Isaiah Miller
UFID: 80191457
Elevator Pitch No. 1
5/27/2020
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2
Isaiah Miller
UFID: 80191457
Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2
5/27/2020
My hypothesis: People going through major life transitions where assets must be liquidated are unable to quickly and efficiently get through the transitions due to the logistical complexities of each transition.
The who: People going through major life transitions like probate, assisted living, and divorce.
The what: They are unable to quickly and efficiently get through the transition.
The why: Logistical complexities of each transition (legal, time & energy, confusion).
After speaking with new people that have had experience going through the three life transitions that I mentioned, I found that many times the focus of the businesses that share a lot in common with mine are primarily focused on the real estate, and it comes across in the marketing. Several of the people that I interviewed said that after they filed probate or filed for divorce, letters started to bombard them for various services, and one of the primary ones was wholesalers trying to get a piece of the real estate. This falls outside of the boundary, because our approach is a holistic solution that doesn't focus simply on the real estate involved. The need of our clients will be far more than simply needing to sell an empty house that they own. That is simple. Our clients need is specifically related to the complexities and mental burden of this new major responsibility, whether it be helping mom move into a retirement facility, or act as the personal representative of a probate. The underlying cause is much different than the need of those inside our boundary, since those inside our boundary are those only dealing with these major life transitions, whereas wholesalers of real estate target a myriad more life situations. They do, however, overlap in some ways, as one major element of these major life situations is liquidating real estate, and wholesalers are targeting those transitioning with a much broader and selfish marketing message.
| Inside the boundary | Outside the boundary |
| Who is In: People that need a helping hand People open to guidance People that have stress but want to take action | Who is Out: People with ample time People that don't have many assets |
| What the Need Is: Guidance A Helping Hand Direction Solutions for their unique complexities | What it Isn't: Legal Services Realtor Services, exclusively A Super Fast Sale, Necessarily |
| Why the Need Exists People have brand new massive responsibility The process is confusing Time is of the essence | Alternatives: Reinvent the wheel and figure out yourself Use other single-service companies |
8A - Solving The Problem
Isaiah Miller
UFID: 80191457
Solving The Problem
5/27/2020
The hypothesis/belief that I chose is: People going through major life transitions where assets must be liquidated are unable to quickly and efficiently get through the transitions due to the logistical complexities of each transition. I see an opportunity to help these people that are facing new and complex situations bridge the gap by acting as the hub of their wheel. This hub would be a full-stack, vertically integrated service that helps the client tackle their own unique situations by connecting them with, or acting with, the service they are in need of.
A few major life transitions where that involve many complexities outside of what the lawyer will help with include divorce, transitioning to an assisted living facility or nursing home, and acting as the personal representative of an estate. All of these scenarios are accompanied by overwhelming emotions, and encompass elements of grief. The unmet need of the grieving party, which is either the beneficiaries of the estate, or the personal representative, is the need to get rid of all the 'stuff' they're now responsible to liquidate, including real property like real estate, and personal property like vehicles, collections, furniture, and straight-up junk. This is a brand new responsibility or 'need' of the party, and although they have their own lives and daily duties, this is a new chore they've been assigned to handle. Currently, these affected parties are figuring out the best ways to go about liquidating the unwanted assets in a timely manner, including listing the real estate with an agent, selling the 'stuff' at an estate sale, and selling the car to a car dealership or car purchasing business. They are faced with many decisions, and are likely feeling the pressure of making the 'right' choice. This takes a lot of time, energy, and focus on a situation that is already extremely emotional and confusing.
Not only will we be helping the clients liquidate the assets they're no longer in need of, we will be guiding them through the steps, helping them accomplish tasks that require attention, and connect them with our network of highly vetted service providers in their area. This way, depending on their goals for their transition, they will have a shepherd to help alleviate the stress, confusion, and pain.
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1
Isaiah Miller
UFID: 80191457
Forming An Opportunity Belief
5/26/2020
People going through major life transitions where assets must be liquidated are unable to quickly and efficiently get through the transitions due to the logistical complexities of each transition.
The who: People going through major life transitions like probate, assisted living, and divorce.
The what: They are unable to quickly and efficiently get through the transition.
The why: Logistical complexities of each transition (legal, time & energy, confusion).
I have to clarify that the major life transitions that I am focused on are only those where there is a high likelihood that assets will be moving around. These include probate, assisted living, and divorce. I have interviewed people with this understanding.
