TestNewBlogUF

1) You. 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? I'm a third generation farmer.  I've spent a great deal of time learning animal husbandry as well as farm and ranch management.  I'm currently the manager of a cattle ranch in the Florida panhandle but I have aspirations to diversify the ranch over the next five years using insect protein.  I have experience managing and operating a blueberry packing house; I think those skills will transfer well into processing insect protein.  This business will be integral to my career and lifestyle.  I do not find the idea of multiple businesses or operations overwhelming me because I enjoy some complexity and especially new challenges.  2)  What are you offering to customers?  Describe the product o...

Reflection from Pitch No. 1: I was surprised at the number of "ums" I could squeeze into a two-minute video.  I was also thankful most of the viewers liked my pitch even though it was a tad long.  Those were really the only issues viewers commented on. I tried to improve upon the concerns that were raised so I genuinely hope you like this one better! I don't think I said nearly as many "ums" and this video is roughly 90 seconds long.  I also worked on the power statements some and changed where I took the video so that it's from a more natural angle and I had ample room to move.  I also tried to make my movements more natural but I'm not entirely sure if I succeeded.  Please let me know! Here is my second Elevator Pitch.  I finally got one I can live with after 8 takes; I hope you enjoy it!  Please leave me comments so I can improve!! :) Jerrett's 2nd Elevator Pitch Thanks for watching! Sincerely, Jerrett

I'd like you to describe your prototypical customer in that segment with as much detail as you can. Include pictures, too. Tell us their story! What kind of hobbies does your customer have? What kind of car do they tend to drive? (What color is it?) What TV shows do they watch? Do they have children? Are any of them adopted? What are their favorite books, and who are their favorite politicians? How old are they? How old do they feel? And so on. The richer the detail, the better.  After you have created this customer avatar, I'd like you to answer this final set of questions: What do  you  have in common with the customer avatar? If you have anything in common with the avatar, do you think that is a coincidence? Why? I think my prototypical customer is a husband with 15-20 chickens or a small aquacultural operation.  They will typically be hobbyist with "real" jobs away from home.  Their children will be heavily involved in animal care and the farming portion...

1)  Describe five ways in which you think you have human capital that is truly unique.  What is it about you, exactly, that makes you different? Write this up in a detailed list.   1) Honesty is truly an aspiration of mine.  I detest dishonesty and therefore strive to be truthful, especially when it hurts. 2) I try to aslways provide straightforward answers. I think beating around the bush is often a waste of time.  I do try to be considerate of others' feelings yet I make it a point to be truthful when I am questioned or asked for advice. 3) I consider myself a dilligent worker. I truly enjoy working hard, especially with my hands. 4) I'm fairly outgoing.  I jump at opportunites to try new and exciting things. I love people and investing in them; I often use activities to build better relationships and bonds. 5) I like to be the best.  I'm a very competetive person.  Maybe that's why I enjoy working alone; what better competetor do I have ...

1) Interview three people: Mr. Miller Mrs. Bowman Kyle O. 3)  B egin with alternative evaluation.  In the last case exercise, you determined how customers sought information related to solving their need. The outcome of this step is to produce a set of alternatives. Customers pick from among this set of alternatives. In this step, your job is to figure out how they do their picking. Does price matter the most? Does quality? Does style? Is there more than one factor that is important to your customer segment? Price and quality are really where it's at for my potential customers. The feed itself isn't that complicated and competition isn't as intense given how rural the area is. I'll be the closest producer by far.  I may save them up to $20 in gas each week if they drive to another town. One of the local gas stations also sells feed but I can likely supply him feed as well and he also charges more than say Tractor Supply in town due to his customers' elasticit...

1) You read about an entrepreneur: Grinding It Out by Ray Kroc What surprised you the most? What surprised me the most was the overwhelmingly positive attitude Kroc had.  He seemed nearly unphased by quite significant pitfalls and crooked businessmen.  No doubt he would get mad, but then he could kick them down like he was breaching a door. What about the entrepreneur did you most admire? I admired his tenacious attitude.  Nothing could stop him.  When he encountered huge problems, he simply found someone who he knew could help and they worked out a solution.  Fast. What about the entrepreneur did you  least  admire? While his wife did abandon him in a sense, he also abandoned his family.  It seemed that he treated his family more like a business, too.  When something better came along, he lept for it.  The drawn-out situation of asking Joni, who later became his third wife, to marry him, knowing she had a husband who ...

For this exercise, I'd like you to reflect on the past two months. In your post for this exercise, pretend that you're talking to a student from next semester's course. What would you tell them? 1)  Tenaciousness is a competency.  What are the behaviors that you have used (or developed) to keep up with the requirements of this course?  I'm currently a ranch manager, graduate research assistant, and a full-time graduate student.  Reintegrating into student life after working full-time last summer has been tough.  I've struggled to find satisfaction in work that's rarely tangible.  As a rancher, I understand grit and perseverance despite setbacks.  But, it's often difficult to carry that through to solely intellectual work.  However, is possible.  I had to change my mindset, set realistic yet difficult goals, and build satisfaction.  I've focused on doing everything to the best of my ability.  I watch lectures with inte...

Pick a segment.  In class, we have discussed how you might intuit the existence of segments that might exist in your venture's market. For this exercise, you must pick one segment.   So far, I think there are quite a few segments for my market: commercial fish fingerling suppliers, private pond owners, industrial fish producers, hobbyists in both poultry and aquaculture, and commercial poultry producers. I decided to focus on the hobbyist for poultry. Find three people who would fit that segment and arrange to interview them. I interviewed three different poultry farmers from Northwest Florida. Each of them has a slightly different operation.   Move to information search.  When the person you are interviewing becomes aware of their need, what is the very first thing they do to find a solution to their problem? What sources of information do they look for? When they search in Google, what are their search terms? Do they talk to friends and family? D...

1. You. 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? I am a cattle rancher from the Panhandle of Florida.  I’ve raised beef cattle, chickens, turkeys, quail, and fish.  My goal is to be a full-time farmer before I die.  I have been pondering how to diversify the cattle operation and I like the idea of producing something more efficient and protein-rich, such as insects. If I were to start this business, it would be in addition to my current agricultural operations.  I would plan out and construct the growing apparatus and undoubtedly spend a couple years working with the first trials.  Of course, that process would essentially be never-ending since, generally speaking, successful businesses never stops improving, learning.  They adapt and change with their affili...