30A – Final Reflection

For me, the most formative experience was not a single event but the cumulative experience of taking this course. I liked that we had to use blogger and can see that being useful in the future. The reading list I also found to be very informative and look forward to reading more when I get the chance. I think Dr. Pryor's guerrilla marketing with the rye grass was brilliant and will definitely remember that. I'm happy that I had the opportunity to listen to his lectures and only wish I had more time.

I do see myself as an entrepreneur and hope some of the things we learned in this class will help me in my ventures moving forward.

Any students who journey down this path in the future will undoubtedly find this course's content useful. To perform best in this course, I'd recommend that they work ahead and not leave things until too near the deadline. At a minimum they should read ahead to be aware of the time they will need to complete things on time.

29A – Venture Concept No. 2

Our opportunity exists among fanciers of the Doberman Pinscher. The popularity of breeds varies from year to year-last year, the Doberman was the 17th most popular breed out of 192 recognized by the AKC. While not the most popular, families that own Dobermans represent a surprisingly large portion of the American public that owns a purebred dog. For many people that own or have owned a Doberman, no other breed will do. Dobermans are the only breed that was created solely for the purpose of personal protection. This appeals to many people who are either buying their first dog or are at a point of their life where security is important. A vast majority of our customers are newlyweds buying their first home or just starting their family, families where the husband travels away from home for work, or retirees that want to feel safe. For the foreseeable future we will always have the need for security. For many Americans, when we think of home security we may think of an alarm system or firearm. Both, however, come with significant drawbacks:
Alarm systems will alert police if your home is burglarized but will do little to protect you if you are outside of your home or during the time it takes police to respond. In 2018 the average police response time in the U.S. was 50 minutes. While alarm systems act as an effective deterrent in most cases, in the event you are subjected to an attack by a determined attacker 50 minutes is more than enough time for them to harm you or a loved one.
Firearm ownership historically has been as American as apple pie but firearms are not without their drawbacks. Public sentiment is shifting. While firearm ownership remains popular in rural areas, we have seen declines of ownership in urban areas. Many people simply do not want a firearm in their house. In the hands of an untrained homeowner they can be ineffective and in the hands of a child the results can be catastrophic.
A safe and effective solution many people turn to is man’s best friend. Most dogs of any breed will bark if they hear an intruder or sense a threat but many are little deterrence to a determined attacker meaning you or your loved ones harm. While many large breeds may effectively deter a would be assailant, it is often left to a case by case basis whether or how that particular dog will intervene. In the instance that a “bad guy” is not deterred, many large dogs will be just as afraid as you are. Of the few breeds that possess the instinctive courage required in such a situation, many come with drawbacks of their own. Dogs bred to hunt large game may have excessive prey drive and thus may pose a risk to other pets or children. Others might lack excessive prey drive but might also lack agility or even worse trainability. Among dogs that will bite, over 90% do so as a fear response. This not only creates a liability during non-emergency situations, in emergency situations it results in non-full bite and a failure to effectively hold an attacker at bay. Dobermans are unique in that they were bred to be instinctively protective and fearless. This true courage gives the dog the confidence necessary to be stable enough to be trusted with children while ensuring that when it is time to intervene physically, he/she will do so deliberately and with power. All working line Dobermans, whether male or female and regardless of individual temperament, will intervene physically to protect their family.
There are many breeders of Dobermans across the country. Many of them however are breeding American show lines. These dogs for the last 50 years have been bred strictly for their appearance at the expense of the utility for which the breed was originally created. These dogs look beautiful but lack their working aptitude which limits their effectiveness as family guardians. Even worse, show dogs look the most poised and are awarded the most points when they are erect and at attention. This has incentivized breeders to breed dogs that are high strung and easily alerted. This in turn undermines the stability of the dog. The increased anxiety contributes to a host of issues from chewing, to incessant barking, and fear biting. Breeding for appearance has also resulted in small gene pools and prevalence of the bleeding disorder vWD, the neurological disorder DM, and vestibular deafness DVOB dings.
By breeding European working lines, breeders address the behavioral issues but at the cost of introducing the lethal cardiac disorders DCM1 which causes congestive heart failure and DCM2 which cause sudden cardiac arrest. Within European working lines, genes pools are also limited leading to prevalence of other hereditary chromosome mutations.
Across dogs of all breeds, for every 10% increase of inbreeding coefficient researchers have observed a 13% reduction in size and an immeasurable but significant increase in genetic disorder.
We have selectively bred the best American line in the Southeast United States to the best European lines from Eastern Europe and Russia. At every generation, we DNA tested all parents and every puppy over the course of 6 years to produce a hybrid of the two lines that possesses the appearance, temperament, and stability of European working lines-but more importantly dogs that are free of every genetic disorder known to affect canines with inbreeding coefficients lower than over 75% of all purebred dogs.
Our puppies range from $1500-$3500 depending on sex, parentage, and registration type. Our customers do business with us with confidence that they are getting the most healthy family guardian that money can buy.
The feedback we received in the "What's Next" assignment was unanimous in that we should focus on training to expand our business. Almost everyone that has a big and potentially dangerous dog might enjoy the peace of mind of having it trained. The dogs we breed are particularly trainable, so it just makes sense. I've taken steps to incorporate basic and advanced obedience and protection training to our services available to customers. We contacted Jim Edwards of K9 Patrol Dogs who has been training high level canines since 1978 and made arrangements to take his course this summer.
This development may ultimately result in a shift where we sell only trained dogs.

28A – Your Exit Strategy

 When it's time to exit the business, I will most likely just leave it to my brothers. I plan to build my business to a point where I can earn 50k-100k a year while going to grad school then I will give the company to my brothers while I pursue a career in law. I expect to work this opportunity for the next 4-5 years and exit.

From the beginning my brothers have been involved with the business and I have pursued it as a way to earn extra money while working on my degree. Thus far it has served that purpose and I will be grateful if it continues to do so. When I'm able to make as much or more in a professional position I will be happy to give my brothers the same opportunity that I had to get started in their lives pursuing their passions.