I found that there are other transitions that also have this need, like going overseas in the military or imprisonment, but these are less common and also harder to navigate and address. In most of these cases, the personal and real property are the only complexities. I also found that not everyone going through the major life transitions that I mentioned feel overwhelming stress or confusion. Some people are great coordinators, and have time to do thorough research and due diligence. In these cases, they coordinate all of the service providers themselves, and find the best solution for each of their needs through their own research. The people that really need the help are those with little time or bandwidth to deal with every step of the process by themselves, and those that would rather save the time and energy to shorten the process using someone else's network and knowledge.
Some transitions are more complex and stressful than others. For instance, if someone dies testate (has a will), with major assets in a living trust, and the beneficiaries already have a fantastic realtor, financial advisor, and estate-planning attorney, their transition will be much less stressful than someone that dies intestate with no network. With that said, only 25% of adults have a will, and 13% living trusts. Additionally, it is not as easy to plan for a divorce, or transition into assisted-living, and there are various complexities in these transitions as well. Sometimes the estate is under $75 thousand dollars and can be settled through summary judgement. This can be less complex than otherwise. Sometimes those going through transitions have no assets at stake, so there is much less stress relating to the liquidation of assets.
The above information was gathered through the interviews conducted. Some people are very busy and don't want to spend much time dealing with the process of each transition. Some people don't want any help, and want to reinvent the wheel and figure it all out themselves. A meaningful majority of people understand the value in helping eliminate confusion and stress during these times, especially without any type of fee charged to the client directly.
Practicing Opportunity Identification
Isaiah Miller
UFID: 80191457
Identifying Local Opportunities
5/26/2020
1. The first opportunity I found was the opportunity to lease-option your home instead of selling it. Although residential real estate demand remains steady, supply has tightened because people have decided it is a bad time to sell their home (uncertainty in market, don't want people in their home, etc.). Although there are still buyers out there, many lenders have drastically tightened their lending guidelines, and so it is much harder to get a desirable mortgage. I learned this information from local realtors, and also from reading about banks lending guidelines. For this reason, the market seems ripe to lease-option or 'rent-to-own' your home. Because demand is still there, but loans are harder to get, a seller can set up a desirable option for buyers, while also making money through a down-payment, cash flow for the time being, without shouldering the responsibility of renting the home in a traditional fashion. Rent-to-owners usually take on repairs and maintenance themselves since they are now an 'owner-to-be.' The prototypical customer of this opportunity is those that want to sell their home, but are worried that potential buyers won't be able to find lending. The opportunity is relatively easy, as connecting the customer with a knowledgeable realtor that knows how to execute a lease-option could easily do it.
I saw this opportunity because I have interest in real estate, and have considered lease-optioning my home. I think that instead of renting it out, I will opt for a rent-to-own when I decide to move out. The tenants are generally more responsible and it usually yields more return. Most of the time, the tenants don't even executing their option to buy. I think that I saw this opportunity because I already had an understanding of this strategy.
2. The second opportunity I found is building a portfolio of hospitality businesses, like restaurants, bars, and hotels. With these types of businesses bleeding cash, the owners are facing serious pressure not only to survive for themselves, but also for their staff. This presents the opportunity to owner-finance businesses to a new buyer, especially if the buyer can work out an agreement with the seller that they will foot certain costs for the coming months, and retain staff. This would allow a potential buyer without enough money to outright buy the business to finance it with preferred terms as long as they have enough cash to survive the coming year. The prototypical customer is an entrepreneur, or someone trying to own their own business and that has money to spend. This opportunity is somewhat difficult, because it would require sales, accounting, and legal skills.
I saw this opportunity because I have also looked at creative ways to purchase existing companies. Usually the seller needs to be motivated to get a good deal in any transaction, and the motivation in this instance is to escape the pain the coronavirus has created. With business owners scared right now, if you could offer them an exit where they could feel good about the business' future, I believe there are very good deals to be had.
3. The third opportunity is telehealth. I have seen a variety of advertisements on social media for virtual therapy meetings, including psychiatry. I explored these further, and found that due to the coronavirus, mental health providers can temporarily offer virtual services, including prescribing over the computer. This opportunity exists for any healthcare provider trying to expand their clientele. The most likely customer for this opportunity is healthcare providers that are struggling. They can sign up on these platforms and schedule virtual calls, and some of the platforms take insurance, too.
I saw this opportunity because I had interest in the ad I saw because I never knew healthcare providers could do virtual calls and write prescriptions online. I researched it more and found that recent regulations allow it, so those looking to grow their business could capitalize on it.
