17- Second Elevator Pitch- Out of Africa Home Watch Software

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KsLn-yVxe8&t=

Script Hook 
Home watchers without reporting software can spend an average of 2-3 hours typing notes on what they did-- time they could have spent going to houses and earning money.

Problem
Home watchers want to look as thorough, professional, and transparent about their services as possible when billing time comes around, but frequently face inefficient double-entry on the back end- typing out checklists and writing and compiling notes from a note pad into emails and invoices to send to customers after each home visit. Scheduling, districting, keeping track of contractors, and keeping records for tax time can also be a challenge.

But what if all these front and back end home watch needs could be managed with one program?

Solution
This is where Out of Africa Home Watch Tech comes in. You can either use our ever-expanding database of preformatted checklists or make checklists of your own. Upload pictures of the house you’re at with the push of a button, type out your notes and have them stored by the visit or by the month, and create invoices seamlessly with this all in one software.

Hit email button to transform your checklist, pictures, and notes into a professionally formatted email that stands out, company logo and all, and send it out to customers.
If there are any problems at the house you're watching, press the contractor button to find the local solution.

District your home watch locations so you can save travel time. Open your calendar so you can easily see your customer visits laid out by date, and keep all your checklists, notes, and pictures for each client by-date in a low-data-usage archive. All this at a monthly fee of $55

Stay ahead of your competition by being the most professional, detailed-oriented, and transparent home watcher around.

Next Step/implementation
If you're interested, check out our website. We'll get you started with in-depth setup guide and if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to call or email.

Reflection
I didn't receive much feedback on my first elevator pitch but I knew I should stand in business professional to give the presentation. I tried to have more facial expressions, move my mouth more, speak up, smile more, and memorize some parts of the script (I didn't do that very well).I also improved the script.

For my third elevator pitch, I will try to have the whole presentation memorized so that I can focus on being more dynamic with my gestures and facial expressions.

18- Home Watch Avatar

Who?

Height: 5'6". Nancy is a woman from the ages 30-55 who has an interest in real estate and started a business of home watch because her friends suggested it. She is just starting home watch and hasn't yet joined any home watch associations or groups, but she is looking into it. She has made some strong client relations because she is sweet, good-natured, and good with people, but she also has had some corporate experience and is knowledgeable about the professional environment. She is having a website developed that she's proud of, but wish hosting a domain costed less, and has two children in high school. Nancy drives a fuel-efficient car and reads some child-rearing books and occasionally a romance novel. She always tries to eat healthy and go to the gym at least once a week to stay fit because she wants to see her grandchildren grow up and still be able to play with them and wants to be able to do her business for a long time to come. Because she owns a business, she feels competent, self-sustaining, and powerful, and as a result, feels a bit older than she is. She doesn't like to be told how to do her job, but she is kind to young students trying to sell her software that will make her business more efficient. Nancy doesn’t want to immediately say yes to buying anything, but instead she looks over the details of a product and compares it to other goods available, choosing the best option for her money.

I am similar to the customer because I see the value in running one's own business and being self-sustainable financially. I feel older than I am when I personally accomplish something  in business, and it is extremely rewarding. I would never be able to say yes directly to someone trying to sell me something without studying the specifications and comparing the product to similar ones on the market, and I want them to do the same for any product I am offering- I want them to choose the best option for their money. Like the home watcher, also I wish websites costed less because when you have your own business you must have one to have any credibility. We're also similar in that we both have the desire to be healthy and fit throughout our lives- we both want to be able to do all the things "we could in our 20's” for as long as possible.

15- What is Quality

Interviews
All would purchase the software online.

 
1.
The GPS location service and ability to create invoices are the most important. The invoices look professional and save me the time of having to make one separately and the GPS shows my customers that I am reliable and will do what I say I'm going to do. I would know my purchase is good if I notice that I get my work done faster than I used to, and that I am able to get more clients advertising my reporting method than I had been without it.

2.
The price would be a major factor when considering a product- I don't want all my money from house watch going into someone else's pocket. I also want it to have a fairly simple and clean user interface so there isn't so much of a learning curve. I'm buying the software to become more efficient, so I should immediately notice that I'm saving time. I would know it was a bad purchase if it takes too much time to set up or more time than when I was using my checklists or if I saw it was eating up all my revenue- I saw the QRIT program but that is just exponentially expensive.

3.
The reporting checklists should look professional. The more wealthy client base does not want to see something that looks amateurish, they want to make sure their money is going to a quality service.
By putting the software on my website my clients can see, I get more phone calls than I had before buying it.

