Testing The Hypothesis, Part 1

1. My Hypothesis: Due to the lack of public awareness and respect, trash and plastic spread out through all the rivers and our oceans.

2.

• Who: Residents who try to enjoy their beaches and boat rides, and volunteers who help pick up other people's trash, marine life, and birds.
• What: Trash and plastic is killing marine life and affecting our waters.
• Why: Due to people not respecting our waters and throwing away their trash off boats and on beaches. Also, fisherman leaving their lines in the water and restaurants located on intercostals using non-degradable items impact marine life. 

3.  Testing who: There are others who need this, such as organizations that help with this situation and try to clean up as much trash as possible on our beaches and in our rivers. More people should be aware of this opportunity but this is a really big issue that is overlooked.

Testing what: The boundaries for this would be the time it takes to help this situation. Other than that, there are no boundaries because everyone can help with this situation in such a minuscule way. Everyone needs to start collecting their items and start using non-degradable items. Restaurants need to stop using plastics and plastics should be banned on all the coasts. This is a challenge because no one truly understands how much this affects our Earth.

Testing why:  This is not important to everyone and there are many people who don't even know about this opportunity. However, due to people who keep leaving their trashes on beaches for other people to pick up or for it to drift into the ocean, is not okay. Not everyone is going to agree and do something about this. However, there are many organizations and volunteers who understand the importance of this.

4. Interviews:
1. A local resident located on the coast of Florida.
Who: She believes this is a great idea because she is so tired of trying to enjoy boat rides and the beaches and seeing trash and plastic all around the waters. It disgusts her.
What: She also agrees that not everyone understands how important it is to keep picking up trash so it does not hurt the marine life anymore and kill many sea creatures.
Why: She thinks that volunteers collecting on the beaches is not enough and that many restaurants need to start using non-degradable items to prevent this. Also, she states how living on the coast, just around her area, there are over fifty restaurants that use everything plastic.

2. A friend that owns a house on the Loxahatchee River.
Who: My friend thinks that this is very overlooked. She actually started an organization to help spread the awareness but it did not spread how much she wanted it too. Many people overlook this issue and she will do anything to help this cause.
What:  During the summertime is the best time to start this, she thinks that many people travel to Florida over summer so there are more people to share this information with. She also believes that the state of Florida should ban all plastic items since it is non-degradable.
Why: She does not understand why some people do not recognize this major issue and take a stand for it. She thinks people working in the restaurants and fishermen need to understand this more than anyone.

3. My father who has grown up in the Loxahatchee River.
Who: My dad states how he has never seen so much trash in plastic in the river this last year than ever. He believes that this time period has gotten so much worse and he thinks its because of how many people have been traveling here that don't respect the waters.
What: My dad thinks this opportunity will be very effective if discussed in the right manner. He thinks that this needs to be solved and not overlooked anymore.
Why: My dad believes that marine life is very important and that not everyone understands what these creatures and corals provide for our beautiful Earth.

4. A Jupiter Beach Organization Founder.
Who: The founder for cleaning up the beaches is very disgusted by the way people leave this earth. The beaches are not used for trash and should be respected more than they are. The public awareness and careless for our oceans is beyond overseen and needs to be addressed by the Government.
What: The founder thinks that this issue will only get worse because people are so careless about this matter. He believes in the near future that we will not have corals to dive, beaches to look at, and turtles to see because of how messy we treat our Earth.
Why: He believes that this opportunity is very much overlooked and it's because people are careless towards this planet. They take it for granted and need to understand what they are causing by making such a minuscule judgment.

5. A friend who goes to the beach on a daily basis
Who: She believes this is affecting more than just marine life but also ourselves. She sees over a whole ton on the beaches and in the ocean when she goes surfing. She joined an organization that cleans the beaches for a whole day and she still believes that is not enough.
What: She believes that not enough people understand how important picking up their mess is and that she should not be doing it for them.
Why: She thinks people need to start listening to these organizations and start helping out so our planet is not ruined. People need to realize that we, humans, are not the only ones gifted with this beautiful earth and that we share it with fish and wildlife. So, we need to start respecting it since it is a gift. She thinks that this opportunity needs to be addressed more.

