Assignment 4A- Forming an Opportunity Belief
My Belief and Prototypical Customer:
I believe that there is an unmet need in regards to college student targeted diet or nutrition based programs. Anyone who is a college student could stand to benefit from this. I believe that a lot of college students become so consumed with their grades and social life when attending college, that they tend to put their health on the back burner. There is the dreaded "freshman 15" that a lot of students fear, and it is reasonable because the students are now on their own, with no one telling them what to and what not to eat. This also includes alcohol intake as well, "it is estimated that about 10 percent of college students drink more than fifteen alcoholic beverages per week, further impairing the quality of their diet." (https://www.diet.com/g/college-students-diets-of?get=college-students-diets-of). Now there are a lot of optional resources out their for students to take advantage of, especially in this day and age with hundreds of apps available to download targeting healthy living and nutrition. But I believe that possibly implementing a required course at every university for freshmen student to take where they would learn about nutrition, wellness, and how to eat and drink unhealthy foods in moderation, because we won't be young forever. I am 90% that this opportunity exists.
Iterations:
#1: Female sophomore student living on campus without a meal plan
-Why did you choose to not have a meal plan?
"Well the dorm I live in does have a kitchen with a stove and full sized fridge so I figured it would be more beneficial to me to use those as opposed to buying a meal plan, I also have a car on campus so it makes it easy to drive to the store as opposed to the bus system.
- So I assume you make your own food?
"Yes, I grocery shop every week, I made it a part of my routine once I started here as a freshman"
- Was it an easy transition from living at home and coming to school having to make your own food?
"Yes definatley, my family always cooked and bought groceries for me so when I started school I had to learn even the most basic things like produce has a shelf life and if you dont eat it you basically wasted your money, which was no fun. I had a huge learning curve."
- Would you have benefitted from a class as a freshmen showing you how to eat healthy and how to shop smart at the grocery store?
" I have always been a healthy eater so that wasn't a problem but definatley learning how to shop for myself and not buy too much because I wasted a lot of food in the learning period because I thought I would eat it but it ended up spoiling. I honestly would consider taking it now cause I could always shop smarter.
REFLECTION: Prototypical customers can definatley include students who live on camps and are even above the freshmen level. I believe that this class could be a required elective now where anyone who is transitioning into the phase where they are making food for themselves could benefit from the course.
#2 Freshman female living on campus with a meal plan
-Why did you choose to buy a meal plan?
"I chose it for a couple of reasons, one because my dorm is right next to gator dining so its really convenient for me to eat there, its not like its far out of my way. And because I honestly dont trust myself to buy the right kind of food for me to eat healthy or sort of healthy every week."
-So you get all your meals on camps through your meal plan?
"Yeah mainly, I do go get some snacks to keep in my room like chips and candy but I dont make anything more than the occasional popcorn bag lol."
-Do you think it would have been an easy transition from living at home and coming to school having to make your own food if you didn't have the meal plan option?
"Omg totally. I would have probably gained the freshman 15 if I had to make and buy my own food, that was something I never really prioritized when preparing to move away for college. I'm so glad UF has the option of a meal plan because I would be helpless without it.
- Would you have benefitted from a class as a freshmen showing you how to eat healthy and how to shop smart at the grocery store?
"Yes I would have definatley benefitted from that. Even though I am not making my own food, the class would probably show me how to navigate student dining and how to get the best deal out of it nutrition wise which I believe could definatley help me and other people on the meal plan too.
REFLECTION: There are students who come into school with no prior experience of having to cook for themselves so they take the meal plan route. And now I realize that students who have a meal plan could even benefit from the class, for showing them how to pick the healthy foods and avoid the treats as well as preparing them for the time when they wont be on the meal plan anymore.
#3 Male junior who lives off campus in an apartment
- Did you ever live on campus and have a meal plan?
"Yeah my freshman year I had a meal plan, it was so easy and convenient cause I could go pick from a wide variety of food basically any time I wanted."
- So you make your own food?
" I mean I guess you could say that, I buy a lot of premade food and frozen meals. I've even considered subscribing to one of those meal delivery services you see commercials for all the time. "
- Was it an easy transition from being on the meal plan to making your own food?
