Practicing Opportunity Identification 6A

1.      The first opportunity I will talk about is the coffee vending machines on campus. I believe that this opportunity exists as when I went to purchase coffee from one such machine it was broken. This makes me believe that there is a want for such a product on campuses across the nation. The typical costumer or this would be students and faculty if placed on or within schools. I believe that this would easy to exploit as the only barrier to entry is that of the machine and the upkeep. I saw this opportunity because I was unable to get my coffee and wished that there was an alternative and that if I experienced this than many others have most likely as well.

2.      The second opportunity that I would like to talk about is the possible economic gain in a prebuilt dinner/lunch box in the same vein as blue apron but sponsored by the school. I came upon this idea when I tried to order a ready meal service but they failed to deliver to my apartment complex. I believe that the opportunity exists as everyone wishes to eat healthy and parents of students hope to buy their child adequate food. This would take the guess work and worry out of it. By offering meals from the school for a premium (possible discount for students) we can ensure and monitor what the students are eating. I believe the prototypical customer will not be the students themselves (though many may purchase) but the parents and relatives who hope to secure their child a healthy and well fed time at the university. This may be easy to exploit as the infrastructure and information is already being held by the universities and a simple drop off point or shipping charge would ensure delivery. I saw this opportunity because I couldn’t purchase or receive packages from other services.

3.      The first regulatory possibility I will talk about is the possible market for recreational marijuana. With many states lifting the federal ban in the news and it being a multimillion dollar industry already it is only natural to try and be the first to cash in on this should the ban be lifted. The prototypical customer would be anyone who is looking for a recreational use drug so most likely college students or people aged 18-34 (similar demo to smoking during its height). This would be more difficult to exploit due to the large barrier of entry and the most likely gargantuan amount of competitors you would face, however if you should set up and survive you will most likely easily exploit the customers. I saw this opportunity because I have kept up with the news and can see this trend being replicated by others and it is successful.

4.      The Final possibility I will talk about is cybercafé with fast internet speeds. With the removal of net neutrality the possibility of throttling those who don’t pay top dollar for internet (most people) the need or desire to achieve faster speeds may arise. This may be due to the fact that people have grown used to the speeds that they have and should they be throttled they may seek out places that have what they once lost or better. The prototypical customer would most likely be self-employed people, students, or business owners who need faster rates to process and complete their projects. This would be relatively easy to exploit as all you need is a place and top dollar internet which you can then charge for by the hour or even minute. I saw this because of the popularity of PC Bangs or cybercafés when I went abroad in countries that have similar internet rules to that of the non-net neutrality era which we may find ourselves in soon.