Assignment 19A: Idea Napkin No. 2

IDEA NAPKIN

Me: My name is Lauren Beato. After about taking this course for over half of the semester and reflecting on my assignment feedback, I realize that I am an organized (more organized than I thought I was) and detailed oriented person. Many people have commented this on my posts and I am glad that my business concept is able to be understood and perceived well. I think this business would help a lot of people in the long run and decrease the worry that comes from dealing with food allergies and sensitivities. This business idea would also, as I mentioned in the last idea napkin, would allow me to help people in general, which is something I really like to do.

Offering to Customers: What I am offering to customers is remaining the same: a product and service that allows customers to react to food allergies and sensitivities in a more efficient manner. The product side is a basic food allergy test itself which would test for the most common food allergens. The service aspect would be that doctors would be the ones to recommend and set up the food panel appointments. Past feedback from pervious assignments led me to change the food allergy test from a more complex version to a simpler one. This would allow the customer to develop an understanding of what food allergies/sensitivities are without overwhelming them with 95+ results.

Offering to: From the previous Napkin Idea assignment, I think that doctors should start bringing up this test to parents with very young children, just to get the idea implanted in their minds. As one commenter said, you do not want to be unaware of your food allergies/sensitivities, especially for most of your life. So, the target age group for the test would be younger children (age 6 and up) and young adults (up to age 28 or so). However, doctors could start bringing up the idea of the food allergy test when their patients are as young as 3 or 4, just to have the parent aware that food allergies and sensitivities could occur in the child’s life.

Why do they care: Parents, children, and young adults care because food allergies and sensitivities can really impact one’s life. Parents will want to make sure their children are living their healthiest life. An unknown food allergy that suddenly springs up can cause a parent to panic because they do not want anything to happen to their children. Children and young adults care because they are at the stage of life where they are learning things and having fun. Dealing with a food allergy/sensitivity’s symptoms can put a damper and cause one to become very sick. They need a way to efficiently learn about and react to food allergies and sensitivities.

Core Competencies: My idea combines the best of both worlds, it is a simple test that would give customers easy results and doctors would be available to help along the way. This is better than trying to go through the process by yourself at home or struggling through different doctors and hospital visits. The feedback I received made me realize that my organization skills and ability to develop deep content can help my business grow. I have many ideas and by elaborating on them, describing the processes in depth, and having a constant feedback loop I can figure out where things can be improved and I can make my product something customers will want to use.

The Elements: I think that all of these elements will fit together. I think that the addition of doctors talking about food allergies and sensitivities to parents of younger children (not necessarily having them take the food test) will be beneficial in getting food allergy awareness to parents. Getting this information to people is the most important part of my idea because as I have stated numerous times, no one likes to suffer because they have no idea what is wrong with them. Hopefully, doctors will feel the same way and will want to use my product, which was my concern from the last Napkin Idea.

FEEDBACK MEMO

From my feedback, I discovered two points. The first is the importance of being organized and thorough in your ideas. This can help your idea grow and can also make it easier for people to understand and provide feedback one. People will be able to see your train of thought and give the appropriate information and not have to worry about misunderstanding the concept. After seeing the feedback, I try to be more thorough in my blog posts so people can understand where I am coming from. The second point, was spreading food allergy/sensitivity information out early. It is nice to be aware of different issues that can possibly impact your life so you know how to properly react. Trying to figure something out for many days, weeks, months, or years can be very taxing mentally and physically. Using this feedback, I thought that it might be nice to get the food allergy information out earlier than I had original planned (having doctors beginning explaining food allergies and tests for them at a younger age). This would allow parents to have more time to process and read up on food allergies.

Assignment 18A: Create a Customer Avatar

My market segment has a wide range of ages who could benefit from my idea, so for this assignment I will use the segment that I used in past assignments: college-aged students.

               She is starting her freshman year at NYU, which is far from her home in South Florida. She is a very healthy individual. Her family is an athletic family: her mom loves to run, her dad played baseball, her brothers are football players, and she is a swimmer. Other than athletics, she loves to hang out with friends, especially if it involves eating out with them. She is incredibly happy at the thought that she will be living in a state with amazing bagels, bakeries, and pizza. However, before she moved into her dorm, she noticed that some foods were not agreeing with her. She pushed them off because it was just a small stomach ache and it really did not put a damper on her days.