Summary:
After interviewing people who go to the beach on a daily basis, those who started an organization, and also residence, I have learned a lot more subjects towards this opportunity. I find it really interesting how each person used the word "overlooked" and I believe this is very true. Why do some people care so deeply about saving our planet and others could not even be bothered?  What I did not know about my hypothesis that I now know more about that is very informational is when the best time to address this situation is and how much are earth is actually impacted by our own selves. Learning from the founder of the local organization that there is a huge circle of plastic that is the size of Rhode Island that marine life can not get over. This is really upsetting to me that Humans have created such a mess and I hope to address this issue more in the future.

Identifying Opportunities in Economic and Regulatory Trends

1. Economic Opportunity #1: 
Major Unemployment in US
2. Link: (a) https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/04/16/unemployment-claims-coronavirus/
 (b) Why it exists: Due to the spread of Coronavirus, it has lead over 22 million people in the US to be unemployed. I believe this opportunity exists because of all non-essential that were forced to shut down to stop the spread of Covid-19. The Government is trying to help those in financial debt before the economy begins to crash.
(c) Prototypical Customer: Everyone unemployed or financially unstable in the US due to this pandemic.
(d) I believe this Opportunity is relatively easy to exploit due to the high amount of people who are affected by this pandemic and are willing to do anything for a little bit of help and money. 22 million people is a lot and everyone is suffering in some sort of way because of this virus.
3. I saw this as a huge opportunity due to personal experience. Both my parents and my close family friends have been struggling with money and the loss of their jobs. It is such a hard time to also support everyone in the family again on top of this because they are all back home now. It's very sad to see close friends and my own family struggling so I think most people would believe this opportunity exists.

1. Economic Opportunity #2:
Climate Change in the US
2. Link : (a) https://www.thebalance.com/top-usa-future-economic-trends-3305666
(b) Why it exists: Due to the increase in greenhouse gases, there are more hot days in the US, causing food pricing to rise. This causes food prices to rise because the corn and soy fields are getting too hot and dying. Also, other natural disasters such as flooding due to risen sea levels, and more US wildfires.
(c) Prototypical Customer: People who try to help the Environment, Everyone who buys from stores and is worried about food prices and also anyone who eats corn and soy.
(d) I believe this opportunity to be relatively easy to exploit due to how many people are actually affected by all these natural disasters occurring. The only issue I can think of is persuading the people that this is occurring and will only get worse for Earth.
3. I saw this as a huge opportunity due to how many people are going to be affected by this now and in the future if it gets worse. I have personal experience with this since I noticed the rise in food prices and how the sea levels have risen due to all the flooding in my area. I want to be able to make everyone notice that this opportunity does exist and can be seen as a major issue for everyone in the US.

3. Regulatory Opportunity #1
US Food Safety & Food Processing
2. Link: (a)  https://www.foodprocessing.com/articles/2019/food-safety-and-regulation-issues/
(b) Why it exists: Due to all the small businesses having to understand the Produce Safety rule it is affecting the farmers by having to be in alignment with these rules as well. If the Irrigation outbreak still occurs in these large farms there will be major criticism towards all the produce inspections. Also, the food trends and how there is a major demand for "healthier, cleaner, and all "natural" foods changing the overall food industry.
(c) Prototypical Customer: Anyone who eats out in restaurants and also uses food delivery methods.
(d) I believe this opportunity is relatively easy to exploit due to how many consumers want plant-based foods and "clean meat". There is a high demand for these foods and this opportunity will help the FDA inspections, restaurants, and customers enjoy their food the place they eat.
3. I saw this as a huge opportunity due to personal experience. I eat out almost every day and do notice the consumer trends on the food and how it affects it. I also notice the change in the food industry. Also, I use to work in a restaurant so I saw the cleanliness of them and where the food comes from and the food processor. I believe this opportunity can help many people in the long run.

