Week 4 Reading Reflection

1) What was the biggest surprise for you in the reading? In other words, what did you read that stood out the most as different from your expectations? 

The part of the reading I found to be most different from my expectations is that, “adults use only 2 to 10 percent of their creative potential” (Kuratko, 162). 2 to 10 percent of our creative potential is so minuscule, yet we still have so many great inventions in our society. This leads me to believe that if people focus on using more of their creative potential, we would have even better inventions.

2) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

Phase two of the creative process was a little confusing to me. The way in which Kuratoko described the incubation process was unclear. However, the other three phases I understood.

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?

     a. Do you agree with the concept of probability thinking?

     I would ask Kuratko this question because I do not agree with the concept so I would be curious to

     hear his opinion.

     b. What do you think is the most common form of creativity: idea, material, organization, 

     relationship, event, inner, or spontaneous?

     I would ask Kuratoko his opinion because I value it.

4) Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?

I do not think Kuratko was wrong about anything in this chapter.

Top 5 World Problems

Ranking of the World's Biggest Problems

1. ISIS
2. Poverty
3. The Stock Market
4. Obamacare
5. Privacy

I selected ISIS as the world's biggest problem because ISIS is currently effecting so many people and is extremely difficult to stop. All of the problems following ISIS are less serious and easier to fix, however ISIS is a huge threat.

Ranking of Solutions

1. Privacy Solution: In order to solve this problem, there should be a law implemented that the government needs our permission before obtaining all of our information.

2. Stock Market Solution: Although the Stock Market is doing poorly right now, over time it will bounce back.

3. Obamacare Solution: In order to solve this problem, the Affordable Care Act should be revised and restructured.

4. Poverty Solution: In order to help solve poverty, the minimum wage could be raised and people and countries can donate more to those in need.

5. ISIS Solution: The United States just granted a new rule allowing the military to go on the offensive against ISIS in certain areas. Hopefully this new law will allow the United States to weaken ISIS.

I selected the privacy solution as the most possible because it requires the least amount of effort and is relatively easy to fix. ISIS is definitely the most difficult solution because no one truly knows how to stop them.

Identifying Local Opportunities

Bicyclist Killed in Crash on Copans Road

http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A838099E3CD458?p=AWNB

Christopher Batista was hit by a Lincoln Continental on Wednesday, January 20th and died. Batista was laying in the middle of the road and when the person driving the Lincoln saw him he tried to swerve out of the way but didn’t have enough time. Investigators are still unsure of why or how Batista ended up in the middle of the road to begin with.

The problem presented in the story is that unfortunately Christopher Batista was killed but investigators are unsure of why he was laying in the road prior to being hit. 

Therefore, the investigators have a problem to solve and unfortunately Batista’s family has the problem of dealing with Christopher’s death.

House, Senate Differ on Uber Rules

http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A83809EE17A6F0?p=AWNB

Florida’s Senate is having a difficult time agreeing on rules for Uber. Some people want to make it mandatory that Uber increases their levels of insurance while others do not. The Senate wants to make it mandatory that Uber drivers have higher insurance levels so that all passengers are protected when in the car.

The problem is that neither side can come to an agreement where both parties are happy. One side wants more insurance while the other side does not.

The problem is essentially for the Senate and Uber drivers.The Senate has the problem of fighting for increased insurance. If that follows through, Uber drivers have the responsibility of getting the increased insurance so that they are on the same level as taxi drivers. 

Man’s Body Found Floating in Lake on College Campus

http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A83809F0087E58?p=AWNB

An unidentified man’s body was found floating in a lake on the Broward College Campus early Wednesday morning. A death investigation is underway to determine who the man is and how he ended up there.

The problem presented in the story is that cops do not know who this man is and how he ended up there so they must investigate to figure it out.

The problem is for the cops and the unknown man’s family and friends who have to deal with his death.

Cops: Women Stole Rolexes- Men were drugged, Police Say

http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A8E378205CFD08?p=AWNB

Two women in their 20’s met two men in their 50’s at a bar. The men invited the women back to one of their homes that night. The women made cocktails for the men and drugged them. Once the men fell asleep the women stole their watches from their wrists and safe and then fled. Two other similar incidents occurred prior to this. One woman has dark brown hair and the other has blonde hair with dark roots.

