Bug List

Bug list

1. The bus stop on Wind Meadows boulevard across from Spanish trace apartments does not have a roof over it anymore, so this morning while I was waiting for the bus I was getting soaked.

Why?

Because a car ran into the bus stop a few weeks ago destroying the entire thing.

2. When I take out the trash, especially at night I get nervous that a rampant animal is going to be upset with me for interrupting his mid night snack. This probably would not bug me as much if I could see my surroundings, but since I am blind ... I usually just say a prayer and hope for the best.

Why?

This is a bug, because raccoons are scavengers, and they like to dig through trash cans and dumpster to find food.

3. Anyone else notice how cold the RTS buses are on a consistent basis? They are not just cool they are freezing! During the summer this is not a horrible thing to have, but when it is pouring rain outside and passengers are walking on the bus wet it does not make since to crank the AC to its highest potential.

Why?

I've heard it been said that the reason public transportation keeps their AC at a low temperature is so that germs are not as easily spread.

4. It bugs me when I try to talk to a random student on campus, and sometimes they do not even notice me because they won’t take their eyes off their phone.

Why?

This is a bug because society today has become more technologically advanced, and people would rather communicate through media instead of face to face.

5. I can't remember where this happened to me last, but it has happened to me on multiple occasions. It bugs me when you go to a restaurant that offers complementary bread, but they won’t bring it out to you until its specifically asked for.

Why?

This is a bug because restaurants like to save any little bit of money any way they can.

6. A couple days ago I went to the Steak and Shake on 13th street, and ordered a Nutella milk shake. I was feeling really annoyed while drinking the milk shake, because the Nutella kept clogging the straw.

Why?

This bug exists because the straw was not thick enough for clumps of Nutella to pass through it.

7. So, I am six foot five, and it really bugs me when I am on a air plane or bus and the person in front of me decides to lean their seat all the way back.

Why?

This is a bug because people want to be comfortable on long trips, and they do not consider the comfortability of the people behind them.

8. You know what really grinds my gears? When I buy a container of Edy's ice cream, and when I get home it is slightly melted. Then, when I try to scoop the ice cream out of the container the container basically disintegrates   in my hand. As a result ice cream is usually dripping down the sides of the container.

Why?

This is a bug because the container is not very good quality.

9. Since I am blind, one huge obstacle while I am walking can be branches that hang over the %side walk. It really bugs me when I get waked in the face by a branch while walking %places.

Why?

This bug exists because my cane is used by maintaining constant contact to the ground, and while it can protect me from running into things that are on the ground in front of me, it can not detect things that are at head level.

10. It bugs me when I try on a size 13 Converse shoe, and it feels like it is really a size 11.

Why?

This bug exists because different shoes could be made in different countries, and they can be made with different materials.

11. It really bugged me the other night when I went to Taco Bell to get a caramel apple empanada, and it was cold to the core.

Why?

This bug exists because fast food restaurants tend to make food ahead of time, so when a order is placed they can complete it as fast as possible.

12. A huge bug for me is when I buy clothes or shoes online, and when I receive them they do not fit the way I thought they would. Then I have to go through the hassle of exchanging them.

Why?

This bug exists because its hard to judge how something will fit if your able to try the item on.     

13. To accommodate blind consumers, movie theaters provide head phones that describe the move to the blind. It really bugs me when the head phones don't work the first time, and someone who I am with has to go bring them back to the front desk multiple times before they start working.

Why?

This bug exists because of the overall quality of the receivers the head phones connect to.

14. For some reason when I buy shirts from places like Ross or TJ Max they shrink after I wash them for the first time. I have tried washing them inside out, and drying on low heat, but nothing seems to work.

Why?

Not exactly sure why this bug exists.

15. I love sustainability, so it really bugs me when I see how many plastic straws, cups, and plates are used by people throughout their day.

Why?

This bug exists because plastic utensils are produced for a very low price, and they are convenient.

