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.