Forming an Opportunity
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 would say that I am 70% sure this problem exists.
The typical customer for this problem encompasses the audience that uses cars for transportation and needs to park at their destinations. I would not include drivers who hold disabled permits as there are often parking spaces designated for those with disabled permits, and these spots are more often available than not.
I interviewed three different people: a 20 year old friend, a 32 year old family friend, and my older professor. My 20 year old friend said that she experiences this all the time at work. She works for Michael Kors at the Orlando Premium Outlets. For anyone who doesn't know, the Orlando Premium Outlets are a popular tourist destination, and are overly crowded on any given day of the year. Because of this, she ends up wasting a lot of time driving around the parking lots just to find a space. She has been working there for two years now and she said that they've always had this problem and that there hasn't been much done to fix it. My 32 year old family friend that I interviewed is a mom of 3. She is always driving her kids around and says that she tries to leave early before activities in case there isn't any parking. She told me that this is a problem that has always been there, but that people are just so used to it that they either arrive early to try account for time, or just keep driving around until they see spots open up. She also told me that this problem really just depends on where you are going because not all places have this issue. The last person I interviewed was an older professor of mine. Although I asked him the same questions, he didn't have much to say on the topic except that his wife usually drives him around and that she does complain about the parking.
Based on my interviews, I found that this problem does exist, but it doesn't seem like there is an urgent need to fix it. However, fixing it would save people lots of time and create more efficient parking areas. With that information, I feel like a solution to this could be to enable systems like the one at Disney Springs in certain high traffic areas because not all parking areas have this issue.
When it comes to adapting opportunities, I would say that entrepreneurs need to be flexible when it comes to customer feedback. It's definitely important to stick by your ideas, but ultimately you are doing this for a group of people who are in need of something, and their opinions can influence your success.
The typical customer for this problem encompasses the audience that uses cars for transportation and needs to park at their destinations. I would not include drivers who hold disabled permits as there are often parking spaces designated for those with disabled permits, and these spots are more often available than not.
I interviewed three different people: a 20 year old friend, a 32 year old family friend, and my older professor. My 20 year old friend said that she experiences this all the time at work. She works for Michael Kors at the Orlando Premium Outlets. For anyone who doesn't know, the Orlando Premium Outlets are a popular tourist destination, and are overly crowded on any given day of the year. Because of this, she ends up wasting a lot of time driving around the parking lots just to find a space. She has been working there for two years now and she said that they've always had this problem and that there hasn't been much done to fix it. My 32 year old family friend that I interviewed is a mom of 3. She is always driving her kids around and says that she tries to leave early before activities in case there isn't any parking. She told me that this is a problem that has always been there, but that people are just so used to it that they either arrive early to try account for time, or just keep driving around until they see spots open up. She also told me that this problem really just depends on where you are going because not all places have this issue. The last person I interviewed was an older professor of mine. Although I asked him the same questions, he didn't have much to say on the topic except that his wife usually drives him around and that she does complain about the parking.
Based on my interviews, I found that this problem does exist, but it doesn't seem like there is an urgent need to fix it. However, fixing it would save people lots of time and create more efficient parking areas. With that information, I feel like a solution to this could be to enable systems like the one at Disney Springs in certain high traffic areas because not all parking areas have this issue.
When it comes to adapting opportunities, I would say that entrepreneurs need to be flexible when it comes to customer feedback. It's definitely important to stick by your ideas, but ultimately you are doing this for a group of people who are in need of something, and their opinions can influence your success.
Hey Olivia!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your opportunity. I completely agree that parking lots should have some mean of making drivers aware of availability, especially in places like Gainesville where parking is so limited! I found it funny that your Professor was not able to relate to this need as his wife drives him everywhere! But I would say that most people can relate, and in time-sensitive situations, it would be extremely helpful to have devices that let you know parking availability. Good job using the example of Disney Springs! I would imagine that it is just a matter of time before other places adopt the same idea, or at least I hope that is the case!
Hi Olivia!
ReplyDeleteI am from California and actually most of our parking garages have this technology. It is so helpful and I find myself very confused and frustrated when I go into parking garages now and they do not have the signage that shows how many spots are on each floor. Visibility is also a huge issue in Gainesville parking garages and that is very frustrating. Having enough room to park is vital and feeling crammed makes drivers really stressed out.
I thought that the oppurtunity you identified was one that is definitely a common issue many people face when attempting to park. One example of your oppurtunity in real life is at the parking garages in Disney World that identify what floors still have parking available and which floors are full. I also like that the people you interviewed were so different because it allows for a number of different opinions.
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