4. Regulatory Opportunity #2
Health issues caused by the use of Face Masks
2. Link: (a) https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m1435/rr-40
(b) Why it exists: Due to Coronavirus, Many restaurants and main businesses such as CVS Pharmacy, Publix, Walgreens, Hospitals, etc, are requiring customers to wear face masks to stop the spread of this disease. However, this may be causing a "false sense of security" and intake of too much carbon dioxide, which makes it harder for people to breathe. So, are face masks really helping the US prevent this virus? or is it hurting us?
(c)Prototypical Customers: Shoppers and people who eat out.
(d) I believe this opportunity will be relatively difficult to exploit due to how many people believe that the face masks are actually helping us more than they hurt us. I think that health issues while wearing the mask only affect certain people so it could be difficult to stop the use of them due to these minor issues. However, some people are allergic to face masks and have actual health issues that they cannot wear a face mask. So some stores do not let them in, which I believe is against our freedom and against the Disability Act.
3. I saw this as a huge opportunity due to personal experience. I actually cannot wear face masks due to personal issues and I got denied into a Publix, which really felt un-constitutional. I believe that Face Masks are hurting us more than helping due to the facts stated on the link above. I also think this would be a great opportunity for people who do wear face masks if though they cannot but have to in order to get food and necessities in the stores.

Identifying Local Opportunities

Opportunity #1:

Title: Palm Beach County bars, clubs and entertainment venues wait for their turn to reopen

Link: https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/20200525/coronavirus-florida-palm-beach-county-bars-clubs-and-entertainment-venues-wait-for-their-turn-to-reopen

Description of the story: Due to Coronavirus, many restaurants and bars are uncertain when they will be reopening and if they do, they would have to participate in social distancing. Also, possibly reopening outdoors at first then transitioning to inside.

Description of problem: The spread of Coronavirus is canceling out many restaurants and bars, causing them to be financially unstable. The restaurants in West Palm Beach are finding ways to avoid the spread of this disease by moving tables farther apart, and getting UV lights that kill bacteria quicker. So many people are being financially in trouble because of this disease shutting down their work. 

Who has this problem: Everyone is being affected by COVID-19, however, all the restaurant owners, and employees, and even the customers are being affected by this because everyone lost their jobs and can't afford a lot of things. 

Opportunity #2

Title: More Flooding Shuts Down Ballpark Covid-19 Test Site Again

Link: https://wflanews.iheart.com/featured/florida-news/content/2020-05-26-more-flooding-shuts-down-ballpark-covid-19-test-site-again/

Description of the story: Due to Memorial Weekend rains, the ballpark located in Palm Beach where Coronavirus testing is held is shutting down due to massive flood. 

Description of problem: The rain destroyed the campgrounds for this pandemic (picture) and also many people have to reschedule appointments and spend more days not knowing if they have this disease.

Who has this problem: Everyone working on the ballpark testing, and also the people waiting to get tested

Opportunity #3

Title: Relentless rain floods roads, crews work to clear storm drains

Link:  https://cbs12.com/news/local/relentless-rain-floods-roads-crews-work-to-clear-storm-drains

Description of the story: In parts of South Florida, Crew workers had to spend days digging out clogged drains and several inches of standing water is covering roads and parts of Florida due to flooding.

Description of problem: From this past weekend "relentless rain" has caused major floods in parts of Martin County Florida, causing clogged storm drains to need work on and a lot of effort to fix them. 

Who has this problem: The crew fixing the drains and the people who own the drains that need work on.

Opportunity #4

Title: Coronavirus school closures push out student teachers. Will the US teacher shortage get worse?

