Final Reflection

1. I think my experience was overall positive. I actually really enjoyed pursuing the same idea for most of the course. The only "moments of drudgery" were caused by my own lack of planning and falling a little behind this semester.

2.  I am most proud of choosing and actually sticking with a concept that I am actually passionate about and happy with. I normally just pull something together to get the assignment done versus actually taking the time to choose something personal to me. I really enjoyed the Venture Concept assignments as it was the culmination of previous assignments and really solidifying the idea we've been toying with for several weeks.

3. I do not yet look at myself as an entrepreneur, but I am definitely closer to that mindset than I was at the start of the semester. I think I have the potential and the willpower, but I do not think I consistently have the perspective of an entrepreneur at this time.

4. For the course itself--definitely plan ahead! While the assignments are not super intense, there are a lot and they can creep up on you. Also, most of the assignments are not something you can pull together at the last minute.  For the content of the course and taking away the most-definitely pick a topic you're passionate about, come up with an idea that fits and stick with it!

I've included an action-shot of my dog, Ozzy because he was the inspiration for my business idea:

Paw-Party Doggie Daycare Venture Concept 2

Opportunity:

The change in lifestyle and pace of life in recent generation causes time to be one of the most valuable resources. People today are expected to do more with the 24 hours in a day than any past generation. Young, working professional often struggle with their desire for a furry companion and the ability to provide the best care for their pet in their busy lifestyle. There is a need for a stable, safe, and stimulating care for their dogs while they are working late of the office, catching up on errands, or travelling. My market is in the Orlando and Lake Nona area. They are young, working women ages 21-28 who do not yet have children and live alone or with a partner who also leads a busy lifestyle.   They are currently satisfying this need by stretching their schedule even more thin to go home every day at lunch, giving up other parts of their routine to offer the best care for their dogs and bouncing around between dog walkers, struggling to find someone who they can work with consistently.  Not only do I not see this window closing anytime soon, but I see it opening even wider during the years to come.

Innovation:

My doggie-daycare service is incrementally innovative. While boarding facilities and dog-walking businesses exist, there is a need in the market for a more advanced and modern approach. People do not want to drop off their dog to a facility who will allow them out of a crate for an hour or 2. They want their dogs to be stimulated in a safe and fun environment so they can be socialized and exercised physically and mentally. The Orlando area mostly offers boarding for travelers because of the nearby airport. There are not option for locals who may want to have their dog got to day care a few times a week as a monthly subscription model or just for a few hours while they run errands.
I would offer hourly, daily, weekly and monthly packages.  ($10/hour, $30/day, $150/week, $300/month). The monthly package would be up to 16 visits in the month (4x per week).

Venture Concept:

I will be offering a full-service dog day-care, featuring a specially designed play area to stimulate dogs mentally and physically through out the day. Dogs will spend All non-sleeping time in the various play areas, separated by level of activity. Our staff will be comprised of dog-trainers with a passion as strong as mine. The dogs will receive basic training as part of the weekly and monthly packages. Daily and hourly packages will receive foundation training/priming for training and positive reinforcement. Dog owners will have the ability to check in on their dogs with multiple web-cameras set up in each zone so they can view their dog no matter what fun activity they are up to! We will also sen updates at milestones throughout the day such as "Sparky just had a bath! Would you like to check on him?" There is no direct competition right now in the Orlando market. Local boarding offers no where near the same experience for the dogs. Many of the staff members of these boarding facilities speak openly about the lack of stimulation these animals receive.  Our price points and packages are extremely flexible to fit every need and lifestyle. Our staff will consist of one trainer per 5 dogs and one-two veterinary professional at all times to ensure the highest level of care.

Our secret-sauce is that our entire team is filled with dog-owners and dog-lovers. We care for others' pets as if they were our own!
What's next? Dog-walking services! Your pup is already comfortable with our team from his time at day-care...What happens if you don't need a full day of daycare, but just someone to stop by and take your pup on a nice, long walk? We don't want you to have to reach out to different companies depending on your current needs. We want to be your one-stop-shop for dog care! That's why we are working on expanding with array of additional services, including dog-walking. The owner of the local dog-bakery will be working with us to offer diverse meal-packages, customize-able for each dog's dietary needs.
In the future, I would want to open multiple locations, to offer our services for other communities.

All of the feedback I received on my first Venture Concept was positive so I did not change much. I added in the camera-based check-ins for dog owners. This was part of my original plan, but I forgot to include it until one of my "What's Next" interviewees brought it up. I also incorporated the suggestion of dog-walking in my "What's Next" segment.