Thursday, June 30, 2016

My Customer's Avatar




My prototypical customer is just an average person. The type of person who is very busy and tries to be health conscious. They could range from 5 to 65. Anyone who needs a healthy snack. They enjoy running, watching sitcoms, and being with family. They have full time jobs. They are parents. They are students. My customer drives a small white car, something practical. They enjoy reading fiction such as romance or mystery novels. They are average people on the go with the need to have access to healthy snacks.

I do have stuff in common with my avatar. I am usually pretty busy and I also try to be health conscious. I enjoy the same hobbies. I like running, sitcoms, and spending time with family. I have a full time job and I am student. I drive a small practical car but mine is red. I'm just an average person who would like access to healthy snack options on the go.
I don't really think that it's a coincidence that I have things in common with me avatar. I created an idea based on my own interest and needs. I think that a lot of entrepreneurs create idea because not only is t an unmet need for a customer but also for themselves.






Thursday, June 16, 2016

Halfway Reflection

Image result for tenacity

The behaviors that I have used to keep up with the course work requirements are hard work and determination. I have had to develop the behavior of being innovative and creative also. In this class, I have to been determined and hard working in order to get the grade I want. I've to be innovative and creative to meet the requirements.
At one point I felt like giving up when I looked ahead at all of the assignments that would be due. It stressed me out. I got through because I do have a very good support system that helps me. I also learned to tell myself to only look at one assignment at a time. Just like taking things one day at a time, I like to take things one assignment at a time. I think that I have developed a tenacious attitude these past two months. I think that going through those "give up" moments are necessary in order to help develop that tenacious attitude.That experience has helped me.
The three tips that I would give are:
1. Do not give up!
2. Take things one assignment at a time.
3. Just believe that you can.

Portmateau: Dinnereal

My portmanteau is: Dinnereal.

Dinnereal means to have cereal for dinner. This is actually one of my favorite things.

The first time I used this word I used it around family. Their initial reaction was confusion but once I explained it to them they got it. They said that it was so me.

When I used it again at work again they were confused. Some people really liked it once I explained the meaning, others just kind of shrugged it off.

After a few more times of using it, others people started picking up on it and would use it.
They would ask me, "Lisa are you having dinnereal tonight?" or I got, "Are you cooking dinnereal?".
Some people who also enjoy cereal for dinner like I do would say, "I am having dinnereal tonight."

I think that some people really liked my word. It's caught on.

Friday, June 10, 2016

Reading Reflection No. 1

Coco Chanel-An Intimate Life
By: Lisa Chaney

I did not know very much about Coco Chanel prior to reading this book so I really found most everything surprising and interesting. I knew she was a designer of clothing and accessories, and that her brand is still very popular today. I knew nothing of how she got started or anything about who she was as a person. Everything from her name being Gabrielle, to her childhood, to the crazy drugs, all really took me by surprise. I was pleasantly surprise at how gutsy and independent she was in a time where woman usually followed the rules. That's exactly what I admired the most about her. She wasn't afraid to wear the pants. She knew what she wanted and went after it. If she wanted to wear pants and ride a horse then she did. I admire the fact that she did not want help from anyone, not even the men in her life. She was very prideful and wanted to be successful on her own. She wanted to make her own money. I really admire that. I least admire the fact that she would help her friends get drugs. I know that times were different back then with the war and there weren't options for help like there are now but that still doesn't seem like a very good reason to help your friends get drugs. Coco Chanel definitely faced adversity and failure. At that time, it was a mans world and she just lived in it. That was something she was going to change. It was frowned upon for women to work outside of the home. It made the men seem as if they didn't make enough money to support the home. There was a time in which her shop did not make profit. She didn't let any of these things stop her. These things only made her work harder.
Coco possessed a great deal of competencies. She was tenacious, independent, driven, smart, and so much more. She helped change the fashion. She was not like other women during her time. She didn't like what men create for women so she changed it. She created clothing for women's bodies instead of things that changed women's bodies.
The part of the book that confused me the most was trying to keep up with the different language and Parisian culture. I got lost a few times trying to figure out what some words meant or what was going on.
If I could ask Coco two questions, they would be:
Is anything in her life that she would do differently?
What was her favorite thing she ever designed?
I think that Coco valued hard work. I think that she believe if she wanted to succeed she had to work hard. I absolutely agree with that mentality. I know that you have to work hard for what you want. Things are not just going to be given to you in life. Coco didn't let anything hold her back.


Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Idea Napkin No.1

My name is Lisa Register and I wouldn't say that I have many talents. I enjoy attempting to be crafty but I am not very talented at creating things. Most of experience is in customer service. I've worked in retail, I've been a waitress, and I've worked in a call center. I know the importance of good customer service. That is why my aspiration for The Better Choices vending machine is to take over and replace the current vending machines. I want The Better Choices vending machines to be everywhere, schools, hospitals, amusement parks, workplaces, etc.. I think that if I were to start this business it would be a huge part of my life. I would work hard to make sure my vending machines replaced the unhealthy vending machine we currently have everywhere.

The Better Choices vending machine is offering people who are in everyday life healthy fulfilling snacks. Whether you are at work, school, the hospital you are more than likely going to need some sort of sustenance to get you through the day. The Better Choice vending machine is going to offer energy drinks and candy bars so that you can crash and be lethargic. It is going to offer nuts, granola bars, protein packs, Gatorade, and so much more. This is real food that will provide natural energy, not a sugar high. The Better Choices vending machine meet customers need of having access to nutritional snacks instead of junk food.

My machine is for the working, studying, everyday person who might need a power boost to help them get through their day until they are able to get a full meal. I think that my customers all have in common the need to be able to access healthy options regardless of where they are. My customer is a college student who is stuck on campus for hours at a time studying and going to classes. My customer is someone who is at work all day staring at a computer. My customer is some one who has been waiting in the emergency room four hours. My customer is anyone and everyone, maybe not everyone all the time but everyone at some point.

My customers care because they want to be healthy and they don't want to feel like they are wasting their money. With the vending machines currently offer, chips, coke, candy bars, it's a waste of money. People who eat those things will just get a sugar high then crash and be more tired than they were before. The options are unhealthy and they really are a waste of money. People care because they want to get something that will be good for them and won't leave them hungry again in no time.

What sets me apart from so many others is the fact that I have this need just like everyone else. I am not starting this just to make money. I am starting this because I want healthier options, I want this change. This change is for the greater good. So many people are already so unhealthy, why have junk be the only option available. It's hard to say what I have that nobody else has. I deal with this problem almost everyday. I need something good to eat if I forgot snacks at home and there is just nothing in the vending machines.

I believe that all five points are intertwined. Who we are helps us figure out what we want or what we are passionate about. Our customer are important to us as they are vital in making our idea successful. What being offered is extremely important. If we are offering something no one wants then it really doesn't matter and will not be successful. We want our customer to care. We want them to invest in our idea, Being different from competition will help the idea be successful. What sets you apart will help bring the product to life. So these are all a connected part of innovating a new idea or product.

Saturday, June 4, 2016

Elevator Pitch No.1

I have named my opportunity The Better Choices vending machines. My pitch describes what would be included in the vending machine and why companies should invest in them. Here is the link for my video.
https://youtu.be/zuYlKB3XpMI

Thursday, June 2, 2016

Tweaking the Innovation

1) Sketch out the product/service mix. 

For my healthier vending machine, here are the products that I would include in it. These are all healthier options compared to what is currently available in the majority of vending machines. These options provide protein, fiber, and vitamins which you will not get from chips and candy bars.


§                            Nuts                                                                                     
o   Peanuts
o   Almonds
o   Cashews
o   Trail mix
§                            Chips
o   Pretzels
o   Baked Chips
o   Veggie Chips
o   Popcorn
§                            Granola Bars
o   Special K Bars
o   Fiber One Bars
o   Nature Valley Bars
o   Quaker Oats Bars
§                             Fruit/Veggies
o   Carrots and Ranch
o   Apples and Caramel
o   Celery and Peanut Butter
§                             Drinks
o   Juice
o   Gatorade
o   Vitamin Water
o   V8
§                           

 2) Map each item.

Core, Tangible, and Augmented


§               Nuts-Core
o   Peanuts-Tangible
§  Salted vs. Honey Roasted-Augmented
§               Chips-Core
o   Veggie Chips-Tangible
§  Ranch vs. Sea Salt-Augmented
§               Granola Bars-Core
o   Special K Bars-Tangible
§  Strawberry vs. Dark Chocolate-Augmented
§               Vegetables-Core
o   Carrots-Tangible
§  With Ranch vs. Without Ranch-Augmented
                   Drinks-Core
o   Gatorade-Tangible
§  Cherry vs. Grape-Augmented


3) Describe the innovations. 

At the core level of each sections, the machine could offer more variety or it could include special pricing such as 2 for the price of one. 
At the tangible level, there could be organic options or exotic options for nuts or vegetables. 
The augmented level, there could be options for gluten free or no artificial flavoring. 

There are so many different ways to innovate and change what is offered. People like options and usually like for things to be changed up.