14A – Halfway Reflection

1) Tenaciousness is a competency. What are the behaviors that you have used (or developed) to keep up with the requirements of this course? 

In order to keep up with this course, I learned I must work ahead. It’s not easy to catch up after you have fallen behind. I’m also taking Business Finance (Banko’s class) this semester. Trying to keep up with both courses can be a bit difficult. Each week presents new challenges, so I must adapt my schedule to meet the demands of both courses, the responsibilities of my family, and the responsibilities of my job.

2) Tenaciousness is also about attitude. Talk about a moment or two when you felt like "giving up." What pulled you through? Do you feel like you've developed a tenacious attitude during the past two months? What experience or experiences most contributed to this?

The week I thought about giving up was the week I missed three assignments. It wasn’t intentional. It was a difficult week academically, personally and professionally. It killed my ego to miss those assignments. After moping about it for a day, my daughter came and hugged me. She told me I was the best mommy and that calmed me down, and got me back in the “zone” to get through the rest of the semester.

I’m not sure if I’ve developed a tenacious attitude these last two months, but I’ve been told by several co-workers I am feistier than normal, so there may be some correlation between the two.

What contributed most to the feistiness is feeling like the solution I have come up with would really help people. As I continue to have conversations with the other moms in my department, I’m learning more and more this solution could be beneficial to more people that I imagined. Does it make me want to actually start this business…um…no. But seeing a solution I came up with that could possibly be beneficial to so many people is a bit of an ego boost.

3) Three tips. What are three tips you would offer next semester's student about (1) fostering the skills that support tenacity and (2) developing the 'tenacious mindset'?

Three tips for next semester’s students:

1.     Work ahead. You won’t regret it.

2.     Think outside the box. Not every solution is black and white.

3.     Watch the lectures. You won’t be able to pass a Cupcake if you don’t.

13A – Reading Reflection No. 1

1) You read about an entrepreneur:

·        What surprised you the most?

What surprised me most about Steve Jobs was his ambition. He knew what he wanted, and he was determined to make it happen.

·        What about the entrepreneur did you most admire?

What I admired most about Steve Jobs was his ability to see what the next best thing was. He could see what we needed even before we needed it. I was an iPhone doubter at first. I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to walk around with a computer in my pocket. After research and learning more about the iPhone, I finally got one and I’ve never looked back.

·        What about the entrepreneur did you least admire?

What I least admired about Steve Jobs was the jerk he could be. He was not easy to work with, and he was not the nicest person.

·        Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it?

Steve Jobs experienced adversity and failure throughout his career. He learned from his mistakes and found new ways to be innovative. As he continued to grow, he was able to be innovative.

2) What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited? 

The competencies I noticed in Steve Jobs are: risk taker; thinker; visionary; perfectionist; and determined.

3) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

What confused me was learning that Steve Jobs actually presented ideas of his employees as his own. I had always heard Steve Jobs was not the nicest guy, but as brilliant as he was, he still felt the need to steal the ideas of his employees and not give them credit.

4) If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?

If I had an opportunity to ask Steve Jobs two questions, I would ask:

Do you think it was necessary to keep the workplace competitive between yourself and your employees?

Do you regret not treating your employees better? Do you believe more innovation could have happened if you worked better with your employees?

5) For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion?

Steve Jobs valued hard work. He did not rest until the creation of a product was complete and it was perfect. I, too, am the same way when I am creating.

12A – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

Segment: Single, working parents

To complete this assignment, I had to opportunity to meet with three (3) single, working mothers. During my conversations with them, we discussed the difficulties of meeting the demands of their children and meeting the demands of their employer. It’s hard to prioritize between the two as they need to meet the demands of their employer in order to meet the demands of their children. All three of the moms felt there were days they failed at meeting the demands of both. We discussed the difficulties of getting their children to their activities and events. We discussed how some days, they just cannot be in two places at the same time, and it’s on those days they feel they failed their children the most. They are quick to say their children understand the difficulties their moms face, but it’s the moms who feel they are a disappointment.

