- Local vape shops lose profits due to recent tobacco law
- President Trump issued a law in December that would raise the minimum age to purchase vape products to 21. However, Gainesville has enforced this such law since October. Due to this new law, vape shops have lost a large amount of their profits and their customers, most of them ranging from 18-20 years of age. However, many of the vape shop owners argue that introducing this new law, does not prevent kids from purchasing these vape products at all, it just directs the business to online or overseas suppliers.They also argue that this law may be detrimental for people who truly are looking to quit cigarettes.
- Problem: Local vape shops are struggling as the new law takes away all their younger customers.
- Who: The owners of the local vape shops who are losing business
- UF implements two-factor authentication to combat cybercrime
- After the end of this semester, UF will introduce a new two-factor authentication process into students’ accounts in order to prevent cybercrime from taking place. This comes after many students have been reporting an increase in scam emails and hackings. This new process will require the student to authenticate access through his/her smartphone.
- Problem: There has been a large increase in hackings and scam emails being sent to students.
- Who: UF students who are being hacked and scammed
- GPD continues use of highly-criticised facial recognition program
- The GPD is beginning to use a program called Clearview AI which uses the profile or partial image of a person to match to their social media pictures or mugshots. The GPD and this program are receiving great backlash as people believe that their privacy is being violated. However, GPD urges that the majority of matches that are obtained are with mugshots rather than social media pictures. They also claim that they will continue to use this program as long as it works properly and allows them to ensure safety throughout the community.
- Problem: People’s “private” social media pictures are being stored and used, to which they are not so private after all.
- Who: Anyone who opposes a program storing pictures of them in its database to help solve crimes.
- Future of Gainesville Lucky’s Market remains unclear
- Lucky's Market recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and nearly all their stores are expected to close within the next month. There has been some talk that Aldi is purchasing many of the Lucky’s Market spaces, which may also be a possibility for the Gainesville location. However, the staff are just as unaware as the rest of the public, and they are being let go from their current positions and forced to find jobs elsewhere.
- Problem: An Aldi may or may not replace the Lucky’s Market space in Gainesville, but employees and staff still have no choice but to search for new jobs.
- Who: Employees of Lucky’s Market
- New food market and Starbucks to open in Norman Hall Monday
- For several years now, Norman Hall has just been deteriorating and has been turning into a condition unfit to promote student learning and teaching. Many upgrades have been made throughout the hall over the past two years. The newest upgrade would be the availability of food and coffee directly from the hall.
- Problem: Students did not have access to food or coffee in Norman and had to walk across the street (or under the tunnel) to the main campus to obtain this.
- Who: Students and teachers who had class in Norman Hall
Friday, January 31, 2020
5A-Identifying Local Opportunities
4A-Forming An Opportunity Belief
I believe checkout lanes have truly lost their efficiency. Stores have created express checkout lanes consisting of 10 or fewer items and self-checkouts to promote efficiency, but somehow there still continues to be some issue preventing enough registers from staying open. This has been an issue for several years now and is only getting worse. Customers are demanding a more efficient method to checking out as they are growing extremely frustrated with the current state of things. A way to fix this issue is by allowing multiple ”cashiers” to be equipped with smartphones that have scanning and card swiping abilities, which many large stores have already, but more are required. This is a similar situation to the Chick-fil-A drive thru.
#1 College-aged female customer shopping at Walmart
Q: Do you shop here often?
A: Like once every two or three weeks.
Q: Do you find yourself using the self checkout more or the checkout lanes with cashiers?
A: The self-checkout because I feel like it goes faster at times, but I use the other ones when I have a lot of items.
Q: Do you get frustrated with long checkout lines, and when it takes over 10 minutes just to checkout?
A: Definitely. It really should not take that long just to check out, and these lines that go on forever, it's ridiculous. If they would just hire more cashiers and open more lanes this really wouldn't happen. I just feel like I'm wasting valuable time that I could spend studying or something, you know?
