Alex's ENT3003 Blog

My Opportunity: As more local governments are implementing laws to phaseout and/or ban plastic items, such as plastic straws and single-use plastic bags, businesses and individuals are having to find alternatives to these plastic items that they have become accustomed to. The Who: Businesses who provide single-use plastic items or individuals who utilize these items  The What: They are having to find alternatives to items that they have been accustomed to The Why: Governments are choosing to ban single-use plastics to help minimize the growing pollution problem that we are facing Interview #1 Summary (Middle-Aged Female): 1. The increased number of bans will not be an inconvenience in my life because I already try to repurpose and re-use bags. 2. "It takes a village"- it is both the responsibility of businesses and consumers to help make the shift into a world without single-use plastics 3. Businesses should provide incentives for people to bring their own bag...

Opportunity #1: Marketing Trade School Opportunities to Young Adults  Information Source:  https://www.businessinsider.com/blue-collar-trade-jobs-benefits-high-salaries-no-student-debt-2019-4; https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51118/high-paying-trade-jobs-sit-empty-while-high-school-grads-line-up-for-university Why Does This Exist: As more and more students are being encouraged to pursue a four-year degree program, less students are going to trade schools. This is causing a decreased supply in labor for these careers with a demand that has been steady for many years. This decrease in supply is increasing the wages offered to many people in these careers and making it much easier for people who go to trade school to find a job. There is no lack in demand for plumbers, electricians, or auto mechanics, but society is deeming these careers as less desirable even though they often make as much money and have similar benefits to jobs requiring a four-year degree. What is the Op...

Local Opportunity #1: Article Title:  Alachua County Animal Services Dogs Under Quarantine Following Outbreak Article Link:  https://www.alligator.org/news/alachua-county-animal-services-dogs-under-quarantine-following-outbreak/article_ce4a266a-7d16-11e9-bf8e-1f0fc346e0ff.html Article Summary:  This article discusses the outbreak of canine distemper that has occurred in the Alachua County kennel. Six dogs were euthanized due to the outbreak and many programs have been cancelled for fear of other dogs catching the virus. The disease is carried by wildlife, unvaccinated strays, and under-vaccinated dogs. The humane society is urging people to make sure that their dogs are vaccinated properly to help stop the spread of the disease. The Problem:  Many dogs are being under-vaccinated or are unvaccinated, which is causing the spread of viruses like canine distemper and resulting in the deaths of many dogs. Who Has The Problem:  The problem lies with both dog owne...

Forming an Opportunity Belief Original Belief: The citizens of Gainesville would benefit from public parks being accessible and well-lit at night. Original Belief Explanation: There are very few public parks that are available for use at night because the majority of nature parks and recreational facilities in Gainesville close at dusk. The few fields that do have lights after dark are on the University of Florida campus or are nearby to it, which appeals to students but not the majority of the Gainesville community. These fields are also only lit when classes are in session for UF students and are not always accessible to non-students. I think this is a problem because many people have to work until the evening and when they get off work, they are unable to access these areas. This can make it difficult to find areas to exercise without paying for a gym membership or risking being in a dimly lit area where you could potentially get injured or threatened. I believe that because o...

My Entrepreneurship Story I am lucky to have been raised with many incredible entrepreneurs in my life. As long as I have been alive, I have lived with entrepreneurs. Before I was born, my grandmother and my mother teamed up to open an adult consignment store here in Gainesville. It was one of the first consignment stores in the area and allowed many people to save money on clothes, shoes, and accessories. Many other consignment stores began to open and my grandmother retired. This is when my mother noticed that adults did not need clothes as much as children do. Children are constantly growing and so their wardrobes are much more expensive than adults who can wear the same size outfits for many years. This realization pushed my other to open her own business, Weecycle. Weecycle is a children's consignment store that allows parents to sell their children's outgrow clothes and trade them in for clothes in their new size. She has run and expanded this store throughout my en...

My Bug List: When the Starbucks at 13th and 16th moved to their new location, they added a drive-thru, and now when I order my drink inside, it takes much longer. The employees are encouraged to get drinks to the people in the drive-thru faster than those inside. At the intersection of 13th and University Ave, it is nearly impossible to make a right turn because it is a “no turn on red” intersection and when the turning light is green, pedestrians are also allowed to cross the road. You have to wait for all of the students to cross the road even though you have a green light because pedestrians have right of way. Then, by the time all of the students have crossed, the turning light is now red.  It takes an incredibly long time to pick up my boss’ son from car pick at Newberry Elementary School. All of the children have to stay inside because they say that it is always too hot or too cold for them to sit outside, so they have teachers outside with speakers to yell the na...

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