16A- What's Your Secret Sauce

For this assignment, I was instructed to state what makes me different and original. What my human capital is. I will list what I think my personal characteristics are, and I will list what five of my closest friends and family think as well.

5 Ways I am Unique:

I think there is a lot of ways that I am unique. Everyone is original in their own way. Growing up, my grandmother would always tell me that I was different. I try to be very humble, and I do not like to tell about what I am good at and what makes me unique. But that is the assignment. So here are the ways that I think that I am different and unique:

1.) I work hard. I have always worked harder than most of the people I know. I have worked two jobs since I was sixteen-years-old, and I was the only person in my graduating class who finished their AA degree before graduating high school. 

2.) I am more aware than most. Throughout the years, I have always had an eye for even the little things. I notice things that others may look right past.

3.) I am very self determined! Growing up, my family did not have a whole lot of money, so I had to work hard to be able to get things and do things. I remember one time when my truck was broke down, I did not have the money to fix it. I had to have one of my best friends pick me up and take me to school. To be able to get to work, I would pay my buddy to take me there.  It was very hard for me, but because I am self-determined, I wanted more and knew I could do better. I have always been self motivated to working hard. 

4.) I am extremely competitive and goal oriented. Because of all of the experiences that I have had growing up, I have wanted more and wanted to do better. I have goals about where I want to be one day and what I want to do. Because of my competitiveness and goal orientation, once I have my mind made up, there is not a whole lot that can stop me. 

5.) I am well rounded. I am a smart individual, but I am not the smartest. There is always someone who will be smarter, faster, stronger, or better than you at something. But everything I have ever tried, I have been able to do. Whether it be making new friends, playing baseball, or using my mental knowledge on the quiz bowl team, I have been good at it.

How Others See Me:

I spoke with my grandma, my mom, my dad, and two of my best friends. After we got some sarcasm out of the way, I got some answers that I made me feel good about who I am.

1.) I was unable to record my grandmother's recording because I was speaking with her on the phone. But I was told that I am compassionate. My grandma told me that I am caring and have sympathy for others. She told me that I have a good heart in a bad world and that would take me places. 

2.) https://vocaroo.com/i/s1TaY7qH7St6
Mom told me that I am hard-headed. I asked her how that was a good thing. She told me that I stand firm in what I believe and that I can not be easily persuaded or pressured away from my morals. She told me to always hold onto that. 

3.) https://vocaroo.com/i/s1Jpl8Njqq3q
 Dad told me that I was hard working. He said that I get that from him. He told me that I remind him a lot of himself with my work ethic. He said he knows that I work hard in everything that I do, and he is proud of me for that. He told me that my work ethic would allow me to succeed in anything that I try.

4.) https://vocaroo.com/i/s0Uoga9pY8zr
Zach, one of my best friends that works with me, told me that I am passionate. Him and I butt heads at work a lot, and he told me that I can be a major asshole. He said that is because I am so passionate about my work, and I just want it done right. Which I understand because I can get hot headed when I am trying to work. 

5.) https://vocaroo.com/i/s1ITVlxcb49M
Dogan, my longest best friend, told me that he knows that I am going to be successful. I asked him what one of my best characteristics were, and he told me that it was my people skills. He told me that I can literally walk into a room and make friends with anyone. He told me that my people skills could help me become a politician some day.

Conclusions:

There were definitely some similarities and differences between the way that I viewed myself and the way that others view me. I would like to say that I can agree with the way that others view me, and I am satisfied with the things that they identified me as. I would probably change my list up just a little bit, I really like what Dogan and Zach said about me. They told me that I was a people person and that I am passionate. I agree that I am very passionate with what I engage in. I also like to think that I am a people person able to make friends with any type of person. All in all, I think that this assignment was kind of fun.

15A- Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

So for this assignment, it was a little bit harder for me than I think it would be if i were offering a product.  Finding alternative services that would be substitutes for what I was wanting to offer may have different goals and objectives opposed to what I want to accomplish, but I think there are some services that offer similar competencies. For this assignment, I had to search for three more interview candidates that fit my segment of retired military veterans.

Alternative Evaluation:

To start off, I did not really start my interviews like an interview. Rather it was more of a survey of sorts, an experiment, gathering data to see which option the interviewee would choose. I strayed away from choosing any military organization because in my opinion that is kind of counterproductive. I believe that any military organization that is helping veterans readjust is an ally, not a competitor. Instead I chose organizations outside of military that help provide similar services. I found a handful of organizations that helped to offer rehabilitation services and who they offered too. I contacted Sierra Tucson personally to acquire the information needed, and I completed extensive research in all of the categories to create an excel file in comparison to "Homebound", the service I plan to offer. I showed my excel file to all of those who I interviewed, and I had them chose an option. The file is shown below.
  

