8A – Solving The Problem

1. The city of Oviedo, Florida, does not have a local comic shop, despite fast-changing demographics of the city suggesting there would be customers for one. The closest comic shop is over 20 minutes away by toll road highway. 
2. A Local Comic Shop, henceforth abbreviated as LCS, would be a success in the city of Oviedo. Oviedo is in need of an LCS due to the demographics of the city shifting as the city grows bigger in wealth and in population. It is in a good school district with quality public schools, meaning many new or young families live there. These are potential customers. It is also a short drive from UCF, and many UCF students live there. College-aged males are a big part of comic readership, so this represents potential customers as well. The neighboring city, Winter Springs, and Oviedo share many places of food and drink, entertainment, and shopping, due to the cities' proximity to each other. An LCS in Oviedo would still be a very short drive for someone in Winter Springs, thereby serving that population as well. Finally, UCF has many small game (board games, pen and paper games, tabletop games, not video games - though there is some overlap) shops located around it, but no LCSes. These two hobbies share a large portion of their customers, so the amount of successful game stores suggests that an LCS in a nearby area would also be successful.

7A – Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

1. Comic shop in Oviedo, Florida
2. The city of Oviedo, Florida, is on the rise, but there is no comic book store within city limits. The closest stores are 20 minutes away or further. 
1. The who: Oviedo citizens (potentially neighbor city Winter Springs citizens as well).
2. The what: People who are part of comic culture have no close place to gather or fulfill their comic related needs.
3. The why: Oviedo does not have any comic stores.
3. Testing the...
1. who: Everyone in my "who" shares the need, because that is who my "who" is targeting. Confusing language, but I will elaborate. Comic book fans, as a whole, enjoy the experience of going to comic shops. One of the foundations of the comic book culture is going to your Local Comic Shop, commonly abbreviated to LCS. Going to an LCS is about more than picking up that week's issues and leaving; it's about having someplace where you know you can always find like-minded peers, have healthy debates, or just shoot the breeze with friends.
2. what: Do all comic fans necessarily want to go somewhere, even close by? What about people who shop solely online? Not all comic fans need a real life place to gather, considering the prevalence of online forums. Also, not as many people read comics as used to.
3. why: Maybe there's a good reason there isn't an LCS in my hometown. Did previous attempts at one fail? Has there ever been an LCS in Oviedo? Was it successful? The demographics of Oviedo may just not be the same ones that make a successful comic store. 
4. Many comic fans these days want the experience of a comic shop. I expected this. However, many bypass the physical comics altogether, and just read digital. I found that people who only got into comics by reading digital do not have as much of an interest in a brick and mortar shop compared to people who got into the hobby with physical issues. There are some who have never been to an LCS, or have only been sparingly, that would like to have an actual close location to go to. Additionally, I surveyed UF's Comics club, and although this does not pertain specifically to my hometown, many of the members actually do take extra steps to get their comics in person and hang out in the LCS environment. 
5. I did not think about the fact that there are a lot of comic fans who only read online. Many of those fans read by pirating content, which I understood and expected, but I thought that was only for convenience. As seen in the music industry, the more convenient a method of content retrieval is, the more it is used, even it costs money (streaming music vs pirating). I thought this would be true for the comic industry, and it is in some cases, but not nearly to the extent I expected. 
1. I may have to amend my idea to make it less niche.