4. The last opportunity is fun. It is a 'drink' truck instead of a food truck. In Jacksonville, restaurants are temporarily allowed to serve alcoholic beverages as takeout, as long as there is a little piece of tape over the straw hole. If I saw a 'drink' truck, I might even stop just to check it out. Apparently, drink sales have been a popular takeout item, which is why I think there would be some demand for this. Because it is a temporary regulation, I believe it would be savvy only for those with a regular food truck. Buying a truck for this sole purpose would be shortsighted, but if you already have a food truck, why not add drinks? There are the highest margin item in a restaurant. That is why existing food trucks would be the prototypical customer. The opportunity would be relatively difficult unless the restaurant already has a liquor license. I am not sure if this is still in effect, as I know some tours in Savannah serve alcohol, but if it wouldn't be too expensive or difficult, a temporary permit might be worth it.
I believe I saw this opportunity because I got takeout during this pandemic and was offered a drink. I was shocked. Food trucks have also been coming to my neighborhood, and have been packed with customers!
Identifying Local Opportunities
Isaiah Miller
UFID: 80191457
Identifying Local Opportunities
5/26/2020
5/26/2020
This story addresses the reopening on businesses (especially restaurants and bars) in the Jacksonville Beach area. Although a number of businesses are coming back strong, two businesses in particular: Pete's Bar, and Ragtime Tavern, are facing potential bankruptcy. The owners of one restaurant mentions that they didn't close their doors during other major life-threatening events of the past, so shouldn't be forced to now, especially when it means de-facto bankruptcy. The restaurant owners have the problem of not being able to operate, and bleeding cash. The patrons have the problem of not being able to return to their favorite restaurants and bars for now, and maybe forever.
This is a story of a drug-house that was responsible for an overdose last month, and is now being exposed for harboring over ten people for the sole purpose of drug usage. Apparently this house was littered with trash and human excrement, and was discovered by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. The problem facing JSO is rampant drug usage and drug houses in Jacksonville. They are responsible for dealing with it, so it is a big problem for them. The negative image this has on our city is an overarching problem for the Jacksonville residents in general.
This story is about a local pastor that, although being urged by the administration to reopen, is expressing his right to decide when to reopen himself. Although he agrees that virtual worship is not the same as in-person worship, he believes he should have the right to choose the safest time to reopen without penalty to him, even if it means later rather than sooner. The pastor and church are facing the problem of being influenced to open, in their opinion 'too soon.'
This story is about trade-programs and their ineffectiveness in a virtual setting. It underscores the necessity of hands-on learning for trade-programs, as most trades involve working with your hands, and applying concepts, not just memorizing them. In this case, virtual training for trade students is insufficient, leaving them at a disadvantage when it comes to applying their knowledge. The trade students themselves are the ones facing a problem, and the problem is spending the same time and money for a lackluster education that doesn't teach them all they need to be able to perform their duties in the workforce.
https://www.news4jax.com/business/2020/05/26/citgo-sues-miami-firm-over-millions-lost-in-venezuela-fraud/
This story is about the lawsuit against José Manuel González, the owner of a Miami-based petroleum logistics company. Citgo is suing Gonzalez, alleging that he provided a Citgo executive gifts in various forms, in exchange for business transactions at inflated costs to Citgo. There are numerous problems here, but the main problem is Citgo's problem of having negative PR, losing money, and also discovering that their executive culture could be dirty. Gonzalez also has a problem since he is being sued by a MNC, and his company is being accused of criminal bribery.
Thursday, May 21, 2020
Forming An Opportunity Belief
Isaiah Miller
UFID: 80191457
Forming An Opportunity Belief
5/11/2020
My belief is that there is a better way to help people going through major life transitions liquidate their entire estate at once.
A few major life transitions where liquidating an estate, or significantly downsizing, could be a good option include divorce, transitioning to an assisted living facility or nursing home, and inheriting an estate of a recently deceased family member. All of these scenarios are accompanied by overwhelming emotions, and encompass elements of grief. The unmet need of the grieving party, which is either the beneficiaries of the estate, or the personal representative, is the need to get rid of all the 'stuff' they're now responsible to liquidate, including real property like real estate, and personal property like vehicles, collections, furniture, and straight-up junk. This is a brand new responsibility or 'need' of the party, and although they have their own lives and daily duties, this is a new chore they've been assigned to handle. Currently, these affected parties are figuring out the best ways to go about liquidating the unwanted assets in a timely manner, including listing the real estate with an agent, selling the 'stuff' at an estate sale, and selling the car to a car dealership or car purchasing business. They are faced with many decisions, and are likely feeling the pressure of making the 'right' choice. This takes a lot of time, energy, and focus on a situation that is already extremely emotional and confusing. At this point, I am 90% sure that this problem exists, and could be solved in a better way.