All three of my veterans chose the Homebound option. I asked each of them what had make the decision, and I received the exact same answer from all three of the veterans that I interviewed. They told me that as a retired  veteran, military was where their loyalty was. They read through the list and seen that one option was a globally traded corporation, and they said they recognized how the other options seemed more like a job to them.  They said they knew the military was what they were comfortable with and that an option for military exclusively would be the best option for them. They said that they would  expect such a service to have veteran volunteering and helping out there, so the  individuals helping would actually understand the needs that they desired and would be able to share common ground with many of them. They went on to tell me that price was another huge factor.  The  veterans said that with the retired income from the military that there was no way in hell they could  afford a $45,000 service for a month. 

One veteran pointed out that the whole reason that  he would  have needed such a service would be that he needed help finding a job which he pointed out that Homebound would be able to help with. 

How/ Where to Buy:

For my segment, the individuals involved would more than likely find our services through the internet. If they went to search for ways that they could help, we would like to ensure that our services would be one of the first options to come up. As a non-profit, we will be partnering with organizations that look to hire military veterans and get a job for those who are searching. I asked each of those interviewed if they would be willing to make a donation to such an organization after receiving help. I had them respond and tell me that they would certainly like to help out an organization that was helping veterans for no other reason than to help. 

Post-Purchase Evaluation:

What matters most to my customer base is if the services work.  If we are able to help the veterans readjust, then we have been successful and our clients are satisfied. What would make them think that going with our service is a bad idea is if it doesn't help them.

Summary/Conclusions:

After doing some research and interviewing the segment members for this assignment, I have learned a few things.  Those who are retired military veterans have a sort of "brand loyalty" for military  brands and services. The military is a sort of brotherhood for them. They are a band of brothers and they have a loyalty unwavered to the military. I feel like as soon as each of my interviewees seen specializes in military veterans on the list, that was what they chose. I also learned from my research that counselling and rehab services are outrageously expensive. Offering a service to the military veteran men and women that they do not have to worry about cost could be very effective. 

14A- Halfway Reflection

Throughout this course so far,i have learned a lot of valuable skill-sets, and I have expanded my mind to look at various situations differently than I have previously because of the practices that we have engaged in. If I were to talk to a student that was considering taking this class next semester, I would have a few things to tell him or her.

1.

When it comes to what I have learned in this class thus far, I would say that awareness is definitely at the top of the list. Awareness is the single most important aspect in life. Aside from awareness of the due dates (which is very important), there is the awareness within entrepreneurship. When it comes to entrepreneurship, people believe that there is just someone who says, "Hey, this is a good idea, I am going to start a business." In reality, there is so much more.  You have to be aware of your customer base, aware of needs of yourself and others, and the awareness of the surrounding environment.  If there is anything that I have learned so far in this class that has helped me become successful, it is that awareness is everything. 

2. 

There was one week in this course where I had a lot going on, and I messed around sitting at my computer on a Friday afternoon with my course work uncompleted. I just knew that there was no way that I would be able to complete all of the required fields to successfully finish the assignments by the given due date.  I actually had my mom call me, and I told her that I would not be finishing my schoolwork in time to make it to my sister's graduation. I felt like giving up. Instead of giving up, I took a deep breath, hit my Juul, and I said a little prayer. I looked back on my times in high school when I would complete thirteen college assignments a week through my dual enrollment classes, while juggling scholarship applications, work, and more. I knew that I had the power within me to get the job done. And I did! I believe that I have always had a tenacious attitude, not easily strayed from my goals. 

Below is a picture of me celebrating with my sister as she graduated from Chiefland High School. I am glad I got all of my coursework done so that I could celebrate the moment with her!

3.

If I had to offer three tips to the student for next semester, it would be the following:

1.) Do not procrastinate. Some assignments may not require much time to accomplish at all. But there will be other assignments that will require you to do extensive research and conduct interviews.  This becomes hard to do when you sit down to the assignment at 10 o'clock on a Friday night. 

2.) Actually get involved in each assignment. Some of the assignments may seem kind of dumb. There has been one or two that I did not see a point in at the time. With that being said, there is valuable information that you can take away from every assignment. Even if you do not plan to become an entrepreneur, the skills you will learn in this class can be applied to anyone's life. 

