Week 4 Reading Reflection

1) What was the biggest surprise for you in the reading? In other words, what did you read that stood out the most as different from your expectations? 

I thought the section on stereotyping was rather interesting. It is easy for us to come up with a description of a type of person that we would expect to see given a particular occupation. However, when we try to find this exact type of person, we often find it impossible to locate them. There is just too many factors involved that don't allow us to find someone who fits them all.

2) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

The section on developing a functional perspective was the most confusing to me. I understand the basic idea but the other types of applications don't make sense to me.

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?

How can one develop their creativity if they don't know a starting point? It outlines in the text that one can start by identifying where we can be creative, but if one could do that, then one could be more creative as they can see the flaw.

Is it necessary to excerise all forms or creativity or only some? I feel that it would be wasted time to focus on all but it could be more helpful to stretch your mind and broaden your view.

4) Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?

Per usual, I do not see anything that I directly disagree with. Most of the information was strictly factual.

Top 5 World Problems

Top 5 Problems:

1. Terrorism

2. Hunger

3. Education

4. Over Population

5. Pollution

Reason: Choosing this list was more difficult than I imagined. All of the items on the list, in my opinion, are serious issues that should be addressed. However, I decided to go with terrorism as the number one problem as it is the cause of many problems and can halt any progress that is attempted. Without terrorism, it could be possible to solve many of the other issues in the world. However, with terrorism still active, it makes it difficult to help others when we are worried about protecting ourselves. While other items on the list such as hunger and education are extremely important, it won't be easy to introduce programs when there are still others out there that will stop at nothing to shut them down.

Top 5 Solutions:

1. Education - More foreign aid/introduce programs to underdeveloped countries

2. Pollution - shift towards green energy/remove dependence on fossil fuels

3. Terrorism - collaboration of many different countries to help those who are trapped in these countries and provide a safe haven for them and then address the problem of those who are left refusing to stand down

4. Hunger - scientific community coming together to figure out a sustainable food source for third world countries.

5. Over population - increase in the number of health and contraceptive services as well as breaking the idea that motherhood is the only option for women


Reason: I found this list to be a little bit more difficult than the problems list. While it is easy to sit here and list off potential solutions to these problems, it is a lot harder to implement them. Some of them, which seem very easy to do, are actually difficult given certain countries relations and the current state of affairs. I went with the education solution as the easiest one to solve as we are making great strides to provide education to as many people as possible currently. To continue these efforts, and eventually reach all countries, seems like the easiest one to solve. Over population was by far the most difficult as there isn't a clear solution to this issue.

Week 3 Reading Reflection

1) What was the biggest surprise for you in the reading? In other words, what did you read that stood out the most as different from your expectations? 

The biggest surprise to me was in the section about the different sources of stress. I never thought that an entrepreneur would suffer from loneliness. I identify an entrepreneur as someone who is people oriented and I figured they would have many people and friends around them. I never thought that because of their position it would be difficult for them to confide in anyone.

2) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

Most of the information about the morality aspect was very confusing. 

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?

What is the best way for new entrepreneurs to cope with all this stress? There is so much stress associated with a new venture it is essential to find a sufficient way to cope with it. Also, how do you keep up with the optimism? Entrepreneurs need to stay level headed and avoid negativity, so the best way is to stay optimistic. 

4) Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?

I don't disagree with the author from what I read. I agree with everything that the author went over.

Identifying Local Opportunities

Hurry up and wait - on I-275
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15A8D0EEE3869EA8?p=AWNB

With the I-275 project still in progress, the gridlock that is occurring is still at large and isn't going to stop until after the completion of the project. Many motorists are stuck in traffic for extended periods of time not only due to the construction but also due to the traffic lights which are far from great.

The problem here is that motorists are constantly stuck in traffic due to poor planning and execution of this road project and poor handling of the local traffic lights.

The motorists are the ones with the problem as they all expect to be able to commute efficiently each and every day. Even I have a problem when I go down to Tampa as I experience traffic issues all the time.

Uber to halt at midnight in Tampa
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15A8D0EEEF0E5748?p=AWNB

Uber drivers in Tampa are protesting the company by stopping all pickups after midnight in hopes that the company sees that the lowered wages aren't enough for its drivers. Fares have been dropped from $1.80 to as little as $.67 to hopefully increase business. After the split, most drivers only take home about $.50-$.60. 

The problem here is that Uber is so focused on increasing the number of riders that they are hurting their drivers by driving down the price. The drivers can no longer make a decent living off of this.

The drivers and riders both have a problem with this because the drivers are no longer making a decent wage and riders will not be able to receive rides after midnight.