            She is two months into her semester, has made many new friends, and is adjusting well to New York. Her major is Engineering, so she is always studying and seeking extra help in order to get that A. She keeps up with her healthy lifestyle, walking to class, joining intramurals, and swimming. But she notices the stomach aches are getting worse, especially when she eats her favorite food: bagels. She is very busy because midterms are coming around and she wants to do well. Her doctor that her family has been going to for years is located in Florida and she does not have the time, energy, or (let’s be honest) money to book a flight. Her parents do not know what is going on (none of them have ever had a food allergy/sensitivity). What is she going to do? She begins to realize, “maybe, I should have tackled this issue back when it first started”. 

What do we have in common: I have a lot in common with my avatar. I was a student athlete in high school so I always thought that I knew what was going on with my body. I thought that if I could eat healthy that nothing would ever hurt me. I am also one of those stubborn people who tends to brush the minor things off, like stomach aches, and deal with it. And like my avatar, when things take a turn for the worse (I become too busy or far away from someone who can help me), I always think back to when my issue first started and realize I probably should have done something about it. Hindsight is 20/20.

Coincidence? I think not. So many people in my family have realized that they have had food allergies/sensitivities this way. We waited until the pain was unbearable, help is too far and we did not know who to turn to. I believe I created my avatar like this because this is the experience that I want to help people avoid. I want my customers to be happy carefree individuals who can study, hang out with their friends, be busy, and not have to be bothered by trying to figure out that a food allergy/sensitivity is making them sick. 

Assignment 17A: Elevator Pitch 2

Reflection

One of the pieces of feedback that I received from my last Elevator pitch was that I should limit my hand motions. I do have to say that this is something that people will tell me to do a lot. It is really funny because I actually have really really think about it. I am just a natural hand talker, it runs in the family. My parents always joke that it's our Italian side coming out. There were also comments about the energy of my pitch, I tired to have a good balance of high, but not too high, and I believe that I accomplished that.



Changes

While filming this elevator pitch, I tired to focus on calming my hand motions down. It was a very difficult task, but I think I did a better job. I, at least, made the motions less severe and intense than the last pitch. I also tried to come from a different place for the introduction of my pitch and start with a serious topic of the symptoms. I also apologize for the awkward transition toward the end of the pitch, I messed up the end and I tired to edit it out and it was not accomplished well. (This will not happen for the 3rd pitch)

Assignment 16A: What's Your Secret Sauce

My Thoughts on My Human Capital

1.     Versatility - I feel as though I am able to adapt to change fairly well. If there is a change in the market or maybe in the idea itself, I think that I would be able to adapt in a focused manner and not be stressed out to an extreme.

2.     Communication – I have been very thorough with expressing my ideas throughout the course. I always like to make sure people understand what I am trying to convey.

3.     Relatability – I like that I can relate to and connect with people. My entire idea stems from an experience that I had and I know that other people go/have gone through. I think this can provide a connection between me and the people I interact with.

4.     Trustworthiness – Trust is incredibly important to me. People have to earn my trust and I always try to earn other people’s trust, I never assume I have anyone’s trust. I like making sure that people know that they can come to me and I will give them the best answer I can, even if they do not want to hear it. I also trust that people will give me the best answer, especially when that involves a new idea or concept that I have.

5.     Humor – What can I say, I think I am funny. It is important to me to have that perfect balance of seriousness and humor. While I do want to be a power force in the business world, I want to remain approachable. Having a good sense of humor and using it properly can help me achieve this.

Other People’s Thoughts on My Human Capital

            They did not want to be on a video, so I recorded their voices only. I asked them What do you makes me unique in terms of my human capital?

Rachel:

Rachel is my roommate and she knows me well. She always tells me how passionate I am and how my decision making process reflects that. 

Linda:

                                           

My mom always tells me how versatile I am and that I can  adapt to change well. She also tells me that my smile and humor are what makes me me.

