11A Idea Napkin #1

1) You. Who you are. What your talents are. What your skills and experiences are. Also: what are your aspirations? Specifically regarding your business concept, how do you see this business (if you were to start it) playing a role in your life?


My name is Ayla Adams. I am a junior transfer student who has just began my first semester as a Business Administration major at the University of Florida. I have an undeniable passion for sustainability and eco friendly alternatives in our increasingly wasteful world. I would describe my key skills to be my logical pattern of thinking, and my desire for continuous learning. If I were to start this business, I would fully commit my time and attention to it. I believe it is imperative that people strive to reduce and reuse in order to save the planet for generations to come. This idea means a lot to me because many families are unaware of how harmful everyday products can be. If starting this business means more families can live happier and healthier, it would be very rewarding to me as an environmentalist.


2) What are you offering to customers? Describe the product or service (in other words, how you'll solve customers' unmet needs).


For customers we are striving to provide an app which can be useful when shopping at various stores. This app would allow consumers to scan the barcode located on said item, and receive a score based on their person preferences for ingredients they are aiming to avoid, such as, DEA-related ingredients and other harmful chemicals like parabens. This would allow curious shoppers to make health conscious decisions for themselves and their families by avoiding these chemicals and avoiding illnesses linked to these toxic ingredients.


3) Who are you offering it to? Describe, in as much detail as possible, the demographic and psychographic characteristics of your customers. Think especially of this question: what do your customers all have in common?

This product is for curious consumers who are ready to make an attempt at clean living by not bringing toxic chemicals into their homes, or using these harmful ingredients on their bodies. Conscious consumers and mothers are the primary demographic for this app. These people are most primarily concerned with ingredients more so than the price they are paying.


4) Why do they care? Your solution is only valuable insofar as customers believe it’s valuable to them. Here, explain why customers will actually pay you money to use your product or service.


The customer using my product care deeply about the company making the products, and the ingredients used within them. Conscious consumers don't want to support companies who don’t have families best interest in mind. Many of these companies use marketing ploys to appeal to these consumers, yet are not meeting their expectations. I believe this app would be become increasingly used more by consumers because of the recent “call out culture” and documentary series which explain the effects of these toxic chemicals.


5) What are your core competencies? What sets you apart from everyone else? Also: what do you have that nobody else has?

My core competencies include the barcode scanning method. This method brings this entire concept to a new level of efficiency. In scanning the barcode customers are able to avoid looking up individual ingredients, and also, saving them time from looking up a product by name. There are few websites/apps that explain ingredient lists in a competent, and easy to understand manner for consumers. Yet, they don't include a scan the barcode feature which acts as my competitive advantage.


In addition to these five elements, please spend a paragraph evaluating whether you believe these elements fit together or whether there are aspects of your business concept that are weaker / out-of-joint with the others.

I believe my business is very cohesive and overall, works well together. In modern day, many mothers don't have the time to sit down and research ingredients lists and companies in which they want to avoid. My app makes it simple to shop consciously, and efficiently. In allowing customers to scan while their shopping, they’re cutting out the extra time one may spend doing this research on their own. I believe interest in ingredients will continue to grow as more documentaries, and information about the harmful effects of these ingredients is revealed. Until then, my primary consumer base are people who are highly conscious of the companies they support, and the ingredients they use.