AS RANKS OF DRIVERS FALL, MASS TRANSIT NEEDS SURGE
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15A8445B9C882360?p=AWNB

As the rate of new drivers declines, Tampa is not seeing hardly any increase in the alternative options for transportation. Across the nation, less and less teens are receiving their licenses and are instead opting in for other modes of transportation. Unfortunately, for the residents of the Tampa area, they aren't seeing many of the alternatives and are still being forced to resort to driving.

The problem here is that Tampa isn't making an advancements in the area of mass transit. They aren't focusing on the normal metro standard and are causing many people to relocate to other cities which provide better mass transit.

The people who are opting not to receive their licenses are the ones with the problems here. They can't or don't want to put the money towards owning a car but are out of luck when it comes to alternative transportation methods within Tampa.

THREAT DELAYS START OF SCHOOL DAY
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15A7F0B4E80B6378?p=AWNB

A bomb threat was called in to a local elementary school which delayed many of the students from arriving for almost two hours. The call was found at 8:30am and buses and parents were diverted from the school to ensure their safety. At 10am, the school was cleared of the threat and students were allowed back in.

The problem is that there have been an increasing number of threats to schools over the past few days, some of which have gone unsolved. These can potentially cause issues for students and parents.

The students, parents, and faculty all have a problem with this because for the students, they are delayed from starting their school day and learning is pushed back, the parents could potentially be late for their jobs, and faculty will have to readjust their schedules to makeup for lost time.

AUTO THEFTS BY TEENS AT CRISIS POINT IN PINELLAS
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15A8A7269E5B0AB8?p=AWNB

Over the past few years, while teen felony rates have fallen, in Pinellas, they have risen almost 18 percent. Over the past year, 337 arrests were made for auto theft. This is now making Pinellas the highest auto theft area in Florida. This number is dwarfing every other city combined and it is turning into a crisis.

The problem here is that the youth of Pinellas are running rampant in the streets causing the residents to feel unsafe. The constant auto thefts that are happening are causing concern for the residents of Pinellas.

The residents of Pinellas are the ones with the problem as they can't feel safe in their own town because of the constant auto thefts.

Very Short Interview No. 1

For this interview, I talked with Brian Behan of BB Graphics. Brian has been running BB graphics for over 20 years now out of Ocala, Florida. From this interview, I learned a lot about what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. Prior to this, my idea of an entrepreneur was essentially just running your own business and setting your own schedule. I never thought about what it would be like to have to manage so many different people and personalities. Along with this, I didn't realize that time management would actually be a difficult thing to do.


What do you think I should learn in an entrepreneurship course?

Time management. You are your own boss. It is very easy for people to take away your time. Whether it be sales people calling on you or even the internet when doing research. It is easy for your time to get taken up. You need to budget your time. You give yourself time to do your books, research competitors, and make time to meet with vendors. Without a set schedule or answering to someone, it is easy to fall off track.


What do you wish you had been taught?

How to manage people. When you are an entrepreneur, you are serious about owning and running this business. With employees, they may not share the same values and mostly don't have money invested in the business. You have to learn to respect that. How to handle and manage people. Their emotions and their personal issues along with their work ethic. Anytime you have employees, you have many different kinds of people. I wish that I learned more about managing people.


Biggest obstacle

The biggest obstacle to running your own business is learning how to say no. Whether it be to a customer, an employee, a vendor, or even a co-owner. So often, people will come at you to ask you to buy advertising, for time off, for donations. Being an entrepreneur is an endless array of people wanting something from you. You have to learn you can't say yes to everybody. There is never enough time to go around, money, or even you. You have to know how to mean it when you say no.


Favorite part of being an entrepreneur


Getting to do things your way. The best part of being your own boss is managing your own time and you get out of it what you put into it. It is very rewarding getting to see your investment become a reality. It is very freeing to be your own boss.

World's Biggest Problems

1. Hunger. This is a huge issue that many people in first world countries don't experience or have a hard time understanding as they don't see it first hand. Many countries are in dire need of help to eliminate hunger among their population. I think that it would be more helpful for the scientific community to come together, rather than just the different governments, and figure out an answer to growing and sustaining food sources in these countries.

2. Terrorism. For as long as I have been alive, terrorism has been a big issue in this world. From the attacks on September 11th to the more recent Paris attacks, terrorism and the fear of terrorists has risen across the globe. This issue requires collaboration of many different countries to help those who are trapped in these countries and provide a safe haven for them and then address the problem of those who are left refusing to stand down.

3. Racism. For almost as long as humans have been around, racism has always been an issue. There have been down times where the tension had settled momentarily, but it has always been an issue. The real problem comes from stereotypes that still exist that need to be removed. People need to come together and understand that these stereotypes aren't always true and every group of people has something great to contribute.

