25

Existing Market

1. I think what’s next in terms of my product would be to develop the app and the algorithm that pairs students living in the same dorm complex to clean one another’s rooms. After doing this, I would then need to advertise the service to build up interest. Once I have built up enough interest, I would then establish a program where the cleaners can buy supplies and they would be reimbursed for their purchases. After interviewing enough people, I have determined that there is some demand for this service so that advertising wouldn’t be hard, only creating the algorithm to compare people with this need and cleaners. Additionally, I know many people want to be cleaners since they can earn money on a free-lance schedule, but I would have to ensure that they are able to do so.

2. So after interviewing three potential customers who personally agreed that not only do they fit this demographic but that they would use this service. The main issue that every single one of these interviews brought up, which I thought was interesting because it doesn’t come from their perspective, is that cleaners might not be willing to sign up in less I gave them a really good price deal on what they could earn. Despite being customers, each one had the need that my business should in the beginning be catered to pleasing the cleaners. Customers will always need for their rooms to be cleaned but people are only going to be willing to work for you on a free-lance schedule if you are paying them enough. I thought that this means the beginning time of this service being publicly offered should be catered towards my cleaners. Always customers come first and I will take measures to please them but more importantly I will take an effort to please the cleaners working for me and establish a positive company culture.

3. The most sense for my venture means to create the algorithm and app in order to provide the actual service and make it possible to use. After establishing this I would then first focus on marketing to cleaners. Since my customers focused on this being an issue, I decided to choose to focus on finding cleaners first. Not only does it make the most logical sense, but it also would be fulfilling the idea of creating a positive company culture that is catered to my company.

            My first 100 days would be focused on creating an atmosphere that both benefits my consumers and employees. I would offer promotion deals to customers in order to take them away from my competitors and alternative options and move them to my service. Once customers see the low cost and efficient job that my service would provide, they would routinely use my service to clean their rooms. This would allow me to also at the same time give great prices to early cleaners and offer incentivizing options like maybe partnering with local Gainesville companies to give the cleaners a deal. Additionally, while starting this business, I would use it as well to get first-hand experience on how well the cleaners are working and how the process goes so I could know from a customer perspective.

New Market

1. My current demographic is a market that has the disposable income to spend on this service. I think the most radically different market for me would be the same consumer need just without the disposable income to afford the service. This could give me insight into what people that are concerned with the prices may think and alternatives to my cleaning service that are more cost effective.

2. The creative way to help the customers in this demographic would be to offer shorter time slots. The cleaners could do half of the work they normally do for a cheaper price. Maybe they would wipe off all surfaces, something people could do themselves if they are able, and instead vacuum and dust off higher to reach shelves and AC units. This would allow the ability for my service to provide differing product options depending on what the customer can afford, needs, and is comfortable doing themselves.

3.  The people in this market offered the idea that they make their own time to clean their rooms. They build in 30 minutes to an hour a week to take care of their room even if they are busy just because this type of service is unaffordable.  They offered the solution that for a cheaper cost, instead of my service supplying the cleaning supplies, the people that want a more affordable price point can supply their own supplies at a cheaper cost and have the cleaners use their supplies. This would allow people in this market to clean their room themselves when they have time, but occasionally use my service to have their rooms cleaned while supplying the cleaning materials that they know and use as well.

4. What I learned about people in this market is that they were willing to sacrifice their own time in order to save money. This is something that I as well as a lot of people in my demographic take for granted. I learned that it doesn’t mean they don’t want the service, it just means at the moment the service is unrealistic for them. The demand is always there if the money is just sometimes the economic costs get in the way.

            Another thing I learned comes from the idea that Apple provides different versions of iPhone at different prices. This means that they completely understood that consumers would want a more toned-down version of their service because it is more affordable. Learning from this gave me the idea to provide different options on what the cleaners provide for different price points. This would be copying Apples ideas in that the demand is still there.