The problem presented in the story is that two innocent men were drugged and had their watches stolen and the women got away with it.

The problem is for the cops and men. The cops need to find the two women and the men need to get their watches back.

Motorist in Critical Condition After Being Shot While on I-95

http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A8E379D9A1DBF0?p=AWNB

A man was driving his motorcycle on I-95 on Thursday, January 23rd. Around 8 p.m the man was shot and had to be taken to the hospital. Both the man who was shot and the shooter are unidentified at this time.

The problem presented in this story is that a man was randomly shot while driving on the highway and the man who shot him is on the loose.

The problem here is for the cops and the man who was shot. The cops need to find the shooter and the man who was shot is still in critical condition in the hospital.

Week 3 Reading Reflection

1. What was the biggest surprise for you in the reading? In other words, what did you read that stood out the most as different from your expectations?

     The biggest surprise to me in the reading was the psychic risk. I expected the financial risk, career risk, and family and social risk, but not psychic. Kuratko even says that the psychic risk is the biggest of all. Most items in life can be replaced and families can adapt, but Kuratko says that entrepreneurs who have suffered huge financial losses have been unable to bounce back and keep going.

2. Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you

     Parts of the reading that I found confusing were the examples given under the entrepreneurial stress section. One example provided is the “explosiveness of speech and a tendency to speak faster than most people” (Kuratko, 43). While this may be accurate of entrepreneurs, it is also accurate of many people who are not entrepreneurs. Additionally,  I don’t see speaking fast as a source of stress, I simply see it as a characteristic of the person. Therefore, I was confused as to why it fell under the entrepreneurial stress section.

3. If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?

     1. Which characteristic associated with the entrepreneurial mind-set do you think is the most prevalent?

     2. What is your advice on how to reduce stress levels as an entrepreneur?

     I would ask these questions because I am curious and trust Kuratko's opinion. 

4. Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?

     Aside from the example I stated in question 2, I do not think the author was wrong about anything else in this chapter.

Very Short Interview No. 1

The entrepreneur I interviewed is Donald Raskin. After receiving his MBA in marketing from Syracuse University, Donald Raskin worked a few jobs before starting Manhattan Marketing Ensemble in New York City.

Questions:

1. What does it mean to be an entrepreneur?

     An entrepreneur is somebody who creates, develops and implements their own ideas in the form of a new business. These people are typically highly creative but bold business people who do not want to work within the confines of a corporation or somebody's business. As a result, they create their own business and run that business based on their own principals and values. 

2. What do you think I should learn in an entrepreneur course?

    Any good entrepreneur course should teach a student how to start their own business. It should be begin with when the time is right to venture out and start a business which is typically after you have worked for somebody else for several years. Once an entrepreneur determines that the time is right, they need to have a great idea for a business, money to start the business, outstanding people to work in the business and customers or clients to support them with ongoing business. 

3. What do you wish you had been taught in school before setting out on your own path as an entrepreneur?

     When I was in graduate school earning my MBA, most of what I learned through case studies was about how to solve complex business problems in large corporations. Not very much was taught about how to create your own business, manage a small business, and be successful on your own. I wish I had been taught the best way to start a business including: how to get financing, how to get and maintain a base of ongoing client business, and how to recruit the best and brightest employees possible. 

From this interview I learned that business courses should truly focus more on the logistics of beginning your own business. Chapter 1 in our textbook tells us that the majority of start up companies fail. Maybe if business courses taught more about how to successfully run a business, more start up companies would succeed. 

World's Biggest Problems

Obesity: 

     Obesity is a serious problem recently in the United States of America. Too many young children have been eating many unhealthy foods and drinks in huge quantities. In order to prevent this problem, parents should limit the amount of sugary foods and drinks their children consume. For example, movie theaters should stop encouraging consumers to purchase 32 ounce sodas as opposed to water.

