Week 3 Reading Reflection

1) What was the biggest surprise for you in the reading? In other words, what did you read that stood out the most as different from your expectations? 

The biggest surprise for me was when the author was talking about amount of risks associated with starting or buying a new business. It talked about the financial, career, family/social, and psychic risks that may come from being an entrepreneur, and it just shows how big of a commitment it is to becoming an entrepreneur.

2) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

The part of the reading that talked about the model of entrepreneurial motivation was a little confusing to me because there are so many different things that play in to the whole model.

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?

I would first ask in which category of the Typology of Entrepreneurial Styles do most entrepreneurs fall, because I think that would be interesting to know how risk accepting most entrepreneurs are. The second question I would ask would be why do entrepreneurs put so much added pressure on themselves when they are already doing all that they can to achieve their goals because they have so many stresses to deal with.

4) Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?

I don't think that taking risks should be associated with being a "destructive side" to entrepreneurship, because you have t take risks to succeed and make it to the next level in life. There will always be unwanted stresses and risks in life, but they have the potential to be beneficial and turn in to positives that build your character as a person.

Identifying Local Opportunities

The local newspaper I chose for this assignment was The Palm Beach Post. This is the local paper of a city I could see myself living in in the future.

1. Jupiter, Harbourside clash again goes another round over sound Jupiter goes another round with Harbourside Place; Development still getting complaints over outdoor music

http://bi.galegroup.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/essentials/article/GALE|A439526472/8ddbccf63f01f035e3737d327e1ba4e7?u=gain40375

Jupiter town officials and Harbourside Place are having a clash over the volume of the Saturday night music coming from the amphitheater. The Harbourside officials were told by Jupiter police that they were in violation of town code by playing recorded music through speakers in the outdoor amphitheater. Harbourside Place must apply and be granted for a special event permit to allow them to play music outside, but it has not been approved. The problem is that residents of nearby neighborhoods are complaining that the noise level is too loud, but the music brings much needed customers to the Harbourside Place stores and restaurants. They must find a balance between pleasing the residents and people at Harbourside Place.

2. County must stay course on climate change strategy

http://bi.galegroup.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/essentials/article/GALE|A439572960/e7d0ae46e2be4a15ae8be755e5e3f382?u=gain40375

The political environment regarding sustainability is tricky, and it is so politicized that the County Commission might not want to get into a debate about it with Gov. Rick Scott who bans the references to climate change. The problem is that it is a very important issue and the people need to feel like their voices on the issue matter, and that the County Commission will stand up for what is right. The commissioners need to ignore the politics and educate residents about the economic devastation that climate change with be if not taken seriously.

3. City, county, state officials oppose open-carry gun bill Politicians, police officials oppose open-carry gun bill

http://bi.galegroup.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/essentials/article/GALE%7CA439254408/e7d0ae46e2be4a15ae8be755e5e3f382?u=gain40375

West Palm Beach leaders believe that a bill that would let people walk the streets of Florida cities with concealed weapons would make it harder for police to protect the public. Officials held a conference to oppose the bill. The problem is that the Gaetz bill declares carrying of weapons for lawful purposes like self defense and public safety, but officials believe it is a bad public policy and it is unsafe and not the will of the people of Florida. 

4. Railroads should look into tech fix for car-train crashes

http://bi.galegroup.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/essentials/article/GALE%7CA439572961/e7d0ae46e2be4a15ae8be755e5e3f382?u=gain40375

The Lake Worth city garbage truck was split in half in a railroad collision on the Tri-Rail train. Though this is a rare occurrence in this area, across America, they're fairly common.The problem is that there needs to be a way for railroads to be monitored to ensure safety and prevent collisions. Positive Train Control is needed, which is a GPS-based automatic braking system that can prevent derailment and collisions.

5. Turnpike flowers proposal rejected; Beekeepers had hoped to plant wildflowers at two exits to help bees

http://bi.galegroup.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/essentials/article/GALE|A438838876/f1a83f4c83b9991188696be73e51de79?u=gain40375

Two beekeepers' leagues want to plant wildflowers at two exits of Florida's Turnpike to help bees make honey, but the state is rejecting the project. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) was initially for the idea, but then nixed the idea "without reasons." Turnpike spokesman Chad Huff said there were safety concerns at the exits. The problem is that the state is preventing the beekeepers from doing a project that will help save the honeybees without reason. 

Very Short Interview #1

For my very short interview, I chose to interview the owner of a local business owner here in Gainesville. He owns the Cymplify coffee shop and is an entrepreneur. He is an entrepreneur because he came up with the idea for a business and made it come to life through hard work and dedication. 

These are the three questions I chose to ask him:

1. What do you think I should learn in an entrepreneur course?
His response to this question was simple. He said that in an entrepreneur course, they should be teaching you to gain experience in anyway that you can. Whether it's volunteering at a local business or working at a business, experience is the key to success as an entrepreneur. He also said that they should be teaching you how to communicate with people because this is as essential as having experience. 

2. What does it mean to be an entrepreneur?
He said that being an entrepreneur means that you work hard, are passionate, and don't give up no matter what hardships are thrown at you. The amount of times his business plan and objectives were shot down are countless. The important thing is that he kept going and made it to where he is today. Also, as an entrepreneur, he is capable of dealing with multiple people and problems at multiple times, and is able to manage issues by being innovative and using critical thinking skills. These in his opinion are all important aspects of being an entrepreneur. 

3. How many obstacles have you had to overcome throughout your journey of being an entrepreneur?
He said too many to count. When he was first starting his business, there were often times where he would go a day without having any business. He had to implement marketing strategies and conduct competitive analysies to see how he could improve his business and get people in the door. He has been told by many people that his business would fail, but this didn't stop him, along with all of the other hardships he had to overcome. 


