1. This class. This class is valuable because it teaches me all about the world of entrepreneurship and the skills necessary to be a successful entrepreneur. It is rare in the fact that it is held at the University of Florida. There are other places you can take an entrepreneurship class, but only one ENT3003 at UF!
2. My age. My venture is pretty much directed towards college-age people who are searching for jobs. It is so helpful that my age is representative of my target customers because it will be easier for me to understand my market.
3. My friends. My friends are all people that could use my service. Because they fall under that category, it is an advantage for me to use them as test-customers. Also, they are great to interview about ideas because they are the kind of people that would be using the service--so I get honest answers.
4. My planning skills. I am an excellent planner. I am extremely organized and that is absolutely an advantage to me. Many people put things off until the last minute, but I am generally a go-getter and get things done right away. This puts me ahead of those who are less organized because they are more likely to fall behind.
5. My dad. My dad works in financial services, wealth management specifically, so he has a plethora of advice regarding being successful financially. Though he works with private clients, he still understands what a business needs to do to stay on top. His advice is invaluable and only mine!
6. My high school. My high school experience was very unique. I attended a small, all girls, catholic school. This is an advantage because the girls I graduated with are all very supportive of one another. There is a bond that we still share and a uniform desire for our fellow classmates to be successful. That being said, I basically have 150 girls who would help me get my venture off the ground. Free marketing and customers, basically!
7. My sorority. Ditto^
8. My location. Though I don't think this is really THAT important considering my venture is an online service, being in New York is pretty nice for business. You never know when you may need the help of another company, or to utilize some of your network. New York is great for that. It is full of people who are striving to be successful as well. It will certainly keep me motivated.
9. My competitive edge. I am extremely competitive. I realize that is not a unique trait because many people are, but it absolutely is an advantage in terms of getting my company ahead!
TOP RESOURCE: 10. My good family friend, Bill Gurley. Mr. Gurley is a venture capitalist who works for a firm called Benchmark Capital. He has been on the investment teams in many different successful start-ups. Namely, Uber, Snapchat, Instagram, and StitchFix. He is an excellent resource to have. I can call upon him for advice about starting my company. (I actually wrote quite a bit about him in my first blog post for this class--he was the person who introduced me into the world of entrepreneurship).
Hey Sarah, I think you are completely right when it comes to your top resource. Family and friend connections are seriously so impactful and important these days. I feel like it really does come down to "depending on who you know" when you want to achieve something. We have to help each other out to gain success, so that's great that Bill can be a resource for you. I also think your high school experience is a top resource you will be able to use starting now and into the future of your career.
ReplyDeleteHey Sarah! In my opinon, I think it is great that you chose your good family friend, Bill Gurley as your top resource, but I believe you have other options that could help you even more in having a successful business. For example, you planning skills is a great way to invest in good things and always be prepared.
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