Link: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2020/04/06/conoravirus-school-closures-student-teaching/5105809002/

Description of the story: Due to Covid-19, Many schools are being switched to teaching online, causing teachers to not want to go back and work in schools or just not teach at all. Schools are worried about teachers not wanting to become certified since they are no longer managing classrooms and have exposure to leading the lessons.

Description of the problem: Many schools across the country and in South Florida such as FAU, are worried about shortages of US teachers due to switching online classes. Teachers are not feeling respected and many students do not have access to the online systems. Teachers are having to learn the online systems and are getting frustrated and feeling unappreciated. 

Who has this problem:  Teachers and students

Opportunity #5

Title: Loxahatchee River dying for freshwater, needs emergency help

Link: https://www.wptv.com/news/protecting-paradise/loxahatchee-river-dying-for-freshwater-needs-emergency-help

Description of the story: "Emergency fusion of freshwater" The Loxahatchee river, in Tequesta Florida is on "invisible fire" and being poisoned by not having enough freshwater under such dry conditions, The salinity levels are rising.

Description of the Problem: The scenic river and wildlife are in an emergency need for freshwater, due to the dry conditions allowing the ocean water to ruin the Loxahatchee River and damage the water. This needs to be settled before wet rains arrive.

Who has this problem: People admire the Loxahatchee River, People who work to help maintain the river, and Palm Beach County. 

Forming an Opportunity Belief

I believe there is an opportunity to solve the problem of water pollution.  I chose this opportunity due to personal experience, going to the beaches, and seeing all the trash and plastics lying around on the sand on a daily basis. Growing up in Jupiter, Florida exposes me to ways to help clean the beaches and the river water to save marine life and keep our environment clean.

examples:

https://environmentflorida.org/feature/fle/wildlife-over-waste

http://www.oneworldoneocean.com/blog/entry/10_ways_to_help_save_the_ocean

To help solve the unmet need, the people who go to the beach need to stop bringing plastics and trash just to leave on the beach. I know there are laws that have been made of littering, however, people still believe the beaches and rivers a place to throw away their belongings. I also think that banning the use of plastic straws is not doing as much as needed. There are so many bigger harmful non-degradable items than plastic straws and I think the use of any non-degradable object on the coast of Florida should be banned. To go into depths of this specific issue, I interviewed two different people who have worked with organizations in order to keep the ocean and rivers clean and then one professional kitesurfer who uses the beach on a daily basis.  

Prototypical Customer #1:

Naia Mader, Founder of Riverkids Organization

How often do you see trash on the beaches/rivers?

 -"Every time I go to the beach I see either a plastic bottle or over five cigarette buds and so much more."

When you see the trash, what do you do with it?

-"My first instinct is to always pick up the trash, and every time I do, I get frustrated that I have to pick up everyone else's trash because they are so unaware of how it affects our planet and marine life."

What do you think needs to change and what do you think will help to make this change?

-"Working with an organization that picks up other people's trash on a daily basis does not help spread the word nor stop the trash but it does help in some way keep our beaches safe. I think creating a business that makes only non-degradable items for all restaurants, stores, and items for the beach would be a really smart place to start."

Prototypical Customer #2:

Friends of Jupiter Beach Organization

Cleaning the beaches on an everyday basis, how much plastic would you say is collected on average?

-"On an average, with fifty volunteers, and cleaning for two-three hours, would contain over 1,000 plastics collected."

How harmful is plastic to the oceans and rivers? is this need necessary?

-" On average the amount of plastic dumped into the ocean is over 8 million tons per year. This kills not only marine, making over 100,000 marine life dying from this plastic. Banning plastic and help cleaning these pollution up is much needed before we lose all marine life goes extinct." 

When did you start wanting to help clean the beaches and want this need?

-"Growing up in Jupiter, Florida, and going surfing and to the beach, I was disgusted by the amount of trash on this beautiful beach I call home. I wanted to do something in order to help the environment and get involved to solve this issue."