Everything I've done since day one has been in pursuit of long term growth-forgoing consumption today so that I came consume more later. I have built something from nothing using the help of my brothers and the property that we own together. I chose something that we all enjoyed and that we could pursue with the resources available to us. This approach has influenced my decisions and I hope my brothers are able to finish school with minimal debt as I have been able to.

27A – Reading Reflection No. 3

Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman

This book addresses the processes we use to make decisions and deductions by differentiating by two main types of analysis we use when taking in the world around us. It argues that there are times when we should think quickly and instinctively and others when we should take the time to exhaustively and logically work through things. It introduces ideas like anchoring, becoming aware of real probabilities, our natural aversion to risk, our natural propensity to make decisions influenced by sunk costs, and how to frame information to influence how your audience responds.

This book loosely connects to things we have been learning in ENT 3003. It helps readers to understand social drivers of decision making which might enable us to more effectively practice the principles we learn in this class and others.

I might assign the reading of this book and require a thoughtful paper be written either summarizing the material or presenting real world scenarios for each of the ideas covered and providing analysis of how these situations exemplify each principle. Additionally a cupcake could be put together to test students' understanding of the principles covered in this book. 

A lot of these ideas I have encountered elsewhere but it is intriguing to see how they are assembled and correlate to one another in terms of data analysis and decision making. A mastery of these could prevent costly missteps in business and give an entrepreneur aware of them a definitive edge.

26A – Celebrating Failure

I've always tried things many people wouldn't. Sometimes these attempts would result in success but many times they would result in failure. Shortly after high school I bought my first rental property. I used all my savings to get into the deal. Not having reserves led me to rent to people that I shouldn't have and eventually I had to sell at a significant loss. I've owned multiple businesses and again, some did well and others not so much. Ambitious for sales, I hired sales people that I shouldn't have and often paid more than I should have. I took deals that I shouldn't have. I've taken risks on investments that resulted in loss. My failures are too numerous to list, I've made and lost hundreds of thousands of dollars, relationships, and academic opportunities. As far as this semester, I haven't experienced many failures-I've been lucky. I haven't done as well this semester as I have throughout my education but I think that is true for a lot of us.

I've learned a lot from from both my successes and failures. I've learned what I should do but more importantly I've learned what I shouldn't. I've learned that persistence is necessary to succeed in business and in life. I've learned that relationships can be valuable but that bad relationships or relationships with the wrong people can hurt more than they help. I've learned that how much you make matters less than how much you spend. Risk of loss should not be taken likely-it should be weighed as an expenditure. I've learned that bad deals should never become deals at all-not only do you risk losing the money, you also risk your ability to process good deals. I've learned that the harder you work, the luckier you seem to be.

Failure is hard. It can be hard to endure and hard to cope with. It can be embarrassing. It can be humbling. I agree with Dr. Pryor that "it means that we have to change something about ourselves". Emotionally I try to remind myself that bumps in the road are par for the course. Nothing worth having comes easily and no success can be lasting and meaningful without adversity. Behaviorally, I try to react positively and take from my experiences what I can. This is not always easy. Sometimes in the moment I get angry or upset like a child that didn't get his way. Fortunately, my perception allows me to reflect objectively once these feelings subside. I am also fortunate to be ambitious and persistent-in the past when I've succumbed to negativity and given up, it isn't long before I grow dissatisfied with mediocrity and try again. When this happens I go into a new venture with the knowledge and experiences from my past. This class has provided insight and context for me to measure my experiences against. I am no more likely to take risks but taking risks has never been something I shy away from. I hope to benefit from polish and knowledge and look to classes like this one to help me determine which risks are worthwhile.

25A – What’s Next?

Existing Market
In my current market we are breeding dobermans. My brother has training experience and trains our dogs. My customers regularly ask about whether or not we offer training-most people want basic or advanced obedience and occasionally we get a customer that wants protection work. I'd like to get a boarding kennel license so I can take in customers' dogs because currently we are limited to training puppies before they are placed. This is tough because when people call and ask about trained dogs it would be a couple months before I could train one for delivery. By then they tend to have moved on. When I've trained dogs before they're ordered in the past I've always ended up keeping the dog longer than is ideal by the time I place them.

I always get approached by people that have seen my male and by customers asking if I'll train their dog. The customers I talked to about this both think it's a good idea. One customer in NY thinks it's such a good idea he wants to move here when he retires and start a kennel to breed, board, and train. It was unclear whether he wanted to do it with us or on his own. I didn't ask because I assume if he wants to partner up with me he'll tell me because we talk on the phone a couple times a month. If we do decide to go in that direction it will most likely be in a year or two due to the economic uncertainty-while they say the pet industry is recession proof, pet services such as boarding declines sharply during economic downturns. While I am not interested in just boarding a customer that used to be in the business told me that boarding covering expenses enables training income to be mostly profit.

New Market
I've considered expanding to shepherds or rottweilers because dobermans, shepherds, and rottweilers are the 3 breeds Jack Healy bred and trained at his USK9 facility. I believe jack did this because the working breed market is pretty much split up between the 3 depending on customer preference. I have mixed feelings about this however because I chose to get involved with dobermans because they are the breed I prefer. Although we have been lucky to generate revenue doing what we love with our favorite breed, I'm not sure I'd have the same passion if I did another.

Customers I've talked to in the past have not really been into this idea. I think in this case asking doberman customers about another breed is probably not the best way to measure because they are likely to be biased. One customer thinks I should breed shepherds because coincidentally her and her husband have a ddr shepherd. While they are the 2nd most popular breed and my business model would be successful with them or rottweilers due to the long list of health problems common in both, I don't think I will go this route for a couple reasons: One, I think part of the reason we've been so successful with dobermans is the passion we all have for the breed. To do another breed, it would feel like we were in it for the wrong reasons. Two, every penny that I invested venturing in another direction would be resources my dobermans would be missing out on. 

