29A - Venture Concept No. 2

What are the forces or changes in the environment creating this opportunity? 

When you love something you want to talk about it and share it with others. I would say that the pleasure and education of natural history and the forces of stewardship and conservation are what are driving this opportunity.

• How is this market defined geographically and demographically? 

The market is define as the north central region of Indiana. This might be gerrymandered as having a southernmost point at Anderson, Indiana and a northernmost point of Fort Wayne, Indiana,  an easternmost point of the Ohion state line and a westernmost point of Peru, Indiana. Regarding demographics, I can see myself hosting children’s classes for interested students. I am interested in the mature teen or university student and particularly the lifelong learner— wherever they are in life. I am interested in learners who are willing to engage the subject as active learners. 

• How are customers currently satisfying this need?  And how loyal are they to whatever they use now?  

Customers are  now using the local bird club and/or programs offered at local state parks. The problem is twofold and in respective order. A narrow range of programs and also a really distant drive to the state parks from our region of Indiana. A shallow range of options is really the biggest issue that I have seen, outside of a far drive for any student of these classes. I know one guy who drove over an hour for a monthly nature class I attended. 

• How big is this opportunity?

I think about 25% of any sample of people would be willing to go out on an educational walk and learn about the flora and fauna of the local area. 

• How long will the “window of opportunity” be open? 

This window of opportunity will be open until someone steps up and fills the gap that I”m looking to work into.

What are the reasons to think customers would switch to this new product?  How hard will it be to get them to switch?  

People will switch because of price and location. Our classes will be free and local. They don’t have to drive an hour to enjoy a state park program or hike. Effective marketing through word of mouth and facebook and Instagram will make them aware of the club and help to persuade them to switch to us. 

• Who are the competitors?  What are their possible weaknesses or vulnerabilities?  

Our competitors are primarily the state park nature centers. However they really only cater to children. Even their adult programs are festooned with childlike teachers and activities. It’s foolish and silly, but still appreciated at times. One of the biggest weakness is that they do not delve deep into their subject matters. They simply give the subject a breif look rather than taking weeks and months to study and learn about a subject. 

Another competitor are online classes. There are many free or paid that are available for various subjects within the natural world. What is missing is the sense of locality and and community. 

• What role does packaging, your price points, distribution, customer support, the customer experience or the business location play (if any) in defining your business concept? 

Effective graphic design of marketing materials (AKA packaging) will be helpful. The locations will be parks and preserves. For classroom settings learning we will use library conference rooms or simply go on a walk while we lecture and Q&A. We can also support local mom and pop coffeehouses and host classes there as well.  

• How would you organize a “business” to support the ongoing production of your new product, service, or process? How many employees? What roles are in the venture?

The core of the people part of this club will simply be mentors or teachers. While they will not be the focus of the class, they will point students towards the subject why are teaching about. These people will be fact-based but also have a bit of the griot inside of them that can spin a good yarn!

As you might have guesses, small-town Indiana is quiet. Some have said that that fact is prone to setting its residents off into a literary direction for their lives. Perhaps that’s true. Many, for sure, of Indiana’s residents are already comfortable with the land and are sheepish, awkward (at first) and non-gregarious (at first). These things change when you bring people with similar interests together over medium-to-long periods of time. 

That is my mission. To bring these people together and to grow their populations so that stewardship and conservation are given their due place in the mind of Hoosiers. I really think that keeping things local and surrounding the subject are what will be the lifeblood of this type of organization.The motto of one western college is apt here: The search for truth in the company of friends. 

I did not receive much critical feedback that helped me to manipulate the idea. I did receive much feedback that this idea would be best at a free price point. I think that is good and fine and acceptable. 

The  biggest change in the concept is the addition of classes for children. I didn’t want o be a babysitter. I refuse to be that as an organization. If there will be children’s nature-study, they will be accompanied by an adult. This way those special moments of amazement and discovery can be shared with someone they love and trust. Plus I wouldn’t have to babysit them all throughout the walk! Also, going into this, I thought I could charge a small fee. Coming out of the class, I really don’t see that as a feasible option. 

Hey, thanks for putting up with my rambling this semester. From Indiana, cheers. 

Reading Reflection No. 3

Spring is here in northern Indiana. Hope you’re all enjoying it. Have a great summer. Thanks for putting up with my posts this semester :). 

1) What was the general theme or argument of the book?

David Nasaw talked about the life and work of Andrew Carnegie in this massive volume (almost finished it!). Nasaw talks about not what made Carnegie a rich man, but rather how Andrew operated within his life and business. Not always on the up and up (suppressing workers backlash and whatnot). 

2) How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?

If nothing else the life of Andrew Carnegie is a testament to the will of someone who is willing to get out and interact with their world. To hustle and grind is a necessity for anyone looking for financial success as Carnegie himself made. 

3) If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve?