Q: Oh I completely agree. So to improve this situation, how would you feel if employees were equipped with smartphones that had scanning and paying abilities via only card, of course? This would be in addition to the existing self-checkout lines and cashier lanes. Similar to the Chick-fil-A drive thru, there would be 1 or 2 floating cashiers for each lane that would essentially just go through and check out card-paying customers using a smartphone provided to them by the company. And once the customer gets to the front of the lane, the items that need bagging or boxing will be brought to the cashier at the register and they will bag them.
A: That seems smart. I like that. It not only promotes efficiency but can also encourage customers to use less plastic bags because many of these items really don't need to bagged. And stores like Walmart can just put items into boxes instead or encourage people to use reusable bags!
#2 Male cashier at Walmart
Q: In your opinion, why do you think these checkout lanes get so long and take forever just to get to the front?
A: Well there's simply just not enough of us. Maybe if more people were hired, then it wouldn't be a problem.
Q: Do you think part of the reason why the checking out process takes so long is because you not only have to check out items, but bag them as well?
A: Oh yeah. It's not scanning the items that take an eternity, it's bagging them.
Q: How would you feel if there were 1 or 2 floating cashiers for each lane that would essentially just go through and check out card-paying customers using a smartphone provided to them by the company. And once the customer gets to the front of the lane, the items that need bagging or boxing will be brought to the cashier at the register and they will bag them.
A: I definitely think it would make the checkout process go a lot quicker. But that would mean more cashiers need to be hired, which these companies are not doing in the first place. I doubt they would want to use their money to invest in that type of technology, let alone add more employees to the payroll.
#3 Mother of three young children, shopping at Walmart
Q: Hello ma'am I wont waste a lot of your time since I see you have your hands full. But I have just a couple questions. How satisfied are you with the checkout process here and the wait times?
A: I am not satisfied at all. It takes me close to 20 minutes just to check out, which is absurd when I have 3 children screaming or crying about different things. It's such a waste of time, but I have no other choice, how else am I supposed to get my groceries?
Q: Do you use the self-checkout lanes more often than the cashier lanes?
A: No, I never really use self-checkout, because I usually have way too many items and three kids that I need to tend to while I'm shopping, so I would just be wasting more time than saving it through self-checkout.
Q: Do you try to use reusable bags when you are shopping, or do you mainly use plastic bags?
A: I bring my own reusable bags. It's just easier to carry especially when you have so much else going on. Did I mention I have 3 kids?
Q: What if employees were equipped with smartphones that had scanning and paying abilities via only card. There would be 1 or 2 floating cashiers for each lane that would essentially just go through and check out card-paying customers using a smartphone provided to them by the company. And once the customer gets to the front of the lane, the items that need bagging or boxing will be brought to the cashier at the register and they will bag them.
A: That's not a bad idea. If that can save me some time then I'm all for it. However, I do pay with cash sometimes, not very often though. So when it comes to times like that, I really don't think this new idea will improve anything.
Reflection and summary: The one thing I learned which I did not really think about before is that more "cashiers" would have to be hired and added to the payroll for this idea to work, which is what many companies were avoiding in the first place. Although there are some limitations to this idea, I still believe that it would save about 5 minutes of each customer's time and it can also help to improve the planet in a way. After the interviews, I realized there should only be about 3-4 of these additional "cashiers" per shift so that companies will not feel like they are making a huge investment. In the long run, I definitely think these interviews were important for gaining insight on different perspectives and learning how the implementation of these ideas would affect different types of people.
#1 College-aged female customer shopping at Walmart
Q: Do you shop here often?
A: Like once every two or three weeks.
Q: Do you find yourself using the self checkout more or the checkout lanes with cashiers?
A: The self-checkout because I feel like it goes faster at times, but I use the other ones when I have a lot of items.
Q: Do you get frustrated with long checkout lines, and when it takes over 10 minutes just to checkout?
A: Definitely. It really should not take that long just to check out, and these lines that go on forever, it's ridiculous. If they would just hire more cashiers and open more lanes this really wouldn't happen. I just feel like I'm wasting valuable time that I could spend studying or something, you know?
