Showing posts with label Week 3. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Week 3. Show all posts
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Week 3 Reading Reflection
What stood out to me the most in the reading was the section where it discussed how entrepreneurs don't really create ventures- rather, creating a venture turns a person into an entrepreneur. I have never thought of entrepreneurship like that, so for me that section allowed me to take a step back and view entrepreneurship in a new light. I also didn't realize how many negative things can occur from being a entrepreneur, like loneliness and people problems. I was confused by the idea that entrepreneurs can have unrealistic optimism, simply because I feel that I would approach every situation with a great deal of caution and trepidation. I would ask the author if they thought that it would be necessary for an entrepreneur to have the negative side effects to truly be successful, and if it is necessary for entrepreneurs to have some level of a "destructive vein" to really appreciate their level of success. I agreed with the author's viewpoints in this chapter.
Identifying Local Opportunities
1. Florida leads U.S in new HIV cases after years of cuts in public health
http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A8E3CBDB765D70?p=AWNB
The article discusses that Broward and Miami-Dade counties are among the top counties in Florida when it comes to HIV infection cases. It is argued that this increase is a result of cutting spending when it comes to staffing at the Department of Health's HIV program and a general decline in the state work force every year since Governor Scott has been elected. This problem of growing HIV cases can affect the entire population of South Florida. The people who have this problem are those infected, as well as those at risk for becoming infected with HIV.
2. Miami-Dade's unemployment rate inches up in December amid Latin American woes
http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A8E3CB0E055EE8?p=AWNB
This article talks about how certain Latin American economies are having an effect on South Florida's economic growth. Economists have noticed slowed growth in key industries, such as construction and tourism. Because there are several Latin Americans residing in South Florida, any changes in their currency/economic status have the ability to have a substantial impact on the South Florida area. This issue of unemployment affects people who can't find jobs in the struggling job market, as well as the vendors in that area (as there will be less available customers).
3. Miami-Dade to face tough choices as federal funding for uninsured dwindles
http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A83B0A30530860?p=AWNB
This article talks about how a lack of money to support those people who are not insured can put the ability of local hospitals to help certain charities in jeopardy. Florida has refused to expand MEdicaid to all low-income adults, making it much more difficult for insured citizens to receive medical care. The Obama administration has also reduced the amount of federal dollars mandated to the Low Income Pool, making less money available to those uninsured. This problem of lowered aid to uninsured people affects those who do not have medical insurance.
4. Miami PD to begin work on state's largest backlog of untested rape kits
http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A2F50A6EE42E50?p=AWNB
This article talks about how Miami-Dade county has upwards of 3700 untested rape kits, which is the most in the entire state. However, because there is a nationwide push to examine all DNA from alleged sexual assault cases, Miami PD will begin to go through all of their untested kits and put them in the system. The problem is that there are so many untested rape kits that even if someone was caught, there is a chance that they would not be prosecuted for all of their crimes, simply because of a lack of evidence-handling. This problem affects the justice system, as well as rape/sexual assault victims in the Miami area.
5. New mosquito-borne virus Zika spreading in Caribbean
http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A7924D5C684EF0?p=AWNB
This article discusses how the CDC is warning people, particularly pregnant women, traveling out of the country about Zika, a virus spread by mosquito that can affect the development of babies' brains. The virus, originally from Brazil, has now spread further north to Haiti. While the number of cases has increased dramatically in 2014, CDC officials are still doing research to find out the full impacts this disease may have. The issue here is a disease is becoming more prevalent in an area that is not too far away from our coasts. All people living in South Florida could potentially be affected, but there is a special risk for pregnant women.
http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A8E3CBDB765D70?p=AWNB
The article discusses that Broward and Miami-Dade counties are among the top counties in Florida when it comes to HIV infection cases. It is argued that this increase is a result of cutting spending when it comes to staffing at the Department of Health's HIV program and a general decline in the state work force every year since Governor Scott has been elected. This problem of growing HIV cases can affect the entire population of South Florida. The people who have this problem are those infected, as well as those at risk for becoming infected with HIV.
2. Miami-Dade's unemployment rate inches up in December amid Latin American woes
http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A8E3CB0E055EE8?p=AWNB
This article talks about how certain Latin American economies are having an effect on South Florida's economic growth. Economists have noticed slowed growth in key industries, such as construction and tourism. Because there are several Latin Americans residing in South Florida, any changes in their currency/economic status have the ability to have a substantial impact on the South Florida area. This issue of unemployment affects people who can't find jobs in the struggling job market, as well as the vendors in that area (as there will be less available customers).
3. Miami-Dade to face tough choices as federal funding for uninsured dwindles
http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A83B0A30530860?p=AWNB
This article talks about how a lack of money to support those people who are not insured can put the ability of local hospitals to help certain charities in jeopardy. Florida has refused to expand MEdicaid to all low-income adults, making it much more difficult for insured citizens to receive medical care. The Obama administration has also reduced the amount of federal dollars mandated to the Low Income Pool, making less money available to those uninsured. This problem of lowered aid to uninsured people affects those who do not have medical insurance.
