11A

Idea Napkin- 11A

1.)    I am Jordan Jacobs, a Freshman General Studies Business major from Tampa, FL. I aspire to work in hospital administration, and I care about the satisfaction of every person with the good or service they receive. I have worked in customer service and by doing so learned to solve issues and improve overall quality. I want to serve others and make changes that can influence and improve their lives. By leading this business, I would be able to provide a product that improves customer satisfaction for businesses every day.  This would be a fulfilling career that I fully enjoy and feel passionate about which is something I look forward to.

2.)    I am offering a product that would be marketed to businesses as an alternative to paper straws. This would meet the unmet need of businesses’ ability to satisfy customers after the implementation of a plastic straw ban. Customers who purchase from me will be able to follow regulation without using paper straws which patrons to their establishment find terrible. This would benefit my customer by improving their popularity and customer satisfaction.

3.)    I am focusing on the main group of establishments that serve straws; however the product is available for purchase to any individual. Businesses included in my focused market are specifically establishments that serve drinks which use straws. Even more narrow of a market would be straw serving establishments in cities where plastic straws were banned from use. Even more specialized would be establishments where the drinks served cannot be consumed without a straw, such as a milkshake or a slushee. The other group which I am not focusing on but is still a potential customer for my product would be the every day individual consumer of straws. If unhappy with the straws being used, they have the option to purchase and provide their own straws. This is not the most convenient options to users, thus they are not my target audience.

4.)    I think that since the plastic straw band was implemented, customers have been dissatisfied with the way that paper straws deteriorate and cause a bad taste. This dissatisfaction is consistently voiced to the individuals who serve the paper straws to patrons, so I believe that businesses are fully aware of the need for a better substitute. They will spend money on my product because it would make them more successful and popular with their customers. I fully believe that businesses who value customer satisfaction as a priority will budget for and invest in a better substitute than paper straws.

5.)    While there are other paper straw substitutes most are high and price and not single use. As far as I know, bamboo straws are not currently produced in high enough quantities to make them an option for large scale businesses. My persistence and commitment to solve this problem and satisfy business patrons is what sets me apart. I do not have connections with production or development agencies, but I do know owners of several businesses that I feel would purchase this product.

Evaluation:
Because I have full commitment to improving customer satisfaction and the drive to see this project through, the success of the venture is quite high. My solution has no competitors with the same idea. It also is a unique solution as it is single use, durable, and follows the no plastic straw regulations. These all blend well together and are strong aspect. However, my weakest “link” would have to be the fact that I do not have any connections in the production field and would struggle to physically make the product I am trying to sell. I think that with the right connections and determination, this business idea can be extremely successful in plastic straw free cities.