Q: Oh I completely agree. So to improve this situation, how would you feel if employees were equipped with smartphones that had scanning and paying abilities via only card, of course? This would be in addition to the existing self-checkout lines and cashier lanes. Similar to the Chick-fil-A drive thru, there would be 1 or 2 floating cashiers for each lane that would essentially just go through and check out card-paying customers using a smartphone provided to them by the company. And once the customer gets to the front of the lane, the items that need bagging or boxing will be brought to the cashier at the register and they will bag them.
A: That seems smart. I like that. It not only promotes efficiency but can also encourage customers to use less plastic bags because many of these items really don't need to bagged. And stores like Walmart can just put items into boxes instead or encourage people to use reusable bags!
#2 Male cashier at Walmart
Q: In your opinion, why do you think these checkout lanes get so long and take forever just to get to the front?
A: Well there's simply just not enough of us. Maybe if more people were hired, then it wouldn't be a problem.
Q: Do you think part of the reason why the checking out process takes so long is because you not only have to check out items, but bag them as well?
A: Oh yeah. It's not scanning the items that take an eternity, it's bagging them.
Q: How would you feel if there were 1 or 2 floating cashiers for each lane that would essentially just go through and check out card-paying customers using a smartphone provided to them by the company. And once the customer gets to the front of the lane, the items that need bagging or boxing will be brought to the cashier at the register and they will bag them.
A: I definitely think it would make the checkout process go a lot quicker. But that would mean more cashiers need to be hired, which these companies are not doing in the first place. I doubt they would want to use their money to invest in that type of technology, let alone add more employees to the payroll.
#3 Mother of three young children, shopping at Walmart
Q: Hello ma'am I wont waste a lot of your time since I see you have your hands full. But I have just a couple questions. How satisfied are you with the checkout process here and the wait times?
A: I am not satisfied at all. It takes me close to 20 minutes just to check out, which is absurd when I have 3 children screaming or crying about different things. It's such a waste of time, but I have no other choice, how else am I supposed to get my groceries?
Q: Do you use the self-checkout lanes more often than the cashier lanes?
A: No, I never really use self-checkout, because I usually have way too many items and three kids that I need to tend to while I'm shopping, so I would just be wasting more time than saving it through self-checkout.
Q: Do you try to use reusable bags when you are shopping, or do you mainly use plastic bags?
A: I bring my own reusable bags. It's just easier to carry especially when you have so much else going on. Did I mention I have 3 kids?
Q: What if employees were equipped with smartphones that had scanning and paying abilities via only card. There would be 1 or 2 floating cashiers for each lane that would essentially just go through and check out card-paying customers using a smartphone provided to them by the company. And once the customer gets to the front of the lane, the items that need bagging or boxing will be brought to the cashier at the register and they will bag them.
A: That's not a bad idea. If that can save me some time then I'm all for it. However, I do pay with cash sometimes, not very often though. So when it comes to times like that, I really don't think this new idea will improve anything.
Reflection and summary: The one thing I learned which I did not really think about before is that more "cashiers" would have to be hired and added to the payroll for this idea to work, which is what many companies were avoiding in the first place. Although there are some limitations to this idea, I still believe that it would save about 5 minutes of each customer's time and it can also help to improve the planet in a way. After the interviews, I realized there should only be about 3-4 of these additional "cashiers" per shift so that companies will not feel like they are making a huge investment. In the long run, I definitely think these interviews were important for gaining insight on different perspectives and learning how the implementation of these ideas would affect different types of people.
3A - Your Entrepreneurship Story
My dad started this small Indian grocery and convenience store in the early 2000’s. It was situated in Margate, FL. My dad decided that this was the ideal location for our store as there were no other south Indian grocery stores in the area and our church was just minutes away, so it would be very convenient for our church members. This was probably my first most memorable exposure to entrepreneurship. Originally, when the store was opened it was named 99¢ Plus Groceries. It was only after a short time that my dad realized that this particular name was just not cutting it. He renamed the store to New Indian Groceries, which seemed much more fitting. We sold a variety of products and not only attracted Indian customers, but those of other cultures and backgrounds that were just interested in experimenting with Indian cuisines. Eventually, after about 10 years, my dad realized that it was time to sell the store, as too much time and money were being invested into the store with just not enough reward.