For those reasons I think I will explore expanding my current market once we get through this economic uncertainty.

Florida Dobermans

Our opportunity exists among fanciers of the Doberman Pinscher. The popularity of breeds varies from year to year-last year, the Doberman was the 17th most popular breed out of 192 recognized by the AKC. While not the most popular, families that own Dobermans represent a surprisingly large portion of the American public that owns a purebred dog. For many people that own or have owned a Doberman, no other breed will do. Dobermans are the only breed that was created solely for the purpose of personal protection. This appeals to many people who are either buying their first dog or are at a point of their life where security is important. A vast majority of our customers are newlyweds buying their first home or just starting their family, families where the husband travels away from home for work, or retirees that want to feel safe. For the foreseeable future we will always have the need for security. For many Americans, when we think of home security we may think of an alarm system or firearm. Both, however, come with significant drawbacks:
Alarm systems will alert police if your home is burglarized but will do little to protect you if you are outside of your home or during the time it takes police to respond. In 2018 the average police response time in the U.S. was 50 minutes. While alarm systems act as an effective deterrent in most cases, in the event you are subjected to an attack by a determined attacker 50 minutes is more than enough time for them to harm you or a loved one.
Firearm ownership historically has been as American as apple pie but firearms are not without their drawbacks. Public sentiment is shifting. While firearm ownership remains popular in rural areas, we have seen declines of ownership in urban areas. Many people simply do not want a firearm in their house. In the hands of an untrained homeowner they can be ineffective and in the hands of a child the results can be catastrophic.
A safe and effective solution many people turn to is man’s best friend. Most dogs of any breed will bark if they hear an intruder or sense a threat but many are little deterrence to a determined attacker meaning you or your loved ones harm. While many large breeds may effectively deter a would be assailant, it is often left to a case by case basis whether or how that particular dog will intervene. In the instance that a “bad guy” is not deterred, many large dogs will be just as afraid as you are. Of the few breeds that possess the instinctive courage required in such a situation, many come with drawbacks of their own. Dogs bred to hunt large game may have excessive prey drive and thus may pose a risk to other pets or children. Others might lack excessive prey drive but might also lack agility or even worse trainability. Among dogs that will bite, over 90% do so as a fear response. This not only creates a liability during non-emergency situations, in emergency situations it results in non-full bite and a failure to effectively hold an attacker at bay. Dobermans are unique in that they were bred to be instinctively protective and fearless. This true courage gives the dog the confidence necessary to be stable enough to be trusted with children while ensuring that when it is time to intervene physically, he/she will do so deliberately and with power. All working line Dobermans, whether male or female and regardless of individual temperament, will intervene physically to protect their family.
There are many breeders of Dobermans across the country. Many of them however are breeding American show lines. These dogs for the last 50 years have been bred strictly for their appearance at the expense of the utility for which the breed was originally created. These dogs look beautiful but lack their working aptitude which limits their effectiveness as family guardians. Even worse, show dogs look the most poised and are awarded the most points when they are erect and at attention. This has incentivized breeders to breed dogs that are high strung and easily alerted. This in turn undermines the stability of the dog. The increased anxiety contributes to a host of issues from chewing, to incessant barking, and fear biting. Breeding for appearance has also resulted in small gene pools and prevalence of the bleeding disorder vWD, the neurological disorder DM, and vestibular deafness DVOB dings.
By breeding European working lines, breeders address the behavioral issues but at the cost of introducing the lethal cardiac disorders DCM1 which causes congestive heart failure and DCM2 which cause sudden cardiac arrest. Within European working lines, genes pools are also limited leading to prevalence of other hereditary chromosome mutations.
Across dogs of all breeds, for every 10% increase of inbreeding coefficient researchers have observed a 13% reduction in size and an immeasurable but significant increase in genetic disorder.
We have selectively bred the best American line in the Southeast United States to the best European lines from Eastern Europe and Russia. At every generation, we DNA tested all parents and every puppy over the course of 6 years to produce a hybrid of the two lines that possesses the appearance, temperament, and stability of European working lines-but more importantly dogs that are free of every genetic disorder known to affect canines with inbreeding coefficients lower than over 75% of all purebred dogs.
Our puppies range from $1500-$3500 depending on sex, parentage, and registration type. Our customers do business with us with confidence that they are getting the most healthy family guardian that money can buy.

23A – Your Venture’s Unfair Advantage?

My Experience: I have over 14 years of experience with the breed-10 of which I've owned them myself and 6 of which I've been breeding on a serious level. This experience is very valuable-While some things can be taught many cannot be such as pack dynamics and some aspects of husbandry. This is not common but also is not rare-others can learn if they dedicate the time. This experience is not inimitable-anyone that invests the time will eventually learn these skills. It is however non-substitutable. There is no substitute for experience when it comes to knowing how to coexist and keep peace among a pack of working dogs.

My Brother Cody's Experience: Cody worked extensively with Jay training as a Summer job throughout high school. During that time, he has learned obedience and protection training. Cody's experience is very valuable-it would be impossible to do what I do if Cody, myself, or someone else wasn't able to train. While valuable, knowledge of training is not exceedingly rare. Training skill is easily copied by others. Cody's training experience is able to be substituted although paying someone to train for us might be cost prohibitive.

My Brother Connor's Experience: Connor has also worked for Jay and myself where he has gained experience in husbandry and training. While he doesn't perform these tasks now, his experience has proved valuable when he does our photography and it allows him to be a knowledgeable resource for customers. The individual parts of Connor's experience are not rare but his combination of skills is. Other's could copy what Connor brings to the table. We could substitute Connor's contribution by hiring a photographer while myself or Cody handled the dogs.