The awareness of this need was recently felt by one of the moms I spoke with. She was called in to work early which left her in a bind. She had to make arrangements for her son to be taken to school, however, the people she depended on most to assist her were not available to help. She brought her son with her to work and continued to desperately try to find an alternative means to get him to school. The Uber App was not working and she felt the pressure from her manager building to get her child to school. In discussing this situation with her, she was uncomfortable putting her son in an Uber Car alone because she didn’t know how safe he would be. She also knew if she didn’t, her boss would not be happy if she had to leave to take him to school. After taking a few deep breaths, she was able to calm down and get the Uber app to work. She met the Uber car outside, took a picture of the driver, and sent her son off to school.

After she shared her story, the other moms explained some instances where they faced challenges in getting their children to their activities and events. Although for the most part they can rely on friends and family for help, there are days they have no one, and it becomes a mission to find a way to get their children where they need to be. Uber and Lyft are options for them, however, they are not comfortable placing their children in the care of those drivers.

Most single working parents in this situation always look to friends and family for help, but what happens when they are not there? They look to Uber, Lyft and Google. Some of the searches we discussed are private car services, private transportation services, child transport services, public transportation service, safe transportation services and nanny drivers. All are valid searches within Google to assist parents with finding a way to get their children to where they need to be.

Single working moms may not able to afford a nanny, which means they are forced to find alternative means to transport their children where they need to go. If there was an affordable transportation service such as Mom-Assist, where they could watch their child throughout the entire ride from Point A to Point B to ensure their children arrived safely at their destination, they would consider using it. The trust factor would be the hardest part to overcome for them, but if they are willing to use Uber or Lyft, they would be willing to try Mom-Assist too.

11A – Idea Napkin No. 1

1. My name is Stacey Garced-Serrano. I’m a wife, mother, student, professional, volunteer and jane of all trades. I’ve put my life on hold for the last few years to finish my degree and further my career while trying to be the best wife and mother I can be. My talents include creative writing, looking for ways to operate more efficiently and designing invitation, cards, etc. My aspirations are to FINALLY finish my degree at a reputable establishment and inspire my daughters to do the same. If I were to move forward with this business concept, the role it would play in my life would be significant, especially during the birthing stages of it. Earning the trust of my customers would be the hardest obstacle to overcome, but IF I were able to, I believe this business would allow me to be self-sufficient.

2. The service I am selling is opportunity. It’s an opportunity for parents to give their children access to opportunities. Working parents need help, and it can be difficult to rely on friends and families to help all the time. By having a transportation service, it allows parents an option to get their children to and from their activities and events.

3. Working parents, single parents and elementary/middle/high school students are my identified customers. It can be difficult for working and single parents to get their children to every activity and/or event. Work schedules, custody schedules, and other factors can prevent parents from fulfilling obligations for their children. It can make them feel as if they failed their child in some way.

4. Parents want to afford their children every opportunity to find their path in life. By having an option to get their children to and from their activities and events allows children to build their confidence, character and paths to pursue their dreams and aspirations. This service will allow parents to meet the needs of their children while also fulfilling their professional responsibilities.

5. What sets this service apart from others are the safety features which gives parents a sense of relief when their children are being transported to their activities and events. By having a security camera in the car, that the driver cannot turn off until the transportation process is complete gives this service the safety edge over Uber, Lyft and other car service companies.

It is my belief this concept will work for the identified customers. Based on the working parents I interviewed, this type of service would be a welcome relief to ensuring their children can get to their activities and/or events. Some of the weaknesses I perceive is finding reliable drivers in the beginning. It will take time to build a fleet of Mom-Assist drivers to meet the needs of working parents. It will also take time to build a trusting relationship with parents. Some parents may be hesitant to use this service, while others will jump on board from the start. By ensuring safe and reliable services to those who immediately use this service, it will help hesitant customers give the service a chance.