3.) Stay engaged with your group members in a positive way. You are in the group with the same people for the entirety of the semester, and positive peer reviews do help boost morale among your group. If you want to offer advice, definitely do that! But do not be rude. I had one comment earlier this year that straight pissed me off. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but that does not mean that they have to be shared.  Stay a positive influence in your group, and you will all be able to grow together with your group!

As with any situation in life, this class is what you make it. It can be as good or as miserable as you make it!

13A- Reading Reflection No. 1

1) You read about an entrepreneur:

I chose to read the book "Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the quest for a fantastic future" by Ashlee Vance. The book talks about the life of Elon Musk and how he came to be where he is today. From selling PayPal to building the empire he has today with his rocket company as well as his electric car company.

What Surprised You the Most?

I will have to say what surprised me the most was also what I respected the most. Elon Musk said that he was never driven by money, rather he was driven by ideas. I think that is very interesting as that is probably why he has been so successful. 

What about the Entrepreneur Did You Most Admire?

Well as I stated above, I think that it is really awesome that he was never focused on the money, he was more focused on the ideas. But aside from that, I what I admire most about Elon Musk is his work ethic. In the book, it talks about how Elon Musk moved to Canada from South Africa when he was only seventeen years old. When he made the move, he was so poor, he barely had enough money to feed himself. As we read on, it states how Musk worked all sorts of jobs to make ends meet, from cleaning boiler rooms to chopping wood. He worked hard and in every way he could to be able to afford to even go to college. Later on down the road, he continues with his work ethic, and it pays off. He has worked hard his entire life and that is why he was as successful as he was. Towards the end of the book, the author says that Musk is hard on his employees about getting the work done, and that is because he expects others to work hard as he does. I greatly admire the work ethic that Mr. Musk emits in everything he does.

What about the Entrepreneur Did you Least Admire?

While I do understand why he was hard on his employees, what I didn't like about Elon Musk was how he treated a lot of his employees. I did not like how he was so demanding with his employees. He forced his employees to work ridiculous hours and was rude to them in a lot of aspects. He fired one of his best secretaries once because she came to him about a raise. Now I know we do not know the whole story, but the book made Elon Musk appear to be a very unappealing person to work for. The book even states that Musk felt that he was superior to anyone and everyone else. I understand confidence, but I do not believe that anyone is better than anybody else.

Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure?

Just like any successful billionaire, there is a lot of trial and error and adversity that Elon Musk had to face along his journey. He was ousted from two of his own companies, constantly was put down for many of his ideas, and has endured many failures from failed rocket launches to Tesla cars randomly combusting. 

What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited? 

I will say that one of the largest competencies that Elon Musk exhibited was his confidence. He boasts such a huge amount of confidence, he truly believes that he will accomplish whatever it is that he is seeking out to do. Pairing his overwhelming confidence with his determination, he is a force to be reckoned with.

Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

Towards the end of the book, when the author is talking about SpaceX and Tesla, there are some parts where she is talking about the market for rocket pieces and large words that I honestly had no idea what it was. So there was some information that was over my head.

If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?

If I were able to ask Elon Musk two things, I would be ready. 

1. How much do you sleep? 

I know this sounds like a dumb question, but as a person who works two jobs and takes a full load of college coursework, I am interested to see how much someone like Elon Musk sleeps. 

2. Do you take downtime for yourself? Like how much do you work? Is it all work? Or do enjoy having a beer with the boys here and there?

The reason that I would like to ask Elon Musk this is because I know he works a lot. I am just curious to see how much he works in relation to if he gives himself any down time. Like the old saying goes, "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion?

As I stated earlier, Elon Musk has a ridiculous work ethic. He believes very strongly in hard work, and I think that is awesome. It is said that Elon works anywhere from 80-100 hours a week on average. I believe that Elon Musk is a very hardworking individual, and I guarantee that he would accept no less from those who work for him. I do share Elon Musk's view on hard work, as I work hard myself. I have no sympathy for someone who does not work hard. I am a true believer that you can do anything as long as you work hard for it. And that all goes to priorities and prioritizing what it is that you want to work hard for.

12A- Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

Before I started my interviews, I watched a few of the lecture videos again to touch up on my information, and I did some research on my customer profile. I did some prior research to help maximize choosing the proper interview candidates and such.

Choosing My Segment:

The segment that I chose for this assignment is those who have retired out of the military. The reason that I have chose this segment is because those that have retired out of the military have been in it for a minimum of  twenty years. Those who have been in the military for that long period of time have become adapted to the military life and may have a harder time readjusting than those who may have only been in for three or four years. As of 2015 alone, there were 26,000 individuals who retired out of the military, and the numbers of individuals in the United States who have retired out of the military as a whole exceed 1,400,000 people. 