Reflection:
Through this interview, I learned what it takes to be an entrepreneur. You have to know going in that you will be dealt hardships and be forced to figure out how to overcome them and keep going in the direction of success. Experience is key if you want to be an entrepreneur, so I'm glad that I have had experience working in businesses. 

The World's Biggest Problems

1. Climate change

Global warming is something that people often deny is occurring, but there is significant amounts of scientific evidence that is is. The rising global temperature is on its way to creating unbearable weather conditions, crop failures, disease outbreaks, and water shortages worldwide. The emission of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide are contributing to the rise in temperature.

There are many things that each person can do to reduce his/her carbon footprint. Some easy ways to do this are to carpool with friends to an event instead of driving separate cars, riding your bike instead of driving a car, and by reducing waste.


2. Denial of climate change    

This I feel is just as big of an issue as climate change itself. People look to the media for truths about issues, and it is amazing that even though global warming is backed with scientific evidence that people still don't believe it's happening. You would think that the big, smart politicians would be smart enough to see fact from opinion. 

My solution to this issue is a very difficult one to combat, because people will always be biased in the news channels they listen to and also sometimes tend to only think about money instead of saving the planet. Makes total sense. I think a big step to take in combatting this is to educate people about the facts, starting with in schools. Learning about the issues is the first step, because a lot of people do not understand the detrimental effect that climate change is having on the planet. For example, the Great Barrier Reef is deteriorating because corals can only live at a temperature that is only 2 degrees away from the temperature that would cause them to die. And they are a vital part of our marine ecosystem, oh yeah, did I mention that's where all of our oxygen comes from? So the small changes in the global temperature are in fact very large. Accept that global warming exists and start doing something about it!

3. Water crisis

Water is an increasingly scarce resource. Pollution is causing there to be less available sources for clean water, and the growing population demands more of it. Two billion people lack access to clean water. "Water is the foundation of all life. And still today, all around the world, far too many people spend their entire day searching for it."

When I studied abroad in Australia, I stayed in the Outback at a place that was completely powered by solar panels and generators, and the only water they used was rainwater. They saved rainwater in a huge basin that was used for showering, cooking, cleaning, using the bathroom, and drinking. When we stayed there, they told us to be very cautious of the amount of water that we use, because once it's gone, it's gone until the next rainfall. They are in the middle of a drought. So rain doesn't come very often. It was very eye-opening for me because people in the states take the fresh water they use for granted and think it will always be there. The Florida Aquifer can only give so much before it runs out. We need to be more aware as a country about this water crisis, and can start just by taking shorter showers! 

4. Increasing population

More than 7 billion people are living in the world today, and the number is growing. This is raising a lot of problems around the globe. All of the world's resources are being used up and if we aren't careful, they will be gone or extremely expensive very soon! Over 1 billion people do not have enough food and clean water, global warming is increasing, and energy sources are becoming scarcer. There are many more problems to list.

A solution to this is providing countries such as Africa with better contraceptives and education about birth control methods. Also, awareness of the environmental cost of overpopulation can help.

5. Terrorism

National Security is important to all Americans. We want to feel safe in our country and trust our leaders, and right now there is a lot of hesitation towards both of these issues. With the attacks on Paris, countless shootings, and bombings that have happened, the security of the nation is being questioned and will remain a major concern until the problem is combatted with serious measures. 

A solution to this problem is to make sure the leaders we elect place the safety of the citizens as their number one priority.

6. Poverty

More than 1.3 billion people today live in extreme poverty, most living on less than $1.25 per day. Access to clean water is very limited, which causes spread of disease, famine, and even death. In 2011, 165 million children under the age of 5 were stunted due to chronic malnutrition. 

One way to help this problem is to create more jobs, and also to provide free education so that people are capable of getting jobs.

7. Homelessness

Over half a million people are homeless, and one quarter of homeless people are children. Tens of thousands of veterans are homeless. These people are unable to find jobs and cannot afford to pay rent. Unemployment also hurts the economy. 

Providing adequate housing or making more housing available can alleviate this problem. Also, supporting local homeless shelters can help and be a way to give back to the community.

8. Species Extinction

Human activities are causing massive extinction of species that are vital to life on earth. Rising ocean temperatures reduce reproduction of plankton, which hurts the entire marine ecosystem. Commercial fishing is depleting the ocean of fish, and shark finning is killing the apex predator of the oceans. The ocean will not be able to maintain itself without sharks or plankton. Agricultural practices are also destroying micro ecosystems that are vital to life on land. 

My solution to this problem is education. A lot of people simply do not know how big of an issue species extinction is. By providing a means for them to be educated and informed about why it is such a big issue can hopefully change people's mindsets and encourage them to be more aware of how their actions can affect other living things.

9. Unsupervised youth

I'm a firm believer that a parent's role in a child's life can lead them to either success or failure. I'm not saying that their aren't exceptions, but statistically, a parent's influence and involvement in his/her child's life can affect their well-being. Violence and crime in children and adults can be linked back to how they were raised.

Educating soon-to-be-parents about the impact that they will have on their child's life is a good first solution to this issue. Also, people having dinner conversations instead of handing their child an iPad can also help with this issue.

10. Pollution

Whether it's gas emissions or agricultural runoff, pollution occurs from human activity everywhere and affects the world on a global scale. Pollution causes health problems for people, destroys ecosystems, and feeds global warming. 

Measures to take to reduce pollution are the three Rs, implementing sustainable farming practices, and just being more sustainable in every day life.