1. My name is James Klopman. I am a hard worker, organized and determined. I have taken rigorous courses in high school and throughout college so far. I always tried to work ahead and have made the necessary adjustments to succeed in each class. I worked at a movie theater for two years and gained valuable customer service experience. I do not know which specific career path I want to pursue. However, I know that I am interested in business and have a passion for sports. This hurricane shutter business would not play a major role in my life because it is seasonal and something that my friends and I would do on the side.
2. I am offering customers inexpensive hurricane shutter installations in the Broward County area of South Florida. Many people are on a tight budget as a result of the Corona Virus pandemic. Customers will save hundreds of dollars using my service compared to others and of course remain safe from the storms.
3. My customers will all be located in Broward County. Additionally, they will be looking to save money because they can't afford high-priced shutter services as a result of the Corona Virus pandemic. They are also seeking protection from hurricanes.
4. Customers will actually pay for my service because my friends and I have years of experience putting up hurricane shutters. We will be helping customers save anywhere from $200-400. We believe our friendly prices will attract many customers.
5. I believe my many years of experience and extremely low prices set my business apart from everyone else. I also believe I will be able to relate on a personal level with my customers. I have been a South Florida resident all my life and am aware of the pandemonium that comes with hurricane season.
I believe all these elements fit together and will allow me to have a very successful business each hurricane season. I am a perfectionist and will never give up. My peers suggested that I come up with a shutter removal package as well. I took that into consideration and will soon be determining if that is feasible. Additionally, my peers raved about the low prices my business offers, so I continued to emphasize that.
Saturday, June 13, 2020
18A Create a Customer Avatar
Although there was a website available for me to create my own customer avatar, I did not feel that was necessary because there are countless people who look different that are prototypical customers for my service. This is because I am offering the service to anyone who has shutters and lives in a home with windows in South Florida. I am not sure if I can accurately say what my customers favorite hobbies are, what cars they drive, what shows they watch, what children they have etc. However, I can say that most of my customers are usually adults. I do not necessarily consider myself a prototypical customer for hurricane shutter installations because I do not own a home or have a steady income. However, my parents are definitely prime customers for this service. It is hard for me to say if I share any similarities with my customer avatar because my customer base is so broad. I hope that I can help solve my customer needs of saving money and staying safe!
17A Elevator Pitch No. 2
https://vimeo.com/428854775
I received very helpful feedback from my peers on my first elevator pitch. The main advice was to speak with more passion, which I believe I did in this second pitch. Additionally, someone recommended that I add in the amount of money that people usually pay for hurricane shutter installations. I thought that tip was very useful and insightful for my customers so I added that in this video. I did not receive any feedback that was outright wrong or silly. I appreciate all the helpful feedback that my peers gave me. I am eager to hear their thoughts about this pitch!
I received very helpful feedback from my peers on my first elevator pitch. The main advice was to speak with more passion, which I believe I did in this second pitch. Additionally, someone recommended that I add in the amount of money that people usually pay for hurricane shutter installations. I thought that tip was very useful and insightful for my customers so I added that in this video. I did not receive any feedback that was outright wrong or silly. I appreciate all the helpful feedback that my peers gave me. I am eager to hear their thoughts about this pitch!
16A What's Your Secret Sauce
My unique human capital
- Organized- I am extremely neat and organized in everything that I do. This allows me to be efficient and maintain order.
- Bilingual- I took Spanish classes for 6 years from middle school to high school. I am fluent in the language and can communicate well with people who speak the language
- Determined- Whenever I have a goal in mind, I do not stop until I achieve it.
- Athletic- I have played sports all my life and am in good shape.
- Great work ethic- Similar to being determined, I consistently put in the necessary work in anything I do in order to be successful.
Interview #1
This is my friend Nick speaking. I have known him since we played little league baseball together. He talked about my strong work ethic and my ability to speak Spanish.
Interview #2
My friend David is speaking in this. He talked about my passion for sports and how I am always organized.
Interview #3
This interview was with my friend Eli, the funniest kid I know. He talked about my organizational skills and desire to keep everything clean. He also mentioned that I am determined.
Interview #4
My friend Ben is featured in this interview. He talks about how I am funny and athletic. He also mentioned my hair makes me unique lol.
Interview #5
My friend Jordan talks in this interview. He says I am a hard worker and very organized.
Overall, I would say that my friends view myself the same way I do. There were basically no differences in how we assessed myself. I had a feeling they would all talk about my organization skills. I think all my interviewees had accurate reports about me. I do not think that I would make any changes to my original list.
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
15A Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2
I continued to interview people that fit the segment of homeowners in Broward County. I interviewed three more of my neighbors who don't live as close to me. I would say each interview lasted roughly 10 minutes.
After providing them with alternatives such as prices that other people are offering to put up shutters, I realized that price mattered most to them. They all told me that my prices are over 100 dollars cheaper than what they usually pay. The quality and style of shutters are up to them since they are the ones who are providing me with the shutters to install for them. They mentioned that given these rough times, many people will search for the lowest possible price to save money.
My customers usually pay with cash. The people that I interviewed also said that they are more likely to pay with cash.
When my customers think back on the "rightness" of the service, they care most about getting their money's worth of what they paid for. That is, they look at if the shutters were installed correctly and if their families and homes were protected. Essentially anyone can put up shutters, even though it is sometimes grueling work. My interviewees explained that they will definitely contact me to put up shutters for them this hurricane season and beyond if all goes well. Otherwise, they would have been circling around the same potential people who are charging unfair prices.
