Idea Napkin #1

In order to continue on with my opportunity belief and concept that I have developed over the past few weeks and are highlighted in my previous blog posts, it is essential for me to take a deeper look into some very important aspects of this potential business idea. As challenging as it may be sometimes, I need to analyze all aspects of this opportunity, and it starts with myself.
Who am I?: I think it is important to know a little bit about my background and how I grew up, and how that is translating into this business concept. I grew up in a middle class family with a stay at home mom and a dad who went to work everyday. By all definitions of the word, I would describe my family as the "average" American family. Then there were some sudden changes in my life. A move from Maryland to Florida and my parents getting divorced. These two events I believe have shaped who I am today. One thing that has always been instilled in me by my parents is hard work. If I want something, it isn't going to be handed to me and I have to work for it. So that is what I have done since I was 16 in order to pay for my car insurance and any leisurely expenses. This is what I believe to be one of my biggest strengths, my work ethic. I will put my mind to any task that I have and work to the best of my ability in order to achieve a goal. Another strength of mine is relationship building. This is a big part of how I operate and work, as I value the relationships that I can make and the benefit that comes from that in a work environment. I have experience in customer service, logistics, fundraising (which I can relate to sales), and a ton of experience working in a team. As far as my aspirations go, I want to do work that will make an impact on people. I don't want to sit behind a computer and plug away at work that isn't going to make a difference. That is why I feel this is a legit business opportunity, as I feel I can make an impact on many young adults' lives.
What am I offering to customers?: As I have described in previous posts, what I am offering is an advising service to graduating high school students and current college students who are taking out student loans in order to pay for college. What this service will do is provide detailed information regarding all there is to know about student loans and the debt and effects that will come from it. I will inform my customers of specifics such as interest rates, unsubsidized vs. subsidized, payback periods, as well as alternative options.
Who am I offering this to?: It is easy to say that I am offering this service to all students who are taking out student loans but that is not the case. I will be offering this service to high schools in low income areas where many of their students going to college will need to take out loans. I will also offer this to students already in college in their first or second year who still have time to make an impact on their total student debt. All of my customers will have in common the fact that they are not aware or have not been told the information that I will have for them with this service.
Why do they care?: My customers care because this is their livelihood that is at stake. As I described in my elevator pitch, the amount of student debt per person in the United States is approaching $40,000. This is at such a crucial point in your life as you are trying to begin a career, begin a family, or just start a life for yourself on your own for the first time. The more debt you have the more challenging and even impossible this can be.
What are my core competencies?: It can easily be said that my service is similar to services such as financial aid on college campuses. The difference with my service is that I am not out to take advantage of the students. I simply want to help these people as I know from personal experience just how confusing this stuff is. I am also currently living this, so the information is fresh and up to date, which will be invaluable to my customers.

After analyzing and determining these specifics about my business idea, I do believe there are some loose ends that need to be tied up and some further information that needs to be gathered. With that said, I truly believe there is a real chance to do something with this business idea. I believe all of these components come together and I think there is a real need for this service in our high schools and colleges.