16. My first year at UF, I was pulling my first all-nighter at library west, and half way through the night I went down stairs to get a coffee from Starbucks. When I got my ice coffee I was very irritated, because most of the cup was full of ice, so after three sips my entire drink was gone.  

Why?

This bug exists because all businesses want the best bang for their buck. 

17. Since I am blind, when I am walk people sometimes think that I do not know where I am going, so they start to shout meaningless directions at me with the hope that I will understand what they are trying to say. Usually the person shouting at me is more than 100 feet away.

Why?

This a bug exists because people want to help individuals with disabilities, but don't necessarily know how to.

18. It bugs me when I drink soda out of a plastic cup, and the ice melts faster than I can drink the soda. I hate flat soda.

Why?

This why exists because plastic cup are not insulated enough to hold the cold temperature in. 

19. It bugs me when people put me on hold for a very long time.

Why?

This bug exists because I am impatient.

20. It bugs me when I can't find something that is literally right in front of me.

Why?

This bug exists mostly because I am blind. LOL

This assignment was pretty difficult. It’s actually a lot harder to find things that really bug me. After the first ten bugs it really started to get hard. A lot of the time the things that bug me the most are personal preference. I really enjoyed this assignment though because it had me thinking about things I normally do not think about.                                                 

My Entrepreneurship Story

My Entrepreneurship story

  When I was young, about six years old my father worked for a tow truck company. He worked long hours and sometimes over night. There were time where I would not see my father for multiple days at a time because of his long and irregular hours. At some he noticed that he was bringing in the most revenue for the company, and because of these two reasons it made him re evaluate his career path. About a year later  my father officially  opened his own business. The business was called Devine Towing and Transport, and it started out as a towing  company that transported semi  trailer and office trailers to construction sites. Later, he expanded the business and started to tow cars as well. At its peek my fathers company had about fifteen employees, and by 2008 it was a million dollar business. Unfortunately , after the economy took a huge hit in the summer of 2008, so did his business. I learned a lot about entrepreneurship by watching my dad start and run his business. I saw how it started relatively small, then grew little by little over the years. Also, my father was huge in promoting his business, and showing consumers what he brought to the table compared to the competition.
 
  Originally I thought that the only reason I am taking this class would be to fulfill the requirement of a four credit elective. Thankfully, after going through the first weeks videos and seeing what this class has to offer my perception changed. Originally, I thought this class would be soly based on how to create a business, the paper work and certifications necessary to maintain a business, etc. Instead, the class consists of exercises that get the creative juices flowing in your mind. One thing that was said in one of the first lectures was that this class will prepare you to be an entrepreneur in many different  places; a new business, your current job, in an organization, or in your church. This statement spoke to me, because although I do not think I want to open my own business, I would like to be an innovative thinker in every aspect of my life. I am really looking forward to expand the way I think throughout this class.  
             

4A: Forming An Opportunity Belief

Opportunity belief

Step 1
I believe that disabled people are perceived in a "incapable" light. Based on my experience  I believe that an opportunity exists with educating people about disabilities, specifically blindness.

Step 2
The unmet need is the lack of resources provided to abled bodied people that will educate them on blindness, and help them to separate myths from facts concerning this disability.
This nonprofit will focus on meeting the needs of two different parties. First, we will be filling the need for advocating for blind individuals. I have noticed that most blind people are great advocates for themselves.  what we need to understand is that although one person can start the idea of a change, to implement this change you need a lot of people who share the same belief. Secondly, we will fill an unnoticed need that exists amongst abled bodied people, which is educating them about the abilities that blind individuals have. This will help with over all inclusion, and it will also help greatly with blind unemployment.
Blindness has always existed, therefor this need has  always existed. We live in a society that promotes equal opportunities for all people. I believe that's when this need really started taking shape.
There are some organizations in the united states that try to fill this need by promoting blind awareness and inclusion, but the majority of these organizations have low expectations of the blind individuals that they represent. Most organizations celebrate a victory after there client gets hired  to do a monotonous job like refilling vending machines. That's not a victory, but it is settling for the very least.
I am 90% sure that this opportunity exists.