"Oh 100% not easy. It was so hard at first and its definatley gotten easier but I still cant say ive mastered it, and its been almost two years."
-Would you have benefitted from a class as a freshmen showing you how to eat healthy and how to shop smart at the grocery store?
- "Omg yeah that would have been a life saver. I don't know if at the time I would have realized how much it would help me but knowing what I know right now, which is very close to nothing about food, I would have benefitted a lot from that class."
REFLECTION: Maybe the class should be mandatory, because like the previous person said, they admitted that they might have thought they didn't need the class but in hindsight they know they would have benefitted from it if it had been offered at the time they were a freshman.
Summary:
I now am close to 100% positive that the opportunity and need are still there for some sort of course available to students about nutrition and cooking for themselves in a health conscious manner. Although close to all of my original idea/concept is still there, I think my customer base is more broad than I thought, people who are older than freshman still do not have any clue how to cook or shop or still believe that they could learn more and improve. I am definatley glad I did the research because I diverted a little from my original plan based on the customer/prospective clients feedback.
I think entrepreneurs should definatley adapt to feedback they have received, because if not, you wont be making a product anyone would want to use. But on the other hand, everyone has an opinion and if you as the entrepreneur have to be firm enough in your plan and idea that you wont let every single negative feedback or critique make you want to change your concept or design completely.
I believe that there is an unmet need in regards to college student targeted diet or nutrition based programs. Anyone who is a college student could stand to benefit from this. I believe that a lot of college students become so consumed with their grades and social life when attending college, that they tend to put their health on the back burner. There is the dreaded "freshman 15" that a lot of students fear, and it is reasonable because the students are now on their own, with no one telling them what to and what not to eat. This also includes alcohol intake as well, "it is estimated that about 10 percent of college students drink more than fifteen alcoholic beverages per week, further impairing the quality of their diet." (https://www.diet.com/g/college-students-diets-of?get=college-students-diets-of). Now there are a lot of optional resources out their for students to take advantage of, especially in this day and age with hundreds of apps available to download targeting healthy living and nutrition. But I believe that possibly implementing a required course at every university for freshmen student to take where they would learn about nutrition, wellness, and how to eat and drink unhealthy foods in moderation, because we won't be young forever. I am 90% that this opportunity exists.
Iterations:
#1: Female sophomore student living on campus without a meal plan
-Why did you choose to not have a meal plan?
"Well the dorm I live in does have a kitchen with a stove and full sized fridge so I figured it would be more beneficial to me to use those as opposed to buying a meal plan, I also have a car on campus so it makes it easy to drive to the store as opposed to the bus system.
- So I assume you make your own food?
"Yes, I grocery shop every week, I made it a part of my routine once I started here as a freshman"
- Was it an easy transition from living at home and coming to school having to make your own food?
"Yes definatley, my family always cooked and bought groceries for me so when I started school I had to learn even the most basic things like produce has a shelf life and if you dont eat it you basically wasted your money, which was no fun. I had a huge learning curve."
- Would you have benefitted from a class as a freshmen showing you how to eat healthy and how to shop smart at the grocery store?
" I have always been a healthy eater so that wasn't a problem but definatley learning how to shop for myself and not buy too much because I wasted a lot of food in the learning period because I thought I would eat it but it ended up spoiling. I honestly would consider taking it now cause I could always shop smarter.
REFLECTION: Prototypical customers can definatley include students who live on camps and are even above the freshmen level. I believe that this class could be a required elective now where anyone who is transitioning into the phase where they are making food for themselves could benefit from the course.
#2 Freshman female living on campus with a meal plan
-Why did you choose to buy a meal plan?
"I chose it for a couple of reasons, one because my dorm is right next to gator dining so its really convenient for me to eat there, its not like its far out of my way. And because I honestly dont trust myself to buy the right kind of food for me to eat healthy or sort of healthy every week."
-So you get all your meals on camps through your meal plan?
"Yeah mainly, I do go get some snacks to keep in my room like chips and candy but I dont make anything more than the occasional popcorn bag lol."
-Do you think it would have been an easy transition from living at home and coming to school having to make your own food if you didn't have the meal plan option?