Jay as a Mentor: My dad's best friend from elementary school has been breeding and training working line canines for over 30 years. He is a close family friend and my mentor. Having Jay to teach us has been extremely valuable-none of us would have this hobby if it wasn't for the time spent with him. Jay as a resource is rare. While many people have similar knowledge Jay is one of only a few USK9 trainers that worked under Jack Healy and that knows the Healy-Salva method of training. This can be copied. There is another trainer in Alabama that teaches our method for a price. This could be substituted by using any one of the other proven police or military training methods coupled with a contact experienced in breeding.

Industry Contacts: We have reached out to the top kennels in Europe to seek advice and to import dogs that give us the ability to have quality genetics. This is valuable because it enables us to have lines that are rare here in the U.S. Our relationship with these breeders is not rare-anyone willing to pay can have dogs imported. This is easily copied-in fact since we have been advertising these lines other breeders have imported similar dogs. This can be substituted by purchasing dogs from other who have imported.

Our Grandfather's Support: My grandfather always ran small side businesses as a young man. When we acted on our interest and proved to him our commitment, he offered to invest in our business in exchange for a small stake that supplements his retirement income. His support has been valuable by enabling us to grow at a rate that we would not have been able to otherwise. This is not rare-many people have friends or family that is willing to invest in a venture. For this reason this resource can be easily imitated. We could have substituted his support with time.

Cash Reserves: Compared to our competition we are highly liquid. Since we have started breeding myself and my brothers have saved 10% of gross sales to fund growth and hedge for rough patches. This is extremely valuable in that it provides us security. It is not exceedingly rare to save money. This practice can be easily copied. There are few substitutes to cash reserves other than available credit.

Facilities: We own a rural property where we have built a kennel. Our facility is valuable because it allows us to do what we love in a way that gives our pets room to roam and enjoy a high quality of life. Many people have kennels although few have as comfortable accommodations as we do. This can be easily copied by anyone willing to spend the money. In our opinion there is no acceptable substitute for comfortable accommodations for our pack.

Our Bloodline: We have a unique combination of top European working and American show lines. It is very valuable. We've had people travel from all over the U.S. to buy our dogs because what we have is simply not available in their state. It is also rare-no one has our exact combination of bloodlines. It cannot be copied because many of the foundational breeders are no longer alive. Our bloodline could be substituted for a large number of comparable lines.

DNA: Due to our breeding practices, we have stock free of all genetic conditions known to affect canines. This is extremely valuable. Many of our customers that have owned dobermans before lost their beloved pet at a young age to DCM. When this happens many people only want a dog that is clear of this condition that affects half of all dobermans worldwide. This is also rare-just this month we had a family of 8 drive down from Washington D.C. during a pandemic because we were the closest breeder that could guarantee their pup would be free of vWD, DCM1, DCM2, DM, and DVOB dings. While this can be copied, it would take years to do so. There is no substitute.

Our most valuable resource is our breeding stock-the combination of our bloodline and it's genetic health. Most top American show lines have issues with vWD and most top European lines have issues with DCM. To my knowledge we are the only breeders in the state and one of only a few nationwide that have these famous lines that are also completely free of these genetic disorders.

21A – Reading Reflection No. 2

The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More

The general theme and argument of the book is that as market conditions change and technology allows us to move from the traditional centralized production model customers will have more choice. The increase in choice will create demand for niche products and services. Chris Anderson asserts that moving forward this segment of the market is where entrepreneurs want to find themselves.

I think the book connects with what we are learning in that it stresses that broadly, success in business moving forward will rely heavily on innovation and customer connection.

I would design an exercise that requires students to identify an extensive list of niche products and services that have been successful and evaluate the space they occupy. I would ask the class to explain what has changed that enables the product or service to be successful today and what would have prevented the product or service from being successful in the past.

For me, learning about this concept reinforced what I'm doing in the doberman space. My mentor has bred for 30 years and focuses on his "pitch" and volume. I have always disagreed with his philosophy but couldn't really put my finger on why. From the beginning, my intuition was that I would rather sell fewer but at a higher quality that commanded higher prices. I think this book explains exactly why my philosophy is more appropriate for the times.

20A – Growing Your Social Capital

Unique Dobermans

Unique Dobermans is a breeder in Washington. They are one of the top breeders in the United States.

Domain expert. These guys are one of the dominant breeders in my domain. We have talked in the past and he has genetics I'd like to acquire.

He is one of the you guys in my space here in the US.

I sent him an email. As I said before, we have spoken in the past and while I'd like to think he will respond positively, it is likely that me emailing him demonstrating my high ambitions in his space will cause him to go the other way.

If I can add his genetics to what I already have I will surpass many breeders in our space.

Del Nasi

Del Nasi is a breeder in Russia that has the nicest dobermans in the world.

They are international market experts.

Every top dog I have has a del Nasi grandparent.

We have been in contact via whatapp for the last year or so. I'm trying to get him to send me a female for less than most people spend on a car.

If I can convince him to send what we are asking for, I will have the best dogs in the US.

Betelges

Betelges is a top breeder in Serbia. He is second only to del Nasi.

Supplier

I found him as a potential source of genetics that may be more in my reach.

We have talked in the past about me buying one of his males. I hope for this email to reestablish that dialogue.

If we are able to reach an agreement his expertise will help me advance in my space.

Reaching out for this assignment might establish dialogues that may help my business. It is also possible however that expressing my ambitions to reach their level may cause one or all of them to go the other way due to the fact that they'd be creating competition and now they know that.

19A – Idea Napkin No. 2

My name is Cory Cannon. I'm an economics major at the end of my senior year. I have worked extensively in sales in every role starting as a salesperson myself and eventually as an owner. Along the way I hired, trained and supported new hires and worked in customer service where I worked to salvage employees' bad deals. I manage that company as general manager for a couple years before leaving to work as a consultant to other sales offices in the Tampa area. I eventually started my own business where I opened a call center on the outskirts of Ybor city where I employed over 40 people. I eventually sold that business and attempted an international model where I traveled to the Dominican Republic and Panama where I recruited existing call centers to sell my companies services and trained their employees. I experienced moderate success before deciding that I would rather return home to finish my degree and pursue grad school. At one time I could sell ice to Eskimos although I will admit I'm a little rusty these days. I'd like to eventually earn my JD where I'd like to utilize my prior experience and combine those principles with the typical law model. I've fleshed out two concepts during my time in this course-one that I'm currently working on and one I'd like to get going in the future.

