Thursday, June 11, 2020

11A - Idea Napkin No. 1

1)      My name is Sophia Morin, and I am a sophomore at the University of Florida. When I really want something to happen, I focus on it and am hardworking until I can achieve that goal. I enjoy the problem solving that comes along with coding, and I think that that skill can be translated here. In my own life, I have always seen packages coming to my house, and I have always wondered how they can be better protected. I have seen countless videos of packages getting stolen from people’s homes, as well.

 

I think this business concept of offering lockboxes for people’s packages would be used by my family, as well. I also know several people that would benefit from this product.

 

2)      The product I am offering is a compact lockbox that someone can place on their front porch or next to their mailbox. It would include a way to insert packages without being able to retrieve any. This way, mailmen and delivery services can drop packages off, but no one can retrieve them without the key.

 

3)      As a result of interviews, this product would be primarily offered to residents in more urban areas and in suburbs. Furthermore, I believe that women with families at home would be the most attracted to the product, as they have multiple people to shop online for.

 

4)      People would care about this product because my target customers have multiple people to please. It is a huge waste of money when you order things for your family members online and they get stolen. This way, this one-time investment can ensure savings for many people.

 

5)      I believe that I have what it takes to make this product valuable. I have a close relationship with someone part of my target segment (my mother), and I have the means of communicating with others like her. Furthermore, I live in an urban area and can therefore see how my product would work personally.

Overall, I believe that these elements fit. My personal experience, my identification of the problem, and my closeness with the target segment all help to meld my business concept into one cohesive idea. If anything, one weak piece of this is the acquisition of materials. I am planning some form of sturdy plastic, not wood, so that it can remain in good condition while being outside.


3 comments:

  1. Hi, Sophia! I enjoyed reading your post and getting to know more about you and your opportunity. I think you have a great idea with the lockbox because I see videos all the time from people's doorbell cameras that show their packages being stolen. The one thing that I would recommend you to think about is innovation. What I mean by that is, what happens when telecommuting and distance learning becomes more of the norm? If this happens, people will be at home when packages get delivered and will no longer need a lockbox.

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  2. Hi, Sophia! I think your idea is wonderful. I have had packages stolen before and know the frustration. I have always wondered how to fix this problem, and I think a lockbox is a great solution. Amazon has introduced a concept where their employees can access a customer's garage and place a package there, but I'm sure many can agree that this is too intrusive.

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  3. Hey Sophia, well done on the post. I thought a bit about how much something like this would stop someone from stealing a package. Have you considered incorporating additional safety features to the lockbox? on one hand, just having the package away from view when driving or walking by would probably deter most package thieves, but I doubt a plastic lockbox on its own would be difficult to break in to. Maybe you could include a camera or alarm that turns on if the lockbox is moved or broken into while locked.

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