Choosing the Interviewees:

Choosing those who I was going to interview was not necessarily an easy task. I know a lot of people who were in the military, but it was hard to actually find those who have retired out and have the need that my service required. After trial and error, I eventually found three that I could talk too. Because of the nature of my service, I kept the interviews conversational. 

Begin with Need Awareness: 

For the interviews, I found three individuals who have retired from the military. One retired from the Air-Force and two retired from the Army. 

     The first person that I spoke with was the man who retired from the Air-Force. I know him from being a baseball coach at the local high school. I asked him the basic first question about him returning from the military. Was it hard for him? He went on to tell me that when he returned, he felt a little lost. He was not sure what he was going to do with the rest of his life or what he would do when he returned home. I asked him at what point did all of this hit him? He said that it was about two weeks after he returned home and he was staying with a friend when he realized that. 

     The second person I spoke with retired out of the Army. He is a member in the community that I have known for a while. I asked him if it was hard returning home from his military service. He told me that he did not think so at first. He said that it wasn't until he was back for a few months when he started to realize that it was slightly difficult. He told me that he started to have bad dreams, and he got a little anxious in crowds. He said that he figured if he started to drink more alcohol that it would help him out. He said that it did help dampen the anxiety and all for a little while, but his drinking did start to become a little bit of a problem and his friends noticed. 

     The third person I spoke with was also retired out of the Army. When I asked him if it was hard when he returned home from the military, he did admit that it  was. He said that when he returned home that he had a good family base, and that his family supported him very well. He told me what was hard was seeing how blessed he was and how he returned home, while many of his friends and brothers never got to come home. 

Move to Information Search:

After moving through the first part of the interviews, and identified that the three that I found have the unmet need, I moved to the next part of my interviews.
     The Air-Force retiree and I talked some more about his return.  I asked him that after he realized  that he was having some trouble, what he did next. He told me that he went to his friend that he was staying with and asked him about anybody who was hiring military veterans. He said he got on google and searched for jobs for military veterans. He did not really know what he wanted to do, so he spent a lot of time on the internet to try and find out what to do.
    Upon talking with the second veteran, I stated above that the first thing that he did was turn to alcohol. He told me at first he would just drink in the evenings to take the edge off, but as time progressed, he found himself drinking more and more. He stated that he was not a drunk because was functioning normally, but at the same time he was drinking in the morning before he even left for work. After his friend made a comment to him about his excessive alcohol consumption, he realized something had to change. He said that his cousin was a counselor who helped him identify his problems which related back to his military experiences. He said that today, he still enjoys the occasional beer but otherwise is clean and hopes to keep it that way.
     The third individual seemed to have a textbook definition of survivor's guilt. He felt bad about being able to come home and live the rest of his life whereas some of his friends would never get the opportunity. After many visits to the families of his fallen friends, one of the moms told him that he should try to go to some counselling to help deal with it. Being very against counselling, he said he found a group instead of people to go talk to who shared the same feelings that he did. He said that it was good collaborating with others who understood.

Reporting My Findings:

What I came to find out from the three interviews that I conducted was that currently there are services out there in many shapes and forms that can help those veterans returning home transition to civilian life. From all three cases though, I feel like they could have benefited from having a little guidance in the aspect of service availability and such.

Summary:

I would say that for the segment that I chose, the market for the service that I am wanting to offer is definitely there. There are these individuals who have been in the military for such a long period of time and they return home back to regular civilian life. When they return home, they are feeling lost, they have all of the experiences in the back of their mind and they could just use some assistance sometimes. Some more than others.

11A- Idea Napkin No. 1

Hey everyone, for this blog post it will be my idea napkin where I fulfill the criteria that I was given for the assignment. I hope that this post will help everyone better understand my idea.

You: 

I have always been a hardworking person. I have worked two jobs since I was sixteen years old, and I am very passionate in everything that I engage in. I have always been a people person, and I try to build connections everywhere I go. I have always believed that connections will take you farther in life than anything else will. I strive for excellence and anything less will not be accepted. I have always had a large deal of respect for nation's service members, and I never have thought that they have been properly taken care of when returning home. I think my business concept would not just be another business, but rather it would be my life. 

What I am Offering to Customers:

What I am offering is simply a life-advisement service for military service members and their families. The unmet need is not knowing how to readjust to civilian "normal" life when returning home from a service member's time of service, and what I am offering is assistance in doing just that. 

Who I am Offering to:

I am offering to a very wide range of individuals. I am offering my services to all branches of the military and the direct families of those service men and women. My services will not be required by everyone that it is offered too, because many times those who return home do not need assistance. With that being said, many times, there are those who do need help when they return home. These individuals who need assistance, whether it be small or large, will be welcomed with open arms.