10A - Elevator Pitch 1

9A – Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Who: Stay at Home Parents; Work at Home Parents; Elementary/Middle/High School students who do not participate in extracurricular activities; Teenagers that can drive and have access to a car; Parents of infants, toddlers, and pre-school aged children; working parents who have family members that help them

What: The necessity of this service is not needed by the identified who.

Why: The service is geared towards assisting those who need help transporting their children to different activities, events, etc. If the need does not exist, the service is not desirable.

After speaking with people who would not benefit from this service, it really helped me to see the customer base of who I am attracting may be more limited than I anticipated. Although the response to this service was received with mixed feelings by working parents, for the most they would consider using this service if the right safety measures were taken AND it would benefit them. In the State of Florida, teenagers begin driving at 16 years of age. If they have access to a car, they can drive themselves to and from their activities, events and appointments which eliminates the need for this service. Parents of infants, toddlers and, pre-school aged children do not benefit from this service as their children would most likely not have an abundance of activities or events to attend. Also, these parents would be attending those activities with their child(ren). Parents would not rely on a driver to pick up their toddler, take them to a dance lesson (sit and wait at the dance school) and bring them home. In that case, they would just hire a nanny. Stay at Home Parents and Work at Home Parents can better manage their schedules and the schedules of their child(ren) to maximize time and ensure they are able to transport their children to and from their activities and events. However, some at home parents would consider this service in the event they are sick and unable to get their child(ren) to their activities and/or events. In addition, parents of teenage drivers may also consider the service IF they were concerned about the safety of their child(ren) at a social event. They might prefer to use this service to bring their child(ren) to and from the event instead of allowing them to drive.

It was interesting to see the differences in opinions, thought processes and requirements for this type of service. Working parents believed this could relieve the stress of having to be in 20 different places at the same time. At home parents felt it would be more of a luxury than a necessity because they prefer to adjust their schedules rather than use a service to assist with transportation. Unfortunately, working parents may not have the flexibility to adjust their schedules to accommodate the activities their child(ren) participate in. As a working mom, student and volunteer myself, I do not want to deny my daughter opportunities to participate in activities and events because my schedule is not conducive for it. I believe my daughter should have every opportunity to find her path, and she cannot do that unless she can explore the opportunities that are in front of her. Of course, there are times when I must be a voice of reason for her because she does like to overextend herself. Who knew an eight-year-old could do that?

Researching this idea has reinforced our gratitude to have family that is willing and able to help us get our daughter everywhere she needs to be. It also makes me think of parents who do not have help yet move mountains to make sure their kids get to where they need to be, and how much a service like this could minimize the stress in their life to help their children to get to where they need to be.

Inside the Boundary	Outside the Boundary
Working Parents; Elementary/Middle/High School Students	Stay at Home Moms; Elementary/Middle/High School students who do not participate in extracurricular activities; Teenagers that can drive and have access to a car; Parents of infants, toddlers, and pre-school aged children
Transporting Elementary/Middle/High School Students to extracurricular activities; transporting Elementary/Middle/High School Students to social events and gatherings; Transporting Elementary/Middle/High School Students to appointments	Transportation to extracurricular activities and events is not a need for the identified Who.
Working parents often have to depend on others to get their children where they need to be. Working parents do not want to take advantage of family members; often they are paying people to take their children to different activities, events, appointments. Working parents cannot always get the time off of work to meet the demands of their child(ren)’s schedules,	Stay at Home Parents and Work at Home Parents are able to accommodate transportation needs of their child(ren); child(ren) that do not participate in activities or events do not have transportation needs; teen drivers can drive themselves to where they need to be; if a student is not involved in an activity, no transportation need is necessary.