6A – Identifying Opportunities in Economic & Regulatory Trends

1. Owning Property in Gainesville
1. https://www.trulia.com/real_estate/Gainesville-Florida/market-trends/
2. I think that the increase in the price of Gainesville real estate over the past 10 years indicates that owning property in Gainesville is an opportunity.
3. If you're the one owning property, selling or renting to college students and/or their families is the best customer.
4. This is difficult to get into but easy to make profit from. It's hard to get into because you have to have the money to buy property. It would be easy to sell because UF is the best university in Florida and many of its students have families with the means to buy or rent your property.
5. I think real estate is always in the back of every entrepreneur's mind. It's something that's easy to understand but hard to master.
2. Shipping and Logistics for Online Retailers
1. https://www.statista.com/statistics/266282/annual-net-revenue-of-amazoncom/
2. I think that the increase of Amazon revenue indicates that many more things are being sold online, and someone has to ship that. This also follows with other retailers but Amazon is the biggest and most obvious example. 
3. Online retailers, both big and small, need someone to ship their product. USPS, UPS, Fedex, and other logistics are the most well known logistics companies, but for mass transportation, more trucks are needed.
4. Thinking on it, I believe this opportunity would be difficult to exploit. There are already many established logistics companies. This opportunity would have to be different enough to make someone choose it over a reliable company.
5. I formed this belief based on the idea that more revenue means more product sold means more product shipped. I believe Amazon does in house shipping, but other online retailers have the same needs.
3. A Business for Rehabilitating Greyhounds
1. https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2018/11/08/greyhound-racing-ban-florida-means-thousands-dogs-will-need-new-homes/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.209af88177b8
2. Greyhound racing was voted to be made illegal this past November, and in two years or less, those dogs are going to have nowhere to go. There will be a business for taking in greyhounds that aren't "worth" anything to their previous owners who only used them to race.
3. The customer will be people who will pay to give us their old dogs, and also, people who would buy rehabilitated greyhounds.
4. This is difficult to exploit. It requires veterinarian experience as well as a the time and space to care for big athletic dogs. It also won't be a long lasting opportunity.
5. I see this opportunity because I wonder where all the dogs were going to go. I figure many of the owners don't actually care about the dogs as pets, so who will care for them?
4. Selling Green Energy Devices
1. https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/home-ownership/energy-tax-credit-which-home-improvements-qualify/L5rZH56ex
2. Tax credits for having renewable energy devices in a house or business were changed for tax year 2018. Selling green technology is about to be huge.
3. The customer would be people wanting to implement or purchase green technology in order to start saving from tax credits.
4. This is difficult to exploit due to the cost of manufacturing renewable technology such as solar panels. It can be costly and there is a growing, but not guaranteed, buying market. 
5. I see this opportunity because some people I know opted to get one car over another due to the one car being electric because of the way the tax credits are in the new tax year.

5A – Identifying Local Opportunities

1. Nursing homes value profits more than care of elderly - Guest column
1. https://infoweb-newsbank-com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AORLB%21Orlando%2BSentinel%252C%2BThe%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0125%21January%2B25&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/1712BE1D9627E7D0
2. The nursing home industry claims that its nursing homes are broke and that residents need more money for better care, but in reality, nursing homes get a lot of money through lobbying and subsidies. They use that money to line the administrators' pockets and pay for lobbyists.
3. The problem is that there is a major disconnect between nursing home admins and the nursing homes themselves, especially in chain homes.
4. The elderly in the homes, their families, and the lower level workers in the homes all share this problem.
2. Police: Drug heist led to fatal shooting
1. https://infoweb-newsbank-com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AORLB%21Orlando%2BSentinel%252C%2BThe%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0125%21January%2B25&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/1712BE1C95C33290
2. A man involved in a drug theft shot someone on the escape and killed him. The police were able to capture the shooters and recover the drugs.
3. The problem is that some people stole a bunch of drugs from other people and one of them was killed in the process.
4. The killer has this problem, the accomplices have this problem, and the deceased and the deceased's loved ones have this problem. Also, the community in which this happened.
3. UCF officials stripped of bonuses - President, ex-CFO sanctioned after misspending of $38M
1. https://infoweb-newsbank-com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AORLB%21Orlando%2BSentinel%252C%2BThe%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0125%21January%2B25&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/1712BE1D699F51B8
2. The UCF President and CFO were stripped of their bonuses, and the CFO resigned, after mismanaging funds to the tune of $38 million on the construction of a new building.
3. The problem is that the President and former CFO spent money in a way that the state does not allow schools to spend budget surpluses. 
4. The UCF President and former CFO have one problem. The state has another problem. The students and employees have the problem of money being mismanaged at their institution.
4. Abused wife needs a safety plan, exit strategy
1. https://infoweb-newsbank-com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AORLB%21Orlando%2BSentinel%252C%2BThe%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0125%21January%2B25&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/1712BE1E05462C88
2. There is a woman who wants advice in working things out with her husband. She thinks he's good but in reality he slaps her and trips her. The writer suggests she get out ASAP with the kids. 
3. The problem is the abusive husband and the woman who thinks her husband isn't as bad as he really is.
4. The woman and her kids have the problem with the stepfather/husband. The writer has a problem with them staying together.
5. Hope turns to disappointment after photos of Ertel in blackface - Orlando Sentinel Editorial
1. https://infoweb-newsbank-com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AORLB%21Orlando%2BSentinel%252C%2BThe%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0125%21January%2B25&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/1712BE1E5A42A800
2. Florida's newly appointed secretary of state resigned in disgrace after it was revealed that he went as an offensive stereotype in blackface in 2005, as a fully grown man in his 30s (not a dumb teenager).
3. The problem is that a popular government official was exposed using racist stereotypes for entertainment.
4. The governor has this problem, the former official has this problem, and the citizens of Florida have a problem with a racist in office.

