Assignment 16A - What's Your Secret Sauce?

Assignment 15A - Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

The Back Half of the Buying Process

FINDINGS

• When I was conducting my interviews, I found that students did care a substantial amount about the financial implications the implementation of newer technology in classrooms could have on their tuition statements.
• There were mainly two attitudes: should the implementation of advanced technology affect the costs of being a student at the University of Florida, the entire business opportunity should be modified or scrapped as most respondents did not see the value in the price change; should the implementation of newer technology not affect the individual tuition statements of students at the University of Florida, then the project should be adopted and immediately made available.
• Students who suggested modifying the business opportunity to lessen the effect of newer technology on tuition costs mentioned the dependency on the quality and style of the potential technology to be implemented.
• The technology introduced into classrooms could be of advanced quality and style, but also within a reasonable range that would not highly affect tuition costs.
• Students were more willing to use the technology if it were to be guaranteed accessible within their normal classroom settings. 
• Respondents showed a certain sensitivity to determining whether implementing new technology is a good idea or not; some preferred the traditional learning style of today's classrooms and others were excited at the prospect of upgrading their classrooms.

CONCLUSION

Succinctly speaking, this segment had different mindsets when it came to financial, physical and even psychological factors that the implementation of new technology in classrooms could have on the average consumer. Respondents suggested alternatives when faced with the possibility of higher tuition costs; preferred for the technology to be readily available for usage in classrooms already; and had mixed feelings on whether the implementation would enhance their learning experiences.

Assignment 14A - Halfway Reflection

Tenacity & Paying It Forward

"Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained." - Marie Curie

Assignment 13A - Reading Reflection No. 1

MIRACLES HAPPEN: THE LIFE AND TIMELESS PRINCIPLES OF THE FOUNDER OF MARY KAY INC.

Assignment 12A - Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

Buyer Behavior Process

Assignment 11A - Idea Napkin No. 1

WHO IS KARINA? 
I am Karina Lopez and I am a Finance major. With my skills in leadership and strategic thinking, I have held and currently hold positions that require me to think for the rest of the group and delegate tasks in an orderly fashion, leaving me with the experience of working with others and completing tasks on time. This has benefitted me in allowing me to recognize the importance of teamwork and cohesiveness in any work environment, as I aspire to be a leader in my intended career field. My business concept will play the role of pushing me to identify problems that could turn into potential business opportunities, something that I actually find myself doing subconsciously now.

WHAT IS SHE OFFERING? 
To the customers, I am offering an opportunity to level up their academic experiences; gone are the days where we have to subject ourselves to the constant droning-on of professors in front the stark green chalkboards of yesterday, rather today we have the technology necessary for the growth of students across the world, technology that could radicalize the mundane learning patterns that no longer serve a purpose to today’s students. 

WHO IS SHE OFFERING IT TO? 
Demographically, I am offering my business idea to innovative sites of education, and to their consumers (students) of course; technically speaking, the universities and colleges would be the ones purchasing and implementing the new technology within their classrooms, but the ultimate consumers would be the students who are enrolled at these institutions. In terms of psychographics, consumers would have to be open to the implementation of new technology within their classrooms. They would also have to have some sort of interest in advanced technology, being regular consumers of external technological tools (i.e. tablets, laptops, etc.). In all, my customers share the common interest of upgrading their learning experiences through higher-quality technology such as VR headsets and smart boards.

WHY DO THEY CARE? 
Customers care about this service because it is pervasive in most of the classes they frequent; old, outdated settings that serve to only diminish the material being taught instead of uplifting and enhancing the knowledge being transferred from faulty laser headsets and dusty chalkboards. They understand that if a university actually cares about its consumers, which are students, they will invest in their educational experiences within the institution and prove to not only current students but also prospective consumers that they are truly getting their money’s worth.

WHAT ARE KARINA'S CORE COMPETENCIES? 

My core competencies are firsthand experiences of university classrooms, both online and live accounts. In having this deep understanding of the potential customers’ experiences within the typical classroom, I am able to tap into their unmet needs from a personal perspective and pinpoint where it is that classrooms are lacking for my peers. I also have the idea of implementing technology that is not usually seen in classrooms (VR headsets), which could completely revolutionize the way students learn about material that may require outside field experience.

These elements do mesh well together, in my opinion. I am offering something that is a prevalent issue amongst classrooms; while it may not be for everyone, as there are some students who prefer the traditional way of learning that has always been presented to them, there are those who recognize and prefer the fast pace of technological advances and would like to see that in their sites of learning. It could be a very interesting implementation within universities, as it could propel the school and its students to levels of learning unseen before.

Assignment 10A - Elevator Pitch No. 1

Assignment 9A - Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Students feel unfulfilled in classrooms because of the lack of technological resources provided

WHO During the interviewing process, it was brought to my attention that bringing in newer technology into classrooms can potentially distract from the central purpose of being in that classroom, which is to learn. Some interviewees preferred the traditional structure of most modern learning sites because it is a structure they are most accustomed to and therefore work best in.

WHAT The introduction of newer technology into classrooms can be connected to a desire of trying to "one-up" other institutions of learning that may not have the means to provide such resources and tools to their students in their classrooms. 

WHY Some of the interviewees relayed that bringing in new technology might not make a difference in the amount learned, as those who already bring technology (laptops, phones, tablets, etc.) feel as though these tools can be more distracting than supplemental towards their learning progress.

Inside	Outside
Who: Students who agree that newer technology in their classrooms would improve their learning experiences	Who: Students who see the introduction of newer technology in classrooms as counterproductive and useless, students who prefer the traditional structure of today’s classrooms
What: Newer, more advanced technology that supplements learning in classrooms	What: More technology that could take away from the traditional learning atmosphere of the typical classroom
Why: Students feel as though more could be done to ensure that the material covered in class lectures is fully retained and learned	Alternative Explanations: Newer technology may be beneficial, but it could distract from the actual learning; students may prefer the structure they have always been learning through