Michael:

My brother and I are really close and it was really nice to hear him say that I am very good at relating to people. It also made me happy to hear him say that I was funny because sometimes my brother can be my biggest critic and he will not hold back on comments. 

Amy:

Amy is one of my sorority sisters and she said her comments came from her opinion of how I handle myself in my officer position. Being able to hear both sides of the story and incorporating that into decision making can be tough but it is important.

Alissa:

Alissa is another sorority sister and to her logical thinking is very important. She, like Amy, also agrees that being able to mediate and talk to others is important and sometimes people can forget that. 

Reflection:

            Quite a few people had commented on how I think logically and that was not something I really thought about. I always try to make the decisions that will help everyone and I try and take everyone into consideration, but I never really thought people took notice of that. I was surprised that no one mentioned trustworthiness because that is something that is very important to me. I also thought that it was funny that people mentioned my tasteful humor. I like to be approachable and I feel as though my humor helps. My friends and family members have a good idea of who I am so I believe their opinions are correct. Its funny hearing them speak so highly of me because I am that person who likes to stay behind the scenes and not be complemented. Going back to my list I would probably switch Trustworthiness with logical thinking. Trustworthiness will always be important but I think people see my thinking style in action more. 

Assignment 15A: Figuring Out Buying Behavior No. 2

Segment: College-aged students who may have food allergy/sensitivity

            Interviewees:

1.     Rachel-second of four roommates with shellfish allergy

2.     Sam-sorority sister who is lactose intolerant

3.     Justin-high school friend with fennel sensitivity

Interview Summaries:

            Interview #1: In my interview with Rachel, she said that two things that matter to her when she makes more difficult buying decisions is price and efficiency. She said spent a lot of money on the food allergy tests that her GI recommended for her and doctor’s appointments, but she liked the fact that the doctor was able to be there with her every step of the way to explain things. She did consider using the store-bought ones because she is from Boston and it could have been more efficient than trying to find a trusted GI in Gainesville. However, she said “I’m a finance major, knowing about advanced healthy body functions isn’t me thing”. She finished the interview by saying that, even those price and efficiency are high on her list, as long as she can gain a positive benefit from a product she knows that she made a good decision.

            Interview #2: Sam is one of those classic examples of interviewees that I find that have a lactose issue, however, she chooses to deal with it instead of finding out more. For her, ease of acquiring a product is very important. Sam said that she basically studies and works out all the time and it’s a hassle sometimes making doctor’s appointments. She would prefer walking to a store and picking something up. Her recommendation was that maybe offer the simple food allergy tests at stores too. She said sometimes you know the issue you have and you just want confirmation on that. She said it could be offered at a cheaper price than the big 50+ fancy tests. Sam buys lactase pills to deal with her lactose intolerance and said that she would be very upset if she bought an expensive food allergy test and the results told her to basically buy lactase pills to deal with the sensitivity. She said her purchase decision has to make her feel better off and leave her with more and better information than before.

            Interview #3: So, for this interview, Justin has a fennel sensitivity and fennel would not be included in my basic food allergy/sensitivity test. I wanted to ask someone outside of these limited allergy options to see what they thought about buying a product like this. Justin, like Rachel and Sam, agreed that in college simplicity of obtaining an item is very thing because we are all busy students. With my food allergy test being simple he said that it limits the benefits to people with the most common type of allergies and felt as though someone with a different allergy/sensitivity may feel as though they wasted money buying this product if they knew already that the main issues were not affecting them. Justin’s recommendation was maybe to have a, for lack of a better word, “booster pack” that would then check a different variety of foods, maybe one tests for fruits and vegetables and one for spices. He said that could make the tests cheaper and maybe easier for doctors to explain.

Conclusion: It seems as though all my interviewees agreed that ease of obtaining the test was very important to them. College life can be hectic and time is very important. They also agreed that they would be happy with their purchases if they received new information, not just a reiteration of what they already thought they knew. I was interested in Sam’s recommendation of having the product in stores, which would help with the ease of getting the product. However, that would mean giving up the advantage of having already spoken with a doctor. 

