Assignment 15A- Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No.2

Reported Findings:

·      Alternative Evaluation:

I have decided to focus on the segment of gun owners or people looking to purchase a firearm.  The three people I interviewed was a male in his mid 40’s who is a gun owner, a female in her mid 40’s who owns a gun, and a male in his late 20’s looking to purchase a gun.

In order fro my service to be effective the quality of the test matters the most to these customers. If it isn’t good quality than there would be no beneficial effect of having this service in place. When interviewing the male in his mid 40’s he made it very clear that this service would really be helpful but only if the test was actually structured properly to be effective, which probably means there will be somewhat of a trial and error before belong able to implement this service. Each of the interviewees said that they’d be willing to pay the extra fee for processing the test if it meant that it would stop others who shouldn’t have a firearm from purchasing one.

·      How/where do they buy it?

For this service they will have to go to one of many psychiatrist to have the test done. However, even if this does seem like an inconvenience if someone really does want a gun they should be willing to do it.  Plus, many gun owners, based on my interviewers, like the idea of having something else besides a background check; it just ensures that we are being safer rather than sorry later on. Once they have taken this test they can then go into the gun shop and the owner of that store will then request the background check along with this test to be processed. the male in his mid 20's did express that he thinks he will feel intimidated and slightly nervous going to a psychiatrist for this but would be willing to do it.   

   

·      Post Purchase Evaluation:

When these customers think back on the rightness of the purchase they will remember that this was just a small extra thing that had to be done to ensure the right people own firearms. When asking the female in her mid 40’s how she will know if using this service is a good idea she responded that having this instilled allows for there to be psychological reasoning for why someone can or cannot purchase a firearm and allows her to have a little more peace in the back of her mind that extra steps have been taken in deciding whether or not someone can purchase a firearm.

Draw Conclusions:

Through my interviews, the questions I asked based on the three categories above allowed me to learn that they are all willing to go and purchase this service as long as the quality of it will be effective for our society overall. It also become apparent that going to a psychiatrist to get the test done isn’t a huge inconvenience that would turn them away from purchasing a gun since the benefits outweigh it, and after purchasing the firearm they will feel satisfaction that they are capable to own a gun and others who are not will be turned away.

Assignment 14A- Halfway Reflection

1. The behaviors I have used and continue to use to keep up with this course is to work ahead on the assignments. They are all given to you ahead of time so if you finish one assignment keep moving onto the next so that you are wasting no time. Obviously we have other classes and other things going on in our lives so I set reminders and make check lists to make sure I stay on schedule and get everything done that I need to.
2. There have been moments where I have wanted to give up and just get into my bed when I was overwhelmed with exams in all my other classes. What got me through was maintaining the mindset to take everything one day at a time. Forming a schedule of when to do certain things kept me grounded and not overwhelmed. During these past two months, I can definitely say I have developed a tenacious attitude. These past months many different things have been thrown at me, whether it was school or my personal life, and I pushed through and didn’t let it stop me from doing what I needed to do. The main things that contributed to this was managing a heavy course load and prioritizing what was most important in my life at this time in my life.
3. Three tips that foster the skills that support tenacity and tenacious mindset:
a. Work ahead: this class is kind enough to give you all the assignments ahead of time so if you know you have a busy week coming up with your other classes get ahead on this class so that it is one less thing you have to worry about
b. Time management: Create a schedule or check off list so you don’t forget things and so that it keeps you organized. Plus, as you check things off you’ll feel really accomplished and like you are getting things done.
c. Self-care: Sleep and food can go a long way. In order for you to have a tenacious mindset you must be healthy and fully there, not running on one hour of sleep and no food. (side note: coffee is not food go eat some protein)

This picture just reminds me that there are more things in life than just school and reminds me to just relax for a second if I'm feeling overwhelmed. 

Assignment 13A- Reading Reflection No.1

Miracles Happen by Mary Kay Ash

What surprised you the most?

She is an entrepreneur that had a large faith in God. Which is very surprising to me because when you look at entrepreneurs now a day many of them are so concerned with their career that they don’t even consider themselves religious. It’s almost like their job is their religion. Her outlook on career surprised me as she explained that you should put ‘God 1st, Family 2nd, and Career 3^rd’, which a majority of businessmen and women do not do today.