4. Education. Many people around the world don't get the education they need and some don't get an education at all. For many, it is a choice between staying alive, or going to school. Unfortunately as time goes on, the problem only gets worse generation after generation as more and more people lose out on a proper education. I think there needs to be more foreign aid towards these underdeveloped countries to provide a real education to all.

5. Syrian Refugees. This is a newer issue that has faced the world and many are unsure of how to handle this problem. Many Syrians are trying to find a better life for themselves as they cannot continue living in their home country as a result of terrorism. I believe that other countries need to provide a safe area for these individuals and take in as many as they can support. This isn't to say that one country needs to provide the help, just that any country that can provide additional aid should.

6. Individualism. It feels that many countries currently are more focused on themselves rather than helping those in need. Many countries are focusing on useless internal issues that are petty and pale in comparison to the issues that many face every day. We need to start focusing more on providing foreign aid and helping those countries that can't help themselves. With a stronger economy and social structure, I believe that many of the other problems that arise as a result of poverty and corrupt government officials would vanish.

7. Cost of education. While this is more of a problem in America than in most other countries, it is still a major issue that needs to be addressed. The cost of going to school is rising and many cannot afford to be in debt for many years after they finish school just to get a job. I believe that an education should be something that all have access to, not just to those who can afford it. The cost of courses and books needs to be revised and made to be more affordable as well as introducing other methods of aid for those that still can't afford it.

8. Mental health. There is a social stigma behind mental illnesses and it needs to be broken for the sake of those in need of help. It isn't solving the problem by blaming everything on mental health. Instead, it needs to be addressed before a problem arises. More care needs to be available to those suffering so that we can eliminate a problem before it arises.

9. Over population. The global population is rising year after year and nothing is being done to address it. Many countries like China and India are well over a billion people each and are starting to see the effects of this by not being able to provide suitable housing for all its inhabitants. An increase in the number of health and contraceptive services as well as the breaking idea that motherhood is the only option for women.

10. Pollution. Around the world, in almost every country, pollution is still a problem. This is causing many issues globally such as global warming which are slowly harming us as a species. A shift towards greener energy and reduced dependence on fossil fuels can solve this issue. Getting rid of the idea that oil is the answer to everything is the first step.

Week 2 Reading Reflection

1) What was the biggest surprise for you in the reading? In other words, what did you read that stood out the most as different from your expectations? 

The biggest surprise for me in the reading was to learn that the statement "most small firms fail within the first year" was incorrect and is actually "about half of all the firms fail within the first five to seven years." This is interesting because I have always known and seen it as if you can make it past the first year or two, then you are set. I didn't realize there was such a large time frame in which it was very likely to fail as a small firm, let alone a firm in general.

2) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

The most confusing thing that I found in the reading was the topic on Dynamic States Approach.

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?

First question would be: Do you think it is wise for up and coming entrepreneurs to know the myths in the world of entrepreneurship? Would it be wiser for them to discover things on their own rather than become complacent as a result of a false sense of security? I feel that entrepreneurs would do best when discovering things on their own rather than being told that it isn't the case that they will fail within the first year.

Second question: Why do you think that the constant growth of the entrepreneurship world will be helpful to us as a society? Would the sudden flood of people, a good portion of which who don't know what they are doing, instead harm us? I feel that having so many inexperienced users acquiring capital and attempting to run a business could be harmful in the long run.

4) Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?

I didn't find anything that I really disagreed with. Most of it seemed pretty accurate and straightforward. 

Bug List

1. It bugs me that customers are occasionally rude and ungrateful even if I go out of my way to help them. This bugs me because I try to treat everyone with respect and expect the same in return, especially if I try helping someone.

2. It bugs me that people have very little patience and often interrupt an interaction I am having with another customer. This bugs me because I know how much I value my time and I know that I wouldn't want to be interrupted by someone else.

3. It bugs me that management often doesn't recognize employees for doing a good job. This bugs me because many of us try very hard to go above and beyond what is expected and we end up feeling unappreciated.

4. It bugs me that my dryer has been broken for months even though I have talked to management several times. This bugs me because this will drive up the electric bill.

5. It bugs me that my schedule is never consistent at work. This bugs me because it makes it very difficult to plan anything around a schedule that isn't set and isn't released until the week prior.

6. It bugs me that my phone doesn't always work. This bugs me because it is a relatively new phone and shouldn't have this many issues.

7. It bugs me that many of my coworkers do not care about their jobs. This bugs me because I want to work with people who want to be there and actually care about what they are doing.