Andrew’s life is a classic example of coming from a humble beginning and rising to the top in one’s work life. I would recommend mapping out, actually trying to map it (point A, point B, point C, etc) the pivotal moments in Carnegie’s career. Once complete take a deep dive into those points on the map (or timeline, if you will) and talk about the qualities of those points. We’re they a result of deft business dealings, useful relationships, or something else altogether?

4) What was your biggest surprise or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that differed most from your expectations?

One of the most tragic bits of data I gleaned from the book is about his last push against the world. Andrew saw the beginnings of the Great Ware and did everything he could to bring peace to the world instead of chaos. His wealth and status could not stop chaos from erupting and he died knowing that his efforts were in vain. 

This is (forgive me) slightly similar to a Steve Jobs looking back before his death and seeing what a mistake it was to give everybody a smartphone. 

25A - What’s Next?

Existing Market

Talking to the existing market was again helpful in that I’m able to use the experience and intuition of others. One person talked about offering educational hikes to groups of homeschool children. Homeschool children are usually networked with other homeschool children so getting into a few of these networks should open up more doors in the area. 

Another person talked about how important marketing would be as a next step in the idea. Getting the word out to people in the county that educational nature hikes are available is in itself a task, especially where competing for attention with activities such as high school sports, or even the work lives of busy individuals. 

My aunt said to think about a business plan and in what ways I could run the organization as if it were a large nonprofit. Taking these steps, she said, would avoid laziness and corner cutting and allow the small nonprofit to grow gracefully into whatever size it needs to be. 

New Market

A new market might be, as mentioned above, homeschool children’s groups. But another avenue of growth could be talking with local seniors groups. As an example, the state park about 45 minutes north of us has a seniors’ lunch and meeting several times a month. At these lunches they enjoy food and fellowship as well as listening to local nature experts talk about their area of expertise. I could try to work these types of groups into my idea as an additional way to spread the word and knowledge of the nature around us. I have already been invited to speak at one of these. 

I think that, much like a stand up comic working clubs, doing these types of events are not helpful solely in the fact of getting out and doing the events, but also in the connections and relationships made with the administrators of these facilities. That might allow for additional talks and walks with organizations such as local schools and universities. 

One of the reasons this new market is not as attractive as the original is because this group is not likely to go out into the field and study in situ. Most of their enjoyment might come from the comfort of their home or a fellowship hall at a church or state park. My main goal is to get people outside in nature learning. 

30A - Final Reflection

1) Read through your posts from this semester. Recall all of the experiences you've had a long the way -- the highs, the lows -- the fun moments, and the moments of drudgery, and even the moments of dread.

The highs were taking an idea—simply an idea — and putting it on display for the world to criticize it. South of where we live is a place called Jefferson Proving Grounds. It was a WWII ordnance tastings facility. They dropped lots of small artillery and heavy weapons testing on the site. I wondered why it was called a proving ground until I learned that the word prove means to test, to subject something to a testing process. I think every one of us in this class, if you did the assignments properly, proved your ideas. Some were proved right, others wrong. But we put our ideas through a testing process. 

2) What sticks out to you as the most formative experience? The experience that you'll remember years later? What was your most joyous experience? What experience are you most proud of yourself for accomplishing?

I drew a good deal of ideas from people who interacted with my naturalists’ field club idea. One of my favorite moments was when Dan, a coworker, said that a short bus would be lots of fun to take people out on natural history tours with. He added that if I replaced the roof of the bus with a clear acrylic rood we could also go out and skywatch with the bus. I really enjoyed his feedback and thoughts on the subject. 

3) At the beginning of the semester, I mentioned that I wanted each of you to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. Now, at the end, do you see yourself as an entrepreneur? Do you think you have moved closer to developing an entrepreneurial mindset?

Yes. From Pryor I learned to try and fail repeatedly and constantly. From Peter Drucker I learned that the subject that we studied is not confined to those with innate gifts, but rather it is a process that can be mastered over time. 

4) What is the one recommendation you would make to the students who are going to journey down this path in the future? What would you recommend they do to perform best in this course? What would you recommend they do to foster that mindset?

Take the assignments seriously. Talk to a diverse group of people—not just your bum friends who party every Friday. Those are not your customers (hopefully). Also, there’s something that has hold of your interest, right? I’ve heard it said that people don’t have ideas, ideas have people. THat should be true for each of us. Take an idea that you can work with for a semester—something that truly has your interest and apply it towards this class. Don’t just pick some random app or fake company so that you can get a passing grade. Take it seriously! And enjoy!

Once you have written your post, please include a picture (for illustration!).

28A - Your Exit Strategy

1) Identify the exit strategy you plan to make. Do you intend to sell your business in the next 5 years for a large return? Do you intend to stay with the business for several decades and retire? Do you intend to protect the venture as a family business, and pass it down to your children?

From what I have seen, people grow old in this space and tend to work and teach in it until they retire or keel over. This is true of Emma B. Pitcher of Michigan and many others who I look up to. Right up until the couldn’t they were banding birds and teaching classes on natural history. When the time came, systems were already running that obviated their presence and allowed the operations to continue as normal. This is the life I want to live.