What about the entrepreneur did you most admire?

Even in the face of tragedy, with her father sick and the passing of her husband, she was still determined to make her dream come true. And as she was trying to accomplish her dream she knew when she had to fix certain aspects of her self, so that throughout this whole journey she would remain and strive to be the best version of herself each day. I admire this a lot because even while she is pushing herself to become something in the business world she was still staying true to herself.

What about the entrepreneur did you least admire?

It’s clear that Mary Kay Ash had an amazing success even when others thought she would fail. It’s very hard to find something I don’t admire when she overcame many obstacles and succeeded in the business world while still remaining true to her own self and values. And, at the same time, I’m sure this book has inspired many young women. But I guess I had to choose one thing I least admired is how she never really admitted things that she should have done better at the end when reflecting.

Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it?

Mary Kay definitely encountered adversity. She was a woman who wore many hats. She was a businesswoman but she was also a mother so she had to find the balance between the two. And especially after losing her husband, all the responsibility when it came to her children lay with her. But with her strong faith in God and the heart she had of determination she took each obstacle day by day.

What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited?

I believe she showed many different competencies that were all valuable in contributing to her becoming successful. Two main ones that stick out are her organization skills and her skill of using being a woman to her advantage instead of as a disadvantage. For the first one I mentioned, Mary Kay used the analogy of planning a vacation as a pointer to how we should plan our lives as she says that every detail is important if we are going to make it a worthwhile journey. Having this skill she was able to set small goals that reached up to her big dream. As for the second one I said. Feminity is something that may be seen as something negative in business, but Mary Kay decided to use this to her advantage through her looks and personality.

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

I wasn’t confused as much as I was shocked. During this time women, to say it bluntly, were not taken seriously. So for her to leave her traditional workplace, in an effort to set out and become successful on her own, I’m sure had many people shocked during this time period. She was one of the firsts that was fed up enough to have the tenacity to make something of herself.

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

One question that I would ask is was she scared going off on her own to try in make something of herself being a women at forty five years old? I would ask her this because I think given her age and sex this task could be very difficult. 

The second question I would ask is what would be her tips to keep pushing yourself even when things seem to be going against you? I would ask her this because Mary Kay Ash went through so many downfalls that could have really left her to just give up, but she never did. 

What do you think the entrepreneur’s opinion was of hard work?

When it comes to hard work I believe that Mary Kay ash think this is made up of many components. She explained how a career is more than a job and there are three components to success: Desire to succeed, the know-how, and applying yourself. Each of these steps to success require continuous hard work, which Mary Kay Ash exemplified and lived by. I also share this opinion because I believe in order to accomplish or succeed in something you must put in hard work to actually get something out of it. 

Assignment 12A- Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No.1

Choosing a Segment:

Within the market for my service I picked the segment of current non-gun owners. All three of my interviews were with non-gun owners. However, within this segment each of my interviewees was of different ages. One is a male who is a nineteen year old who cannot own a gun but could be affected by my service, one is a twenty two year old female who has been around firearms her whole life but does not own one herself, and the last is a forty-year-old mother who does not own one.

What I learned:

·      I learned that this is a very important segment within the market for my idea. Even though they may not be purchasing guns themselves they still hope that who does purchase one is qualified to for the sake of their own safety. And because of this desired need, it would push the government to really listen to my idea and it leads to a better chance of them actually implementing this service if society as a whole, including non-gun owners, feels strongly about it.

·      The forty-year-old mother expressed her concerns when she sends her kids off to a concert or a fair.  She worries the whole time, she says, that something horrifying could happen to her kids that have happened to others because of these frequent gun shootings. She said it would be her worst nightmare. Many of her friends who have children feel the same and it’s like they try to find answers within each other, she says, but none of them have any.

·      The twenty two year old female shared with me that growing up she was always taught to be very aware of her surroundings and if there ever was a gun shooter to drop to the ground as fast as possible or run. Ever since the recent shootings she has been curious of purchasing a gun for herself so that she feels safer. So she recently looked into getting her concealed weapons licenses.