The prototypical customer is the person in charge of liquidating a large estate of assets during or after a major life transition. In the case of a major downsizing or transition to an assisted living facility, this could be the original owner of the assets. In most cases, the prototypical customer would be the beneficiary of an inheritance, or personal representative of a probate estate.
I spoke to a probate attorney, David Goldman, here in Jacksonville about this. Although this isn't the exact prototypical customer (which would take far too long to find in the allotted time for the assignment), he works with my prototypical customer on a daily basis. We talked for an hour and I asked him a variety of questions about my idea. In his experience, the nature of the need is in the ability to settle a probate, or to simply liquidate unwanted assets in a timely manner without too much pain. This pain could come from loved ones having to face every element of the liquidation, sorting through loved ones belonging (outside of mementos and personal items they want to keep), sitting in the vehicle, etc., or it could come from spending many hours coordinating the sale of the estate. Currently, people usually list the unwanted property with an agent, hire an estate-sale company, sell the car to CarMax or a car dealership, and find a trash removal service to clear the house out. Many times the personal representative ends up selling the real property, like the home and land, to a real estate investor out of necessity of the sale. He told me that out of his current 165 probate cases, he thinks that or at least 10% of them, an single buyout of assets would, "make a heck of a lot of sense."
I also spoke to Julie Childers, a local realtor who has done a variety of probate sales, divorce sales, and other transactions where major life transitions were involved. We spoke for about half an hour, as I met a referral for a real estate purchase that I wanted to send her way, so I had to call her anyways. I asked her different questions about the clients she had in this situation, and whether or not an entire buyout would be a benefit. Originally, I didn't portray the idea accurately, and she interpreted it as a regular 'trash haul away' service. I further clarified, letting her know that it would be a buyout of the entire estate (except for the possessions they wanted to keep). We would have the ability to write one large check for the home, land, car, boat, airplane, WHATEVER. After I rephrased the business, she understood it and affirmed the validity. She said, "If I have a lead that has a bunch of stuff they don't want to deal with, you will quickly and easily buy it and handle it all?" I confirmed, and we decided to work together. At this point, I realized there was another high margin revenue stream that I had missed. I will further discuss this in my summary.
The last person I spoke to was Deidra Crane, from News4Jax, a Jacksonville news outlet. She had reached out to me originally to try and sell me marketing services for one of my other companies, which I didn't see as being a good fit. However, I decided to ask her a little bit about this other business, as marketing to the masses can be good for branding, especially when almost everyone knows someone going through a major life transition. We spoke for an hour and a half, and she told me the story of her grandmother, who recently passed away. Her mother was named the personal representative, and her mother died intestate, so there was no will in place to help simplify things. Even with a will, many times assets must be liquidated to 'settle' an estate. She told me that after hours and hours of work, stress, and emotional hardship, she sold the house to a house flipper for below market value to move it quick, her car to a car dealership, and had to hire an estate-sale company where she got taken for 30%, a fixed fee, and lost possession of unsold property at the estate sale. She also had to hire a trash removal company to clean the house out prior to sale. Nice, right? She was emotionally suffering from this hardship, and had to sort through a lifetime of memories at a hard time, simply to settle a legal matter. She also had a regular job and other responsibilities to follow through on at the same time. This conversation was helpful to me, because Deidra agreed that the fragmented process that still yields below-market values is still often used because it is virtually the only option for so many people.
By talking to Mr. Goldman, I learned that a lower percentage of people going through probate than I expected would be a great fit for an entire estate buyout (in Mr. Goldman's opinion). I also learned that most of the time, a service like this would not directly benefit him as a lawyer, since it doesn't really change anything. I have run the idea by other attorneys since then, and some of them said that by liquidating the estate quickly, it would help settle the estate expeditiously, meaning the attorney would get paid quicker. I learned that usually the attorney is paid out a percentage of the estate value.
