idea napkin



    Marcus Manzoni
    ENT3003
    February 19, 2020

    Idea Napkin

    1.I am a 20 year old, male, college student, originally from New York and I am now attending the University of Florida. I feel like some of my strongest skills include my work ethic, my determination, my vision and my social skills. I have also been able to increase my marketing talents through my internships with both a minor league baseball team and a start up sports news company. If I were to actually go out and start this business, I would want to make this my main priority. I have always longed to create something of my own and be my own boss, and although I have had, what I believe to be, some really good ideas, I feel like I have never really had the time/means to actually produce and sell the product/service. If I decided that the product I came up with for this class was one I was going to pursue, I would have to give it my full attention and do whatever it takes to sell the product and make money. My main goal for the product, although shallow, would be to make as much money as possible as quickly as possible.

    2.The “Razor Sharp” blade sharpener (definite name still pending) is a product that would allow the customer to insert their used razors and the device will automatically sharpen and clean the blade to prolong the life of razors. The device will likely be a box with a slot that can take any type of razor and inside there will be a whetstone (cheap and can sharpen steel) tipped tool that runs over the blades. After the process is completed there will be a pressure wash system that quickly cleans any residue off the blades. I intend for this to be in the same spot as the blade sharpener, but if that would risk the water interfering with the electrical components, then It can be in an attached section. This will solve the need of continuously having to go out and buy new razors because of how non-durable current razors are.

    3.The customers that would be interested in this product would be both men and women who shave often, normally use non electric razors and don’t like shaving with a dull/dirty blade (mostly everyone who shaves). Additionally this will be of interest for people who don’t have the time, money and/or access to continuously go out and buy new razors, pay for a shaving kit subscription or go to a barber whenever they need a shave.

    4.Customers will pay for this product because it eliminates the hassle of having to keep buying new razors because it keeps already purchased razors sharper for much longer. Furthermore, it can save people time and money because they will not need to waste their time going to a store and/or waste money on a new razor/shaving service/a trip to the barber.

    5.What sets me apart is that I have a good deal of marketing experience for my age, but I have also worked directly with a successful entrepreneur to coordinate his company’s marketing strategy and future progression of his company. The information and experience I received from our time working together, as well as the network he can introduce me to, will be very useful when trying to get my product off the ground.

    6.I believe these elements work well together because the product can be very useful for many different people of many different age groups and lifestyles. I think I have a good understanding of what I want the product to be like and how to best make the product for the customers preference based on the information I gathered from my interviews, but I still lack the means to produce and get the product to market. I don’t know how I alone could manufacture this product because I lack the skills and knowledge required to deal with the electronic aspects of the product. I could hire someone to help me build it, but I do not have the resources to do so. I feel like if I had better manufacturing and electronic skills as well as a better access to resources, the aspects of my business concept would be better.

Comments

  1. Janine SantiagoFebruary 21, 2020 at 1:02 PM

    Hi Marcus, great post! I think you have analyzed your opportunity really well and have a great unmet need. It is awesome to hear that this class is giving you the time/opportunity to really think about what products you would want to offer the world as an entrepreneur since you see this being a viable career opportunity for you. I also think it is good that you have recognized what skills you lack when it comes to developing this product. Recognizing these setbacks can help you set up connections with manufactures, investors, etc. that do know how to bring your product to life.

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  2. Janzen RichFebruary 22, 2020 at 12:38 AM

    Great write up Marcus! It’s interesting to hear about your experience with entrepreneurship and marketing that sets you apart from others. With your clear vision of the product and your experience I think you can find a solution to the issues you outlined, which are producing and bringing the product to market. Accepting what areas you need improvement in is a great start to your entrepreneurship journey.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Alexsa Van HornFebruary 23, 2020 at 7:57 PM

    Hello Marcus,
    Great post! I could tell you put a lot of thought and effort into it and explained a lot. I can see you’re very passionate about creating your own business which is really important. I really liked how you explained the product in detail and your different ideas for it. I think it’s also great that you were honest with yourself by saying you don’t currently have the means of creating the actual product yourself.

    ReplyDelete
  4. CarlFebruary 23, 2020 at 8:14 PM

    Great post Marcus,

    I think your aspirations with this product are amazing, and considering you'd put all your time on the product in the case that you were to start the business, it would definitely show great results. The fact that you have a great understanding of the product itself, along with the drive, shows you would be a great entrepreneur.

    ReplyDelete

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