Idea Napkin No. 1

1. I am a second-year economics major at the University of Florida with a minor in French. I am the daughter of two entrepreneurs and have worked in a tax and accounting office for over three years. I have always wanted to help people and the planet which is why I plan to go to Law School to study trade law. My company idea is one that will help small businesses, like the ones that my mother and grandmother have created and built. I want to help small businesses find affordable solutions to new legislation that will ban their use of single-use plastics and other items that our leading to increased levels of pollution, like polystyrene containers. These changes will help make our planet a healthier and better place and keep small businesses from being crushed under the weight of large corporations who can afford to make these changes. This business would allow me to work directly with other entrepreneurs to try and help their businesses succeed and make our communities a better place to live.
2. I am offering customers a platform where they can connect with other businesses and community groups to bulk-order eco-friendly and sustainable products. Some of the things that they would be able to do would be to join together to place multiple logos on reusable bags which would allow them all to advertise but order larger quantities for cheaper prices, as well as allow companies to work with community projects to design reusable products that share different messages and beliefs held within the community. Similar businesses can also join together to bulk order products like eco-friendly to-go containers, straws, or packaging.
3. I am offering this service to small businesses, community groups (such as schools, sports teams, service groups, ext) that want to expand the ways that they advertise for their businesses and become more eco-friendly and sustainable, whether it be due to new government regulation or simply because they want to appeal to a more eco-minded customer base.
4. Many businesses are going to struggle to find cheap alternatives once they realize that they can no longer rely on cheap plastic products. This will force them to look for eco-friendly alternatives and my platform will allow them to do so at a lower cost. Community groups will also want to get involved because they can partner with businesses to spread a message or to get their logo on more products where customers, potential members or donators may see it.
5. I have had lots of hands-on experience in both the small business retail and small business financial world. I have worked in my mother's children and baby consignment store for many years and have been able to spend a large amount of my life interacting with her customers and other businesses that she works with. I have also worked in an accounting and tax office for over three years where I work directly with small businesses to help get their financials in order. I have filed tax returns, done monthly accounting, and filed many reports with the state and federal government for these businesses. This has familiarized me with the importance of finding margin in a small business and how legislation can change the way that a business operates. I think that my connections with small businesses will allow me to get a head start with finding clientele, and my array of knowledge regarding small business operation will allow me to connect with potential customers and find the best options to suit their needs.

I think that many of these elements work well together to create a successful business. I think that local legislation will force small businesses to make changes that they may not be prepared for, and my knowledge would help them make these changes more smoothly. I think that I would need to educate myself more on sustainable products, as well as advertising techniques, in order to make the business successful, but I think that I have a great platform with all of the connections that I already have from my parent's business and my work. One of the main things that made me think about creating a platform for businesses and community organizations to work together was fundraising that I have done in my past. Oftentimes, businesses will pay for advertisements on banners or t-shirts for community organizations in order to expand their customer base, which made me realize that they may be willing to do the same with other businesses. I think that if I was able to recruit enough people to join this platform, it could be a very successful project.