5A - Identifying Local Opportunities
1.
Cookiegazm
Closes Doors, Gainesville Sun
b.
The highly popular cookie bakery known as
Cookiegazm has announced that it will permanently be closing its doors in
Gainesville, Florida. This comes as a shock to many people around the
Gainesville area, especially students at the University of Florida. The owner
of Cookiegazm has not commented on the reasoning behind the closure.
c.
The problem here is that this was a very popular
late night snack go-to place for so many people around Gainesville. The other
option for a similar product is Midnight Cookies, but a lot of customers
preferred Cookiegazm to Midnight Cookies. There is now an opportunity for
market entry for a new late night cookie bakery, in my opinion. This is made
obvious by the reactions of customers in the article listed above.
d.
The people that have the problem are consumers
around the Gainesville area, especially students at the University of Florida
2.
Enrollment:
More UF Students, but Fewer in Grad School, Gainesville Sun
b.
UF enrollment in terms of undergraduate students
has been showing no signs of slowing down. The graduate student enrollment, on
the other hand, has been dropping. The YoY drop in enrollment amounts to about
4.3%, which is a significant drop over a one year period.
c.
This poses revenue and reputational problems for
the University of Florida. The reputational problems are hard to quantify but I
believe that there is an opportunity for a solution to solve the UF graduate
student enrollment issue.
d.
The people that are affected by this problem are
UF administration and faculty members, specifically in the graduate school.
3.
Candidate
Admits to Lying About Degree but Says She Won’t Quit Race, Gainesville Sun
b.
Melissa Howard, a Florida House of
Representatives Candidate, has admitted to faking information regarding her
successful completion of a degree from Miami University. Most of the public
expected Howard to resign from the primary race, but she did the exact
opposite. She is hoping that voters will be able to look pass her lies and that
she will earn the support of the GOP party if she, by some miracle, is able to
win the election.
c.
The problem that I recognize in this article is
that too often candidates in elections throughout our country are able to tell
lies and get away with it. I understand that bending the truth can be claimed
as being “part of politics” but I also believe that there is an opportunity for
some type of solution to this problem.
d.
The people that have this problem are the voters
in the United States of America. Too often, citizens around the country are fed
incorrect information in the media and election cycles that affects the future
of our country.
4.
Paul
Wolfe: School Security Must Be at the Forefront, Gainesville Sun
b.
Paul Wolfe is a 17-year-old candidate running to
be a member of the Alachua County Schoolboard from District 5. He recently
graduated from Buchholz high school and has a passion for better school/campus
security. By security, Paul also refers to the facility failures such as
flooding, cracked walls, etc. that can cause bad situations to turn into
emergency situations.
c.
The problem here is the same problem that Paul
believes needs to be fixed. Security at schools is a problem in need of a
solution. In all aspects, from facility maintenance to better security guards.
This issue is too large of one to go unsolved.
d.
The people affected by this problem are the students,
faculty/administrations, families, and the community surrounding the school.
5.
Miami
Commissioners Tentatively Agree to Raise Parking Rates for Non-Residents,
Miami Herald
b.
The city of Miami has tentatively agreed to
raise parking rates on non-residents so that Miami residents must register with
the city for lower parking rates. This will force Miami residents to register
with the city through the PayByPhone app and then increase rates pretty
significantly for those not registered as a resident. This was a controversial
topic and was ultimately passed.
c.
The problem here is that tourism and day trips
to the Miami area contributes to the economic health of the city overall. I
think that these parking rate hikes may end up deterring non-residents to come
to the city for any reason.
d.
The people affected by this problem are
non-residents of Miami.
Hey Matt,
ReplyDeleteI was so upset when I heard that Cookiegazm was closing its doors because I never got a chance to try one of their famous cookies. So, I really liked that you mentioned this opportunity because I agree that there is room for a competing late night cookie restaurant. I was also very surprised to hear that UF Graduate School enrollment dropped over four percent. I think this drop may be from lack of funds to attend graduate school or lack of motivation after obtaining your undergraduate degree. Overall, all your opportunities were interesting. Great job!