4. Miami PD to begin work on state's largest backlog of untested rape kits
http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A2F50A6EE42E50?p=AWNB
This article talks about how Miami-Dade county has upwards of 3700 untested rape kits, which is the most in the entire state. However, because there is a nationwide push to examine all DNA from alleged sexual assault cases, Miami PD will begin to go through all of their untested kits and put them in the system. The problem is that there are so many untested rape kits that even if someone was caught, there is a chance that they would not be prosecuted for all of their crimes, simply because of a lack of evidence-handling. This problem affects the justice system, as well as rape/sexual assault victims in the Miami area.
5. New mosquito-borne virus Zika spreading in Caribbean
http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A7924D5C684EF0?p=AWNB
This article discusses how the CDC is warning people, particularly pregnant women, traveling out of the country about Zika, a virus spread by mosquito that can affect the development of babies' brains. The virus, originally from Brazil, has now spread further north to Haiti. While the number of cases has increased dramatically in 2014, CDC officials are still doing research to find out the full impacts this disease may have. The issue here is a disease is becoming more prevalent in an area that is not too far away from our coasts. All people living in South Florida could potentially be affected, but there is a special risk for pregnant women.
Friday, January 22, 2016
Very Short Interview No. 1
I decided to interview my friend Adam Penias for this interview. He first began DJing when he was 12 years old, and began his event production company, Extreme Productions, one year later. Since then, he has been working at growing his production business, and it is now one of the most successful in South Florida. While he does not exactly fit the qualifications specified by the textbook of what an entrepreneur is, I would absolutely classify him as such. He was able to grow his business throughout high school and into college, to the point where it is recognizable as a professional service that can be used for bar/bat mitzvahs, weddings, and the like. He liked being an entrepreneur so much that he recently opened a new business, a luxury hookah bar in Hollywood, Fl. The bar, MYXX, has already shown great promise and is starting to amass a loyal following of hookah smokers.
The Interview
1. Question: How did you first get your business off the ground?
Answer: I made a small investment of $1000 to get myself started with the beginning equipment. After starting to book more and more events, I slowly began to update and upgrade my equipment. Each event can require different technology, so I try to have a good mix of speakers, amps, and lighting options.
2. Question: What would you say the most important aspect is of running your own company?
Answer: Definitely being responsible. There is no more play time when owning a company. It's 100% effort all the time. It can be hard sometimes because I still want to be social and do well in school, but I always have to think about what is best for Extreme.
3. Question: If you could go back to the beginning before you started your business, is there anything you would do differently?
Answer: Nope! Everything I've done has brought me to where I am today and I wouldn't change anything. The learning in the beginning was necessary so that I could learn and grow from my mistakes, which led to me avoiding those mistakes in the future.
After talking to Adam, I see now that owning a business at such a young age can really mature a person. I think it shows a lot of dedication that he is forgoing some of the more traditional, "party" aspects of a college lifestyle to make sure that his business succeeds and that his clients remain happy. It also reinforces that the idea of making Principles of Entrepreneurship an experience-based class is a good one. Adam would have never learned all the things he did by reading books about becoming a DJ or owning a business. By doing it through experience, he was able to learn more, and consequently use that knowledge to better himself as an entrepreneur and simultaneously better his business.
The Interview
1. Question: How did you first get your business off the ground?
Answer: I made a small investment of $1000 to get myself started with the beginning equipment. After starting to book more and more events, I slowly began to update and upgrade my equipment. Each event can require different technology, so I try to have a good mix of speakers, amps, and lighting options.
2. Question: What would you say the most important aspect is of running your own company?
Answer: Definitely being responsible. There is no more play time when owning a company. It's 100% effort all the time. It can be hard sometimes because I still want to be social and do well in school, but I always have to think about what is best for Extreme.
3. Question: If you could go back to the beginning before you started your business, is there anything you would do differently?
Answer: Nope! Everything I've done has brought me to where I am today and I wouldn't change anything. The learning in the beginning was necessary so that I could learn and grow from my mistakes, which led to me avoiding those mistakes in the future.
After talking to Adam, I see now that owning a business at such a young age can really mature a person. I think it shows a lot of dedication that he is forgoing some of the more traditional, "party" aspects of a college lifestyle to make sure that his business succeeds and that his clients remain happy. It also reinforces that the idea of making Principles of Entrepreneurship an experience-based class is a good one. Adam would have never learned all the things he did by reading books about becoming a DJ or owning a business. By doing it through experience, he was able to learn more, and consequently use that knowledge to better himself as an entrepreneur and simultaneously better his business.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
The World's Biggest Problems
1. Rape is becoming more and more apparent on college campuses. An increasing number of students are becoming victims to a horrible crime; currents stats show that 1 in 5 women will be sexually assaulted in college.
Solution: There needs to be a higher police presence on college campuses at night, and students must be encouraged to report any suspicious activity.
2. There is a lack of clean drinking water in several third-world/developing countries. Humans need water to survive- without it their community's health will begin to deteriorate and people will die.
Solution: Surrounding countries should make more of an effort to provide clean drinking water to those countries in need. There could also be some sort of tax imposed where the money raised could be used to provide water.
