19A-Idea Napkin #2

1. After speaking with the 5 people closest to me and taking some time to reflect on not only myself but how my strongest traits would benefit my business. Through life experiences I learned compassion at a young age. I watched others with loving hearts be bullied or mistreated because they didn't find it enjoyable to put others down. I have always had the type of heart which would not allow me to turn a blind eye to these type of situations and I would do whatever I could to lift that person up and make them feel better. I think that compassion is what has led me to the idea of helping seniors and providing a service that will make them feel safe and better overall. My leadership comes from starting sports at a very young age and learning to make a team work you have to step out of your comfort zone and be someone others can look to in order for help or advice. I think this type of determination is what it takes to lead a business and make it successful. If you are always the type to listen to others for direction I think it is hard to get your own idea off the ground. I want helping people to be my life and that is what this business stands for. Helping people that aren't always able to help themselves. I hope that if one person sees the quality of my product and it helps them wake up each day knowing that they can have peace of mind when going out into the world then I have done my service as not only a business owner but as a human being.

2. What I am offering has not changed since the first napkin idea. I am offering these customers a high quality access ramp. These ramps will be made of wood due to cost. However, the wood will be very high quality and extremely smooth. The reason that the ramp has to be very smooth is because many customers will be using wheelchairs and other devices to help them get to their entrance. I cannot have any cracks or little chunks of wood within the ramp or that could cause a customer to fall or stall them from moving forward. The product will also be made custom to fit the exact specifications of the customer's home. Hand rails will also be put in place for the customer to give them that extra bit of security.

Feedback: I did notice in my feedback that most of my peers liked the idea of using a higher quality of wood so that the product does not fail the customer. I also took into account other feedback in which some thought about maybe not using such a high quality which would cut down on overall costs. I can understand this viewpoint and costs are a huge issue whenever starting a business but in this case I cannot sacrifice cost and put out a product that may end up injuring one of my customers.

3. Senior citizens who have decided to age at home. (Age 65+) These seniors will have trouble with mobility and climbing the steps to enter and leave their home. In Jacksonville there is a quite large demographic of seniors. We have over 110,000 so the market is large. It will take starting in a specific area and working from there. These customers either have a mindset that makes them uncomfortable while trying to walk or move around. I want to change this and let them have peace and feel confident when they enter and leave their home. As the company grows I would begin to look at other markets such as people with disabilities that requires them to use a device to move around as well as businesses that need ramps in order to help customers. After looking at the feedback and really taking into account what my peers had to say I think it would be well worth my time to look more into people who have disabilities and not just limit myself to seniors. I think people with mobility disabilities can benefit from this product just as much as seniors and there would be no reason for me to overlook them. This is not just a product but a way to help change someone's life for the better. I want to be able to touch as many people as possible and that is something my peers helped open my eyes to.

4. The reason that customers will care has not differed since my last napkin idea. I'm not going to throw numbers out there this time but since researching this idea more and more and talking to people in need of this product it has become very clear that it is worth pursuing. Nothing is worse then feeling anxious or scared. I think each one of us no matter the situation has been in that place before where we are left with the unknown and want to move past it but have trouble. I want to take these fears away and I know for a senior citizen falling and injuring themselves can constantly weigh on their minds. You cannot purchase peace of mind but allowing my product to be installed and become a daily part of my customer's lives will help them achieve this. No senior citizen should be kept inside their home due to the fear of falling down steps. Life is short and each moment counts and I know that seniors still want to be able to get out and enjoy it. These customers will know that I care about them and the quality of the ramp will allow them to enter and leave their home with little fear or worry.

5. The thing that really sets myself apart from competitors is that I am invested in this emotionally and from a business standpoint. I've watched my grandmother fall and have to be rushed to the hospital. I've seen the damage it can do to someone and how it can mentally hold them back. My product will not only be held to the highest standards but it will be produced with care. I want my customers to be part of the entire process so they know exactly what they are getting and feel satisfied when the ramp is completed. I've seen so many people who build things for people's homes do it without any passion and the work shows. Most people only see dollar signs when working on a project for a person. I don't believe you should be in any type of business if you don't feel passionate about what you are doing. If your drive isn't about making sure you are doing the very best job for your customer and caring about the overall goal of your business which is to help people then you should not do it. My work will speak for itself and I believe that will give me the edge over others in this exact same field.

I truly believe that all of my core competencies will fit well with my business. Leadership, Thinker, Compassionate, Spiritual, & Observant all play exactly into what I need to make this succeed. I know I have to be a leader in order to get out there and find business. Business is not going to come knocking on your door so it takes getting out of your comfort zone and hustling to find people with your need. Being a deep thinker helps you look over each aspect of your business and making sure that you are not missing any steps when wanting to make it successful. Being compassionate is what drives myself to want to do this business and that is the number 1 thing I believe will help it succeed. Having a faith and being spiritual will help me when times get tough because I know they will. I have to be able to hold my faith close and know that everything is going to work out and be ok. If I have nothing to lean on when things are not going my way then it will make this journey that much harder. You have to be observant in order to understand the needs of your customer. If you are not taking into account each aspect of what they are asking for or need then you will not produce a final outcome that is good. Keep your eyes and ears open for each opportunity that presents itself and never let lack of concentration make you miss out on something that will better your business.

As I mentioned in my post I took the feedback from all of my peers very serious. I respect what anyone has to say and it helps me get better. I was able to think about costs that previously I chose to overlook. I also was able to open my customer demographic and not stay so laser focused on one specific type. By thinking about people with mobility disabilities in general really allows me to get my name out there more and bring in more customers that will help my business grow.