Olivia Masih - ENT 3003

WHO I interviewed 5 more people, all of who commute to campus. Two of the five said that they would be interested in a business like this because they don't like the amount of extra time they have to take to consider parking on campus. Two others weren't as optimistic about it. One said that they don't mind the extra time because they get to campus a few hours earlier than their classes to study, so this wouldn't even apply to them. The other said that the extra time they take to find parking and wait for buses should be expected and isn't that big of a deal. The fifth person said they were on the fence about the solution. They said that they understood how this would help, but they were skeptical about how committed people would be to only having the scooter for a few days a week. WHAT  This need differs from typical commuting needs once you are actually on campus. Typical commuting needs are often centered around the lack of parking, but this solution is based...

The problem I identified in my previous assignment was that commuting students and staff have to allot unnecessary time to find parking on campus and/or catch buses that don't run on schedule, just so they won't be late. Often this time that is wasted wastes from a half hour to over an hour. In my interviews, I found that students with scooters did not experience these issues nearly as much as people who commute via car or bus. With that, my solution to this problem would be a daily scooter rental service. This service would offer scooter rentals on a day-by-day basis with the ability to preset which days you need it during the week. For example, if a student knows that they will only be commuting to campus on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, they would have the option to prepay and reserve a scooter every week for the semester on those days. Other scooter rentals do exist, but they are only on a monthly rental basis, not daily. By having a more flexible rental schedule, peo...

UF Students and staff who commute to campus have to allot more time to account for parking and incorrect bus schedules because there is insufficient parking on campus and traffic often delays buses. I believe this problem can be extended to other college campuses, not just UF. From personal experience, I know that students at UCF also experience issues with trying to find parking and the amount of time they waste by trying to do so. With that, I am fairly confident that this opportunity exists on other campuses.             Like all opportunities, this one has a few boundaries. It doesn’t apply to all students and staff, just those who are off campus and commute to campus daily. Additionally, some staff members have designated parking spaces and do not have any problems wasting time driving around to find parking like students do.             Some people may not be as b...

Economic Trend: Interest rates are rising Source:  https://www.thebalance.com/top-usa-future-economic-trends-3305666 I think this opportunity exists because the economy's rates are always fluctuating. There is also data with statistical evidence of rising interest rates.  The typical customer for this opportunity is consumers. A lot of consumer activity is based on interest, price, and inflation levels. Higher interest rates means that loans will cost more, but savers will earn more on deposits.  I saw this opportunity because interest rates ultimately have a lot of influence on decisions that people make, whether they are financial or consumption-based.  Economic Trend: Consumer spending could fuel economic growth Source:  https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucemccain/2016/01/03/five-key-economic-trends-to-watch-in-2016/#3181d8633ff7 This opportunity exists because labor markets have been rising, and there is data to back this up. This opportunity aff...

Residents raid store shelves as Hurricane Irma Intensifies http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/166BF193282081B8?p=WORLDNEWS This story from the Orlando Sentinel describes a problem that people all over Florida are facing at the moment. With Hurricane Irma approaching, people are stocking up on staple items such as nonperishables and water. Stores keep running out of water and other items, and emergency orders have been made to send more so that they can restock. This article also talks about organizations in Orlando such as UCF and Universal Studios that are handling preparations for the hurricane. For example, UCF has already cancelled its classes, and Universal Studios will be offering refunds to those who have purchased tickets and wish to get a refund due to the weather. The problem in this news story is the fact that people are buying certain goods faster than stores can restock them. In this specific story, the people who have the problem are Orla...

An opportunity that I believe exists is not knowing when parking lots and garages are full when you are attempting to park. There aren't many systems that inform drivers of how many spots are available, and drivers often end up wasting their time driving around in search of a spot. This need comes from crowded places that people drive to. I would say that this problem has always existed in a sense, but that it is definitely an increasing problem nowadays because of how many more people depend on driving for transportation. Currently, there are some newer technologies that are combatting the problem. For example, at the Disney Springs parking garages, each row has a digital sign at the end which shows how many spots (if any) are available in that row. On top of that, each individual spot has a light above it that is either red or green, depending on if it is available or not. It may not be a major problem, but I still believe that it is a common issue that can be improved upon. I wo...