6A – Identifying Opportunities in Economic & Regulatory Trends

Economic

1. Starbucks

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/24/business/starbucks-long-game-china-earnings/index.html

In the article, Starbuck's CEO is speaking about the slow growth in the Chinese market, currently. But also has his eyes set on the long term goal. The coffee industry is remarkably competitive, and even with the recent 1% growth of Starbucks stores, the market is dominated by Luckin.  Starbucks views their growth as a parallel benefit for them as this serves as a way to broaden the market of coffee consumers. 

After reading this, the opportunity that jumps out at me is the fact that there will be a location battle. A real focus will be placed on having the most locations but also having them in quality places. Highly trafficked areas that are built to handle the high demand. 

This opportunity will still be the customer with a higher income or the true coffee connoisseur. Starbucks coffee strives to be seen as a luxury brand and charges at a premium price. This excludes a very large demographic. 

I believe the opportunity will be difficult to exploit. I think it will be a difficult battle and one Starbucks is prepared to take their time with. 

I think this opportunity jumped out at me because I am a coffee consumer and this is an interest of mine. I also recognize the growth Starbucks continues to make in Gainesville and across the US. This store was very relatable to me, and this is why the opportunity stuck out. 

2. Huawei

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/24/tech/huawei-smartphone-sales-samsung/index.html

As Huawei searches for methods to become the top-selling smartphone company, there is a lot of attention given to the possible security risk associated with the products. Huawei moved to the number two spot last year, overtaking Apple, in the smartphones department. So the evidence is apparent that they are heading in a promising direction. Unfortunately, the US has now made claims that the company may have ties with the Chinese government and may be using their products to spy on the customers.

I believe a wide range of consumers will buy these products as they have a wide range of products with prices to fit multiple pricing categories. The most significant issue is any negative association with privacy and security. The opportunity would be the company's efforts to ensure their customers that there is no association/affiliation with the Chinese government and that each customer has a sense of privacy and security.

I believe this opportunity will be challenging and Huawei will lose millions of customers out of fear of security/privacy risks. But if they take the proper steps to clear their name, in the long run, this could be the way they become the world leaders in smartphones.

This opportunity was vital to me because privacy has become such a significant focus with technology improvements and consumers must be careful to read and understand what they are truly getting themselves into.

Regulatory
3.  China- Retail Market

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/23/business/china-retail-sales-us/index.html

The Chinese market has and will continue to take off in more extensive ways than ever before. It is estimated that the Chinese market will make $100 billion more than the US market and the margin will continue to grow for the next few years to come. This affects the US market massively but also has a significant impact on the global market. The article stats the Chinese are already leading in automotive and smartphone manufacturing. So this market and their technology can positively or negatively effect many areas that branch from this. 

Retail is a significant field of focus as the competition is intense, but the companies entering the market continue to grow. These companies also have considerable influence globally and have the effect and will continue to affect the market for years to come. 

The world must watch the relationship between the US and China, as any negative relations in business could massively hurt both countries but the world. The opportunity lies in all the risks this relationship carries and what can come from this. 

The most likely customer of this can be the "New Chinese middle class" as referred to in the article, or anyone with any involvement with Chinese products, relationships, or businesses. 

I think this opportunity should be handled with great care as so much is on the line. 

This opportunity was relatable as the relationships between the US and China have been and continue to be a discussion annually as this relationship has a global impact.

4. 5G

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/18/perspectives/davos-5g-tech-mahindra/index.html

This new upgrade in wireless speed will change the way everything is done. How we communicate, how business is conducted, how our automobiles function, and so much more. This technology can open up great doors to medical treatments and allow procedures to be carried out without a doctor being present in the room. 

This opportunity affects the entire developed world as so many elements come into play — safety, security, medical access, communication, and travel. There is undoubtedly the delay with towers not constructed yet to support the technology. But the article states that 2020 may be the year when this phenomenon becomes available to the public. 

The customer base affected by this would be anyone living in a developed country. Every business will do their best to get on this system. This technology enables them to work more efficiently, quicker, and more precise than ever before. 