My conversations with both Deidra and Julie were encouraging. By speaking to them, I recognized that forming relationships with realtors, divorce and estate attorneys, and assisted-living facilities would be a great way to get referral business and also help their own businesses generate revenue. A mutual benefit. Mrs. Childers and I are on a basis where if I refer her a client that closes a deal, I will be owed 25% of her commission as a marketing fee. We discussed the potential for high-margin revenue through a multitude of referral options that would not only benefit my company with revenue, but also benefit the client going through the transition by providing high-quality resources to them, and the end-service-provider as well. Overall, I am excited about this venture, and I think there is a lot of potential to not only help send business to other organizations based on the clients needs and goals, but also offer private money investors a new asset-class to explore. I've been interested in real-estate for a long time, but the industry is packed with people working too hard for too little. I believe that this approach would not only provide a new entry point to real estate for juicier deals, but other profit centers like referral income, hard asset flipping (high ticket items like jewelry, vehicles, collections, etc.), and high-volume sales to niche pre-owned retailers (like selling high volumes of antiques to an antique store, high volumes of furniture to furniture resellers, etc.). This way, we would be able to either profit from referrals and never pay a dime or take possession of anything, all the way to taking possession of everything (with potential referral income from a financial planner, their own estate attorney, etc.), and quickly liquidating the lower-value items, and taking 1-4 months to liquidate high value goods for closer to market value by bringing it to the right markets in the right way.
I know that everyone should always be OPEN to adapting. Not necessarily eager to adapting, but open to it. By taking time to research new opportunities to morph into a better business with more potential, a company can continue to develop and provide a better product or service. With that said, adaptation shouldn't be confused with fickleness. People or companies that our constantly chasing the new shiny opportunities consistently fail. I have experienced that myself, and have to be very careful and aware of it because I love new things. I believe my idea has morphed into something greater with more potential, and I will still continue to build it.
I spoke to a probate attorney, David Goldman, here in Jacksonville about this. Although this isn't the exact prototypical customer (which would take far too long to find in the allotted time for the assignment), he works with my prototypical customer on a daily basis. We talked for an hour and I asked him a variety of questions about my idea. In his experience, the nature of the need is in the ability to settle a probate, or to simply liquidate unwanted assets in a timely manner without too much pain. This pain could come from loved ones having to face every element of the liquidation, sorting through loved ones belonging (outside of mementos and personal items they want to keep), sitting in the vehicle, etc., or it could come from spending many hours coordinating the sale of the estate. Currently, people usually list the unwanted property with an agent, hire an estate-sale company, sell the car to CarMax or a car dealership, and find a trash removal service to clear the house out. Many times the personal representative ends up selling the real property, like the home and land, to a real estate investor out of necessity of the sale. He told me that out of his current 165 probate cases, he thinks that or at least 10% of them, an single buyout of assets would, "make a heck of a lot of sense."
I also spoke to Julie Childers, a local realtor who has done a variety of probate sales, divorce sales, and other transactions where major life transitions were involved. We spoke for about half an hour, as I met a referral for a real estate purchase that I wanted to send her way, so I had to call her anyways. I asked her different questions about the clients she had in this situation, and whether or not an entire buyout would be a benefit. Originally, I didn't portray the idea accurately, and she interpreted it as a regular 'trash haul away' service. I further clarified, letting her know that it would be a buyout of the entire estate (except for the possessions they wanted to keep). We would have the ability to write one large check for the home, land, car, boat, airplane, WHATEVER. After I rephrased the business, she understood it and affirmed the validity. She said, "If I have a lead that has a bunch of stuff they don't want to deal with, you will quickly and easily buy it and handle it all?" I confirmed, and we decided to work together. At this point, I realized there was another high margin revenue stream that I had missed. I will further discuss this in my summary.
The last person I spoke to was Deidra Crane, from News4Jax, a Jacksonville news outlet. She had reached out to me originally to try and sell me marketing services for one of my other companies, which I didn't see as being a good fit. However, I decided to ask her a little bit about this other business, as marketing to the masses can be good for branding, especially when almost everyone knows someone going through a major life transition. We spoke for an hour and a half, and she told me the story of her grandmother, who recently passed away. Her mother was named the personal representative, and her mother died intestate, so there was no will in place to help simplify things. Even with a will, many times assets must be liquidated to 'settle' an estate. She told me that after hours and hours of work, stress, and emotional hardship, she sold the house to a house flipper for below market value to move it quick, her car to a car dealership, and had to hire an estate-sale company where she got taken for 30%, a fixed fee, and lost possession of unsold property at the estate sale. She also had to hire a trash removal company to clean the house out prior to sale. Nice, right? She was emotionally suffering from this hardship, and had to sort through a lifetime of memories at a hard time, simply to settle a legal matter. She also had a regular job and other responsibilities to follow through on at the same time. This conversation was helpful to me, because Deidra agreed that the fragmented process that still yields below-market values is still often used because it is virtually the only option for so many people.
