Amazon Whisperer

Howdy! Here is the Amazon Whisperer assignment.

• Describe the revenue drivers you currently include in your business concept for this class. Revenue drivers are the different ways you make money. 

Within my business concept, I can make money from actually selling the product for more than how much it costs to produce it. I can also make money from selling my idea to larger companies. 

• Describe what kind of product offering you believe should be next. What's the next thing your customers want?

I think my customers would want something else that would make their lives slightly easier. Possibly something that keeps blankets on the bed (could also be remote controlled). 

• Describe how this "next" thing will enhance your existing product/service offering. Does it improve the user experience, does it increase customer switching costs, does it foster customer loyalty, etc.?

I think it does improve user experience because I always end up losing my blanket in my sleep. It would be a shame if other people suffered from this issue. It does foster customer loyalty because they would know that I make their lives easier. 

• Go to Amazon and try to find a product that is similar to the one you want to offer next. Describe the product. Include a picture of the product.

I couldn't find a product on Amazon that matches this product idea. However, I did find tips that helped me with the design. 

• What are the customer reviews for the product? What, exactly, do customers not like about the product? What do they like about it?

Since there is nothing on Amazon like this (that I could find), there are not any customer reviews on the product. 

• Describe what design/usability changes you'd make to the product. 

For my design, I would either implement an automatic zipper with a sleeping bag-esque appearance. I would also maybe include temperature settings so that it the blanket will let cooler air in when the user becomes over heated. 

• Describe why you think this product would make a good addition to your current product/service offering.

I think that this product would be a good addition to my current product offering for the reasons listed under the third billet point - customer loyalty and better customer experience. 

My Unfair Advantage

Howdy! Here is my "staying power" reasons.

Resources:

1. I am very determined to make my life and other peoples lives easier (I'll do anything to fuel my laziness).
• VRIN: Not very valuable (laziness can sometimes be an issue), not very rare (almost everyone likes to procrastinate sometimes), somewhat inimitable, non-substitutable.
2. I have a good network of people that I could consult if I need help.
• VRIN: Very valuable (it's not what you know, it's who you know), rare in that everyone knows different people, inimitable for the same reason it is rare, non-substitutable because it's very difficult to go on business ventures alone.
3. I possess a lot of knowledge on how electronics work and what I would need to create my product and make it effective.
• VRIN: Very valuable (kind of the point of my product), not very rare (lots of people can have it), somewhat inimitable (some knowledge is different than others and can be applied in a different way), non-substitutable (see reason why it's valuable).
4. I give a lot of effort in everything I do.
• VRIN: Very valuable (effort is important), somewhat rare (not everyone gives a lot of effort), kind of inimitable (not found in everyone, but I suppose everyone has the potential to give effort), non-substitutable.
5. My product can help a lot of people save energy and reduce falling risks.
• VRIN: Valuable (safety is important), not very rare (lots of things can hep safety), inimitable, definitely non-substitutable. 
6. My product has the potential for different designs (all of which I have created already).
• VRIN: kind of valuable, somewhat rare (they are my ideas, after all), not very inimitable, non-substitutable.
7. I am very enthusiastic about making life easier for other people.
• VRIN: valuable (who would buy from someone not enthusiastic about their work?), somewhat rare (not everyone is enthusiastic), inimitable (everyone express enthusiasm in different ways), non-substitutable.
8. I have had many life experiences involving not wanting to get up to turn off my light/fan.
• VRIN: somewhat valuable, rare in that some people may not have to get out of bed to turn off their lights (like for lamps), inimitable (not just anyone can know your struggle the way I do), non-substitutable.
9. I know how and where to get affordable materials for this product. 
• VRIN: valuable, rare, inimitable, non-substitutable.
10. I have taken this class and have the business creation experiences from it (even though we weren't technically supposed to make a business in this class).
• VRIN: SO valuable, INCREDIBLY rare (it's unique to the unique to the University of Florida), very inimitable, somewhat non-substitutable (there could be other entrepreneurship classes out there, but they would more than likely be different).

My top resource is my knowledge of electronics because it is the main reason I would be able to create this product in the first place.  However, I will not be making this product because I do not want to start a business.  Maybe someday.  Just not today.