Assignment 14A: Halfway Reflection

Tenaciousness is a Competency

            In order to keep up with this course, I tend to look ahead and plan out how I am going to attack each assignment. So, in effect developing my own ENT 3003-time management tactics. I usually need to stay ahead of the game when completing a number of researching/writing assignment such as these. If I do not get them out early, I will simply not want to do them and this can be disastrous when many of the assignments require interviewing many people.

A typical work week for ENT 3003 for me usually begins with me looking at the 2 or 3 assignments that are due that week and two assignment that are due next week. I like to look at what the future assignments entail so I can add different interviewees into my schedule. I usually also try to post to my blog by Thursday so I can start on my next round of interviews/assignments and find time to think over my idea and hopefully improve it.

I, also, learned to look deep into a problem and ask the underlying why questions, not just the surface level questions. The bug assignment really helped me with this!

Tenaciousness is also about Attitude

            I can honestly say I wanted to give up at Assignment 7 when we decided on what idea we wanted to stick with throughout the rest of the course. I originally had an idea that only really applied to a small number of people (mainly the people that I work with). The idea revolved around making putting away lane lines at the pool easier. However, there are not many other people who share this problem that I can interview because I work with only 40 people and I knew that they would give me the same answer: “Lane Lines are so annoying!” And repeating that 15+ times would look ridiculous.

            I wanted to choose a topic that I was passionate about or something that I had experience with. I had the idea that I am using now (food allergy tests) in the back of my mind but I was having trouble improving it or solving a problem. I also did not want to appear stupid in my blog posts -like I didn’t know what I was talking about. However, I realized that this is what the class is for. The course revolves around peer feedback and that is meant to push you in the right direction and improve, not crush your ideas. It was finally understanding and accepting this that pushed me through complete Assignment 7 and also gave me the attitude to look ahead so I can plan for the future assignments. This way I will not be lost like I was for #7.

3 Tips

          1.     It’s all about that Time Management. A big killer to assignment motivation is stressing out over all the assignments that have to complete. This course can be easy to manage if you schedule it the right way. Like I mentioned above, maybe take time to look at the assignments scheduled ahead so you know what you are up against. Who knows maybe you’ll hit a spark of inspiration and get ideas for upcoming assignments.

          2.     Always stay hungry. What I mean by this, is do not back down from your work. If you are really passionate about a subject let it show. Stay alert for those ideas and opportunities that appear in assignments, campus, and Gainesville community. 

          3.     Accept Feedback. This is one of the most important things I learned so far during this course. Do not let a negative or critical comment hold you back from completing an assignment. Do not let it cause you to abandon your idea. The feedback is here to help! Let it inspire you and motivate you to go on.

Assignment 13A: Reading Reflection No.1

The Wright Brothers-By David McCullough

About the Wright Brothers

1.     What surprised you the most?

a.     While reading about the Wright Brothers many things surprised me. When I was a child and even now all I really knew was that they paved the way for the airplanes we see today. The biggest shock to me was that the first airplane causality occurred with one of the Wright Brothers, Orville, steering the Flying Machine. I guess I was surprised because we remember the good and positive outcomes most of the time. Also, I had never known that they made demonstrations in Europe (France, Germany and Italy to be more specific). I always thought they stayed in the states.

2.     What did you admire about the Wright Brothers?

a.     I really admired the hand work and determination of the brothers. They had many nay-sayers and people who thought they were crazy to think that humans could fly with the birds. However, they did not let that deter them and they would work harder than ever. Also, they were able to remain patient while trying to improve their Flying Machines. If the machine crashed they were happy to fix it and update it. I know if I was working at something for three years I would get extremely frustrated and want to quit. They really stuck through it until the end, even in the rough times.

3.     What did you least admire about the Wright Brothers?

a.     I was not a fan of their handling of false reports made by the press. When Wilbur and Orville started to have more consistent flights, they began to draw a crowd and reporters. The reporters would claim that they would fly greater distances and stay in the air longer than they actually did, which makes for a great headline but it was an over embellishment. The brothers really did nothing to correct this and, in my opinion, they could have at least mentioned something. If I were in the crowd and thought that I would see the Flying Machine stay in the air for 5 minutes (during its initial stage) and it was only there for 2, I would be somewhat disappointed.