By talking to Mr. Goldman, I learned that a lower percentage of people going through probate than I expected would be a great fit for an entire estate buyout (in Mr. Goldman's opinion). I also learned that most of the time, a service like this would not directly benefit him as a lawyer, since it doesn't really change anything. I have run the idea by other attorneys since then, and some of them said that by liquidating the estate quickly, it would help settle the estate expeditiously, meaning the attorney would get paid quicker. I learned that usually the attorney is paid out a percentage of the estate value.
My conversations with both Deidra and Julie were encouraging. By speaking to them, I recognized that forming relationships with realtors, divorce and estate attorneys, and assisted-living facilities would be a great way to get referral business and also help their own businesses generate revenue. A mutual benefit. Mrs. Childers and I are on a basis where if I refer her a client that closes a deal, I will be owed 25% of her commission as a marketing fee. We discussed the potential for high-margin revenue through a multitude of referral options that would not only benefit my company with revenue, but also benefit the client going through the transition by providing high-quality resources to them, and the end-service-provider as well. Overall, I am excited about this venture, and I think there is a lot of potential to not only help send business to other organizations based on the clients needs and goals, but also offer private money investors a new asset-class to explore. I've been interested in real-estate for a long time, but the industry is packed with people working too hard for too little. I believe that this approach would not only provide a new entry point to real estate for juicier deals, but other profit centers like referral income, hard asset flipping (high ticket items like jewelry, vehicles, collections, etc.), and high-volume sales to niche pre-owned retailers (like selling high volumes of antiques to an antique store, high volumes of furniture to furniture resellers, etc.). This way, we would be able to either profit from referrals and never pay a dime or take possession of anything, all the way to taking possession of everything (with potential referral income from a financial planner, their own estate attorney, etc.), and quickly liquidating the lower-value items, and taking 1-4 months to liquidate high value goods for closer to market value by bringing it to the right markets in the right way.
I know that everyone should always be OPEN to adapting. Not necessarily eager to adapting, but open to it. By taking time to research new opportunities to morph into a better business with more potential, a company can continue to develop and provide a better product or service. With that said, adaptation shouldn't be confused with fickleness. People or companies that our constantly chasing the new shiny opportunities consistently fail. I have experienced that myself, and have to be very careful and aware of it because I love new things. I believe my idea has morphed into something greater with more potential, and I will still continue to build it.
Monday, May 11, 2020
Entrepreneurship Story
Isaiah Miller
UFID: 80191457
Entrepreneurship Story
5/11/2020
My entrepreneurship story is about my first business, that is still operating, which is based around buying wholesale amounts of consumer electronics, refurbishing, and then reselling them for a profit. After discovering a few different auction sites of big-box retailers where they auctioned off store-returned products that were defective, I began bidding. I learned to value the after repair value of each product, and built spreadsheets that would break down the variable costs of each lot. These spreadsheets would determine my maximum bid, and over time I began winning many lots.
Over time, I amassed thousands of feedback submissions on eBay, which is the primary marketplace I use to sell my products, and built out systems to handle more inventory. I learned many lessons through this business, including the importance of scalability and supplier diversification. The photo I included is of me recently receiving a large shipment of over 300 large desktop computers.
The reason I joined ENT3003 is because it is a requirement for the Bachelors of Science in Business for UF Online. I picked it first because I think it is one of the classes I will enjoy the most. I am dreading most of the classes, as I really had to go out on a limb to convince myself this degree would be worth the time and money. With that said, I hope to learn new ways to think about business, new exercises to analyze problems and potential solutions, and to create meaningful relationships with you and the other students.
Bug List
Isaiah Miller
UFID: 80191457
Bug List
5/11/2020
1. The one-way line at the Nocatee Publix bugs me since many times they force people to go
into more busy aisles just to wrap around to an empty aisle, when they could
have violated the rule and encountered less, or no people.
This bug exists because of precautionary measures in Publix due to COVID-19 risks. This bug also exists because the arrows do not say, "<--- unless the aisle is empty"
This bug exists because of precautionary measures in Publix due to COVID-19 risks. This bug also exists because the arrows do not say, "<--- unless the aisle is empty"
2.
It bugs me that in Jacksonville, people merge into turning lanes prior to the lane beginning.
They merge onto the painted lines prior to the actual lane, many times at
faster speeds than those in front of them, opening up the potential for an
accident.