3. Countries need to take a more active role in stopping global warming. Multiple countries need to to come together and agree to make these efforts, because one country doing it is not enough to stop the spread of this global issue.
Solution: in progress! A document was recently signed where 196 countries signed a treaty agreeing to help with global emission cutback, conserving energy, etc.
4. The ongoing feud between Israel and Palestine. While this is not happening all over the world, news of their war has percolated around the world and has affected various neighboring countries.
Solution: Have their ambassadors come together and try to come up with a reasonable solution. Religious wars will probably always exist, but there has to be some sort of balance so that neither side loses more lives.
5. World hunger is a huge issue. Millions of food is thrown away in some countries, while in other people do not have enough to eat.
Solution: Scientists should create some sort of crop that would be able to grow in the climates of the poorest countries. This way, they would be able to grow food for themselves, and in turn sell that crop to make money, giving them the ability to buy more food that they can not grow themselves.
6. Money issues- many countries are either on the brink of financial collapse, or starting to head in that direction. This can be because of too much borrowing or high interest rates imposed by other countries.
Solution: There should be stricter laws imposed when countries need to borrow money. Their financial history should be checked to make sure that they have the ability to pay back whatever amount of money they are borrowing.
7. Millions of people are being diagnosed with HIV, AIDS, and other STDs. The medication for these diseases is either nonexistent or is extremely expensive.
Solution: There should be more awareness about what these diseases are and how they are transmitted. Treatment should also be made less expensive so that more people who are suffering from the disease can be treated.
8. Deforestation of various rain forests has encroached on various species' habitats. By taking away their living space, many species could become extinct.
Solution: For every tree that is cut, at least two or three should be planted to replace it. We also need the trees to provide oxygen and take away carbon dioxide, so this will simultaneously help humans and animals alike.
9. Bullying is also a global issue. Now that the Internet is available, people are able to make fun of others virtually and can have access to their victims at any point in time.
Solution: There should be a law against cyber bullying, and offenders should get jail time. Kids should also be taught from a young age that bullying is not the right thing to do and the consequences of doing so.
10. Animal cruelty is a big issue particularly in the United States. There have been various videos of people abusing animals, and citizens come together using social media to catch and apprehend the person responsible.
Solution: Continue to use social media to catch these people, and make animal cruelty punishable by law, as well as order the wrongdoers to never own another animal.
Solution: There needs to be a higher police presence on college campuses at night, and students must be encouraged to report any suspicious activity.
2. There is a lack of clean drinking water in several third-world/developing countries. Humans need water to survive- without it their community's health will begin to deteriorate and people will die.
Solution: Surrounding countries should make more of an effort to provide clean drinking water to those countries in need. There could also be some sort of tax imposed where the money raised could be used to provide water.
3. Countries need to take a more active role in stopping global warming. Multiple countries need to to come together and agree to make these efforts, because one country doing it is not enough to stop the spread of this global issue.
Solution: in progress! A document was recently signed where 196 countries signed a treaty agreeing to help with global emission cutback, conserving energy, etc.
4. The ongoing feud between Israel and Palestine. While this is not happening all over the world, news of their war has percolated around the world and has affected various neighboring countries.
Solution: Have their ambassadors come together and try to come up with a reasonable solution. Religious wars will probably always exist, but there has to be some sort of balance so that neither side loses more lives.
5. World hunger is a huge issue. Millions of food is thrown away in some countries, while in other people do not have enough to eat.
Solution: Scientists should create some sort of crop that would be able to grow in the climates of the poorest countries. This way, they would be able to grow food for themselves, and in turn sell that crop to make money, giving them the ability to buy more food that they can not grow themselves.
6. Money issues- many countries are either on the brink of financial collapse, or starting to head in that direction. This can be because of too much borrowing or high interest rates imposed by other countries.
Solution: There should be stricter laws imposed when countries need to borrow money. Their financial history should be checked to make sure that they have the ability to pay back whatever amount of money they are borrowing.
7. Millions of people are being diagnosed with HIV, AIDS, and other STDs. The medication for these diseases is either nonexistent or is extremely expensive.
Solution: There should be more awareness about what these diseases are and how they are transmitted. Treatment should also be made less expensive so that more people who are suffering from the disease can be treated.
8. Deforestation of various rain forests has encroached on various species' habitats. By taking away their living space, many species could become extinct.
Solution: For every tree that is cut, at least two or three should be planted to replace it. We also need the trees to provide oxygen and take away carbon dioxide, so this will simultaneously help humans and animals alike.
9. Bullying is also a global issue. Now that the Internet is available, people are able to make fun of others virtually and can have access to their victims at any point in time.
Solution: There should be a law against cyber bullying, and offenders should get jail time. Kids should also be taught from a young age that bullying is not the right thing to do and the consequences of doing so.
10. Animal cruelty is a big issue particularly in the United States. There have been various videos of people abusing animals, and citizens come together using social media to catch and apprehend the person responsible.
Solution: Continue to use social media to catch these people, and make animal cruelty punishable by law, as well as order the wrongdoers to never own another animal.
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