I related to this article because the small lag in the 4G becomes more noticeable once 4G LTE became available. To know that there is another system that may be available soon and could help and influence so many areas, could impact the world in a big way. 

5A- Identifying Local Opportunities

1. Florida Embarrassed by Mississippi State at O'Dome

https://www.alligator.org/sports/florida-embarrassed-by-mississippi-state-at-o-dome/article_f9283d72-2064-11e9-98b1-3bc04b24a8fb.html

Last night, the Gators took on the Mississippi State Bulldogs and received their greatest defeat since last years game against them, 90-42. The Gators succeeded in shutting down the Bulldog's leading scorer to only 2 points. Unfortunately, there were too many other weaknesses that lead to the Bulldogs finding many other scoring opportunities and capitalizing on them. The Gators surprisingly out-rebounded the Bulldogs but failed to capitalize on those possessions. 
To make matters worse, the team's leading scorer, Delicia Washington, suffered a hit to the head by the opponent at the beginning of the fourth quarter and was removed from the rest of the game to ensure no further head trauma had occurred. 
The reason this is an opportunity is due to the consistent performances of this team yearly. The women's basketball team seems to have an issue with recruiting, leadership, or play calling. Year after year the women reflect some deficiency in the program and even with the coaching changes, athletes graduating, and promising additions, the program remains at the struggle against most opponents in the SEC and NCAA. This article reflects that the program is still not taking steps to make the necessary changes. 

The student-athletes are affected by this problem as games like this do not make the game enjoyable. The university is affected as this is a poor representation of the real talent the school and this program true obtain. 

2, City of Gainesville host rally to remove local invasive species 

https://www.alligator.org/news/city-of-gainesville-hosts-rally-to-remove-local-invasive-species/article_f96cab2e-1ed4-11e9-8a5f-6b534f1e1df8.html

Around 600 people, consisting of local residents and member of the Boy Scouts of America pack 127, met in several parks, fields, and reserve around the city to get remove Ardisia crenata berries. These berries are dangerous to other plants and this is a threat to farmers and gardeners alike. This is the fifth year of the event and the host believe it is a great effort to save the community but also a god way for the members of the community to get out and see more of what the city has to offer. 

3. Man and woman accused of stealing credit, social, and security cards 

https://www.alligator.org/news/man-and-woman-accused-of-stealing-credit-social-security-cards/article_fc3a597a-1f9a-11e9-9098-4facb819242a.html

On Jan. 24, A Florida Highway Patrol Officer pulled over a car with two people due to them driving too close to another vehicle. During a series of questions, the officer noticed how nervous the man was and how the women continued to answer every question, even when not addressed. Due to the officer's suspension, the two were placed in his car so that he could perform a further check on their vehicle: the K-9 located meth, cannabis, and other drug equipment. The officer also found debit and credit cards that did not belong to the suspect. Security cards, mail, identification cards, false checks, and additional stolen goods were found in the car. Once the officer ran the names of the suspects, he discovered their long criminal history and proceeded to take both straight to jail.

The people who are affected would be all those who could have fallen victim to identity theft or lost their money from bank withdrawals. There is a real opportunity in the increased need for personal security. Protecting yourself from thieves like this is something that cannot be taken lightly. 

4. Take one, leave one. Reitz Union opens free mini-library

https://www.alligator.org/news/take-one-leave-one-reitz-union-opens-free-mini-library/article_a496df18-195a-11e9-8ca8-6ffa04173aa3.html

On Jan.2, the work of two students was installed and showcased in the Reitz Union. A unique bookcase that allowed the student body to freely add and take a book of their interest, for free. This was created to allow for students to find an additional way to connect and share their favorite stories. The collection has nearly reached 100 books and has only become public by word of mouth until this point.

This affects the student body at UF and I believe it presents a great opportunity for students to be able to rent books for free. As a student, finances are always a great concern and this could provide a student an opportunity and borrow a book for class. 