Cimate Change:

     Climate change has become a serious concern of many. Over the years, the temperature in the world has increased and it is threatening to our atmosphere and environment. In order to combat climate change, every country needs to contribute. As a whole, we need to limit pollution and embrace energy efficiency.

The Stock Market:

     Recently, the stock market has taken a huge dip and prices have fallen. The beginning of 2016 has been one of the worst starts ever for the stock market. Throughout history our economy has had its share of ups and downs. Therefore, while the stock market may be doing poorly right now, over time it will bounce back.

Obamacare:

     Obamacare, or the Affordable Care Act, intends on giving all Americans access to affordable health insurance. While this plan may sound good in theory, UnitedHealth expects to lose nearly $1 billion due to Obamacare policies. In order to solve this problem, the Affordable Care Act should be revised and restructured.

Poverty:

     Poverty is a serious issue in too many places throughout the world. People do not make enough money to support themselves and their families so they become reliant on the government. While poverty has many different levels and degrees, it is a huge problem that needs to be fixed. In order to help solve poverty, the minimum wage could be raised and people and countries can donate more to those in need.

Guns:

     Many people possess guns because it is not extremely hard to obtain one. Due to the ability to get guns, there have been many shootings in our nation. Whether it’s a school shooting or a shooting on the street, guns are too accessible. In order to solve this problem, our country needs to make it even more difficult to get a gun and background checks need to be strictly enforced.

ISIS:

     ISIS is a terrorist organization that has killed many innocent people. This terrorist group is so large and is in so many different areas that they are hard to combat against. However, the United States just granted a new rule allowing the military to go on the offensive against ISIS in certain areas. Hopefully this new law will allow the United States to weaken ISIS.

Snowstorm:

     The weather can cause many problems for many people, cities, and states. While the beginning of winter was warm, it is now starting to get cold. The forecast cannot be confirmed until Friday, but there is supposed to be a huge snowstorm coming in that can create major traffic delays, flooding, icy roads, and more. While you cannot prevent the storm from happening, you can be as prepared as possible. People should follow the forecast and do everything they can before to be prepared.

Privacy:

     Personal privacy is a huge issue. Many of us do not realize but every time we put our information into a website online, people, companies, and the government, are collecting information on us. The government has access to too much personal information and I believe it is an invasion of privacy. In order to solve this problem, there should be a law implemented that the government needs our permission before obtaining all of our information.

Cancer and other terminal illnesses:

     Terminal illnesses are a huge problem throughout the world. So many individuals are unfortunately affected by a multitude of horrible diseases. In order to cure a lot of these diseases, people need a lot of money. Many surgeries, medicines, and procedures are so expensive that sick individuals simply cannot afford them. Obviously the solution cannot be to just give everything for free, but there has to be a way to insure that those in dire need receive the appropriate treatments.

Reading Reflection Week 2

1) What was the biggest surprise for you in the reading? In other words, what did you read that stood out the most as different from your expectations?

I found the 10 different myths to be the biggest surprise. I have previously heard of some of the 10 myths as typical stereotypes regarding entrepreneurs, but I haven't heard of all of them. I found Myth 8: Entrepreneurship is Unstructured and Chaotic, to be the most surprising. When I think of a "typical" entrepreneur I assume they are very organized and methodical. Therefore, I was shocked to see "unstructured and chaotic" as a common myth.

2) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

I found the "Strategic Formulation School of Thought" section to be confusing. This micro view of entrepreneurship seems very specific and difficult to achieve. The way it is explained in the book didn't illustrate the concept well or describe the conditions necessary very clearly.   

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?

     a. Which approach to entrepreneurship do you believe is more successful: integrative approach or dynamic states approach?

     I would ask the author this question because I would trust his highly credible opinion. If I ever wanted to begin my own business, I would like to know which approach I should attempt to use first.

     b. Why do you think gazelles don't survive long and most small start-up firms don't succeed? What can companies do to fix this?

     Again, incase I ever wanted to begin my own business I would like to know what not to do in order to maximize my company's chance of survival and success.

4) Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?

I do not believe the author was wrong in any of the topics covered within this chapter.