4A – Forming An Opportunity Belief

1. I believe there is an opportunity in my hometown of Oviedo, Florida, for a comic book shop.
2. The unmet need is for comics and comic related merchandise, such as graphic novels, statues, board games, and other such memorabilia. Who has the unmet need? Comic fans who have to drive 15 minutes or more to a comic shop. There was once one in the main mall in the town, but it closed, so now the closest ones are at least a 15 minute (on a good day) drive away. To meet this need now, people are driving that distance or ordering online, neither of which can replace the feel and culture of a local comic shop. Going to your "LCS" has always been a huge part of comic culture. I am 100% sure this opportunity exists, as I no there is no comic shop in Oviedo.
3. The prototypical customer would be a young person, likely 18-34. Mostly male, but there are many dedicated female comic fans as well. It would be someone who values loyalty to the store. The person would value having a lasting relationship with the businesses they shop at. A secondary customer to capture would be an older comic fan in their 40s-50s, which most of the other traits being the same.
1. First Interview
1. Having to drive to Sanford (20 minutes north) just to get comics. She usually experiences it on Wednesdays, because that's the day when new comics come out. Since the only comic shop in the area closed more than a year ago. Currently she has to make that 20 minute drive at least once a week, and she is unsatisfied because of it.
4. The prototypical customer is the same as previously described, but I can now narrow the niche further by adding that it would be someone who values time and/or doesn't have the patience or money for the cost of gas driving back and forth, but still wants the comic shop experience.
1. Second interview
1. He finds shopping in person better and easier because he can leaf through issues. He never starts new series from online readings, only in person. He is aware of this issue every Wednesday when he sees new issues that he can't/doesn't want to read online. They've had this need since they've begun reading comics (2+ years). He became aware of this need when he moved from a town with a store to a town without a store and had to change his habits. He currently uses online comics, but doesn't like it. He also pirates comics because there is not a store around him, but he would gladly pay for comics if it were easier. He obviously likes the price (free) of pirating comics online, but he would still rather be in person where he can hold a physical copy and talk to other like-minded fans.
5. Finally, the last iteration of the prototypical customer takes into account all the previous things, but with the addition of the thought that people will pay for convenience even when they could pirate, and the value of having a meeting place for people with similar interests.
1. Third interview
1. He wants comics the day they're released but doesn't want to go far to get them. He became aware of the need only in the last year because he only recently became a fan of actual comics. They feel the need on Wednesdays when the new comics come out. They've had the need since they became a fan. They are currently pirating online comics and driving on special occasions, and they are moderately satisfied, but they want/would be more satisfied with a short drive to a comic shop not only for Wednesdays, but on other days to meet friends, buy related things like tabletop game supplements, or just spend time browsing.
6. Reflect: I learned that my opportunity seems valid. Others in the community share my hope for a store close by. Although it wasn't specifically mentioned, I think the idea of being a "regular" at some place is satisfying to most people, and that interviewees 2 and 3 wanted that aspect of the in person experience as well. Surprisingly, the second interview turned me onto the idea that yes, a lot of people pirate comics, but for many people, it's only because they don't have the convenience of a close store. I had not considered that aspect of it. People are willing to pay for the experience of something they could otherwise get for free. 
7. My original opportunity is still there. In fact, it is clear to me that there is even more of a need than I originally thought. Because of that, I do think that my new opportunity is more accurate than my original. The key is to hone in one the in person experience, which I did mention originally, but not thoroughly enough. I was focused more on the annoyance of driving, but it seems that while the drive is less important, the person connection is more important. I think entrepreneurs should adapt as much as they can without compromising what made them love the idea in the first place. "The customer is always right" comes to mind. Not that the jerk that comes into your store deserves to stay in the store, but that whatever the customer wants to buy, you should be selling. In my case, that would mean selling comics and other "nerd stuff" literally, but figuratively selling the "local comic shop" experience and getting people to return. 