Why Do They Care:

So as for the question of why customers will come to me and why people will put money into my service are two different questions. First off, people who need my service will definitely care for it. When you are feeling alone in the world with no direction, having someone there to offer a helping hand can be a lifesaver. As for who will put money into my company, the number of donations that we could potentially receive is endless. In 2014 alone, the Wounded Warrior Project received over $300 million in donations. Military organizations are one of the most popular charities that are donated too, whether it be dollar amounts or volunteering. Once our services have been revealed to the country, patriotic men and women across the country will be ready to help.

Our Core Competencies:

What makes my services different is that we are offering to all service  men and women. Currently, there are many military non-profit organizations that help and assist the transition back to civilian life for those who were wounded in the line of duty. Our differentiation is that we offer assistance in transitioning back to civilian life for everyone involved in military service, not just those who were wounded physically. Many were wounded mentally and emotionally, and we want to help them too.

As with any idea, there are always the unknown factors and there are things that you will have to take a "leap of faith" in order to make sure that it all works out. As for the financing and the volunteers for my service, these are the only things that will be slightly difficult at first. I feel confident in my service and that we will be able to acquire the resources needed to be successful.

10A- Elevator Pitch

Hey everyone, here is my elevator pitch! I hope you enjoy it!

9A- Testing the Hypothesis Part 2

Hey everyone! Trying to find people that fit into my boundary of potential clients for the service without actually needing the service was actually a harder task than what I thought. It is kind of a touchy subject with many military veterans, addressing whether or not they need help adjusting back from the military life to the civilian life. I decided that it would be best to try and find some individuals who had been out of the military service for some time now instead to trying to approach those who were fresh out the service.
What I came to find out was that it is really hard to narrow down my market on potential customers. How a certain scenario affects someone will differ per person. What one person may shrug off, might break someone else. We all have different triggers, and it is hard to predict how each situation affects each person.

Interviews:

     I interviewed more than five people because I really wanted to make sure that I found what I was looking for in this assignment. I spoke with men and women ages varying from 26 to 63 in order to see their opinions. The men and women that I spoke with were military veterans from different branches, many of them participating in different worldly conflicts and such. One individual that I spoke with had served for six years as an accountant for the Army. He was a military veteran, but he had never seen the actual front lines of a battle field and he told me that he never experienced anything traumatic in his time of service. He did say that he had friends who had been injured or killed and that it hurt him, but all in all, he had an easy transition back to civilian life because he did not experience much that would cause him to feel otherwise.

     On the other hand, another woman that I spoke with was artillery in the Army, and she had seen many traumatic things from IED explosions to children being killed. She said that some of the things that she had seen were terrible and she would never forget. I asked her if she had a hard time transitioning when she came back home. She told me that it was different when she had arrived home, but she had a husband and a supportive family that had always loved and supported her so she was able to adjust almost flawlessly. This woman showed an unwavering sense of strength, and I could tell why she did not need help adjusting. 

     From all of the interviews, I noticed that those who did experience traumatic events, yet did not have a hard time transitioning, were those who had a strong supportive group of family and friends to help support them. As I stated with the accountant, a few that I spoke with never experienced "high-intensity" situations and worked other jobs in the military.

Who: 

Before the interviews, I did not really think about the veterans that would not fall into the category for my service. Upon interviewing though, I did learn that there are many people who do not require such a service. There is a large number of people who serve in the military that never go out and kill people like the common man would think. There are a multitude of jobs out there in the military that never include stepping onto the battle field. Many of these individuals may not need help adjusting back. With that being said, everyone's situation is different, and they may need assistance still. There are also those who have a superior mental strength and were able to deal with things and separate them in their minds from the civilian life. These individuals who can make the distinct difference and can adjust themselves would not need help.

What: 

For the what, there is not a distinct line of where the adjustment service would end its assistance. The only criteria that I could place for the what would be that those veterans in receiving our assistance have to be willing to help themselves. It is hard to help someone who doesn't even want to help themselves.

Why:

The why for those that would not need our help readjusting back to civilian life would probably be because every situation is different. Some people are stronger than others, people have different breaking points, different amounts of support, and more, which are all variables that could affect why some who could qualify would not need support.