Currently, I'm offering high end Dobermans, from the world's top working and show lines, to families that have a desire and can afford to have the nicest dog in their social circle. I hope to build a real estate portfolio that will enable me to extent to families and individuals the ability to earn returns in a sector that would otherwise be unavailable to people with capital but lack expertise.

I currently service customers of all age groups in higher income demographics but do tend to have more customers that are more established due to the costs commanded in my space.

With Florida Dobermans, most of my customers do business with me because they have gone cheaper routes in the past and have grown to regret it. I have spoken to 3 customers this week who have had pets which they loved dearly and lost prematurely to a preventable health problem-one I met and sold a puppy to last weekend and one I have plans to meet Saturday.

My most valuable core competency is my willingness to do what no one else or few people are willing to do. I feel like too many people try to get rich from one deal rather than focusing on providing value. I worked hard for years making little to no money but always positioning myself to make more later. I have placed myself on an exponential growth curve. While my earnings were so low the first few years that few people would have put in the work that I did for the earnings that I received, I made as much last year as any people make working a part time job and have already surpassed those figures the first quarter of this year. Something I have that few others have is my combination of work ethic and willingness to make little now to make more later.

I think all these elements fit together nicely. The combination of them has been good to me and I hope they continue to be. I will concede that I have failed as much as I have succeeded. Many of my ideas and concepts I put in place prove to weak or out of joint with others and result in losses in the short run but enable me to hone what works.

The feedback I received on the first idea napkin was supported and positive as is much of the feedback we give to each other in this class. My most critical feedback has been outside of this class and from the market. I try not to let the criticism of naysayers mess with my head but I do pay attention to it to help me avoid failure where possible. Criticism from the market I feel acutely in my pocket and always listen to. 

18A – Create a Customer Avatar

Literally anyone could be a customer of The Legacy Company. I think the largest appeal would be to those that aren't as savvy. Seasoned investors would be more likely to manage their own rentals or be in a position where they would scoff at paying the fees and giving up the equity that Legacy would charge. There is however a large portion of the population that might benefit by converting their credit to cash.



People that have untapped credit and no know-how to capitalize on it might be interested in monthly payments in exchange for little more than their signature. While many Americans lack retirement savings, many of them pay their bills on time and might qualify for one or more mortgages. Without real estate experience they might have little success trying to finance rentals on their own.



Legacy customers would have a wide range of hobbies as people seeking to earn passive incomes span across all nearly all demographics. The same is true for vehicle types and colors. As far as TV shows it would be more useful to think about the types of shows they don't watch rather than the types of shows they do watch: most of these investors might be the type that do not frequently consume business and investment media. Some will have children and some won't. I'd imagine some might be adopted. Books and political preferences would range across the spectrum. I believe older customers would take advantage of this services in greater numbers than younger people. I don't have much in common with this group. I have owned multiple businesses and feel that I am in a decent financial position given my age and that my home and vehicles are paid off. I'd be more likely to use my credit to start a business rather than participate in such a program. I do realize however that my situation is not typical and would be happy to help people who are not investment minded earn returns.

17A – Elevator Pitch No. 2

2) My last upload was an audio file. It was most useful and insightful when Dr. Pryor notified me that I had to upload a video to receive credit.
3) I recorded a video and posted it to Youtube for review.

16A –What’s Your Secret Sauce?

1) Myself, my wife, and my brothers have extensive experience with animal husbandry but also experience specific to the breed.
2) We have a close family friend that mentors us that has bred Dobermans for 30 years and formally apprenticed under Jack Healy of USK9. We are one of very few breeders that utilize the Healy-Salvo method when training our dogs.
3) I am formally trained in economics and my wife is an engineer. In an industry where most competitors generally possess low levels of education we have a unique advantage.
4) We are the only breeders in Florida that have registered dogs that are free of over 100 genetic disorders known to affect canines.
5) We possess a unique combination of American and European champion bloodlines. We invest the money but more importantly the time to extensively research lineage to pair optimal breedings.

https://recordings.tapeacall.com/t/373FHdE4GMPn

https://recordings.tapeacall.com/t/uCC1Anzg09XF

https://recordings.tapeacall.com/t/sFNx3583ln_3
https://recordings.tapeacall.com/t/BpnCxO3EfXI3

https://recordings.tapeacall.com/t/UIi9qI5eQuJw

I interviewed my wife, my mom, my brothers, and my friend Chris. They all had different perspectives on me and my attributes. It was nice to hear everyone’s kind words.
I think the 5 people that know me best have views that are in line with my own except that everyone was more generous with compliments than I might have been with myself. I have had many ups and downs in business and life and have frequently consulted them for their perspectives and advice. I was nice to hear