3A – Your Entrepreneurship Story

My mom has always been looking for new opportunities to do business. She isn't happy if she isn't busy. That's not to say that she isn't a caring mother who took the time to raise her kids, but when she wasn't nurturing us, she was doing something. Over the years, she's cooked, sold kitchen tools, been a travel agent, helped manage a spa, been a marketing agent, and designed and printed custom t-shirts. These are just some of the things she's done, off the top of my head. Since I was young, I saw the determination, drive, and tenacity that made my mom successful time and again, and I wanted to copy that, in some way.

I mostly enrolled in ENT3003 for the credit, because I need business credits to fulfill my non-business degree, and I heard good things about Professor Pryor. But after syllabus week, I actually became excited to be in this class. It made me realize that I actually had a few business ideas bouncing around inside my head. Nothing too crazy or different, just some things that I'm passionate about, and I think others could be too. I've made some fake commercials in the past for silly products, and I think I can apply that humorous talent to making something real.

2A – Bug List

1. The traffic lights on University Ave/Newberry going west towards I-75 don't line up, so while the light you're at is red, the next light is green, but since the first light is red, nobody can go through the green light. Then when you do get to that second light, it turns red, so the first light being green is pointless because traffic is backed up. Just sync up the lights!!!
1. The bug exists because of poor traffic planning that doesn't compensate for the increased traffic that has developed since the lights were put in and programmed.
2. The RTS app isn't always accurate as to where the bus is, so it makes it hard to accurately plan when I go on campus.
1. The bug exists because the GPS in the buses isn't as accurate as it should be, for whatever reason.
3. Making a left turn out of my apartment complex means I have to cross both lanes of traffic, and during the busy hours in the morning or evening, this is nearly impossible.
1. This bug exists because there isn't any traffic lights, and the road I live on is a two lane road that is the main road through the area I live in.
4. To get to my girlfriend's house, I have to make a left turn through oncoming traffic. The light is red to turn left, so I have to wait for the green left turn light. But, if I go up one intersection, the next one has a blinking yellow or green left turn at all times, which makes it faster but less convenient to go to the next light and make a U-turn to get into her neighborhood.
1. The bug exists because of outdated traffic programming, similar to the other traffic problems I have.
5. The web client I use to run my Dungeons and Dragons games has some features that don't work intuitively and make things just inconvenient enough for me to complain. 
1. This bug exists because the program is trying to run in-browser rather than being it's own application. This makes it easier to access for more people but limits the scope of what it can do.
6. My lungs aren't good enough to work by themselves, so I have to breathe through my inhaler before I work out at the gym. It is annoying to have to carry an extra thing and worry about whether or not I can do certain activities.
1. This bug exists because I have asthma.
7. When I make tea, it comes out too hot, but if I add ice to cool it down quicker, it waters the tea down too much. If I don't heat it up properly, the tea doesn't mix into the water as well.
1. This bug exists because I haven't found the perfect ratio of water/time heating/ice.
8. I drive on the interstate a lot, and people slow down for a car on the side of the road that is well out of the way of the road itself, for no reason.
1. This bug exists because of people wanting to "rubber neck" so I keep looking forward out of spite. 
9. My cat gets really excited every morning around sunrise and runs all over my bed and meows at me, but she has access to her food, water, and litter, and when I get myself out of bed to play with her, she doesn't even care.
1. This bug exists because cats are an enigma that we cannot know the true purpose of. 