	Inside the Boundary	Outside the Boundary
Who?	Military veterans who need assistance adjusting from their military life	Military Veterans who do not need assistance adjusting back to civilian life
What?	Adjusting from Military life to civilian life	It is not a service for those who can transition back home easily and effectively
Why?	The active-duty military life is very different from civilian life in the United States	The Wounded Warrior Project, NAAV, American Legion

8A- Solving the Problem

Hey Everyone! The opportunity that I chose is presented in my last post as well, but it is helping military veterans readjust to civilian life. It is difficult for military men and women a lot of the time with their transition back to the civilian life, and in many cases, they do not receive enough support. A not-for-profit organization funded by government grants, donations, and volunteers would be providing military veterans, and their families, all of the necessary tools for a successful transition back to civilian life. Through my programs, I would like to provide military veterans with assistance in finding jobs, getting them homes, providing mental health support, and more. The unmet need opportunity that I have identified is a service that will welcome veterans with open arms to provide all assistance needed in their transition back home. Our military men and women do so much for our country, and I think we should give a little back to them for all they have done.

7A- Testing the Hypothesis Part 1

The opportunity that I chose to pursue is helping veterans readjust to civilian life after their time of service in the military.
The Who: Military Veterans
The What: Military service members who have spent years in the military come home after their time of service with no help or guidance on how to readjust back to civilian life after many years of combat mode.
The Why: There are nearly 40,000 homeless veterans in the United States at this exact moment, and there are significant numbers of veteran suicides, substance abuses, and mental health problems that have never been helped. Many more veterans are unemployed and need guidance.

Testing the Who: Not all Military Veterans will need these services, but they should be available for the those who do need such services. Those who could need it more are those who were active combat and faced traumatic experiences that make life difficult for them.
Testing the What: There are a multitude of different needs that will need to be met on many different levels. The needs will range from simply needing assistance finding a job all the way to needing counseling and a support animal for severe PTSD veterans. The needs will vary and there will be some of the veterans who need more assistance than others.
Testing the Why: There are currently programs that exist that help veterans returning home from their military service in the terms of helping them find jobs and identifying that they can use some help. The VA hospitals across the country have special doctors that help with PTSD and more. Even with these current services, there are still way more veterans that need assistance than what these current programs can handle, and that is why this a great opportunity to pursue.

Interview 1:
In my first interview, I went to someone who works at the VA hospital. This individual was never a service member and has just always worked in the medical field at various locations. This individual asked to keep their identity concealed. I asked the person about some of the veterans that they had been in contact with which I soon found out that they were unable to disclose due to certain privacy rights. I asked if there was a need for more assistance to be provided to veterans when they return home from their personal opinion. The individual was very vague in the responses that  they gave me because of the privacy rights but they told me that there are some that could definitely use more assistance than what they are given. This individual said that it broke their heart to see some of the people that came through with the stories that they had. They ended their statement at that. I briefly offered my idea to provide a transformation for veterans returning from service, and I asked their thoughts on the topic. This individual thought that it was a great idea and even offered some helpful advice to what they thought could be most beneficial. I was asked to exclude that from this interview.

Interview 2:
For my second interview, I spoke with a retired veteran from the Air-Force. He had served 20 years and retired and came home to start his civilian life. I figured this was a perfect candidate. I asked him if it was hard for him coming home, readjusting to the civilian life. He told me that it was a very different experience for him, but he made the transition pretty well. He did admit that some of his friends from the military did not have it as easy coming back home as he did, and that many of them struggled. I asked him what he thought of the current services that are provided for returning veterans. He told me that he has been very grateful for the current services that there are for veterans, even though his pride has not allowed him to use a majority of them. I pitched him my idea of offering a service to help veterans transition back to civilian life and he told me that he loved the idea. He said that if I ever really did pursue such an endeavor that he would certainly like to be a part of it.

Interview 3:
This interview was with a friend of mine's grandfather, and was relatively short. I have great respect for the man and he did not seem to want to discuss much about his past military experiences. When I asked him about his military experiences he very straightforward told me that before the military he never drank. The one thing he said he learned from the military was how to be an alcoholic. I could tell from the look in his eyes that there was a sadness and hurt, and he was one of the types of people that a maybe could have benefited from such a service many years ago. Today he is a married man with kids and grand kids and is happy as can be. I can tell though, his military experiences may not have been.

Interview 4:
My fourth interview was with a friend of mine at the age of 24, who had recently got back from his military service. Him and I are very close so it was a little easier speaking with him. I asked him if it was hard for him to transition when he first got back. He told me that it was certainly different, but it was not too hard for him because he had a large family that welcomed him back with open arms. I asked him what his military experiences were like and he told me. For respect purposes, those are left out of this interview as well. Some of the things that he had seen and some of the things that he witnessed were rough and not something that an average citizen would have to experience. I asked him what he thought about a service helping people transition back to the civilian life, and he thought it sounded like a great idea. He told me that he honestly would have needed some guidance when he got back if he hadn't had such a large family to help him when he got back.

