Assignment 19A – Idea Napkin No. 2

Feedback incorporated is indicated in yellow.

1.  I am a senior at the University of Florida through their UF Online program majoring in public relations with an outside concentration in business administration. My work experience is mainly in the non-profit sector. As I previously mentioned, I am the Founder and President of Students4H2O, which is a non-profit organization advocating for environmental education and youth leadership. On a personal level, I am also a dog owner of two German Shepherds. Walking my dogs led me to notice the problem of increasing dog waste within my neighborhood and focus my business concept for this class around this problem so I can find a solution. The skills/talents I have that pertain to my product include budgeting, critical thinking skills, and project management. Through my public relations education at UF, I have knowledge in social media management and creative programs like Adobe Creative Cloud. Lastly, I also have excellent public speaking and interpersonal communication skills. My aspirations are to develop a financially viable product that also makes a difference. I would apply my skills and aspirations to my business. Hypothetically, if I were to start this business, I would see it as a "side hustle" where it would act as an additional project that I would work on in my free time. I would most likely work this way until I can adequately sustain myself from this business.

2.  My product is a dog waste receptacle, which is also known as the Doggie Dooty Station, which gives dog owners the ability to dispose of their soiled pet waste bags through a designated slot. Or, they can also obtain a clean pet waste bag at any Doggie Dooty Station so that they can pick up after their dogs. A new feature of my product is that in addition to pet waste bags, gloves will be available at each Doggie Dooty Station for those who are "grossed out" by picking up their dog's waste. Also, each receptacle has signage to inform dog owners about the receptacles and encourage them to pick up after their dogs.

3.  I believe most of my potential customers will be people who own at least one dog. Based on my previous customer interviews, I also think that good target markets to reach are homeowners who live in neighborhoods, homeowner associations, and apartment complexes. The primary characteristic these customers would have in common is that they have a need to keep their communities clean and sanitary.

4.  I feel customers will care about the Doggie Dooty Station because it will decrease the amount of dog waste within their communities. This is important because dog waste has bacteria that is harmful when it comes into contact with humans and other dogs. Therefore, there are also health concerns when, for example, children are playing and come into contact with dog waste, or a dog unknowingly steps into another dog's waste (which was unclaimed) while walking with its owner. There is also the raised concern of "common courtesy" where other neighbors or dog owners do not feel like they should be responsible for picking up dog waste from another person's dog. In regards to profitability, I think customers will pay to use the Doggie Dooty Stations because of the convenience it offers dog owners where they can obtain both clean bags and gloves. After conducting further research, I determined that there are no similar pet waste receptacles that have an option where dog owners can get gloves in addition to pet waste bags to pick up after their dogs. I think this feature makes my product unique because there may be a dog owner who feels uncomfortable when thinking about picking up dog waste. In regards to pricing, I did research on similar pet waste receptacles and noticed that their prices range from $129 to $448. Based on this research and the feedback I received, I think a reasonable installation fee for each Doggie Dooty Station is $200. The user cost of the Doggie Dooty Stations is included in monthly HOA dues or apartment rental fees. For each instance of a dog owner not picking up after their dogs and their neighbor(s) seeing it and reporting it, they will be fined $25 per incident. Lastly, a new feature I came up with based on the feedback I received on my first idea napkin and interviews for my 20A assignment is that treats will be available for dog owners to obtain for their furry friends each time they use the receptacles. In addition to being incentive-based, it is a measurable way to determine how many people are using the stations over a certain period (i.e., per month). In summary, the Doggie Dooty Station will assist in solving these problems by positively reinforcing dog owners to pick up after their dogs' waste, resulting in cleaner communities.

5.  I think the primary core competency that separates me from everybody else is that no other dog waste receptacle has a solution like mine where pet waste bags and gloves are available for dog owners who need them. Most dog waste receptacles only have pet waste bags. By having both pet waste bags and gloves at each Doggie Dooty Station, it removes room for excuses from dog owners for not using it. I am also a dog owner who saw this problem in my neighborhood, so my story is also distinctive because it adds a "humanized" perspective behind creating this product.

Overall, I believe that these elements fit together. As I evaluated these elements, it made me realize how simple my product is for dog owners to use and that it is a practical solution for the problem of increasing dog waste in neighborhoods. There are many reasons why dog owners do not pick up after their dogs' waste, and the most common is they forgot to bring pet waste bags with them. With this being said, I believe my product will have a positive impact from both the convenience and environmental standpoints.

Feedback memo: The feedback I received on my first idea napkin was generally positive. The suggestions I received mainly focused on expanding my target markets and conducting further research on the profitability/pricing of my product. I thought this was insightful information and incorporated this feedback in the third and fourth sections of my second idea napkin, so I can be more specific about these aspects of my product.