2) Why have you selected this particular exit strategy? It’s not analogous to a profit venture or a standard job where buildup then burnout might be the theme of one’s experience. 

This is something that gets better as time and connections grow on and build upon one another. 

3) How do you think your exit strategy has influenced the other decisions you've made in your concept? For instance, has it influenced how you have identified an opportunity? Has it influenced your growth intentions or how you plan to acquire and use resources?

Regarding growth and acquisition of resources, Dave Ramsey recommends growing at the speed of cash. I believe his new building cost $70 million dollars— paid in cash. The same principles that apply to one’s personal finances he applies to the business world. All of that means slower growth, less overhead, lean operations, and long term vision. I don’t see how my exit strategy immediately impacts decision made throughout the journey. 

26A - Celebrating Failure

Hello peers, pears, pals, and pioneers of learning!

Have any of you taken [REDACTED] class taught by [REDACTED]? Promise me you won’t share this with him, ok? Let me tell you about him. He is the chair of the department and his favorite course to teach is, of course, [REDACTED]. For his lectures he mounts the lectern and marches facts single file through the students’ brains like he’s invading a country. It’s amazing.

I assumed that since I had listened to all of the lectures and even studied for the second midterm I would get a passing grade. NOT.

I scored a measly, measly, never-have-I-gotten-a-lower-grade-on-a-midterm 67%. Thank God he curved up and I ended up with a 73% due to some feedback from students in the course. I wanted to blame him but I couldn’t. Think about Pryor and his weekly quizzes. Those are based on stories and lesson from his class, right? Well [REDACTED]’s exams are all based on definitions within the textbook. Should be easy!

But alackaday, I fell on my face. I did not prepare myself. I did not inhale the material, the definitions in the textbook. I thought I was ready when I truly was not. I now know next time to spend more time face to face with the textbook and with the course content so that I don’t embarrass myself again.

I deal with it by suppressing it in my mind. I avoid dwelling on failure lest I go insane! Reflect, don’t regret.

24A - Venture Concept No. 1

• What are the forces or changes in the environment creating this opportunity? 

When you love something you want to talk about it and share it with others. I would say that the pleasure and education of natural history and the forces of stewardship and conservation are what are driving this opportunity.

• How is this market defined geographically and demographically? 

The market is define as the north central region of Indiana. This might be gerrymandered as having a southernmost point at Anderson, Indiana and a northernmost point of For Wayne, Indiana,  an easternmost point of the Ohion state line and a westernmost point of Peru, Indiana. Regarding demographics, I am not interested in teaching children— as mean as that may sound. I am interested in the mature teen or university student and particularly the lifelong learner— wherever they are in life. I am interested in learners who are willing to engage the subject as active learners. 

• How are customers currently satisfying this need?  And how loyal are they to whatever they use now?  

Customers are  now using the local bird club and/or programs offered at local state parks. The problem is twofold and in respective order. A narrow range of programs and also a really distant drive to the state parks from our region of Indiana. 

• How big is this opportunity?

This opportunity will not stand to those vested in local sports— which is a huge number of people. But the remaining number is great itself. 

• How long will the “window of opportunity” be open? 

This window of opportunity will be open until someone steps up and fills the gap that I”m looking to work into.

What are the reasons to think customers would switch to this new product?  How hard will it be to get them to switch?  

People will switch because of price and location. Our classes will be free and local. They don’t have to drive an hour to enjoy a state park program or hike. Effective marketing through word of mouth and facebook and Instagram will make them aware of the club and help to persuade them to switch to us. 

• Who are the competitors?  What are their possible weaknesses or vulnerabilities?  

Our competitors are primarily the state park nature centers. However they really only cater to children. Even their adult programs are festooned with childlike teachers and activities. It’s foolish and silly, but still appreciated at times. One of the biggest weakness is that they do not delve deep into their subject matters. They simply give the subject a breif look rather than taking weeks and months to study and learn about a subject. 

• What role does packaging, your price points, distribution, customer support, the customer experience or the business location play (if any) in defining your business concept? 

Effective graphic design of marketing materials (AKA packaging) will be helpful. The locations will be parks and preserves. For classroom settings learning we will use library conference rooms or simply go on a walk while we lecture and Q&A. 

• How would you organize a “business” to support the ongoing production of your new product, service, or process? How many employees? What roles are in the venture?

The core of the people part of this club will simply be mentors or teachers. While they will not be the focus of the class, they will point students towards the subject why are teaching about. 

As you might have guesses, small-town Indiana is quiet. Some have said that that fact is prone to setting its residents off into a literary direction for their lives. Perhaps that’s true. Many, for sure, of Indiana’s residents are already comfortable with the land and are sheepish, awkward (at first) and non-gregarious (at first). These things change when you bring people with similar interests together over medium-to-long periods of time. 

That is my mission. To bring these people together and to grow their populations so that stewardship and conservation are given their due place in the mind of Hoosiers.