Interview 5:
My last interview was with a family member of mine, which the relation will name anonymous. Her husband is a wounded veteran from Iraq. I asked her what she thought about her husband's experiences in the military. She had told me that he was not the same person at all when he got back. There was burden that he carried with him is what she had said. She went on to explain that one of his best-friends was shot in duty and he had to carry him out. She said that he had PTSD because of his military experiences and he started drinking a lot. She said that it took a lot of time and therapy to help him with everything over time, and that he still to this day was not fully the same person that he once was. I asked her about my business idea and she thought it was a phenomenal idea and that it would help many people. She suggested to even extend the service to the spouses of those veterans who return because it can be hard on them as well.

I now see that there is certainly a need for more assistance to military veterans. I had previously not even thought about extending the services to the families of the veterans, but I can now see how it would be difficult for the veteran's loved ones as well. After my interviews and hearing from some people, I think it would be a great idea, and I think I learned one more thing as well. A lot of the people just want someone to talk too. Not necessarily about their experiences but just someone to show them support. I think that a service helping veterans adjust would be a great idea, and I hope I can show others that as well.

6A- Identifying Opportunities in Economic and Regulatory Trends

Hey everyone, very similar to my last post, this post will be identifying opportunities. Unlike the last post, this post will have a much broader view though! Instead of focusing on Gaineville, I will be stating a few opportunities large scale.

1. First and foremost, I would like to identify a generalized opportunity that deals with economic factors, and really the economy. In this class, entrepreneurship, we are developing the mindset of entrepreneurs. Well for those of you who want to start your own business and didn't know when to do so with the economy and all. The time is now! The first opportunity I want to identify is the present time! Right now the economy is at the highest point it has been in over 10 years. The economy is growing and thriving beautifully! There have been recent tax cuts that have further boosted household incomes and has caused for larger expansions on the corporate scale, leading to lower unemployment rates, and higher GDP. My first economic opportunity that I have identified is the present time, because the time is now! Being an economic major at the University of Florida, I am constantly studying the economy as a whole and how it fluctuates. The availability for this opportunity is anyone, and the time is now.

2. The second economic opportunity that I have wanted to elaborate on was pursuing a career in biotechnology. With the world population increasing and the amount of room to grow food is decreasing, we have to figure something out. There are many agriculturists who have chosen to join the movement of Feed the World 2050. Feed the World 2050 is the challenge to be able to have a sustainable food supply for the predicted 9 billion people that we will have on Earth by 2050. The way that we are going to achieve this goal is through biotechnology. People will always have to eat, and biotechnology is needed now more than ever. I found this opportunity through my many years of agricultural pursuits and there is an actual goal that has now been created through the United Nations. The opportunity definitely exists and every person in the world is your potential customers. I was able to identify this opportunity because of my many years in agriculture. Here is a link to learn a little bit more regarding the need for biotechnology:
https://www.fb.org/market-intel/biotechnology-roads-left-untraveled

3. There has been some drastic regulatory changes to gun laws in the state of Florida over the past couple of months due to recent events. The new laws have raised the age to purchase a firearm to twenty one, along with multiple other contingencies. The opportunity that I see here is to offer gun ranges across the states to allow the "youth" to come and shoot firearms that they could otherwise not possess. With the regulatory actions that have been happening, this will allow the younger generations to come and shoot firearms with the more difficult  purchasing processes. The typical customer would be under the age of 21 because these are the individuals who cannot purchase a gun otherwise. This kind of opportunity really would not be difficult, as it would be similar to just another gun range. Proper training and respect can be taught to the youth so that they properly know how to handle the guns. I know that this opportunity would exist because I am 20 years old and I am no longer able to purchase any firearm or ammunition. I would love to have such an opportunity and I could see a real business opportunity across the states as the regulations become more strict. Here is the article regarding the changes to the Florida gun laws:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/08/us/florida-gun-bill.html

4. Another regulatory change that has presented opportunity stems off of the first economic opportunity that I mentioned. The Trump administration has enacted new tax policies in 2018, which can be classified as tax cuts on all levels. These huge tax cuts that have occurred have opened up a multitude of new opportunities for everyone across the United States. The new regulatory change in taxes has allowed more businesses to expand operations and has allowed for more opportunity for the unemployed to find jobs. I identified this opportunity from being an economics major at the University of Florida, so I study this type of stuff every day. This opportunity is perhaps the easiest opportunity on the list as it expands a multitude of opportunities instead of just one specific one. Here is a link that helps further explain the opportunities that has arose from the tax cuts:
https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/7671-regulatory-issues-changes.html

5A- Identifying Local Opportunities

Hey everyone! In this post, I wanted to show five local unmet needs and the opportunities that each of these create. I hope everyone enjoys the list!