Prototypical Customer #3:

James McGrath, Professional Kitesurfer

Going to the beach daily, How much trash do you see not only on the beach but also in the water?

-Living basically in the ocean and surfing since I was six years old, trash and plastic has always been an issue on the beach. When I paddle out to catch a wave, the amount of trash floating in the ocean just alone is so harmful to marine life and also to Earth.

What do you do to set this unmet need? How do you change it?

-Whenever I am in the ocean and see a piece of trash, I always pick it up. However, that is not my job and I believe that people need to clean up after themselves and appreciate Earth and try to protect it. I also believe restaurants on the coast need to ban plastic and start using degradable items to realize this is not a joke.

How long have you seen trash on the beaches and how much do you see on a daily?

-I see trash every single day, either floating in the water, drifting in the sand, or washing up on the shore. It is not only occurring from the people who come to the beach but also comes from boats, restaurants, and fishermen. I see over a hundred pieces of non-degradable items in some form every single day I am on the beach.

Reflection: I learned how important it truly is to clean up after yourself and to keep this environment clean. Not only does the trash come from people on the beach but also from many restaurants that are located near or on the beaches and intercostals. The fact that over 100,000 marine life dies per year, makes me want to do everything I can do keep our beaches clean. I believe that if every single person knew how harmful trash and plastic can be to our Earth, a change could happen for the better. I also found it very fascinating how many people volunteer just to help the beaches stay clean and protected. 

Summarize: The original opportunity to solve the issue of water pollution most definitely still exist. Although, after interviewing these three prototypical customers, I don't think it will be an easy problem to solve. I think Entrepreneurs should strongly rely on their customer's feedback to gain an understanding of how other people view the unmet need and its importance to the world. With everything going on in the world today with Coronavirus, the beaches have been closed and they have never been so clean and beautiful. Marine life is coming up to shore and there are fish everywhere. It is sad to see that having people stay in their houses is saving this planet and our oceans.

Entrepreneur Story

Entrepreneurship has always been apart of my life in many ways. My father had started his own landscaping business when he was twenty and has made it very successful. He has taught me the main ropes about starting a business and how I can turn that into being successful. One of my dream jobs after college is to create my own clothing line or own a clothing store that I started. Well, I began many years back during my first year in High School by opening my own page on the Instagram App. Since I needed money desperately throughout high school but did not want to work after school in a restaurant or some boring job I had to find a way out. My parents were very strict about having a work ethic and still are, so I knew I needed to start soon. When I was a sophomore in High School I started my own shopping store on Instagram called ShopMacii (Macii is my nickname and at the time being only sixteen, I thought it was a great title). To begin, I would post pictures wearing the items in order for them to see how they fit my body and would add the sizes and brand in the caption. I also would allow the customers to come to my house and try them on before buying the item. I started selling my clothes and bathing suits on there that did not fit me anymore for the same price that I got them for. I made over $500 in a week and just continued to keep selling. Eventually, I sold most of my old clothes and had gained over five hundred followers on this website. I only sold to locals so I made a logo and put the clothes in cute bags as if they were buying the items from an actual store. Honestly, I really enjoyed taking the pictures/modeling the items and also meeting with the customers. It was a great and fast way for me to make money and also be able to get rid of the clothes that I never wore or did not fit me. The Instagram page has grown so much throughout the years and I still am selling items on their today. I officially ship items now so the page is followed by many people around the United States. I hope to eventually start creating my own items to sell on there and possibly one day open my own store and brand to sell.

I enrolled in ENT 3003 thinking it can possibly help assist myself through the business world. I want to learn the best strategies and opportunities there are when trying to become an entrepreneur. I want to learn more on the true meaning behind entrepreneurship and take that definition into my own work. I hope to gain more knowledge towards becoming an entrepreneur and the procedures to take, so that maybe one day I can become a professional Entrepreneur. 

