Assignment 19A- Idea Napkin No. 2

Assignment 19A- Idea Napkin No. 2

1. You
   My name is Jeannette, and I am a second-year business administration major with an area of specialization in Travel & Tourism Management. I'm really involved with the international business programs and Hispanic Student Association, as well as a job at the UF Computing Help Desk. My involvements have allowed me to gain significant experience in hospitality and event planning, which is what I hope to have an occupation in in the future, and I feel it has allowed me to better understand a client's needs and how to solve that opportunity. Specifically, students that are first-generation and from communities of color, which is why I chose to focus on designing a student-run apartment complex close to campus that is affordable and has excellent living conditions. I know that a living situation, such as the one I'm proposing, would be of great interest to me and most of my friend groups, and can be something that can be implemented for the long run.
2. What Are You Offering To Customers?I am offering a housing system close to the University of Florida's campus (and potentially other campuses across the nation) that allows students to pay discounted rent in exchange for weekly chores/roles of responsibility. This will ultimately result in lower rent costs as students wont need to pay for certain maintenance services, and could possibly even partner with apartment complexes nearby for access to their amenities at a reduced cost for students who would like to purchase it.
3. Who Are You Offering It To?
   I am mainly offering my product to low-income, first-generation students enrolled in both undergraduate and graduate courses, as well as any student interested in living in off-campus housing. This housing establishment will mainly be marketed to students of color, but is open to any student experiencing financial constraints.
4. Why Do They Care?I specifically wanted to highlight students who do not have the luxury of not taking rent price into account when searching for housing. I believe students should not feel they have to resort to on-campus or dirty off-campus housing just because of their family financial situation, and therefore should be able to experience decent living options walking distance to campus in case they also cannot afford transportation to class.
5. What Are Your Core Competencies?I believe my whole idea in general is what sets me apart from other competitors. While I do understand there is much competition in the housing market, especially for the limited housing options available that are close to campus, none of them cater to the demographic group I am marketing this towards, and I have yet to see housing options that incorporate all of the elements I am proposing. Being a student in the position of my target group, I can understand on a personal level what students in different minority groups are looking for and how limited their housing options are due to different financial constraints. Furthermore, students living in this kind of housing can gain experience in many different skill sets, depending on their assigned chore for the week.

Feedback Summary:

While I did receive limited feedback. it was very positive and encouraging! People who have heard of my idea seem to really like it so far and think it's helpful to the community that I'm targeting. Something did come to my attention from one of the comments, that some unexpected and variable costs that may arise and there needs to be a steady way to pay for these cases. To address that, I think it would be helpful if this service requested government funding and could be provided emergency funds in case these arise. Additionally, this alumni/student-run complex could be partnered with other companies and share expenses for maintenance for a reduced rate. There are many options to explore and many things we could look into upon the implementation of this.