This is a picture of the outside of my dad’s store as well as the other adjacent establishments.
Many of my most vivid memories from when I was younger are from times spent at my dad’s store. Although I somewhat despised the store when I was younger, I have really grown to appreciate it now that we no longer have it. My dad always wished of owning a business when he came to America and with his hard work and determination, he was able to fulfill that dream.
I know that being an entrepreneur requires some risk to be taken. However, what are some ways to minimize those risks? My dad took a lot of risks starting his business, most had a positive result, however, the others really took a toll on him and even the store. So that’s what I would like to get out of this class, to learn how to minimize the number and extent of the risks involved with starting and running a business.
Friday, January 24, 2020
2A - Bug List
Here are some things that bug me in our day to day life:
1. Needing to have multiple subscriptions to streaming services in order to watch different shows that one is interested in.
Why? Many companies are making certain movies and TV shows exclusive to only their network, which forces people to
subscribe to all these different services.
subscribe to all these different services.
2. Having barely any right turning lanes in Gainesville, which often holds up the right most lane when the traffic light does
turn green, causing much of the congestion.
turn green, causing much of the congestion.
Why? I believe it is because it just saves road space or there is simply just not enough space to construct a right turn lane.
3. Inability to dispense the last ounce of soap/lotion from the dispenser.
Why? The tube from which the pump of the dispenser connects is usually straight and does not reach the bottom of the bottle.
If the tube curved towards the bottom, more product would dispense.
If the tube curved towards the bottom, more product would dispense.
4. My car does not allow me to lock it from the power lock button located on the inside of the door and then leave the car.
Why? This is probably a safety feature for German cars to prevent drivers from accidentally locking their keys in their car.
5. Instagram feed is not organized chronologically.
Why? This came with the update of Instagram’s algorithm which prioritized posts by pushing the posts that seemed most
relevant to the user to the top.
6. Google Home Mini cannot play music from any other music streaming service other than Spotify (and possibly YouTube
Premium, but who even has that?).
relevant to the user to the top.
6. Google Home Mini cannot play music from any other music streaming service other than Spotify (and possibly YouTube
Premium, but who even has that?).
Why? This is similar to the exclusive paywalls issue with the streaming services. Google decided to partner with Spotify to give
customers a little more incentive in spending money on both of these products. They are not compatible with any other service
they are not partnered with.
customers a little more incentive in spending money on both of these products. They are not compatible with any other service
they are not partnered with.
7. Checkout lanes at grocery stores becoming ridiculously long because only three out of the 20 or so lanes are open.
Why? These stores are either not scheduling enough people to work on register or are not hiring enough people, probably
because they underestimate how much time self-checkout can take.
because they underestimate how much time self-checkout can take.
8. Shopping carts at grocery stores that are hard to push/make obnoxious noises.
Why? Stores are not replacing carts or wheels that are tattered and broken. Also, because stores are not investing in better
material to construct these carts in the first place.
material to construct these carts in the first place.
9. Not being able to scrub the insides of a water bottle, preventing you from thoroughly cleaning the bottle.
Why? The bottle opening is simply too narrow, which creates a nicer, sleeker look. There are bottle scrub brushes that one can
use to clean the insides of the bottle, however this is just another buy.
use to clean the insides of the bottle, however this is just another buy.
10. Not being able to open the swing lid on the trash can and put more trash in the bag without lifting the entire lid.
Why? This just happens when the trash bin is filled and the trash within the bin is blocking the way for the swing lid to move.
11. Not being able to use the horizontal orientation of the iPhone calculator straight from the lock screen, and essentially not
being able to use the additional functions other than the basic four functions.
being able to use the additional functions other than the basic four functions.
Why? I guess the features accessible from the lock screen of the iPhone are designed to be only some quick necessities.