4.     Did they encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it?

a.     They encountered many failures because they were trying to create and perfect a new technology. They had many nay-sayers who kept telling them that were crazy, however they just kept working away. They also experienced many crashes during the years that they were working. But, the brothers were okay with crashes and failures like this because it meant that they were able to improve their Flyers and make them better than before. The biggest challenge to hit them, was Orville was in critical condition after an incredibly bad accident. The brothers had been working in two different countries, and Wilbur was so upset that he was not there to help his brother. It was a major set-back, but the Wright family came together and when Orville healed things began to go back to normal.

What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited? 

            The Wright Brothers were very informed, intellectual, and determined men even from a young age. They did not let failure or frustrations bring them down and were excited to make changes to improve their inventions. Throughout the book it was shown that many people were impressed but the vast knowledge that the brothers, especially Wilbur, had. They also valued the relationships that they made during their lifetime. Wilbur did have a small spat with Octave Chanute, but he did put differences aside and resolved the matter.

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

            The reading itself was not confusing, but I was confused as to why Orville and Wilbur chose to go to separate from each other for their demonstrations. Orville remained in the US and Wilbur was in Europe. I know that the two never flew together, in case of an accident (one would be able to carry on). But the brothers were so close and could do their best work and repairs if they were together. Maybe it was the fact that so many people and they thought divide and conquer would be the best strategy.

If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?

            The first question I would ask Orville and Wilbur would be: Is Alexander Graham Bell your friend or foe? I would ask this because when the brothers were becoming more and more successful with their flight demonstrations they began to attract a lot of people’s attention, and one of those people was Alexander Graham Bell. Bell was very interested in flight and started taking measurements of the Flyer’s wing when Orville was in the hospital.

            My second questions would be for Orville: How did you feel when President Roosevelt wanted to take a ride in the flyer with you before and after the flight? This would be a very interesting question to ask because it President Roosevelt was denied the flight by Orville and coincidentally the Flyer did crash. The passenger who took the president’s place, Lieutenant Selfridge, did die from his injuries. I want to know if he was nervous, excited, or indifferent. 

For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion?

            I think the brother’s loved and valued hard work as it was a big part of their lives. Even from a young age Orville and Wilbur shared an entrepreneurial spirit. Orville, in high school, started a print shop and created a newspaper, West Side News. Wilbur wrote for the paper. The book mentions that the two had “unity of purpose and unyielding determination. They had set themselves on a ‘mission’”. I can relate to this because when there is something I want to accomplish I am always on a mission to get it down. I love to try my best when I comes to different activities because I like to know that I wasn’t holding back and I left everything out on the table.

Assignment 12A: Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

Segment: Young college adults with possible food allergy/sensitivity

·       Interviewees

o   #1: My brother-possibly lactose intolerance

o   #2: My roommate-possibly sensitive to the protein in milk

o   #3: My friend from high school-possible worsening allergy to gluten

Summarized Interviews:

For the interviews I asked questions that reflected on how they discovered they had an issue with certain food and how they plan to act. Listed below are a few of the questions I asked; ones that I think were most telling.

o   #1: My brother is potentially lactose intolerant, which means his body might not be able to break the sugars in milk.

§  When did you discover you had an issue with food? When I was in high school. I would have cheese on my sandwich and I would get a huge stomach ache, sometimes I would even get sick. Dairy products would always cause it.

§  What did you do about it? Originally, nothing. You know we do not eat cheese or dairy products in our house because you don’t like them. So, I thought I could deal with it because it would happen on few occasions.

§  Was there ever a time that it became a huge problem, one that you could not overlook? If so, what did you do about it then? Yeah, recently. I kind of figured my stomach aches had something to do with dairy products so I looked at WebMD and it confirmed my suspicions. And that was enough for me.

§  Why? Lauren, you had those tests done, you know how expensive they are. And they would just tell me something I already know. Even if it gets worse, all I really need to do is avoid dairy products, which is fine with me. Maybe if it was bad enough in high school I would have done something more about it.

