11A -- Idea Napkin No.1

1.     My name is Ariana Shahnavaz, and I am a second year Industrial and Systems Engineering major here at the University of Florida. I am a very organized person and I think that is an important skill to be successful in schoolwork. I think everybody aspires to help people, and I’m no different. I think my business would put me in a position to help people, even if only a little. I know what it’s like to struggle in a class and feel dumb (for lack of a better word). I think this business would play a big role in my life as I would be able to help students improve and better themselves.

2.     I’m offering a tutoring service to students that need help with their upper-division, major focused classes. Because employers typically look at upper-level classes as opposed to the simply general education classes, I think that it is important that students do especially well in these classes. I will offer a one-on-one tutoring service, a group tutoring service, and just the option to purchase study materials by chapter.

3.     I am specifically offering this service to students who have started taking higher-level classes. This tutoring service will be available for students at the University of Florida. All of my customers are taking harder classes that are specifically geared towards their major. My tutoring service will not be for freshman as there are other tutoring services that cover the general education classes that freshman typically take.

4.     The students need my product because the higher-level classes are the most important for them because they will need to learn the material in order to apply for jobs and actually be successful in their chosen careers. If they are not familiar with the subject material, they will not be able to acquire a job or even keep a job if they get hired. Employers look for skills and knowledge in the workplace, so having a deep understanding of all their major focused classes is important for their future career.

5.     What sets me apart is the fact that I am a student myself. I know how classes get more difficult as you get older, and professors and TAs aren’t always available or very helpful. I think my experiences of struggling through some classes, but ultimately succeeding due to my organization and perseverance is something that I can offer that most people cannot.

I think all of these elements fit together. The only problem that I see at this point is the fact that I don’t have any tutors or really know anybody that could help me with this business. Obviously, there are so many majors and Gainesville is such a small area, so it will be hard to find people with experience in all the subjects I will need. However, I think that because Gainesville is considered a “college town” this business will be successful because there are so many students that want to succeed in their classes, and just need the tools to do so.