12. When all the contents of a sub sandwich slide out of the other end when you take a bite.
Why? Both ends of the sub are similarly open, so when you take a bite from one end, the contents will slip out the other end
because it is open. It may also be because the person is not biting into the sub with enough force to grab the contents within and
instead it just gets pushed out the other end.
because it is open. It may also be because the person is not biting into the sub with enough force to grab the contents within and
instead it just gets pushed out the other end.
13. Having to maneuver your car in a weird and complicated manner so that the pump is on the same side as your gas tank door.
Why? Gas tanks doors are usually only located on either the left or right side of the car, which side depends on the make and model.
14. When your belt or shoes are either too loose or too tight and you must attempt to create another hole yourself using a knife
or another sharp object.
or another sharp object.
Why? All bodies are made differently, and the straps just cannot have a bunch of holes throughout its length just so it can fit
each individual person, that would ruin its aesthetic appeal.
each individual person, that would ruin its aesthetic appeal.
15. Parking spots at McCarty lot require you to pull in and out several times to get it right, and even still it is barely impossible
to open the door.
to open the door.
Why? When the parking lot was constructed, the space needed for a car to adequately turn into a spot was not considered, so the
rows across from each other are too close. Also, the physical spots are each missing about a foot of breathing space.
rows across from each other are too close. Also, the physical spots are each missing about a foot of breathing space.
16. When a car backs out of a spot that you just passed and the car behind you takes it.
Why? Some people take their time to enter their cars or back out of the spot, so you never know when a spot is going to become
open until they back out.
open until they back out.
17. Not being able to simultaneously charge and listen to music on the iPhone.
Why? There is only one port on the newer iPhones, which is used as the charging port and headphone jack port. Apple began to
construct iPhones this way in order create more space for other things at the bottom of the phone.
construct iPhones this way in order create more space for other things at the bottom of the phone.
18. When your headphones tangle up in your bag, even after you put them away neatly.
Why? As you move around with your bag, the contents within your bag also move around and lose their initial organization.
Since they are not bound, the headphone wires move around and get caught around each other.
Since they are not bound, the headphone wires move around and get caught around each other.
19. The ridiculous number of ads before, after, and during videos on YouTube, and now, Facebook.
Why? I think the main reason is to push users to purchase the respective premium accounts.
20. When socks slip off the heel of my feet into my shoes while I am walking.
Why? This happens because the ankle opening of the sock is just too wide, preventing a tight grip of the sock to the ankle,
or just that the material allows the sock to easily slip off the ankle.
or just that the material allows the sock to easily slip off the ankle.
Reflection:
I came up with the first ten bugs rather quickly, and then just as it was expected, I encountered a block. It was extremely difficult
for me to just sit and think of the next ten bugs, so I took a break. I went to my class and later grabbed some dinner with my friends.
After coming back home, I was able to come up with the final ten bugs almost immediately. Being able to go through and perform
some of my day to day activities helped me to find many things that bug me that I had not initially noticed when I was just sitting at my desk. Additionally, some of the bugs had clear answers as to why they were in existence, while others were fairly difficult to come up with, probably because those bugs are not very common, or not brought up in discussion very often. Coming up with this list proves to be a very difficult task for many people because it requires them to view the world in a critical manner, which many of us do not do naturally, but this is what fuels the innovative passion for many entrepreneurs.
for me to just sit and think of the next ten bugs, so I took a break. I went to my class and later grabbed some dinner with my friends.
After coming back home, I was able to come up with the final ten bugs almost immediately. Being able to go through and perform
some of my day to day activities helped me to find many things that bug me that I had not initially noticed when I was just sitting at my desk. Additionally, some of the bugs had clear answers as to why they were in existence, while others were fairly difficult to come up with, probably because those bugs are not very common, or not brought up in discussion very often. Coming up with this list proves to be a very difficult task for many people because it requires them to view the world in a critical manner, which many of us do not do naturally, but this is what fuels the innovative passion for many entrepreneurs.
Monday, January 6, 2020
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