"Omg totally. I would have probably gained the freshman 15 if I had to make and buy my own food, that was something I never really prioritized when preparing to move away for college. I'm so glad UF has the option of a meal plan because I would be helpless without it.
- Would you have benefitted from a class as a freshmen showing you how to eat healthy and how to shop smart at the grocery store?
"Yes I would have definatley benefitted from that. Even though I am not making my own food, the class would probably show me how to navigate student dining and how to get the best deal out of it nutrition wise which I believe could definatley help me and other people on the meal plan too.
REFLECTION: There are students who come into school with no prior experience of having to cook for themselves so they take the meal plan route. And now I realize that students who have a meal plan could even benefit from the class, for showing them how to pick the healthy foods and avoid the treats as well as preparing them for the time when they wont be on the meal plan anymore.
#3 Male junior who lives off campus in an apartment
- Did you ever live on campus and have a meal plan?
"Yeah my freshman year I had a meal plan, it was so easy and convenient cause I could go pick from a wide variety of food basically any time I wanted."
- So you make your own food?
" I mean I guess you could say that, I buy a lot of premade food and frozen meals. I've even considered subscribing to one of those meal delivery services you see commercials for all the time. "
- Was it an easy transition from being on the meal plan to making your own food?
"Oh 100% not easy. It was so hard at first and its definatley gotten easier but I still cant say ive mastered it, and its been almost two years."
-Would you have benefitted from a class as a freshmen showing you how to eat healthy and how to shop smart at the grocery store?
- "Omg yeah that would have been a life saver. I don't know if at the time I would have realized how much it would help me but knowing what I know right now, which is very close to nothing about food, I would have benefitted a lot from that class."
REFLECTION: Maybe the class should be mandatory, because like the previous person said, they admitted that they might have thought they didn't need the class but in hindsight they know they would have benefitted from it if it had been offered at the time they were a freshman.
Summary:
I now am close to 100% positive that the opportunity and need are still there for some sort of course available to students about nutrition and cooking for themselves in a health conscious manner. Although close to all of my original idea/concept is still there, I think my customer base is more broad than I thought, people who are older than freshman still do not have any clue how to cook or shop or still believe that they could learn more and improve. I am definatley glad I did the research because I diverted a little from my original plan based on the customer/prospective clients feedback.
I think entrepreneurs should definatley adapt to feedback they have received, because if not, you wont be making a product anyone would want to use. But on the other hand, everyone has an opinion and if you as the entrepreneur have to be firm enough in your plan and idea that you wont let every single negative feedback or critique make you want to change your concept or design completely.
Hi Kayla! I could not agree more about your idea of taking a required course in order to understand the importance of having a healthy balanced diet. Like you mentioned, when you are a freshman, there are so many new things to figure out and often times eating is not something that is found important. I really like how you tailored your questions based on the different situations you encountered. Based on your interviews, it seems like having no cooking experience is a reoccurring issue. I think if you were to continue on with this idea, I would include possibly some cooking lessons within the class? That way after completing the course, students will be able to understand the usefulness of healthy nutrition, as well as have some experience in cooking well-balanced meals.
ReplyDeleteHi Kayla! I really like your idea of the unmet need. I have taken a wellness course before at a community college tailored very close to the nutritional course you mentioned about. I believe that a class like that would be very helpful especially to students who neglect their health whether it be intentionally or unintentionally. The course could a reminder to them that health is very important, perhaps more important than earning good grades and one’s social life. Also, I agree with your statement about feedback being important in order to satisfy customer needs because customer's opinions gets you one step closer to a successful business.
ReplyDeleteHi Kayla! I definitely agree that this opportunity is out there. Many college students come from houses where they didn't cook a day in their life and this course would benefit them tremendously! Not only would it benefit them but anyone who's interested in what eating right is and what's good for our bodies! Studying long hours a day sometimes coffee isn't enough and depending on what we put in our bodies is the energy we will see. Feedback is important because it's what will distinguish if any idea is successful or not.
ReplyDeleteHey Kayla,
ReplyDeleteOh cool you're doing it on nutrition. That's really important in college I believe. It's definitely something left out though. It's great that your interviews worked out in your favor, with some changes. And like Samantha said, some cooking lessons should work. You should post about it too so we can go! Hope it works out!