This bug exists because many turning lanes occur at a stop light, and when the traffic is backed up before the turning lane starts, people save time by using the shoulder as a lane up until the turning lane begins. This acclimates them to hitting the lane early, and so it becomes a habit.
This bug exists because many turning lanes occur at a stop light, and when the traffic is backed up before the turning lane starts, people save time by using the shoulder as a lane up until the turning lane begins. This acclimates them to hitting the lane early, and so it becomes a habit.
3.
It bugs me when the closest lane driver waves others to pull through multi-lane
traffic when only the front line of traffic is stopped, and the other lanes are
still flowing. Meanwhile there is no visibility of the other lane or two, and
when others pull through the 'break' in traffic, it opens up the opportunity to
get t-boned (I have witnessed these types of accidents on numerous occasions).
This bug exists because the driver waving traffic through is trying to be courteous, but doesn't realize the potential risk. The driver trying to cross the traffic sees the driver waving as a 'green light' and doesn't think about the other traffic they can't see.
This bug exists because the driver waving traffic through is trying to be courteous, but doesn't realize the potential risk. The driver trying to cross the traffic sees the driver waving as a 'green light' and doesn't think about the other traffic they can't see.
4.
It bugs me that the Nocatee UPS Store cannot scan USPS items in for an origin scan,
even though they allow USPS drop-offs. This leaves a blank record on the tracking
until USPS scans it, and occasionally they never get an origin scan leaving no
insurance recourse.
This bug exists because the UPS store doesn't have access to USPS scan systems.
This bug exists because the UPS store doesn't have access to USPS scan systems.
5.
It bugged me when a recent company I was excited to do business with, On Fire SEO, branded themselves as having a unique service, even
though they pawn off the entire service to the white-label service RocketDriver.
This bug exists because white-label services make it very easy for natural salespeople to sell a product without having to provide the actual service.
This bug exists because white-label services make it very easy for natural salespeople to sell a product without having to provide the actual service.
6.
It bugs me that my bedroom is warmer than the rest of my house, as it is
the farthest room from my air handlers.
This bug exists because the air ducts leading to the bedroom are the same diameter as the rest of the house, but much longer, meaning the air flow is not as high a pressure and therefore less cold air gets into my bedroom.
This bug exists because the air ducts leading to the bedroom are the same diameter as the rest of the house, but much longer, meaning the air flow is not as high a pressure and therefore less cold air gets into my bedroom.
7.
It bugs me that my electric Orbit 6000 toothbrush sprays toothpaste everywhere if I
forget to turn it off before I take it out of my mouth.
This bug exists because there are no sensors on the toothbrush that indicate the brush has been lifted from my teeth. There is no automatic shutoff when it isn't pressed onto my teeth.
This bug exists because there are no sensors on the toothbrush that indicate the brush has been lifted from my teeth. There is no automatic shutoff when it isn't pressed onto my teeth.
8.
It bugs me when my cats, Switch Blade and Tuna, urinate on the carpet instead of their litter box.
This bug exists because my cats don't understand the significance of urinating on the carpet. They do not understand how hard it is to remove the odor, or the replacement cost of new carpet.
This bug exists because my cats don't understand the significance of urinating on the carpet. They do not understand how hard it is to remove the odor, or the replacement cost of new carpet.
9.
It bugs me when my cats, Sushi and Tuna, knead on my carpet, tearing it up, instead of kneading
the wicker toy I spent money on for them.
This bug exists because the cats are not declawed, and they do not understand nor care that the kneading essentially ruins the carpet.
This bug exists because the cats are not declawed, and they do not understand nor care that the kneading essentially ruins the carpet.
10.
It bugs me when my AT&T U-Verse internet intermittently cuts off for about ten minutes
each day.
This bug exists because I haven't contacted AT&T to see if there is a solution. It could be occurring due to a fault in the hardware.
This bug exists because I haven't contacted AT&T to see if there is a solution. It could be occurring due to a fault in the hardware.
11.
It bugs me the two shower heads in my master shower aren't calibrated. Each shower
knob needs to be turned at different angles to achieve the same temperature,
and the left knob is much hotter than the other.
This bug exists because the bracket for the handle is screwed on at different angles for each handle. I also believe the hot water lines are different lengths, because one is much stronger (shorter) than the other.
This bug exists because the bracket for the handle is screwed on at different angles for each handle. I also believe the hot water lines are different lengths, because one is much stronger (shorter) than the other.
12.