Bug List

1. When Amazon sends tiny items in huge boxes
     Exists because: they probably use whatever boxes are in stock

2. When the line at Bay Island, on Archer road, is really long and the employees take forever
     Exists because: a lot of people want Bay Island but it is so small that only 2 employees can be
     working at a time

3. When UF registration lets you sign up for Chemistry but not Chemistry lab because there are not enough spots
     Exists because: there are not enough lab seats

4. When shampoo and conditioner bottles explode in my suitcase when traveling
     Exists because: there is no lock button on the bottles so they explode if the suitcase is moved
     around too much

5. When the employees at Starbucks spell my name wrong on my coffee
     Exists because: they just write what they think they hear but sometimes it is wrong

6. When the wifi screen on your phone keeps popping up after you have already hit the cancel button
     Exists because: your phone wants you to connect to wifi if possible

7. When it takes more than 30 seconds to connect to wifi
     Exists because: sometimes the network is slow and it takes a while to establish connection

8. Advertisements on YouTube
     Exists because: it is a way for YouTube to make money

9. When you buy new shoes and they are stuffed with paper
     Exists because: companies want the shoes to maintain their form and shape

10. When you buy scissors and they come in a plastic package that you need scissors to open
      Exists because: the packaging probably has to be child-proof

11. When packets have a "tear open" spot (like on ketchup packets) but it doesn't actually work
       Exists because: the packets were probably not perforated enough

12. When the home button breaks on your iPhone
       Exists because: the button is clicked too much

13. When the "storage full" notification continuously pops up on your iPhone and you can't take any more pictures or download any more apps
       Exists because: there is not enough memory on your phone

14. When blue iMessages send as green text messages
       Exists because: there is not enough service to send as an iMessage

15. Having to pay extra to check your suitcases on airlines
       Exists because: the airline wants to make more money

16. When a bag of potato chips only comes half full and the rest is just air
       Exists because: the company probably wants you to buy more bags of chips so they make
       more money

17. Traffic on Archer road at 5 p.m
       Exists because: rush hour

18. When the ice machine takes a while to give crushed ice
       Exists because: it takes the ice machine time to crush whole cubes of ice

19. When you have to walk outside Marston Library to get to the Marston Library Starbucks
       Exists because: the library probably doesn't want people just walking through the library
       for Starbucks

20. When you call a company's customer service line and they put you on hold for more than 10 minutes and make you listen to elevator music
       Exists because: the company only has a limited amount of people working

Reflection:

I always think of products and services that bother me, however, it is very difficult to come up with a list of them on the spot. I thought this Bug List was challenging to come up with because I usually only think of things that bug me when they occur. After that, I typically forget about what bugged me until it happens again. Therefore, I had to think about this assignment for a few days in order to come up with a list of 20 "bugs".

My Entrepreneurship Story

There have been many times in my life where I’ve come across entrepreneur’s without even knowing they were considered entrepreneur’s. Growing up, I thought that word could only be used to refer to geniuses that started billion dollar companies. However, I now know that is not the case. 

My uncle, who I look up to, is an entrepreneur. My uncle grew up in a small town and moved to South Florida to follow his dreams. He went to law school and decided to open his own firm. Recently, since the firm has been established for quite some time, he decided to begin a business in a new industry. Another one of my uncle’s passions is wine. A few years ago he opened a wine store in Orlando and it is doing great. I believe a huge part of becoming a successful entrepreneur is having a true passion for your business. Without passion you cannot succeed.

I enrolled in ENT3003 because entrepreneurship is one of my two minors. I picked entrepreneurship as a minor because I believe it is a very beneficial topic even if you are not planning on starting your own business. The concepts and ideas learned in entrepreneurship can help you in multiple aspects of your life, so I am excited to begin learning.

Introduction

Hi, I’m Juliana Krevans and I am from Boca Raton, Florida. My major is finance but I am unsure of what I want my career to be yet. However, I know I want to live in South Florida and raise my family there.

I have a mom, dad, a sister in 10th grade, and two Labrador Retrievers. This past summer we traveled to Santorini, Greece and had the best time. We hiked, kayaked, swam, shopped, and cooked. My family loves spending time together no matter what the activity is.

Entrepreneur's Mantra

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