1) The first person I met who is a domain expert is a guy named Steve. Steve is especially well versed in e-commerce, a field that I'd love to be more knowledgable of, and I found him through mutual friends. We sat down and talked, and he showed me what he was working on (a Shopify store among other things) and I asked him what it took to run an online store. He taught me all about it and then we parted ways. He said whenever I want to start up my own store, just give him a call and he'd help walk me through it. By keeping this guy in my network, he will help create a skill that could increase my capabilities in the market.
2) The second person I met was a older man, around 30, named Mark, who runs a store selling eco-friendly bulk foods. He's a family friend and I sat down to talk to him about his drive in the market. He told me about why he got into eco-friendly business, and how I could do so too. He taught me that it's actually a less-expensive alternative then everybody makes it out to be, if done correctly. In the future, I will keep up to date with him, as he and I have generally alike target audiences, and he will be able to help outline changes in their consumption patterns.
3) Finally, I talked to my dad's friend Dave, a guy who does packaging for other businesses. He said his jobs a little complicated but overall most links are sold through online methods. He pretty much outlined my how he did his business, and what I would have to expect with a sustainable packaging endeavor. Many businesses would go with regular packaging out of convenience, but was sure with the sudden upturn in sustainability, we could make it happen. Dave is good to keep because he's a valuable insight in the long-time business.
Overall, targeting networking is strange, but it works, because people with like minded ideas often have like minded interests as well. I got along with all three of these people, because of my ability to connect and ask meaningful questions. I would definitely do this again to get more insight into how to network and find more business.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI like that you talked to a domain expert, a manager of an eco-friendly food store, and a person familiar with packing and shipping. Because, you have covered all the basis of your potential company. Everything from where people should find you product, how they will get it, to where they will sell it. I think that you have sought help from people who adequately know your market and can give advice.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteGreat work on finding these different people that fit your business social circle. I love that you found a person who does packaging because that is big aspect of the business that most people don't think about. The fact that you found an older man was also really good since he was probably more experienced in the industry. Keep up the good work!
Hi Nick,
ReplyDeleteGood job on contacting the appropriate people for this assignment. It's great that you had pretty much all these people in your circle, whether it be by mutual friends or through family members. That proves that if we sit down and analyze our network, we can find valuable resources that can help up in the future. Now that you've built that connection, it'll be great how they can help you later on.
Hello Nick,
ReplyDeleteI think you did a phenomenal job identifying the correct people to interview. These people provide great network opportunities for you. These people have experience and will be a great help to you, your business idea, and future ventures.