8A-Solving the Problem

Here, I present the Opportunity as well as my Solution to this problem.

The Opportunity: It is difficult to anticipate bad weather. Frequently, college students (we will focus on them for continuity and clarity), who predominantly get around campus by foot, are exposed to rain that will get their shoes and, often, their socks and feet wet. Those who value clean shoes and/or dry socks and feet have a demand for a better solution to their problem other than buying, carrying, and wearing a few choices of water-repellent shoes, such as rain boats or sandals.

Explanation of Solution: Since many of the shoe brands and styles college students prefer are not water-repellent, it is not ideal to buy these shoe brands while going to a school in a locating where it frequently rains. However, it is worth the purchase being there is a strong demand for these products, so students are willing to take that risk. The solution of rain boats isn’t really solving most people’s problem as they are cumbersome to carry around when anticipating a storm nor are they particularly appealing with most outfits. That is why the most ideal solution is to make the shoes that most students wear (ie. sneakers) water-repellent. There are water-repellent sprays out there that will do the job. However, there are many different choices that require testing to find the best fit. In turn, this means they one must buy the different products, which cost money. Many times, a can of water-repellent is too much for one person to use, since most students don’t own that many shoes. This entire process requires time and energy many students don’t have, making it an annoyance most students just live with. My solution is that I have devising is that I have been researching and testing different water-repellence sprays on cloth, paper, and my own shoes to see if they actually work. When I figure out the most effective spray for repelling water, I will provide the service of spraying interested students’ shoes. The price of spraying all their shoes will ultimately be lower than the price it would take to buy a can of spray by themselves. By me providing this service, it also means that student bypassed the process of having to test out different and multiple ineffective sprays on their own shoes, which will save them time as well as worry of ruining their valuable shoes. For those who have enough shoes to require an entire bottle or just want one for convenience can also buy from me since I will be buying these water-repellent sprays in bulk, making each bottle cheaper than buying separately. Additionally, buying one bottle of repellent requires time waiting for the product to be shipped or for physically going to buy the bottle at a retail store. Essentially, I will be able to streamline the experience for college students who want clean, dry shoes, socks and feet, so that they can have more time conquering the world.

Comments

  1. Emily,
    I think this is an amazing opportunity you have identified and an amazing service that you would be providing. This service would surely save college kids, who cared about their shoes enough, a lot of time and money. However, would you only provide your service to college students? Would you also try to provide your service to others who may need it- like professors or local professionals who might want to keep their attire dry?

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  2. Emily, I think this service definitely will have some upsides and downsides because although I don't think many people think they have this need, I know that many people would benefit from it. Also, I am interested to know if this would be the only service you would provide or if shoe cleaning/repair might be something you could do to increase your service value and interest in your business from potential customers. As time goes on, I am sure you would be able to perfect this process and be able to charge top dollar.

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  3. Emily, I agree with Erics comment. I don't think many people have this need even though those who do, will benefit from it. In addition, water-repellent spray already exists and I've seen it work on even cotton. Thus, the idea, though smart- has already been thought of and exercised. I also don't think it will be highly profitable, just because most people prefer to skip the step of coming to someone for service and just doing it themselves. It will be cheaper for them this way, as well.

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