19A – Idea Napkin No. 2

1). You: I have previously worked as a "salesman"; I ran my own online eBay store and found things that suited customer tastes. I could see this venture being a startup which I eventually sell off to a larger dealer. I don't have the money nor skills to turn this into a giant operation, so I would sell it at a great profit to myself. I could see this being a side business, not really something that would turn into my life. I also could partner with the school, and turn this into a government funded initiative, and make money that way. 

 2). What are you offering to your customers?: I am offering a cheap, lightweight, stylish helmet, which will become a trend and increase the safety-consciousness of the Gainesville community. I want it to have a catchy name, so that it can catch on.

3). Who are you offering it to?: My customers are 18-22 year old scooter owners who don't own helmets because they are afraid they will look uncool. This could also apply to bike owners who want to follow the trend as well. This could also work for motorcyclists, but they wouldn't want it as much I don't think.

4). Why do they care?: Scooter owners don't not care about their safety, they just are cheap and want to look cool. I believe that if I can market this helmet as a inexpensive and trendy fashion item which keeps people safe as well. I believe that customization is important to college kids, so I will add that as well.

5). What are your core competencies? : As a student, I believe I have a distinct advantage because I can get a feel for what my fellow students really want. If someone were to try to make a trendy helmet without knowing the trends, they would fail. In the same way, I can use the trends I see to create a great product. By using consumer data, I can create a helmet (or people can customize their own) that the student body will want to wear. I will be the only helmet on the market that is light weight, customizable, and cheap.

I believe that my competencies do fit well together, I also would like to make a team around me that has the same vision as I do. I believe that I can find a good balance between lightweight and sturdy with the help of engineering students. I know that being able to start a trend will be difficult, but if I provide free samples and use influencers, I think I will be able to get it done.

Feedback: I made sure to implement a catchy name to lure in the Gator Nation, and I want to make sure that it becomes synonymous with riding a scooter.

Another thing I wanted to do was to make sure that I emphasized the customization feature for these helmets.




Comments

  1. Will SandsMarch 30, 2020 at 10:18 AM

    Sir Michael Swenson, I enjoyed reading about how much competency you have within the student market. I really think this sets you apart from the other competent students at UF. Since your competencies fit together well, I believe that you can make any team successful with this plan as long as they are competent as well. I agree with you that you need a catchy name, something to do with the group you are trying to sell to, maybe "Competent Students for Customizable Scooter Helmets."

    ReplyDelete
  2. Robert BaumanMarch 30, 2020 at 10:59 AM

    Hello Michael Swenson,

    This is a really good post, great work! I think you wanting a catchy name for your new helmet to have it sell is a great idea! However, I think you should have some idea of a name right now, even if it is not catchy. It can have a regular name and catch on right now. Also, I think it is slightly irresponsible to say scooter owners do not care about their safety. I believe that they do care about their safety, but they turn to scooters because it is a cheap, affordable mode of transportation. If they do not care about their safety, they still will not buy your product even if it does have a catchy name. Good work on your post! You are very knowledgeable on the topic!

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousMarch 30, 2020 at 11:25 AM

    Hi Michael,
    I think your product is a necessity especially in Gainesville because thousands of students have scooters and do not wear helmets. Also, I think it is important to make the helmet affordable but while also being stylish that way students will actually wear it. I think having a catchy name can also help sales as well. I believe with your past experience you would be able to make this into a reality. Great job!

    ReplyDelete

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