Summary

People buy the home watch software to be more efficient when reporting, invoicing, and writing notes and to appear professional to clients. They will know their purchase is good as they notice they are spending less time writing notes than they used to and are getting more clients than they used to because the software makes them appear reliable. They do not want the software to cost too much.

Reflection

The interviews seem to be getting repetitive at this point- most of what I heard were ideas I had from the previous interviews I have done. I know the real next step is to start making connections with the home watchers on Facebook or by contacting home watch boot camps with the hopes of being recommended by them to new home watchers- to actually distribute the product. Since the home watch software market is already occupied I will have to find out how to stir up dissatisfaction with the software the home watchers currently have. I will likely advertise the software as cheaper than the others available.

16- Who am I.

What I think is unique about me

1. Always trying to to work to create a more efficient system
2. Reflecting on self every Sunday to set new long term goals or refresh the list I have
3. Reading great novels and philosophy to come up with my own philosophy- always have a purpose, even with entertainment
4. Persistence due to a strong focus on the long-term
5. Enjoy hearing what is logically wrong with my ideas when I communicate them

The Questions I Asked 

1. What do you think I know or understand most in the world 
2. What do you think my skills and abilities are 
3. What is your understanding of my temperament and emotional perceptions to things and what do you think my mindset is

Dad
Understanding: You know how to making things happen. You do your best at everything, you're focused, able to discern the best path to follow, can communicate with anyone to come in contact with, and can support your own views in the context of conversation.
Skills/Abilities: You can achieve highly with anything, insight into how things should be run with research
Temperament: Incredibly logical, see through  the crap, see what is useful, don't take much emotionally but instead retrospectively with insight, very wise



Mom
Understanding: You  have empathy and understand people's situations deeply, business knowledge, well read, intelligent, kind/understanding. You improved, you were harsh at one point. You're maybe not patient enough when explaining things to other other people or encouraging people to also take responsibility for their work (like in China). Responsibility, hard worker, need more people skills and should get to be more relaxed around women.
Skills/Abilities: You're good at research, but your ability to market on social media needs improvement- lots of information you may miss out on if you're not on social media. You're not very communicative with the outside world.
Temperament: Strong- hear a certain amount of something and then ignore the rest, can get to get to the heart to deeply understand issues, knowing that people come from all different situation to lead them to a place

Matt
Understanding: You understand that hard work required in life, and that there are a lot of option out there and you don’t want to miss out on opportunities. You get that that living a fulfilled life take lots of effort early on, but this may be a bit over the top (not extreme, but still), could dial back
Skills/Abilities: Motorcycle riding (haha), analytical skill- you get to know the depths of systems, people, or anything you're interested in.
Temperament: You believe there is room for improvement in most fields of life, that any person can improve themselves or improve systems, and you're good at picking out how things can be better or you're at least interested in finding out how.

Ryan
Understanding: You know what you want and don't let other people change your mind or get in the way
Skills/Abilities: School stuff potentially, you're strong willed, determined, and stick to it when you put your mind to it.
Temperament: You're serious about the job you do, you don't let distractions get in the way.while you're finding out how to do something,


Darren
Understanding: You understand people well, you grew up real quick because of (Family situation),  you see through to the core of personalities, like whether they're just trying to get something for themselves or for the team. You have the ability to construct conversation well.
Skills/Abilities: Your communication is effective. You didn't talk much before (when you were young)  so now when you do speak its something valuable- you get straight to the point. You have an interest in business, you're calm/relaxed in situations and are professional and effectively obedient
unlike these students in this military school
Temperament: Not so focused on emotions, you're determined, set on achieving goals, good worker- do hard work now instead of later, division between emotion and logic. You have some emotion when bored, but you're analytical otherwise

Reflection:
When I was interviewing the members of my family, nothing surprised me very much because I feel we are all generally open about how we perceive each other and the patterns of our past conversations seemed to naturally lend to the answers they gave in the interview. Each member of the family had a different view of me and pulled from their own ideals and values to characterize me. For example, my brother Darren is in the Navy, so qualities such as professionalism and effective communication are more important than they may be to my mother- so he mentioned those qualities while others might not have. I would not change the list I wrote above about what is unique to me- each of the interviews hold truth in them even though they are all different. There is so much rich detail in every person that I couldn't expect otherwise.

14: Midterm Reflection

What are the behaviors that you have used (or developed) to keep up with the requirements of this course?