8. It bugs me when people call out of work all the time. This bugs me because it is very unprofessional to consistently miss shifts especially for very poor reasons.

9. It bugs me that sometimes people refuse to learn new things and consistently ask the same questions. This bugs me because it shouldn't require me explaining something multiple times especially if the task is easy.

10. It bugs me that many times my girlfriend has to rely on me for almost everything. This bugs me because I am very independent and often do stuff on my own and typically think others should do the same thing.

11. It bugs me when people do not know how to drive properly. This bugs me because it typically ends up making me late for work or other appointments and I can't rely on others to do the right thing.

12. It bugs me when people aren't reliable and typically don't show up for things they said they would. This bugs me because it shows how unreliable people actually are and is a waste of time.

13. It bugs me when professors fail to address topics that end up on exams. This bugs me because there is already enough information to go over and trying to assume that certain information is on an exam is just adding unneeded stress.

14. It bugs me when people are constantly pessimistic. This bugs me because I am typically very optimistic and it ends up bringing the mood down when others are constantly negative.

15. It bugs me when I see people not caring about school. This bugs me because a lot of them are given great opportunities and end up just wasting it away because of laziness.

16. It bugs me that I've had multiple people hit my car and refuse to leave any information behind and think that it is perfectly acceptable to act like it didn't happen. This bugs me because I end up having to cover the cost myself for something I didn't do.

17. It bugs me when people spend all day on social media complaining about some of the most irrelevant topics. This bugs me because they could and should be spending their time doing more productive things.

18. It bugs me when customers wait until the very last minute to enter the store and then proceed to spend fifteen minutes after close looking at products. This bugs me because they have the majority of the day to look at products and shouldn't be walking in as we are closing.

19. It bugs me how much textbooks cost, regardless of the class. This bugs me because it is already very expensive to take the course and on top of that we end up having to spend an extra two to three hundred on the textbook.

20. It bugs me when people try to ask me questions outside of work just because I am still in uniform. This bugs me because I already have to answer questions all day while on the clock and don't want to spend any free time doing my job.


This assignment ended up being a lot harder than I thought. I thought it would be easy as I typically find something that bugs me almost every day, but when it comes time to write them down it's hard to remember all of them.

My Entrepreneurship Story

I have had close ties to entrepreneurship for most of my life. Starting with my Grandfather who opened his own business in Ocala, Florida when I was young. He began a janitorial business and ran it for many years until my uncle took over about two years ago. My closest experience with entrepreneurship, however, was most certainly with my parents. Both my parents were working their own, respective jobs until my father lost his during the financial crisis in 2008. He was in the equipment rental industry and with no one looking to build anything new, there was little demand for his services.

Fast forward to 2010 and my dad finally decided to pursue his dream of owning his own restaurant. By the beginning of the school year in 2010, my parents officially owned a restaurant in Ocala, Florida. About two years after, my mom quit her job and started working with my dad full time at the restaurant. I am happy to say that to this day, they are still going strong and expanding every chance they get. They started with a small, 30 seat, 5-10 staff restaurant and now employ over 35 people and have over tripled the size of the restaurant. If you are ever in Ocala, check out Brooklyn's Backyard. You won't regret it.

Now for why I have chosen to enroll in this class. As you can tell, business and entrepreneurship run through my blood. I have always had the drive to do things for myself and lead any chance I get. I like the idea of owning my own business and being able to run things how I want to. There isn't much more to it! Entrepreneurship, in my eyes, shows strength and the drive to succeed. Running a business isn't easy, and those that do it have to be determined, disciplined, and intelligent. I hope that one day I can be in the same position as my parents.

Interior shot of Brooklyn's Backyard

Cody's Introduction

Hello all!

My name is Cody Thomas, this is my second semester here at UF. I previously attended Santa Fe college and received both my A.S. in Networking and an A.A. in Business Administration. A little about me, I am from Ocala, Florida, so right up the road. My major currently is General Business and I hope to pursue my Masters in Information Systems. My passion is in technology and I love talking and meeting new people which is why I have chosen to pursue Information Systems.

In my spare time, I love to travel and take photos of all the great places that I have visited. Currently, I have visited over 10 different countries and don't plan on stopping any time soon! My latest adventure took me to Prague, Vienna, Budapest, and Venice with my family. I love learning about different cultures, trying different foods, and experiencing different lifestyles.

Other than the stuff mentioned above, I am a pretty normal person who loves business and anything related to it. Below is a shot I took one night in Budapest last summer. Shows my love for traveling and photography.

Cody Thomas Entrepreneur's Mantra

First Post - Testing

Test post to ensure everything is working