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 seeing the bigger picture and ability to multi-task. 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 safe and
affordable transportation service available to them to use, 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, which the driver cannot turn off until the
transportation process is complete gives this service the safety edge over Uber,
Lyft and other car sharing 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.
Unfortunately, I did not
receive feedback on this post. In an effort to get some type of feedback, I asked
a few mom friends to review this Idea Napkin. After they reviewed it, they felt
I didn’t connect myself to the customer enough to show I understand the
everyday struggles and why this service would be beneficial to not only my
customers but for myself as well. I updated my responses to reflect a better
connection to the customer, as well as, ensure the customer this is the type of
service I need in my life as well.
Hi Stacey! I'm sorry to hear you didn't receive feedback on your idea napkin last time. It's been a while since I looked at your idea, and I must say that it has really grown! One of my first concerns was that safety of children and the security that parents would feel about having their kids driven around by strangers ruled your idea as null, I have to admit. Seeing as you've implemented the idea of a camera, it seems that this has leveled the playing field quite substantially. I like that you pointed out that it will take time to amass a number of people who pass background checks, and it will take time for a large number of parents to feel comfortable with this service. This type of business is built off of reputation, like any business, but in this case, it is all the more important to make that a priority.
ReplyDeleteSo, I haven't read any of your recent posts, but just using this one as a reference, it may be in your best interest to talk about how exactly the background check, screening process for potential drivers will take place. As, even with the camera, your customers will need to feel like they can trust their driver. I think one thing you could implement into your service is creating a kind of profile account for your drivers. For example, "Martha is a 60 year old mother of 3 and grandmother to 4. She has 20/20 vision, volunteers at the local homeless shelter regularly, and has been driving with us for over a year." Something like that, so that your customers feel like they can connect with the driver. Also, it may be implied that this will be a feature, or maybe you've mentioned it before an I missed it, but make to clarify that the car will very easy to track at all times, including the camera, and the ability to call 911 or the driver at any time.
Hi! I really enjoyed reading your blog post, but am sorry you didn't get feedback on your first one. It seems like this idea is really developed and you have connected yourself more to your customer. You have a really good idea that could become very useful! Great post.
ReplyDelete