1.  Pop Warner signups start June 1 
The first article I found was posted by the Gainesville Sun on May 29, 2018. The article talks about how there are little league Pop Warner football signups starting soon on June 1, 2018. Upon reading the article many would assume that there really is no problem at all, and the article is just an informative article about when football signups are. Using the entrepreneurial mindset that we are expected to express in this class, I have identified an opportunity through this post. Growing up, I played little league sports. Football, baseball, basketball, soccer, I played them all. Some of the younger athletes excel over others, and the parents become hardcore about the youth sport. When I was growing up, I attended thousands of dollars in lessons for the youth sport leagues to help me get better. The opportunity that I have identified is private lessons and sports camps for the little league football. Those who would be identified as potential customers would be all of the children who are signing up for football, offering different programs for the different skill levels.

2. Experts discuss opioid treatments
This article was posted by the Gainesville Sun on May 21, 2018. The article talks about how health experts from the University of Florida have been trying to tackle the drug addiction issue as more and more people are dying every year from drug overdose. The problem is that people have been trying the opioid drugs and becoming quickly addicted. Even though there are rehabilitation centers for those addicted, the addiction numbers are still rising. Health experts have been trying to treat the drug addictions medicinally by offering a less potent drug to help those addicted to wean themselves off. The people who have the problem are those addicted to drugs. The opportunity that I see in this article is the production of a certain plant in the United States to help the addiction. Mitragyna speciosa, commonly referred to as Kratom, is a tropical evergreen tree that belongs to the coffee family. Growing primarily in South East Asia, the plant has stimulant-like effects and opioid properties. In traditional medicines and across the world in many places, Kratom is used in many medicinal practices, with the primary use to be helping drug addicts. The plant is currently sold in a powder and capsule form in the United States, but the FDA does not even want to touch it. Even so, there are over 5 million users of the plant in the United States currently, and I can see an increase in use in the near future. The opportunity I see is the growth of Kratom here in the United States to help meet the domestic demand and help decrease those who have drug addiction in the United States.

3. Don't confuse bull market with genius
I found this article from the Gainesville Sun on May 20, 2018. The author of this article is discussing stock investment, how the market fluctuates, and the many variables that go into the stock market. He references some research done on stock investment and why many people have poor performance in the stock market. The article goes on to discuss the many reasons for failures in stock investments and such, and why people do not have the outcome that they desire a majority of the time. The problem in the article is that many investors do not know how to invest appropriately in the stock market, and that is where my idea came to mind. The opportunity for investment guidance. I understand that there are financial advisors that help people invest their money and such, but I mean an actual coach that teaches the potential investor "how to invest themselves". Educational seminars where guests pay to attend to learn about investment are just some of the things that this opportunity could include. Many young or new investors would be very interested in such a program.

4. Wells and even springs face a brackish future
This article was posted by the Gainesville Sun on May 20, 2018. The author of this article has a dooms-day style and she pretty much thinks that Florida is going to be screwed regarding their water sources. The author talks about saltwater seeping into the aquifers and polluting our freshwater sources. The article talks about how this happens, and the different people who are going to be affected if nothing is done. The problem is that saltwater is capable of polluting our freshwater sources in Florida. The people who are facing the problem are everybody that lives in Florida. The opportunity that I see is installation of the systems that can help protect our water sources. Reverse-osmosis forces water through tight membranes that separate the salt from the water. As time progresses, more and more people are going to have to  equip themselves with reverse osmosis  systems in Florida to survive. With the rising demand of reverse-osmosis systems, there is an opportunity for a business that installs reverse-osmosis systems.

5. Specialty court helps veterans 'get back on track'
My last article was posted by the Gainesville Sun on May 18, 2018. The article talks about a rehabilitation program for veterans. Many veterans who come back to the United States after their time of service are just dropped out with nowhere to go and nothing to do, but to think on their time of service. There is not a whole lot of help for veterans with all things considered, and if you disagree... Well you are wrong. The problem that is mentioned in this article is the mental health problems and substance abuse issues that many veterans face. The people who face the problem is obviously the veterans. My opportunity that I have identified is a not-for-profit organization that would help military veterans readjust to the real world after their time of service. This organization would help steer them in the right direction and guide them on their civilian life. Such an organization would be a great entrepreneurial endeavor and would be helping our nation's protectors as well.