§  What would have made this process better? Something cheap and does not involve seeing a ton of specialists. Also something fast.

o   #2: My roommate might have a sensitivity to the protein in milk. She gets the same stomach aches, like my brother, however the lactose intolerance aids do not help her.

§  When did you discover you had an issue with food? This probably came up last two years ago. I was getting stomach aches and digestive problems when I would eat cheese and yogurt. I figured that I might be lactose intolerant.

§  What did you do about it? One of my friends is lactose intolerant, so I asked them what they usually do. They gave me the lactase pills which are supposed to help your body break down the lactose sugar. I tried that for a bit, but it didn’t help.

§  Was there ever a time that it became a huge problem, one that you could not overlook? If so, what did you do about it then? Yeah, I started getting hives. I kind of figured that it wasn’t lactose that was the problem. So right now, I’m just staying away from dairy as best I can.

§  Why? I’m in my senior year of college and I’m so busy applying for jobs and internships. I really do not want to have to deal with doctor appointment upon doctor appointment and expense upon expensive. This is the cheapest way I know how to deal with things and besides the hives only affect me when I go overboard and I do not plan on doing that anytime soon.

§  What would have made this process better? Honestly, if I did something about it sooner and went to a professional. The problem is that once you think you have solved your issue you do not want to do anything more about it. If a doctor or professional could help you right then and there that would be awesome.

o   #3: My friend thinks that she may have a worsening allergy to gluten.

§  When did you discover you had an issue with food? Three years ago, I was starting to get stomach aches after eating pasta, bagels, pizza, etc.

§  What did you do about it? Well, my mom has celiac’s so I started eating gluten free like her and the pain stopped. Occasionally, like if I was with friends or at a party, I would eat gluten filled foods. The gluten free stuff is expensive. And at that time the stomach aches felt like the stomach aches you get when you overeat.

§  Was there ever a time that it became a huge problem, one that you could not overlook? If so, what did you do about it then? Maybe a year ago I started getting really bad stomach aches. In the past few weeks I noticed that l get really sluggish and tired. The thought of food makes me nauseous sometimes. Well now I completely avoid gluten because I do not want to feel that way again. I might see a GI after college or during the summer to see if it is getting better.

§  Why? I want to wait to see a GI because I have a lot going on right now. Junior year is a hectic year. 

§  What would have made this process better? I kind of wish I looked into this more during my senior year of high school. I had to get a lot of immunizations and shots for college back then. It would have made sense to do something about the stomach aches then too.

What I Learned:

            I learned from these interviews that seeing a doctor regarding food allergies or sensitivities during college years might be difficult. Because the three interviewees had a lot of school work to do, they did not want to waste time trying to find a specialist in their area, schedule an appointment, get the test done, and then meet the doctor for a follow up. They all pretty much agreed that they needed either something fast and not expensive or an earlier intervention.

I also discovered that these interviewees were affected by worsening symptoms over a couple years. I know a couple of my comments in past assignments said that maybe the food panel tests should be offered multiple times. This could have helped each of my interviewees.

            Something that I thought was interesting was that the three, especially my brother, did not want to take the time to see a specialist when they thought they had figured out what was wrong with them. Because they could not get a fast, accurate answer to their problem, they decided to take matters into their own hands and basically WebMD their symptoms. They felt as though this and simply avoiding the foods that were causing them pain would be enough to help. This is something I need to take into consideration especially for the older age group of my target market.

Describing the Segment:

            After interviewing these people, I think the college aged segment is a very hard segment to hit. It can be done; however, some students are pressed for time and have many things going on (clubs, sports, job searches, homework). If something is bothering them they are going to try to find the quickest and sometimes cheapest answer to their problem, especially if the issue is not life threatening. Freshman or after senior year of college would probably be the better years for students to take advantage of food panel tests. It is the beginning and ending of schoolwork and the time commitment may not be as great as in the middle two years. Also, they are starting a new chapter of their lives, so finding new doctors or making doctor’s appointments are more important at this time.

 (The three interviewees had possible food sensitivities that they never had tested, so if they actually had severe symptoms or allergies, this would have been a different conversation.)