It bugs me the condemned homeowner up the street at 529 E Silverthorn Ln, who refuses to mow her
lawn and has a 'for sale: cash price' listed on her garage door, declines every
offer on her house, even for the asking price she lists on her garage. She doesn't
truly want to sell it!
This bug exists because the homeowner has beef with the neighborhood HOA and wants to maximize the legal costs for our neighborhood. She feels banished and wants retaliation.
This bug exists because the homeowner has beef with the neighborhood HOA and wants to maximize the legal costs for our neighborhood. She feels banished and wants retaliation.
13.
It bugs me that the ice machine on my new LG fridge often misses my cup, resulting
in a wet floor. I bought a rug to put under my fridge for this reason. Who has a rug under their fridge?
This bug exists because the design leaves a large gap between the cup rim and the actual dispenser.
This bug exists because the design leaves a large gap between the cup rim and the actual dispenser.
14.
It bugs me that my new General Electric dryer has a de-wrinkle option, but doesn't use steam, so
it only heats the clothing up and is very ineffective (expensive, I assumed it
had steam).
This bug exists because GE took a budget route to a de-wrinkle feature, and it also exists because I didn't perform adequate due-diligence before making the purchase.
This bug exists because GE took a budget route to a de-wrinkle feature, and it also exists because I didn't perform adequate due-diligence before making the purchase.
15.
It bugs me that eBay and Amazon have banned face mask and hand sanitizer
sales, even for those that don't want to price gouge and would rather sell at a
reasonable price.
This bug exists because price-gougers took advantage of the times, and eBay and Amazon decided banning all sales was easier than trying to moderate the sales.
This bug exists because price-gougers took advantage of the times, and eBay and Amazon decided banning all sales was easier than trying to moderate the sales.
16.
It bugs me that people in Jacksonville drive under the speed limit in the 'passing' lane on I-95.
This bug exists because people aren't educated on the fact the left lane is the 'passing' lane, and using it as a regular lane does not have any enforced consequences.
This bug exists because people aren't educated on the fact the left lane is the 'passing' lane, and using it as a regular lane does not have any enforced consequences.
17.
It bugs me that my lawn care service, Taylor Anthony, worked really hard to earn my
business, did a great job the first few times, and then began to slack off as
they got comfortable.
This bug exists because contract-based work allows people to meet the minimum requirements and still be legally abiding to the contract. I could solve this by opting for a monthly option, and then holding the company accountable.
This bug exists because contract-based work allows people to meet the minimum requirements and still be legally abiding to the contract. I could solve this by opting for a monthly option, and then holding the company accountable.
18.
It bugs me that the gas pump handle at the Shell gas station on CR 210 West doesn't have the 'lock flow' feature that
allows you to take your hand off of the handle and while the gas continuously
pumps.
This bug exists because the 'lock' was removed, likely because there is some risk associated with the lock feature. Namely, it won't stop until the tank is full, so if you remove it without releasing the lock before the tank is full, the gas will continue to spray.
This bug exists because the 'lock' was removed, likely because there is some risk associated with the lock feature. Namely, it won't stop until the tank is full, so if you remove it without releasing the lock before the tank is full, the gas will continue to spray.
19.
It bugs me when commercials on Hulu are noticeably louder than the program itself.
This bug exists because there is a lack of regulation of commercial volumes.
This bug exists because there is a lack of regulation of commercial volumes.
20.
It bugs me that my new Brother Industries printer doesn't let me print ANYTHING if one of the
toner cartridges is empty, even if I don't need to use that toner color.
This bug exists because a simple software rule was added to the software that forces consumers to have each toner cartridge full at any given time. A simple modification of the firmware on the device could remove this requirement.
I didn't find this too difficult, as my father is extremely critical and so I have been trained to be critical and to complain (I've made some good progress though over the past few years). With that said, it takes a lot to really make me mad, so many of these are simply things I notice that I could complain about. I usually try to say out loud some way I am grateful about the 'bug' when it happens so that I can minimize negative thoughts.
This bug exists because a simple software rule was added to the software that forces consumers to have each toner cartridge full at any given time. A simple modification of the firmware on the device could remove this requirement.
I didn't find this too difficult, as my father is extremely critical and so I have been trained to be critical and to complain (I've made some good progress though over the past few years). With that said, it takes a lot to really make me mad, so many of these are simply things I notice that I could complain about. I usually try to say out loud some way I am grateful about the 'bug' when it happens so that I can minimize negative thoughts.
Sunday, May 10, 2020
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