·      As for the nineteen year old male he discussed the MSD shooting. He went to the high school that was very close to it. He talked about how many people really began to freak out the following days after the tragedy. Many schools, including his own, staged a walk out. This was the first response in them trying to find a solution to the problem: a protest.

Drawing Conclusions

·      This is a very large segment made of people with either very strong feelings on the subject or who are fearful. 

·      This segment seems very aware of this need the most when they are in very large public places and when more and more shootings appear on the news.

·      As for information search, this segment of people seems to be open to talk about it with friends and family. And they talk about wanting a solution to this problem but on their own cannot come up with one. So, for some to meet their need, like the 22-year-old female I interviewed, she looked into purchasing a gun for herself to protect her own self, while others have decided to form protests.

·      Even if people in this segment are not direct customers of the service they are still largely affected by it and are still having a very important need met if this service is in place.

Assignment 11A- Idea Napkin No.1

1.    Who you are. What your talents are. What your skills and experiences are. Also: what are your aspirations? Specifically regarding your business concept, how do you see this business (if you were to start it) playing a role in your life?

o   My name is Kaitlin Prece and I’m currently a UF freshman, Business General Studies major who specializes in Pre-Law. I have talent in being very athletic. I’ve played almost all the sports there is, but have done soccer competitively since I was six years old. I have a lot of experience with dealing with conflicts and finding solutions to them, so I would like to think I’m a good problem solver. I have many aspirations in life. I want to obviously be successful in the field I decide to go but I also want to be able to say I did different things that most people don’t do. Whether that involves little things like traveling, meeting people, or big things like making real differences for our society. I could see this business being a big part of my life because I’m passionate about advocating for people, especially for their safety. I would be many peoples voice in order for this service to be instilled.

2.    What are you offering to customers? Describe the product or service (in other words, how you'll solve customers' unmet needs). 

o   I’m offering customers a feeling of security and safety, both to people who directly use the service and also to those who do not, but are affected by those who do. This service will keep mentally unstable individuals from purchasing a firearm with the help of a psychological test. 

3.    Who are you offering it to? Describe, in as much detail as possible, the demographic and psychographic characteristics of your customers. Think especially of this question: what do your customers all have in common?

o   Technically I’m offering the idea to the government who will then supply it to the firearm businesses. I have to first get them to say yes, so that this service in then placed and enforced in all firearm stores. With this product it will not be difficult to get their attention or for them to hear me out since an overly large amount of society feels that this is an unmet need and are currently struggling to fix it.  But the actual people using the service are twenty one year olds and up, male or female, who are interested in purchasing a firearm.

4.     Why do they care? Your solution is only valuable insofar as customers believe its valuable to them. Here, explain why customers will actually pay you money to use your product or service. 

o   I believe there will be an overwhelmingly amount of people in favor of this service to be implemented because their own safety and their loved ones safety are very important to them. The use of firearms has recently become a topic of discussion and many desire a solution. As for why they would pay for this service, it is simply that if you really want a firearm you should be willing to pay the processing fee. Also, taking into consideration, currently customers already have to pay a processing fee for the background check so this would just be a small additional cost added onto that.

5.    What are your core competencies? What sets you apart from everyone else? Also: what do you have that nobody else has? 

o   Currently, a background check can only show if someone has been placed in an institution or if the government has declared him or her mentally unstable. Society is desperate for a solution that can at least be an effort to help the large problem that is in our society. And with my service it will do just that. Lives have been taken because of this unmet need. With my service, it gives society a feeling of comfort and assurance that each individual wanting to purchase a gun is being looked into extensively.

6.    Weaker/out-of-joint with others

o   I believe that these elements work well together. However, where a downside may appear is that when I go to the government with my idea they will be looking for reasoning behind the test, which means I would need to have connections with researchers who would be willing to do this research with me to figure out psychological reasoning’s behind the customers certain answers. But once I have that it would be almost like a ripple affect. It would start with going to the government, then they tell firearm businesses to implement it, and then society as a whole feels safer.