             

Assignment 11A: Napkin Idea No. 1

Me: My name is Lauren Beato and I am a Marketing major at the University of Florida. I love talking to people and giving presentations, which is something I never thought that I would have been able to say. Throughout my time in college I have joined several organizations that have helped me become a better speaker and presenter. As a freshman, I started my first job as a Group Fitness Instructor at RecSports. I went from not being able to speak in front of 2 people to being able to speak to 50+ people. One of my biggest skills is my versatility, being able to learn and adapt to things quickly. Over the summer I interned at Florida Hospital East Orlando and realized that one of my biggest passions is helping people, especially if it involves health. That is why my ENT3003 revolves around a health issue that I and many of my friends and family experience. Food allergies can be a huge issue for some people, so it would make me incredibly happy to find a way to help make their lives a little bit easier.

What am I offering to customers: I am offering to customers an easier way to find out if they have food sensitivities or allergies. As I have said in pervious assignments, some people jump through hoops to find out if they have food allergies/sensitivities. To make matters worse, it is often expensive to take the food panel test and they test for so many foods that might not be applicable to the individuals. My food panel test contained over 50 of the most common foods and over 10 spices, however, I only had issues with a few foods, two of which are common allergies (gluten and soy).

            My idea is a mix of a product and service. The product aspect is a food panel test that will check for the most common allergies/sensitivities: gluten, nuts, soy, milk to name a few. It would be cheaper than most of these tests, since of the number of foods it is checking is smaller than the usual amount. The service aspect would be that this test would be brought/administered at a doctor/pediatrician’s office. The doctor would talk to their patient or patient’s parent depending on their age and just give some information about food allergies. If the patient wants to they could schedule an appointment to take the test (mine was a blood test). Many of my doctors have online portals that allow patients to view their tests, so the patient could view the test online and if further action is required they can consult with their doctor, who could recommend a GI or another specialist. Basically, I want to make things easier for the customer to gain information about food allergies.

Who am I offering this to: I would be offering this primarily to younger age groups older children (maybe age 6 and up) and young adults. I chose this age group because they are most likely to be bothered by food allergies. However, this does not exclude younger or older ages. If someone exhibits a sign of food allergies, it is important to have them see a doctor immediately. Doctor’s offices would also be offered this idea because it is the doctors who would be explaining these tests.

Why do they care: The consumers will care because food allergies are becoming very common and can seriously impact one’s health. Most people have experienced in grade school a fellow student who has had a peanut allergy. Some people are so sensitive to foods like this that they cannot be in the same room as the food because they may break out into hives or feel itchy. A scenario like this can change the lifestyle of a child and family and can often be very scary the first time it is discovered. My nephew was very young when he found out that he had celiac’s disease and he felt so different because he couldn’t eat the things he friends could. A product/service like this could help make the transition and understanding of food related health issues easier. This is so important, especially with young kids because some parents may become stressed if the allergy is severe.

My core competencies: Most food panel tests check many, many foods for allergies or sensitivities (usually 50-100). This probably sounds like a very good idea; however, it can have its faults. First, the test can be very expensive (mine was hundreds of dollars). Second, there can be many inaccuracies which may be caused by testing for too many foods. For example, when I took my food panel test it said that I was very allergic to vanilla and fine with turkey. I have never had a problem with vanilla before and I cannot eat turkey because I get incredibly sick. Now I must get another test done. My product would be simple, but I would try to get it to be as accurate as possible. Also, the fact that doctors would be promoting this test would help. My sisters have seen some of the best gastroenterologists in the country because of all the food issues their families have so I know I could reach out to them if I have any questions regarding my idea.

The Elements: I think that I these elements can work together to make a useful product/service. However, the most challenging aspect would probably be getting the doctors on board. They are a major component of my idea and not having them on board would be devastating. I will admit, getting them aboard would probably be one of the hardest parts, but I can put my people skills to the test. The best thing that I could do is start small and hopefully create a big enough mark that other doctor’s offices will follow suit. The bigger picture is being able to help and if that is what I set my mind to, then I will strive to accomplish it. 

Assignment 10A: Elevator Pitch No.1