Based on what I know about this segment and the information I gathered from my interviews, my target market segment care most about saving money for this service. They will pay with cash and determine if the service was worth it using the same criteria. This exercise helped me practice opportunity assessment which allowed me to refine my plan for this service.
After providing them with alternatives such as prices that other people are offering to put up shutters, I realized that price mattered most to them. They all told me that my prices are over 100 dollars cheaper than what they usually pay. The quality and style of shutters are up to them since they are the ones who are providing me with the shutters to install for them. They mentioned that given these rough times, many people will search for the lowest possible price to save money.
My customers usually pay with cash. The people that I interviewed also said that they are more likely to pay with cash.
When my customers think back on the "rightness" of the service, they care most about getting their money's worth of what they paid for. That is, they look at if the shutters were installed correctly and if their families and homes were protected. Essentially anyone can put up shutters, even though it is sometimes grueling work. My interviewees explained that they will definitely contact me to put up shutters for them this hurricane season and beyond if all goes well. Otherwise, they would have been circling around the same potential people who are charging unfair prices.
Based on what I know about this segment and the information I gathered from my interviews, my target market segment care most about saving money for this service. They will pay with cash and determine if the service was worth it using the same criteria. This exercise helped me practice opportunity assessment which allowed me to refine my plan for this service.
Monday, June 1, 2020
14A Halfway Reflection
1. To keep up with the requirements of this course, I have constantly been getting ahead. By the time a new week starts, I am already done with the corresponding assignments. I am already writing this post 18 days in advance of the due date.
2. I have felt like "giving up" multiple times because I have wanted to either watch TV, hang out with my friends or play basketball instead. My desire to get ahead and give myself more free time this summer pulled me through. A main reason why I have been getting ahead in this class is because I am also taking another class and have a job. I definitely feel like I have developed a tenacious attitude during the past two months.
3. Three tips that I would offer to next semester's student:
- Take advantage of every assignment being unlocked. Get ahead!
- Watch each lecture because the cupcake questions come directly from them.
- Set goals for yourself and plan a schedule that will keep you from falling behind.
13A Reading Reflection No.1
I selected to read "Shoe Dog" by Phil Knight from the first half of the Official ENT 3003 Reading List. This was a very interesting autobiography. I chose this because I have countless shoes, shirts and shorts from Nike.
1. I was most surprised to learn that he operated out of the trunk of his car the first year that he was given shoes to sell in America. I most admired the fact that he followed his dreams and did not let negativity from others get in the way. Additionally, I thought it was very cool that he called the CEO of the Tiger brand at such a young age. This showed that he had courage and knew the importance of being a "go-getter" in life. I could not come up with anything about Phil Knight that I did not admire. He was awesome. He overcame tons of adversity and struggles by being persistent and keeping his eyes on the prize.
2. I noticed a few competencies that Phil Knight exhibited. He had a knack for surrounding himself with great people that would propel the business. He also let his employees in on big decisions and it was this transparency that separated Nike from its competition. The employees of this company were also given freedom and creativity because of Knight's way of thinking. He was a genius.
3. I was a little bit confused about the original agreement that he came to with the Tiger brand and Mr. Onitsuka.
4. If I were able to ask two questions to Phil Knight:
If you could go back in time to any point in your journey, what would you change and why?
What sports brand is most likely to eventually de-throne Nike?
I would ask him the first question because I believe people always have regrets and desires to "re-do" certain things in their life. I would ask him the second question because currently there are tons of successful sports brands other than Nike such as Adidas and Under Armour. Nike is still the best. Although, it is only a matter of time before Nike is surpassed. I am curious as to who he would say would be the most likely to do it.
5. I think Phil Knight valued hard work in the highest regard. He had worked hard his whole life and turned nothing into one of the most successful companies of all time. He was a perfectionist and was almost never satisfied. He always searched for improvement! I do share that opinion and think that mindset is required in order to lead a successful business.
1. I was most surprised to learn that he operated out of the trunk of his car the first year that he was given shoes to sell in America. I most admired the fact that he followed his dreams and did not let negativity from others get in the way. Additionally, I thought it was very cool that he called the CEO of the Tiger brand at such a young age. This showed that he had courage and knew the importance of being a "go-getter" in life. I could not come up with anything about Phil Knight that I did not admire. He was awesome. He overcame tons of adversity and struggles by being persistent and keeping his eyes on the prize.
2. I noticed a few competencies that Phil Knight exhibited. He had a knack for surrounding himself with great people that would propel the business. He also let his employees in on big decisions and it was this transparency that separated Nike from its competition. The employees of this company were also given freedom and creativity because of Knight's way of thinking. He was a genius.
3. I was a little bit confused about the original agreement that he came to with the Tiger brand and Mr. Onitsuka.
4. If I were able to ask two questions to Phil Knight:
If you could go back in time to any point in your journey, what would you change and why?
What sports brand is most likely to eventually de-throne Nike?
I would ask him the first question because I believe people always have regrets and desires to "re-do" certain things in their life. I would ask him the second question because currently there are tons of successful sports brands other than Nike such as Adidas and Under Armour. Nike is still the best. Although, it is only a matter of time before Nike is surpassed. I am curious as to who he would say would be the most likely to do it.
5. I think Phil Knight valued hard work in the highest regard. He had worked hard his whole life and turned nothing into one of the most successful companies of all time. He was a perfectionist and was almost never satisfied. He always searched for improvement! I do share that opinion and think that mindset is required in order to lead a successful business.
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