15A – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

Jack and Lesa
For Jack and Lesa price does not matter most. They both have above average incomes and to them, health was the primary consideration when choosing to go with us. Quality and style are important to this couple. They have had a Doberman in the past and in speaking to them I was able to determine that the attention they garner by having an extraordinary specimen meant a lot to them. Conformation to the breed standard is important to them but they are also very concerned with size and health because while their last doberman was large, he was lost early due to a preventable disease. They, like many others focused their search online due to the poor reputation of pet stores. Due to their income range they were not interested in financing but rather a cash transaction. The most important factor for them to evaluate the rightness of their purchase is whether the pup grew up to meet their expectations of size and quality. If the pup grows up to be big and healthy they would determine the purchase was a good idea. If the pup grows up to be standard to below standard size they would determine they made a poor choice going with us.
Jay
With Jay, quality and style are important but being budget constrained, Jay and his wife tried to balance these with a strong consideration given to price. Jay wanted the nicest pup he could find but is also concerned with temperament as he has a young daughter. It was important that he had a nice and protective dog but primarily needed a calm demeanor. As with Jack and Lesa, Jay only considered online research due to the poor reputation of pet stores that sell puppies. Jay is unique in that he required the ability to finance his purchase by making payments in advance over a period of months. Jay will determine that he made the right decision if the pup grows to integrate smoothly into his new family. If the pup is unruly or aggressive he will determine that he made a poor choice.
Andrew
For Andrew, price was relevant but far outweighed by quality and style. From the first time we spoke he was laser focused on health factors such as dna clearances and low inbreeding coefficient. Like Jay, Andrew also has young children and for that reason is very concerned with temperament. Andrew decided early on that he would not do business with a retail establishment thus focused his search online. Andrew plans to use cash as opposed to trying to finance the transaction. If Andrew’s puppy grows up to be healthy and can be trusted with his young boys unsupervised he will determine that he made the right decision. As with Jay, if the pups grows up to be aggressive he will not be satisfied.

Nearly all of our customers and potential customers prefer home raised and/or professionally bred puppies vetted by extensive online research. Because every family has different needs, they appreciate that we take the time to get to know them to help pair them with the perfect match. When looking for puppies, folks want to be sure that we screen dna to avoid hereditary disorders and that we invest the time and resources to ensure this new member of their family was properly nourished and socialized. The prospective customers that do not value these things over price are simply not a good fit for our puppies.

14A – Halfway Reflection

I would stress the value this course can provide recommend incoming students to focus on tasks as they are made available being careful not to miss assignments or leave things for too close to their deadline.

I always work diligently in my classes but this class requires a constant hand. In some classes you can work weekly and stay on track whereas this course requires you to check in multiple days every week and often prepare days in advance for assignments.

There have been two weeks where for whatever reason I was unable to get my submissions in before the midday deadline on Friday. In one case I simply had other things that required my attention and failed to complete my assignments. The other however, I looked ahead and worked hard on and due to technical difficulties was unable to declare in time. This was very frustrating as it resulted in sliding from an A to a B. If I was not in the situation of maintaining a GPA I might have been compelled to focus my efforts on other classes.

The three most important tips to do well in this course would be to schedule not just your submissions but also your peer reviews in a way that are easy to stay on top of, make sure your devices and browser is configured properly not just to use blogger but also to upload video, and work ahead or you will be sorry.

13A – Reading Reflection No. 1

Andrew Carnegie, David Nasaw

It really surprised me that Andrew Carnegie was 5' tall and 109 pounds. Apparently, he went to great lengths to overcompensate for this in the way he styled his appearance and reputation and in the way he conducted himself in business.
Andrew Carnegie came from a poor family and through hard work and perseverance became wildly successful.
I found his least redeeming quality to be that he lied repeatedly in his autobiography and frequently pursued unethical but profitable ventures.
Carnegie was born to a quite poor family in Scotland. His mother had to scrounge and save to enable them to come to America for a better life. He worked exceedingly hard, lived frugally, and invested his earnings in many different ventures until one made it.
He was supremely competent. His willingness to work and tenacity eventually led him to become one of the richest men of his time.
I found it confusing that David Nasaw thought that when he died, no one took him as seriously as he took himself. Although I'm sure he was overboard, I'd imagine many people of his time still held him in high regard.
I would ask him how he evaluated the value of a deal and how he found and managed his upper level staff. I think both of these answers would be directly valuable in today's business landscape.
It's certain that his opinion of hard work is that it is necessary and admirable but not enough to achieve success. I agree, many people work hard their whole lives and just get by. Timing and placement often makes all the difference.

12A Revised

The segment selected for further examination is professionals over 50 for The Legacy Co. and couples that have owned dobermans in the past for Florida Dobermans respectively.

Julie-The Legacy Co.

Julie is 55 and is from Tampa, Florida. She wants to retire early but is concerned that based on current figures early retirement may be difficult. On her 55th birthday and reminded of her mortality, Julie decided to double back for a closer look at her retirement goals and accounts. She realized that she needs to boost earnings to be able to retire in 5 years rather than 10. Julie set out to research her options online by searching "investments" "safe investments" high yield investments" and did not discuss this with her family.

Julian-The Legacy Co.

Julian is post-retirement and is also from Tampa, Florida. Being retire his current arrangement provide sustenance but does not allow him to cruise annually which is his goal. Julian is moderately experienced with investing as he has made building his stock portfolio over the years a hobby. He owns his home and a small rental property. Julian is not computer literate and has just been "keeping an eye out" for investment opportunities. Due to a desire to keep financial info private, Julian did not discuss this with his family.

Jim and Donna-Florida Dobermans

After years of living with a DDR Shepard in Gainesville, FL and being unsatisfied, they have decided they want another doberman. They most recently tried a different breed and after much investment in protection training are not happy with the lack of balance between work drive and stability. They used to breed dobermans in the 80's after decades of having only cocker spaniels. They retired and wanted to train up a family guardian. In their experience the DDR shepard has a a strong work drive but lacks the stability required to take her public places. They know dobermans will work with maximum intensity but will also be confident enough to be at ease in public settings. Jim and Donna searched online for "doberman puppies" "European doberman puppies" and "doberman puppies for sale. They have discussed this with their family.

David and Rose-Florida Dobermans

After losing their much loved companion Aries, they decided they want another doberman but want to be diligent in making sure their next pet is free of the genetic disorders that plagued Aries. David and Rose searched "doberman puppies" "health tested dobermans" and "dcm clear dobermans". They also discussed their search with family.

We have found that there is a real demand for the services offered by both The Legacy Co. and Florida Dobermans.

I would say these segments are aware of their needs. Most use the internet to find what they are looking for but some customers do not conduct their research online.