Step 3
A prototypical customer would be a blind or visually impaired individual who is very ambitious, and who wants to get a great career in a field that interests them.

Step 4
1. What is the exact nature of the need?

Farah
I would like a more inclusive working environment

Leanne
Awareness and inclusivity. As a mom I want people to be aware of the fact that although I am blind, I can still provide for my children the same way they can.

Natasha
More awareness. I am a very independent traveler, and I want to be able to walk down the street without someone walking up to me and telling me that I am going the wrong way, when they don't even know where I am trying to go.

2. When are they aware of the need, do they experience the need all the time or just sometimes?

Farah
The need is experienced all the time. I find myself having to explain my situation to multiple people daily.

Leanne
All the time

Natasha
I am aware of it when I meet new people. The need exists most of the time

3. How long have they had the need?

Farah
Since I was a young child and I became aware of what my needs are, and I realized that the world was not made for someone like me, thus I needed to adjust as well as help the world adjust to me.

Leanne
For my entire life. I have always found myself trying to explain myself to teachers, employers, random people on the street, etc.

Natasha
I have had the need my entire life, but I noticed it more since I started living an independent life style

4. When did they become first aware of the need?

Farah
Answered above

Leanne
As a child about 10 years old. I saw the way people would treat me, and I new I was way more capable than they were making it seem. I would be seated separately from all the other kids. I was young but I was far from stupid.

Natasha
When I first moved out on my own. It was now up to me to do all of my advocating, where as when I lived with my mom I could rely on her to have my back.  

5. How are they currently addressing the need?

Farah
I address the need on a person by person basis. As I meet people I try to teach them about my situation, but it is exhausting

Leanne
Public speaking, and word of mouth. Honestly, it would be nice to have something in place to help people understand.

Natasha
Word of mouth on a need by need basis. I enjoy teaching people about my situation, but sometimes its hard to teach your employer without making them feel like you will just be a burden.

6. How satisfied are they with this solution?

Farah
I am very satisfied, because this issue needs to be addressed on a macro level if we want to see any change.

Leanne
Great idea! Wish there was something like this when I was a kid.

Natasha
I love it! The organizations that exist right now are helpful, but I think having someone in charge that has experienced the need will help a lot.

Step 5
After interviewing three prototypical customers I found that all three of them had similar answers. I interviewed three visually  impaired or blind women, and each of them are in a different stage of life. Natasha is finishing up her degree, Farah just finished her masters degree and is now looking for employment, and Leanne is a stay at home mom who home schools all of  her children. I noticed that all three women wants there to be more inclusivity in there respective environment. They all are aware of the need all the time. Although, in some cases, it is more apparent when meeting new people. That is good because we will not be trying to educate the people who know us, but instead, the new individuals that we meet on a day to day basis. Of all three interviewees the need has been in their lives for as long as they can remember. In some situation the need is more noticed when they started living more independent lives outside of their parents homes. As of right now this need is filled mostly by word of mouth educating, and it occurs on a case by case basis. All three women have noticed that they find themselves educating people who lived most of there lives in other countries. I believe that this is due to the lack of disability awareness in other countries. Farah also noted that at times constantly educating people can be very exhausting. Each woman I interviewed said that they thought this would be a great idea. I believe that if we attack this issue on a macro level we can reach more people, while also taking some of the burden off of the blind individuals themselves.

Step 7
100% of my original opportunity is still there.
I think that my new opportunity is more accurate because I was able to gain some incite from individuals who experience the same exact needs.
Based on customer feedback entrepreneurs should definitely  adapt there opportunity, but also, entrepreneurs should not just abandon there original opportunity because they got some bad feedback from there first three prototypical customers. Maybe the prototypical customer needs to change, or maybe the opportunity just needs to be tweaked a little.                                    

Intro

I am Austin Devine and I will be using this platform to complete my entrepreneurship class at the University of Florida.