I have become much less cautious when approaching people and asking their opinion or conception of certain ideas. I used to be nervous and would think that I might not want to be approached by a stranger who starts asking questions about my preferences or ideas, but I've found that it is actually one of the easiest topics to talk to strangers about. Peoples' favorite subjects to talk about are themselves, their opinions, and their successes.
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Talk about a moment or two when you felt like "giving up." What pulled you through? Do you feel like you've developed a tenacious attitude during the past two months? What experience or experiences most contributed to this?

I certainly felt like giving up when I had to interview people about my initial business idea, starting a food cart, but I got through it by setting it a time for interviewing people on my calendar and forcing myself to stick to the time and date that I set. Similarly, when it came to interviewing people over the phone to discuss the home watch technology idea, although I didn't want to talk to people about a product I may be selling in the future, saying to myself that I had to get all my calls done before 5pm made me pick up the phone and struggle through it regardless of how bad it felt. Although the first couple interviews were a bit awkward in both cases, setting the deadline and only giving myself a certain amount of time to do the interviews made me just do it, and I feel more competent/capable now as a result.
_______________

What are three tips you would offer next semester's student about (1) fostering the skills that support tenacity and (2) developing the 'tenacious mindset?

Yes, it can be strange to talk to random people about a business idea/opportunity you are not completely confident about. I don't think any of my ideas thus far have had enough potential for me to feel confident about it, but that's not all that matters. One day if I do have a good idea, I will know the process to go about in order to develop and turn it into a business. I would not have learned/embodied this process without trudging through the assignments even with the ideas I don't have boundless confidence in.

Running with a bad idea can sometime be better than not running with one at all. You already have your current perspective.By moving to a new point in mental space with new information (By running with any idea), you allow yourself to see from two different perspectives. With multiple perspectives you typically make better judgments of goals/ideas.

Read! Information from novels or biographies or newspapers gives ideas and allows you to see the world from many different perspectives. You get to test your own ideas against those of others. You can find business opportunities from patterns of problems that have been unaddressed. You can see patterns of behavior within yourself more objectively and thus can see what areas of yourself you may have to work on, or in other words, you get to develop your personal ideals for self-improvement.

13: Andrew Carnegie by David Nasaw

Andrew Carnegie by David Nasaw

What surprised you the most?

What about the entrepreneur did you most admire?
What about the entrepreneur did you least admire?
Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it?

I was surprised to hear how logical the conclusions were that made him into a Robber Baron, Gilded Age capitalist. He treated it like a tax- that each of the people were giving up small portions of their money in exchange for his using of the fortune to fund the building of many institutions such as schools, libraries, technical institutes, and buying organs for churches so the people can enjoy music. Often such a negative connotation is given to these capitalists but it almost seems good what he ended up doing. I most admired the charitable side of Carnegie. On the other hand, I did not like the side of Carnegie which led him to fire Henry Clay Frick and surround him with bad press by pointing out that he was prone to passionate temper tantrums. Carnegie was social and well-mannered but he saw himself as so righteous that he would emphasize the bad of anyone else, publicly. Carnegie faced hard times getting his business through depressions but his ruthlessness and unwillingness to compromise with unions got him through it. He made sure costs were as low as possible in the good times so that in bad times the company could make it through. Now that the US Government has stronger control of the economy however, I don’t believe the same would have to be done today.

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What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited?

Carnegie’s competencies were an eye for quality and his focus on efficiency. He developed his eye for quality likely through reading and his striving for self-improvement. His efficiency was learned at a young age as he always wanted to be the best at his job, no matter how menial in order to be recognized and promoted to earn better money for his mother.
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Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

None of it was confusing to me, Carnie was a logical agent differentiated by his temperament and personality, but he was in many ways predictable.
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If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?
I would ask him what he would think of democracy today and if he thinks the increased government control of the economy is, on net, better for the People- if Synthetic Philosophy still applies as well. I would also would want to know what his long-term goals are considering that until his death during WW1 he was striving to coax his powerful political connections to work for world peace.

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What do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion?

Carnegie did not believe in hard work, he believed in being in the right places at the right time. He believed in looking for opportunity- gaps/opportunities in government policy, inefficiencies in business, better technologies or manufacturing methods, or cheaper logistical deals. Just being able to see the opportunities made him not have to work so hard and he ended up being the richest man on earth. I will stress that I believe that his ability to see the opportunities was not inherent, but was grown from his reading of a great deal of books in his youth (1 per week), newspapers, people around him who talked about politics and business and philosophy, and his striving for efficiency in early jobs.