5. UF pharmacy professor accuses students of cheating

https://www.alligator.org/news/uf-pharmacy-professor-accuses-students-of-cheating/article_64308a56-1959-11e9-ad4c-bf7e9f899e1f.html

57 of 100 students will be due for questioning by the university in search of an answer to the recent accusations of cheating. Professor Patel claims that more than 50% of the class use an unapproved source to find the answers to a question and now they have to go before a board to explain themselves. Patrick Chucri, a third-year law student, is representing a student in the case and believes that his student conducted himself correctly. His student used the resources allowed to him and that he followed the UF honor code. 
A lot rides on the line for the several students as pleading guilty or being found guilty could result in the failure of the class. There is the discussion of a possible lighter plea that enables the study to confess and repeat the course next semester. If the student believes they are innocent, they must defend themselves. 

The opportunity that lies here is the ability to communicate the rules better. The professor must state the parameters of what is allowed and avoid any possible grey area. 

4A- Forming an Opportunity Belief

When constructing an opportunity belief, I had to dig deep and think about conversations I amy have had that got me thinking. With the new year celebrations recently passing, it is tradition to make a new years resolution. To form a goal that usually ends up only sticking for a few weeks before the old habits creep back in again. This immediately brought me to a discussion I had with a group of people as we went around the table contemplating what changes were ahead of us. The opportunity belief is the concept of stress. What stress truly is and how it controls our lives. Why stress has such weight and the things we could do to position ourselves to avoid this mental creation.
With this concept set before us, we went around discussing what stress is to each of us and where it comes from — quickly locating similarities to parents, upbringing, society's expectations, tv shows, and additional external pressures. This helped arrive at the conclusion that stress was a state of mind that was created. That we have the choice to stress over something and there are methods to keeping up stress-free. Yet, the world tells us to be stressed.

The first individual I spoke with is the Head Director at the Salzburg RIF training facility in Salzburg, Austria. He spoke about the issue of stress and how unhealthy this habit was for the human body, both mentally and physically. He talked about a typical day layout and how he purposely designed his meetings, appointments, training, and personal time to eliminate stressful run-around. As a director, he is running from meeting to meeting, and in many cases, the sessions run over the allotted time. He strategically always gives himself a comfortable gap between the meetings to take this into account. But uses the additional time if the meeting doesn't go over to knock out small errands to put himself further ahead. This sense of control has enabled him to be extremely productive throughout his day but also stress-free, as he has a comfortable account of the day layout throughout the week.
The second individual I spoke to is an Olympic Sprinter from Great Britain, James Ellington. We talked about the presence of stress in his life and how he views this in his life. He additionally agreed to the idea that the amount of stress given to a situation was utterly a choice but that he used meditation to center him again. He had may headaches growing up, as he had a stressful environment growing up and believed his parents demonstrated specific actions that eventually became normal to him — using smoking, nail-biting, and running from place to place, to cope with the stress. Finally, he moved out and realized that if he was to focus on one thing at a time, he was not overwhelmed as he was previously and he was stress-free. This didn't mean he didn't experience stress but found a better way to control the levels.
Lastly, I discussed stress and its presence in the life of an Olympic Austrian Hurdler, Beate Schrott. She experienced stress in many different forms, as there was a season where she juggled med-school and the Olympic Games. Surprisingly, being busy with med-school helped distract her from the nerves of the Olympic Games and the Olympic Games distracted her from the stress of her exams. She was able to channel the stress to better the other situation. Both situations had great pressure/stress on them, but neither consumed her, and she made a conscious choice to do the best in both areas while not overwhelming herself to destruction.

Identifying the dangers of stress are essential and should not be over looked. It is a problem in many people's lives but once recognized, can be dealt with and controlled. Finding solutions that work for you is crucial. 

3A- Your Entrepreneurship Story

I am exposed daily to the entrepreneurship world. The struggles, the joys, and the fights over who can make the greatest bid so seal the deal. I am a huge fan of Shark Tank and The Profit. These two shows are about individuals, couples, or small businesses looking for a business partner to save their business, start-up their business, or directly partner and redirect the company. The two shows have many similarities but also many differences as Shark Tank is about the initial investments and the occasional follow-up. The Profit is about all the stages of building a company.