11A Revised

I'm Cory Cannon-a econ senior at UF with a lot of sales experience. Over the last ten years or so I have developed and honed sales and business development skills from my time working in a high stakes sales environment and while starting and running two companies, one of which I sold. In the future I'd be open to starting a real estate investment company and potentially solicit investment from outside investors. I also to grow my side hustle that was born from a hobby of mine-Florida Dobermans.

The investment company would be geared towards investors that are either savvy and lack the time or ability to source "deals" or average investors who lack the experience or budget to buy and hold. In this case all customers have in common the desire to earn returns. With Florida Dobermans we are offering fully health tested European working line dobermans to families as family guardians.

The Legacy Co. will most likely service moderately to successful professionals over 50 with resources they wish to invest in safe ventures that generate higher returns than index funds or bonds. Florida Dobermans services customers that are typically young couples that are newly wed or recently bought their first home or older individuals/couples that have had dobermans in the past.

The Legacy Co.'s customers will have a need or desire to generate revenues with their nest egg and may be professionals in a field that allows them to earn but that has not necessarily equipped them the skills necessary to find, renovate, or maintain rentals. Florida Dobermans customers will need or want a world class working dog but may not have the ability or knowledge necessary to facilitate a suitable breeding.

There are many companies that manage real estate investment properties but The Legacy Co. may be unique in utilizing the BRRRR strategy. Florida Dobermans is entirely unique in that we are the only breeders in Florida that has IDC Sieger lines clear of all hereditary disorders known to effect canines. I believe all these elements fit together nicely in both instances.

Assignment 12A-Figuring Out Buyer Behavior

The segment selected for further examination is professionals over 50 for The Legacy Co. and couples that have owned dobermans in the past for Florida Dobermans respectively.

Julie-The Legacy Co.
Julie is 55 and is from Tampa, Florida. She wants to retire early but is concerned that based on current figures early retirement may be difficult. On her 55th birthday and reminded of her mortality, Julie decided to double back for a closer look at her retirement goals and accounts. She realized that she needs to boost earnings to be able to retire in 5 years rather than 10.

Julian-The Legacy Co.
Julian is post-retirement and is also from Tampa, Florida. Being retire his current arrangement provide sustenance but does not allow him to cruise annually which is his goal. Julian is moderately experienced with investing as he has made building his stock portfolio over the years a hobby. He owns his home and a small rental property.

Jim and Donna-Florida Dobermans
After years of living with a DDR Shepard in Gainesville, FL and being unsatisfied, they have decided they want another doberman. They most recently tried a different breed and after much investment in protection training are not happy with the lack of balance between work drive and stability. They used to breed dobermans in the 80's after decades of having only cocker spaniels. They retired and wanted to train up a family guardian

Assignment 11A-Idea Napkin No.1

I'm Cory Cannon-a econ senior at UF with a lot of sales experience. Over the last ten years or so I have developed and honed sales and business development skills from my time working in a high stakes sales environment and while starting and running two companies, one of which I sold. In the future I'd be open to starting a real estate investment company and potentially solicit investment from outside investors. I also to grow my side hustle that was born from a hobby of mine-Florida Dobermans.

The investment company would be geared towards investors that are either savvy and lack the time or ability to source "deals" or average investors who lack the experience or budget to buy and hold. In this case all customers have in common the desire to earn returns. With Florida Dobermans we are offering fully health tested European working line dobermans to families as family guardians.

The Legacy Co. will most likely service moderately to successful professionals over 50 with resources they wish to invest in safe ventures that generate higher returns than index funds or bonds. Florida Dobermans services customers that are typically young couples that are newly wed or recently bought their first home or older individuals/couples that have had dobermans in the past.

The Legacy Co.'s customers will have a need or desire to generate revenues with their nest egg and may be professionals in a field that allows them to earn but that has not necessarily equipped them the skills necessary to find, renovate, or maintain rentals.

Assignment 10A-Elevator Pitch

Assignment 4A-Forming an Opportunity Belief

I breed Dobermans. In my experience I have learned there are a lot people that love dogs. While some love all dogs others prefer specific breeds. Whatever type of canine you prefer, it is a safe assumption that you want to be sure your best friend is healthy. All breeds are prone to a specific set of health problems. Mixed breeds on the whole may be healthier but may still struggle with many of the hereditary health issues present in pure bred dogs. The technology to identify these risk factors exists and through good stewardship we can work towards a time where these ailments will be a problem f the past. Our prototypical customer is someone who has owned a dog before and may now have a family of their own. I've interviewed hundreds of people in search of the perfect companion. Some people may not care about health issues if they are known to be common for the breed. This needs to change because demand drives the behavior of producers. Others are happy to know a dog is healthy but prioritize other traits above health-for instance size or color. This can also be problematic in that it perpetuates problems by not addressing them in favor of other preferences. Fortunately, a large percentage of pet buyers, especially ones with experience, value the health of their pet as a top priority. Among everyone that buys a puppy most will not be aware of their need to ensure their pet in genetically sound until they struggle with health issues. Everyone that buys a pet will eventually grow to realize how important genetic health is once they begin to accrue medical bills or will be grateful someone before them had the forethought to address this issue before their pet was born. To better address this we can increase awareness of responsible breeding practices for the 21st century and we can begin widespread genetic analysis of all breeding dogs which can eliminate many of these problems within a few generations.