Image:

Bug List

1. When eating dinner with my family, my brother always chews with his mouth open.

why: Not having proper etiquette when he eats and not thinking of others being bothered by it.

2. When I go surfing all day and come home with a really bad sunburn and it starts to peel.

why: The UV index is high and I did not re-apply sunscreen enough or forgot to put it on.

3:   When I plan a whole day to be outside and the weather changes and it rains all day instead.

why: The weather apps are not truly accurate and also mother nature has an effect on this as well.

4: Coming home from The University of Florida and having to share a room with my very messy brother

why: My parents decided to turn my room into an office when I left for college

5: When I decide to work out for the first time in a while and my body gives up or pulls a muscle

why: Not stretching before working out or not preparing myself enough when doing a harder workout.

6:  Dunkin Donuts can be busy so I never truly know the best time to go in the mornings, which can cause me to be late to school.

why: Dunkin Donuts can be busier on certain mornings and times than other days so I never truly know the right time to go.

7: Due to using my phone all day, my phone dies quicker causing me to not have a phone throughout the whole day

why: Not charging my phone throughout the night and always being on it, draining it for the rest of the day.

8: Trying to watch Netflix after school hours and my parents always having friends over at the same time I am trying to listen to my show.

Why: Having a small house allows the walls to echo noise causing the noises to be heard even with my door closed.

9: Having to switch to Online classes, be sent home from school, and missing out on the rest of my Freshman Year at UF

why: This is due to the coronavirus coming to the United States and having to social distance

10: Not being able to eat out anymore and hangout with friends 

why: also due to the coronavirus and having to social distance so we do not catch the disease or spread it.

11: When my parents call me when I am at the library or trying to study and then I walk outside to call them back and they don't answer

why: This is most likely because of work or something else came up for them or they can't answer due to business meetings.

12: Finding a really cute online website to shop on and buying a very expensive item from there and it not fitting right.

why: The clothing store measurements/sizing on the website could be wrong or I ordered the wrong size.

13: Ordering an item on amazing and it taking months for the item to ship and it comes after the deadline you needed it.

why: due to them losing the package and having to resend another one and also coronavirus affecting the processing time for that item.

14: When I go out to eat with my boyfriend and he says he's not hungry and does not order anything and then eats some of my food.

why: Possibly seeing the food in front of him makes him hungry.

15: When my friend's sleepover and you have to share a room with them and they snore, so you don't get enough sleep that night.

why: Not being able to move to another room/ the friend has a stuffy nose or breathing issues.

16: When out in public and seeing someone I  know and I wave but they don't wave back.

why: Most likely don't remember me or think that I am not actually waving to them.

17: After showering at night, having to fall asleep with wet hair

why: Too lazy to blow it dry or do not have time to take a shower and wash my hair in the morning.

18: When I have to take a test or have an important meeting and my stomach starts to hurt.

why: I either ate something bad or am nervous for the meeting/important activity.

19: When having to clean up after my roommate and deal with her side of the room always being messy

why: My roommate has a very busy school schedule and most likely just doesn't have the time to do it. 

20: When I let a friend borrow a piece of clothing or jewelry and they never return it back to me.

why: This most likely occurs because they forget they have it or have lost it.

Reflection- When making this bug list, it was hard for me to think of things that actually annoy me on a daily basis. It was difficult to start the bug list and think of the reason why these certain reasons occur. However, after completing these twenty reasons and the reasons behind them I feel like I can try to find a solution for each one or think of a way to fix them. I noticed after completing this, most of the list is such little things that occur in my life that is very possible to change. It also started getting harder towards the end for me when trying to think of things that annoy me because I felt like I had listed most of my bigger problems in the beginning and realized not many things bother me on an everyday basis. I believe it would be harder for me to keep listing more issues.

First Post

Hi my name is Mayson Sages and I am majoring in Public Relations. This is my first blog post!