I find these shows to be very addicting, as they challenge me to think more creatively. Entrepreneurship is about fulfilling a need or doing something more efficiently. It is incredible to see the concepts some people have created while going through their everyday lives. The unique factor is that an entrepreneur can be of any age. Once the light bulb goes off, it is only about who is willing to sacrifice the time and resources to fix a problem.

As these are both television shows, both have a bit of drama appeal to them and can go a bit overboard to mix things up a bit, but I am sure this is all about reaching the largest audience possible. But in the end, I think it is essential to see that anyone can be an entrepreneur. If you surround yourself with the correct people and genuinely solve an issue, you can change the entire way something is done.

I enrolled in ENT 3003 to challenge myself in a new area. I believe whether, in sports or life, you must create opportunities by thinking beyond. Going a bit deeper or taking a leap of faith with the complete uncertainty what may lie ahead. Entrepreneurs must always look beyond the present. They must see a problem and think about how they can go further. It is one thing to see potential, but to take the time to construct a plan, research, and eventually build something, takes remarkable courage especially when this idea may not be accepted by many if any. But if you believe in this, then you must continue to push or fight for that dream. 

I plan to gain a deeper understanding of how to construct an action plan. Thinking, dreaming, and discussing an issue is one thing. But taking steps to move forward, is another. 

Bug List- 2A

1. Why does everyone instantly block the boarding gate of an airplane when the gate is opened. (Thre has been no penalty put in place to stop the action so people will continue to board as they please.)

2. Why is the US the only country to make flying passengers take their shoes off when going through TSA? (September 11th drastically changed the security attention given toward passenger safety.)

3. Why doesn't the US enforce a Fast lane/passing lane only" on the highway? (Does this conflict to citizen's rights to drive where they please?)

4. Why can people pass on both sides instead of just the left side? This method would cut down on many collisions from behind. (This is not taught in driving school in the US.)

5. Why isn't there a class about money management in high school? (This is undervalued or overlooked.)

6. Why are students taught the importance of water conservation? This is a precious resource that is not taken seriously. (It may not be taken seriously as it may not affect us all right now.)

7. Why are the television commercials so long? (This provides funding to keep the stations going.)

8. Why isn't there an XM TV as there is XM radio? (Potentially untapped market)

9. Why is trash and recycle separation and disposal taken more seriously in the US? (If the education were there early on, more people would implement more responsible systems.)

10. Why is it taking so long to get more women and minorities into leadership roles? (Is traditional thinking slowing down progress?)

11. Where did this surge of obesity issues arrive from globally? (Has the added number of fast food options hurt society's eating habits?)

12. Why are UF classrooms so cold in the summer? (It is hot outside, but the drastic temperature difference is quite uncomfortable.)

13. Why isn't is required for motorcycle/scooter riders to wear helmets in Florida? (I can't understand why this exists as the safety risks are the same on the roads.)

14. Why is the legal drinking age 21 in the US when the majority of the world allows 18-year-olds to drink? (I don't understand the thinking behind this.)

15. Why aren't there more roundabout intersections on the streets? (Dealing with these intersections is not a commonly taught practice in the driver's test and has traditionally caused confusion in the US.)

16. Why have cell phones consumed the interest of so many people? (With so many applications, you can be speaking with many different people in many different locations.)

17. Why is there not greater attention placed on the dangers of football player's brains? (There is too much money being made by NCAA and NFL.)

18. Why has Wifi become so essential? (Society has created a culture of this need to always be connected.)

19. Why the radio has allowed more and more profanity to be heard through music? (Has this just become more acceptable in society?)

20. Why are school hours so long at such a young age when the attention span is very short for children? (In younger years of an individual, the school may serve as a place to keep kids while the parents worked.)

After reflecting on the list, I did not find this difficult as these are issues I deal with almost daily. They are questions or concerns I speak to many of my friends and family about and travel has been a big factor in appreciating the things that we have in the US but also the things that could be improved. 

First Post

This is my first blog, and I am very interested in learning how blogging will change the way I do homework assignments. This platform may be a unique method for presenting assignments in a different light.

This is a random photo, but I was seeing how pictures looked in a post.