24A- Venture Concept No.1

• Opportunity: 
• There seems to be an increase of homeless people (note the homeless people are the potential customers) in Gainesville. Causes to this increase could be the fault of people being laid off from work or losing their job some other way. With these customers becoming homeless they end up losing their home as well (hence the name) and could end up living in the streets.
• In 2017 in Alachua County it was recorded that there was 819 homeless and while that may not seem like a lot compared to the past years with 2015 being 870, the most in 2012 with 1814, and 603 in 2007, like shown in 2012 there is a chance the homeless rate will skyrocket again so something must be done. If nothing is done sooner or later the homeless population be the same as the amount of students here at UF.
• Customers as in the homeless people, are satisfying this need by begging for money and staying at homeless shelters. It really depends on the person on how loyal they are because to some or most people they don't exactly like begging for money and as for the homeless shelter I am not sure about that one, people could stay in that position or improve.
• The forces that allow this opportunity would have to be the factors that cause certain companies to have to let go a number of their employees who most are unable to find a new job and possibly due to some personal factors to that person or family of people's life are a factor as well.
• Regarding on the duration of time that the window of opportunity will be open for I will have to say that as long as there is the chance people make poor financial choices or ending up losing their jobs this opportunity will exist.
• Innovation:
• What I had in my for this innovation is creating two services specifically designed to assist the homeless and help them return to a normal everyday life. One service is to help people have lost their jobs look for new ones that fit their capabilities and background. The other service gives them temporary housing until they earn enough money to afford their own home. 
• I'll make money from this this way, these services will function similar to a loan from a bank once the people that used these services are back on their feet with a steady job and living situation they will be expected to pay back the service with interest and the customer can choose to pay it back in full if available depending on their job or pay it in separate payments until they pay it off. 
• Since different people earn different amounts of payments in their salary I don't have a fixed price for the services because different people stay using it for different amounts of time, so the price depends on the person. I would like to point out that these services while were created to help reduce homelessness if the money doesn't get reimbursed than there won't be these services anymore.
• Venture Concept:
• I know currently homeless people are mainly relying on homeless shelters and it could be difficult for them to accept this change since its not exactly free but I still think they will switch because unlike a homeless shelter, these two services are made to help someone get their life back on track with help instead of doing it by themselves or nothing at all.
• Since these programs were mainly created to help homeless people I don't really see any competitors competing to help the homeless in fact if they are willing they could lend a hand. But if there were to be a competitor it would have to be a business that does similar work but at lower prices, meaning lower reimbursements to pay back. Which in my opinion is a weakness because that would mean they are earning less money and lower prices doesn't always mean good quality.
• Customer support and customer experience would help define my business concept by giving their feedback on the services that are offered to the homeless and could even help convince rather stubborn homeless people to take advantage of the service and help get their life back together.
• I would organize a business to support the ongoing production of my service by creating one that is efficient and simple enough to understand by any kind of homeless person. I think that for starters I would hire maybe five to ten employees since its starting up one will be in charge of the housing service and the another will be in charge of the job locating service and while the rest will be divided between the two groups.
• First: Unfair Advantage:
• What I will have that other competitors won't have is that my business will be adaptable to change and thus can only improve for the sake of the customers. And since adaptability is difficult to copy that will be another thing that won't need to be worried about by competitors but as previously mentioned I really doubt that there will be any to begin with.
• Second: What's next?:
• I haven't really thought that far ahead and I don't know what other opportunity I would want to tackle, but for my existing business if all goes well I would like to add this special section where real life former homeless people tell their story on how using this product turned their life around for the better and that these stories could end up being printed as a book to sell.
• Third: What's next for you?:
• Like I said before I haven't thought that far ahead but as for me I will probably run my business for a while and then have someone run while I am not there. After that I'll take a look at the world and see if there is anything wrong with it and see if I can make an opportunity out of it.