Venture Concept No. 2

Opportunity:

The opportunity that I identified is the need for a method that lets people get parking spots based on how long they have been working, instead of just a matter of luck.

Who has the need?

People who go to places with limited parking, like event venues, colleges and universities, malls during sales events, etc.

The nature of the need

This need occurs as people have the necessity to be on time to different places, but sometimes this gets complicated as multiple factors may make them be late.

What are the forces or changes in the environment creating this opportunity?

As technology evolves, digital solutions to the physical problem of limited parking start to arise. Therefore, technology is the force creating this opportunity.

How is this market defined geographically and demographically?

Geographically, opportunities may be present in very diverse locations across the United States, or even internationally. Demographically, this would probably work better with people over 18, with access to the internet and smartphones, employed or going to college, and who attend crowded places with limited parking.

How are customers currently satisfying this need?  And how loyal are they to whatever they use now?

Currently, there are some places that offer VIP parking spots, or valet parking, which tend to be very pricey. They are not very loyal to the options they have right now, as they tend to be very pricey.

How big is this opportunity?

It may be very big, as there are so many places where parking is limited, and where some organization for it might make a huge difference.

How long will the “window of opportunity” be open?

It will be open for a long time, but especially until any other company decides to take it.

Innovation

My solution for the previously mentioned issue is an app that people download to their smartphones. With this, they can reserve, get in waitlists, and get assigned to available parking spots in real-time, so that the distribution of these limited spots is equitable. The way this works is that in those places where parking, I would offer my services and install sensors in each of the parking spots that would detect when it is being utilized and when it frees up. When this happens, it assigns that spot to whoever has been waiting for longer, or whoever reserved it previously. And the way I make money is by charging an installation fee, and an annual maintenance fee to the owners of these places, to organize and modernize their parking situation. My installation fee would be the price of the equipment plus a 30% profit, and the maintenance fee would be depending on the size, but around $10,000 annually for 5 to 10 thousand spots.

Venture Concept

What are the reasons to think customers would switch to this new product?  How hard will it be to get them to switch?

They will do it because it is going to be a service for their own customers, and it is going to make their lives easier and make them want to go to their businesses without worrying about parking.

Who are the competitors?  What are their possible weaknesses or vulnerabilities?

Competitors are valet parking services or VIP parking spots. Their weakness is that very few people want to pay for them.

What role does packaging, your price points, distribution, customer support, the customer experience or the business location play (if any) in defining your business concept?

Since there is no packaging involved, the only thing that matters would be my pricing.

How would you organize a “business” to support the ongoing production of your new product, service, or process? How many employees? What roles are in the venture?

I would need a certain number of technicians and programmers to run the company. I can probably start with less than 10 full-time employees.

Three Minor Elements

Most Important Resource: My yet unexploited idea, because that makes it profitable.

What’s next: After I begin, I can expand to other transportation services, like internal buses, for very big places.

What’s next for me: I want to be in a position where my company is constantly growing, and I have the economic means to support my family

Feedback

Fortunately, the feedback was very good, so I kept most of the Venture Concept the same as my peers absolutely liked it. I also learned that they like my idea of subleasing parking spots as an alternative market to make even more profit, so I made sure that it was clearly explained during my Venture Concept.