7A – Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

Opportunity: Elementary/Middle/High School Students Transportation Service

Who: Working Parents; Elementary/Middle/High School Students

What: Transporting Elementary/Middle/High School Students to extracurricular activities; transporting Elementary/Middle/High School Students to social events and gatherings; Transporting Elementary/Middle/High School Students to appointments

Why: Working parents often have to depend on others to get their children where they need to be. Working parents do not want to take advantage of family members; often they are paying people to take their children to different activities, events, appointments. Working parents cannot always get the time off of work to meet the demands of their child(ren)’s schedules,

As a working mom myself, I have seen this need become more and more relevant. Single parents and working parents all need assistance with getting their children around. It becomes increasingly difficult if parents have more than one child. Having to have children in three different places at the same time can be rather difficult to accomplish. A service like this would minimize the stress parents experience on a daily basis.

Parents will need to trust the drivers; difficult children can test the driver’s patience; affordability of the service

Parents will refuse assistance because they believe they can do it all, even if it kills them or other parents will abuse any and all help they can receive.

Interview Responses:

If available, would you use a Mommy-Type Uber service to assist with getting your child(ren) to their extra curricular activities? Why or Why not?

After discussing this topic with an array of working parents, I learned there are mixed feelings to a service like this. Although for the most part, parents would actually consider using this service, others stressed concern regarding the safety and well-being of their child when being transported.

What type of benefits are you looking for in a service such as this one?

Parents are looking to minimize the stress they feel when having to take their children to different activities and events. There are times parents feel like there is not enough time in a day to accomplish this task. As of now, a parent I interviewed, as well as several of their friends, already pay people to take their children to different activities and events. The idea of having this type of service centralized where they can plan an entire week or month of transportation at a time would be a dream come true. As of now, they are able to plan transportation about a day or two in advance, but it can become tedious when people are not available to assist them.

What would be a requirement for you in order to use this service?

Obviously, background and driving record checks were the highest requirement for them. After discussing the idea of partnering with a company like Care.com, parents became more receptive to this idea. Most parents I interviewed have used Care.com to find a babysitter for their child. It’s a reliable, trustworthy service that provides qualified care givers for parents to select from.

What safety measures would you like to see in a service such as this one?

During my discussion with the parents, an idea of having a “Nanny Camera” in the car would help them feel more comfortable when using a service such as this one. One of the parents had a child in the Home Away from Home Day Care where at any time throughout the day, they could login and watch their child at day care. This provided a feeling of comfort knowing that at any time, a parent could check in on their child and make sure their child was safe. Having an option such as this one would sway some of the parents that did not originally like this idea to begin to consider the idea.

Do you believe this type of service, if centralized, would beneficial to you?

A service such as this one, centralized, would be an enormous relief to parents who are already paying for their child’s transportation to their activities, events and appointments. The ability to schedule in advance and select the drivers who will provide the service would be a huge benefit to those who would use the service.

What would you consider to be affordable rates for this type of service?

The parents I spoke with said they are paying a person $20.00 each way to and from their destination. Unfortunately, this means if the destination is one mile or 10 miles away, they are paying the same price. Having a set rate would be beneficial to them. As we discussed a set rate, having a based fare (flat fee), cost per minute, cost per mile and a service fee. The fare would be calculated as follows: $1.00 base fare, $0.16/min, $0.90/mile, service fee $1.00. For a 10 minute ride that was 5 miles away, the ride will now cost: $1.00+($0.16*10=$1.60)+(5*$0.90=$4.50)+$1.00=$8.10. This is a savings of $11.90 for parents that are already paying $20.00 each way to a destination.

What age group do you think this service should be geared towards?

Although most parents were hesitant to use this service for their elementary students, they felt middle school and high school students should be the core customer base for this service.

What is the maximum travel distance you would use this service for?

For the most part, if the service was used, the travel would remain within Palm Beach County. Anything further seemed to make participants uneasy.

Would you also consider using this service to take your child(ren) to the movies? mall? friend's house?

For the most part, it would be considered to also use the service for these types of trips as well, especially during work hours, and school breaks.