12A Keyword Search

What is House Watch?

At a basic level, home watch is a service where the home watcher checks up on their client's home or property 1-2 times per month. This business is prominent around the United States although it goes by different names such as concierge, or property caretaker.

Questions asked: 
How, when, and where does the need of home watch reporting software become evident- is it at every house, at the end of the day at home when typing on computer

When you are writing notes and become annoyed about double-entry- what kind of thing would you search in google- what keywords? Or do they go to friends and family, what kinds of things would you ask?

Interviews

Home Watcher in California registered with National Home Watch Association

1. I've had 30 years of real estate experience and in the real estate world we have contracts which are similar to pre-formatted checklists. I don't use house watch software- I made own software and have been using it for 6-7 years. Many people who use the reporting software are probably less secure and want something professional looking to bill on, but I made my own template. 

Home Watcher Hawaii registered with National Home Watch Association

2. I use the software because it adds a layer of trust between me and clients. They can use GPS to access reports- easy, real time, Getting home watch software was an immediate decision and was part of the research process of how to start along with joining the National Home Watch Association (NHWA), different. I didn't look anything up, the NHWA recommended QRID home watch software.

Home Watcher Alaska

3. I report my findings on a house by writing down notes on a piece of paper and then scanning and emailing the notes as a PDF. I just feel writing notes is part of the job. It definitely takes time compiling the notes at the end of the day. I would use a software if it included scheduling, reporting, and invoicing by having something that integrates with QuickBooks. If I were looking it up in google I would probably type in something like "reporting scheduling software"

Reflection:

It seems to be quite rare that someone has not figured out a way to fix the problem of inefficient home watch reporting. Many people are either satisfied with the checklists they already have or they use an existing home watch reporting software. Essentially, any home watch reporting software that is developed would be put into the market to compete directly with the other software available. This is a trend I have found over the course of these past few assignments where the focus is on interviewing

11A Idea Napkin- OOA Homewatch Software

1. Who am I? I have been exposed to home watch because my father does home watching for some customers and has a friend who also does home watch. My father is made a home watch software to save his friend some time, and now he is trying to sell the software to home watchers but he is not familiar with the business aspects. This is where I come in. I am a business student at UF. When I was in China this past summer, I did an internship for an education technology (edtech) startup and was made aware of the potential of the software market while I was working there. I aspire to distribute the software my father is making by networking with local home watching businesses
2. What am I offering? Users will pay a monthly subscription of $55 for access to a software on computer or an app for smartphones that will expatiate the home watch reporting process. They will be able to choose from our ever-expanding database of preformatted checklists or make checklists of their own, write notes, and upload pictures and create invoice. Users will have access to location distracting filters for their customers. They can transform their checklist, pictures, and notes into a professionally formatted email with their company logo and next visit date. The software will save all checklists, notes, and pictures in a low-data-usage archive on the local computer. 
3. The audience: I am offering this service initially to home watchers in the Naples, Florida region who have between 10-50 customers. This will spread to other areas that have a large population of snow birds such as New York and California as these are the areas where home watchers thrive. Generally the home watchers with wealthier clients will be more likely to use the software because of the desire of those wealthier clients of professional reporting.
4. Why do they care? Home watchers will pay because they want to appear professional and detail-oriented to that they will get and retain their home watch customers. The software will save home watchers time- it is central platform of data entry to prevent double entry when it comes to note writing, emailing, invoicing, and taxes. Double entry is one of the largest time sinks for home watchers. They will be able to spend this time doing more home watch and in turn will earn more money. 
5. My Competencies: I have experience running a startup company in China and know how to perform rapid product prototyping and integration of feedback. This means that if customers have any feedback regarding the services they want added to the program, the changes will be implemented in the next update. The program is constantly evolving so that home watchers can stay on the competitive edge in regards to home watch software. They also will have access to a help/service line which will help customers to set up the software for their business. 

Summary
Although I don't have much experience making the software itself, I do have experience marketing software. I know about the home watch market in Naples, Florida because I was born and raised there and it was made evident to me from my father's work and his network. The service is being offered home watch businesses in Naples because a majority of the home watchers there have between 10-50 clients. In order to be efficient with this number of clients, home watchers use home watch reporting software. Since home watchers are catering usually to a wealthier demographic the software should present a professional brand focused on the details as that is what the majority of wealthier clients of home watchers positively respond to. Home watcher's use this software in place of the competitors because of the focus on innovation and improvement of the software as well as focus on customer service. This selling point may not be unique enough for people to want to buy this software over the others available.