learned a lot. I'm thankful that I have realized some tools that I already have that will make me a good entrepreneur and I'm thankful for the things I've learned so far in this class!