Assignment 4A - Forming An Opportunity Belief

Forming an Opportunity Belief

The problem I'm addressing is that there is nowhere in my town (Lake Butler) to get good coffee quickly. The majority of adults in this country drink coffee, and the small town of Lake Butler is no different. There are many people who are affected by this problem, including parents, teachers, police officers, high school students, and pretty much all working adults. This need has existed for many years, at least the last 10 years that I have resided in Lake Butler. The need is most prevalent in the morning before people go to their jobs or school. The only current alternative to having a coffee shop is to make your own by using coffee makers at home or a coffee machine at your place of business, or getting a cup of coffee at the local gas station. These alternatives meet the need for coffee, but they both take more time and may not taste as good as coffee from a good coffee shop. Coffee shops also offer more variety when it comes to coffee drinks. I am 100% sure that this need exists.

The typical customer would be working adults and high school students. Adults and teenagers with drivers licenses residing in the Lake Butler area and anyone who comes into Lake Butler for work or school would be the typical customers. These typical customers who be of all races, genders, and income levels.

Prototypical Customer #1 - Lori, female, age 57, works part-time:
Lori says she has felt a need for a coffee shop here in town for many years. Having lived in other places with coffee shops, she misses them now that she lives in Lake Butler. She is most aware of this need when meeting up with friends or colleagues. She would use the coffee shop more for a place to get together with friends to chat or catch up. She first became aware of this need once moving to Lake Butler and realizing there was nowhere to meet up or get a good cup of coffee. She currently manages the need by meeting up with friends at her house or their houses and making her own coffee. This doesn't satisfy her need or desire for having a coffee shop in town. 

Prototypical Customer #2 - Kevin, male, age 32, works full-time:
Kevin says that he needs his coffee for energy each day. He typically drinks coffee in the morning before work but sometimes doesn't have time to make himself a cup in the morning. He has had the need ever since becoming an adult and joining the workforce. He became aware of the need once his life got busier and he had less time to make his own coffee in the morning. He doesn't mind making his own coffee when he has time, but would love to have a place to go when he's running out the door in the morning. He doesn't want to run into the gas station to get his coffee, so he is not satisfied with current alternatives.

Prototypical Customer #3 - Megan, female, age 30, works full-time:
Megan likes to have coffee when she feels tired and needs the extra energy. She is a mom so she feels tired often. She also works full-time and would like to have a place to go grab coffee after dropping her kids off at school and before going to work. She says she is usually running late and rarely has the time to make herself a good cup of coffee before leaving the house. She would love the convenience of a coffee shop with a drive-thru window. She is most aware of the need in the morning, but would also like a place to go in the evening and when she's off work to sit and relax. She would also love to have a place that offered sweets or desserts, and she likes the variety of coffee drinks that a coffee shop provides. She first came aware of this need after moving from Gainesville to Lake Butler. She doesn't like the coffee offered at the gas station and says that it is not a good option for her. She is not satisfied with current alternatives.

After these interviews, I learned that an opportunity definitely exists for this need. I discovered that people want more than a quick cup of coffee. Two of my prototypical customers mentioned that they would like a place to go to sit and spend time with friends and relax. I concluded that there is a need for a coffee shop that offers sweets, like doughnuts, cookies, etc. 

I think my idea evolved from a quick place to grab a cup of coffee to more of a coffee shop, still with a drive-thru window, but also with seating and a comfortable space to hangout. It would still meet the original need for coffee, but also offer a place for adults and teens to go to hangout with friends. That seems to be more of what the customers want. I believe that adapting to customer feedback is important to meet the real needs of the customers. I would do more interviews and get more feedback before developing a business plan.