10. My room in my apartment is hotter than the other two rooms in the apartment, for some reason. To get my room cooled down, the thermostat has to be set extra low, which makes the rest of the apartment and rooms too chilly.
1. This bug might exist because of bad HVAC infrastructure. 
11. My car's horn doesn't work when I press it in the wheel. If I lock it via the keys, the horn beeps. So clearly, it still works somehow.
1. This bug exists because some of the wiring in my 13 year old vehicle must have gotten disconnected or something.
12. The User Interface of the video game I play with my friends got changed recently to be the same across PC, Xbox, and PS4. This UI looks and works terribly on PC, and is annoying to navigate and ugly to look at.
1. This bug exists because the developers wanted to bring all the platforms closer together in order to manage them easier, rather than developing one UI for console and one for PC. 
13. I can't find a computer chair that is comfortable with my posture. I like to sit up straight but most of the chairs at office stores are made for people who like to slouch, lean back, or both. 
1. This bug exists because most people have bad posture.
14. Despite UF having a lot of students that commute, the parking situation is abysmal. I've heard from professors and administrative staff that their parking situation is bad too. I don't understand how the school hasn't evolved with the growing population in Gainesville.
1. This bug exists because UF didn't want to take the time, space, and money, to make the extra space.
15. My scholarship last fall, which is supposed to pay for cost of attendance, took a month and a half to completely come in, and during that time, I had to pay rent and buy groceries. The state messed up and once I got the money, I didn't get the full amount, and that took another two weeks to sort out.
1. This bug exists possibly because of poor communication between the scholarship fund, the state, and the school. The bureaucracy, I suppose.
16. On the trips between my home and UF, my cat gets really stressed out and poops in her carrying crate.
1. This bug exists because my cat hates car rides, but I don't know why that is. 
17. I am a comic nerd, and I am subscribed to DC/Warner Bros.'s streaming service, DC Universe. The exclusive shows are good, but the app and website are not that well made. Everything takes a while to load or doesn't load at all.
1. This bug exists because I think they were trying to keep the budget as low as possible, and it shows.
18. Netflix autoplays "previews" of their shows or movies when you hover over them. Often these previews either spoil the show/movie or are just random clips with instrumental music played over them. Does anyone actually like this feature?
1. This bug exists because Netflix wants you to become more interested in their content so you keep their service around.
19. The self checkout lines at Walmart are always really long, but the cashier lines are slow because cashiers are slow.
1. This bug exists because people want to be quick and handle things themselves, but it actually makes the self checkout take as long or longer than the cashier checkouts, even though most cashiers at Walmart are pretty slow.
20. The shower in my apartment is either scalding hot or chilly cold. There is no in between. I have to wait in the hot shower, barely touching the water, until it's gotten to a comfortable warm rather than scalding hot. This wastes water and is uncomfortable and inconvenient to me.
1. This bug exists because of poor water heating management in my apartment.

I did find this list difficult, because I don't have a lot to complain about, in general. I am not a pessimistic person. I do not complain about a lot of things. I believe in just going with the flow of whatever life gives you. The only things on this list that are truly bothersome things that I think about a lot are the traffic related ones. They bug me the most because some of them are so preventable or avoidable, but people are often too self-absorbed to realized that if they drove in a safe, predictable way, we'd all get where we wanted to go faster and smoother. Traffic lights should be reprogrammed every few years to adapt to the changes in the area. 

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