Assignment 5A-Identifying Local Opportunities

Here are 5 articles that address current issues and may signal opportunity to entrepreneurs in these fields:

Are We in a Baby Boomer Retirement Crisis?
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/032216/are-we-baby-boomer-retirement-crisis.asp
As the largest generation in American history is set to retire there will be many opportunities presented in addressing the needs of this population.
In addition to the medical needs of boomers by 2030 we will experience the largest generational transfer of wealth in our history. Financial services companies and firms specializing in elder law will have a great opportunity to profit by helping boomers in the next decade.
Boomers

Here are five USCIS changes that will impact legal immigrants in the U.S. in 2020
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/immigration/article239058173.html
As our government’s policies on immigration tighten there will be challenges ahead.
In the face of strict new policies and enforcement on immigration there will be a growing number of families desperate for a path to citizenship. A firm with a focus on immigration services should expect opportunity in this sector over the next decade.
Immigrants

Several 'Best' U.S. Hospitals Penalized Over Too-High Rates Of Infection, Injury
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/01/31/801350993/several-best-u-s-hospitals-penalized-over-too-high-rates-of-infection-injury
Even hospitals considered top tier are having issues with unacceptable rates of infection or injury.
An opportunity my be present for any firm that is capable of addressing the spread of bacteria of infection rates.
All medical patients

Kidnapping Threat Is Higher For Native Women, So They're Learning Self-Defense
https://www.npr.org/2020/01/31/800822827/self-defense-classes-help-indigenous-women-fight-kidnapping-threat
Native American women are at a ten times greater risk of kidnapping/murder than the national average.
Martial arts instructors in the area have identified an opportunity to train these women in self defense to combat this increased risk
Native Women

Puerto Rico's Internet Voting Plan Threatens Election Security: ACLU
https://www.npr.org/2020/01/30/801098105/puerto-ricos-internet-voting-rule-threatens-election-security-aclu
As Puerto Rico launches its online voting platform, concerns are raised about the security of the island’s elections.
Firms specializing in the computer sciences are presented with an opportunity to address the concern of access for Puerto Rican voters and the challenge to do so in a way that ensures security.
Voters

Assignment 3A-My Entrepreneurship Story

Hello Everyone,
My name is Cory Cannon. I have a little experience with entrepreneurship. I would categorize almost everyone on my father’s side as serial entrepreneurs. In the 1960s my grandparents started a distribution company in competition with Rite Aid that provided pharmacies in the south with first ad and cosmetic products. They were successful in that venture and transitioned to real estate in the 1980s by developing waterfront condominiums for tourists in Steinhatchee and Cedar Key and commercial properties in Tampa. My uncle and my dad hired microbiologists to found a clam hatchery in Cedar Key where they bred clam seed from the most desirable clam species for human consumption. They revolutionized the clam business in Florida by purging all harvested clams in purge tanks filled lab created salt water to produce the only clam on the market without the grit or sandy texture most consumers expect from this shellfish. They also were the first company in the United States to vacuum seal portions of clams that could be frozen, extending shelf life, and addressing the largest hurdle the industry faced. My dad was featured in Seafood Business Weekly for his involvement in these innovations and bringing them to market. Our clams can be found at any Costco. My father went on to start Oasis International Imports where he imported warm water lobster tails from South America. This was a big deal because in South America they have an abundance of lobster that is the same species as the Florida spiny lobster (Panulirus argus). While we all love spiny lobster we all have limited access to it due to state a federal regulation. My father addressed this by exporting them from where they’re abundant and getting them in restaurants across the US from the Mirage and Caesars Palace in Las Vegas to Hooters.

I’m taking this class to polish my abilities and reflect on successes and failures I have experienced with my last two businesses and to help me be successful with my current and future projects.

Assignment 2A-My Bugs!

Bugs

We all have things that bug us day to day. Here is a list of 20 things that bug me and why they may happen:

1 Having to wake up early after a night of poor sleep

a.       Stress, uncomfortable bedding, or noises/other environmental issues

2 Long waits at a Dr’s or Vet’s office

a.       Often there are many people waiting to see one Dr. There may be inefficiencies in medical scheduling procedure

3 When algae/mold grows on your brand new privacy fence

a.       Fencing materials may hold moisture which ultimately promotes plant/mycelium growth

4 When there’s a freeze and a pipe ruptures in a hard to reach area.

a.       Pipes might not be properly insulated

5 When your device dies while you’re on the go

a.       Devices may be built to low mah/efficiency specs

6 When traffic lights stay red for too long while there is no other cars in sight

a.       Traffic lights may be set on timers rather than being set up with sensors

7 When fuzz balls from one item in a load sticks to all your other laundry.

a.       What the fuzz producing item is made of or the mechanism by which washers/dryers operate

8 How long/how difficult it is to properly season a cast iron skillet

a.       The cooking surface may be excessively porous

9 When you step on gum and it sticks to your shoes

a.       How the gum is made or how the soles of shoes respond to sticky substances

1 How difficult it can be to consistently get a good sear on a protein

a.       Temperatures of cooking surfaces may be inconsistent or might not get hot enough

1 Lawn mower maintenance-Why does it seem like every time you have to cut grass or trim weeds your equipment gives you trouble?

a.       Equipment may be poorly made or under engineered to deal with debris

1 Cutting grass in general

a.       It never stops growing! Why do we plant grass everywhere anyway?

1 Getting a wrong order at a restaurant

a.       Wait/kitchen staff may be spread to thin or order tracking may have deficiencies

1 A photo bomb on an otherwise perfect picture

a.       We get so focused on the person/object we are photographing, untrained people may not immediately notice eyesores

1 Poor connectivity

a.       Undersized/under powered antennas in devices or too far a distance between broadcast points

1 Hidden fees or unforeseen expenses

a.       We make financial decisions based on expected costs. Unexpected costs can erode the buying power of a given budget

1 Spilling food or drink when driving

a.       Varying sizes of cups and cup holders or the design of cup holders

1 When you forget something important and don’t have time to turn back to get it

a.       Stress or lack of organization

1 Traffic on interstate

a.       Over congestion in a given area, too few lanes, or inefficiencies in on or off ramp design

2 Being improperly dressed for the weather

a.       Many people may not always have time or may not think to check the weather if it was nice the day before or if it is nice when you get dressed for the day

At first it seems like it would not be difficult to come up with 20 things that drive you crazy but in practice I kept drawing blank. Although there are often situations when everyday things are frustrating, I tend to just “suck it up”. Looking at the world through a entrepreneur’s lens is definitely an interesting prospective.

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