25A – What’s Next?

Existing Market

1.) After establishing my main business and creating the best education system possible, I believe I can expand into an online type course. But I wouldn't want to make a course that is fully online because I believe this type of education system needs to be more personal. I would like to create this in a way that students aren't stuck in one place and are free to travel and work and still get their education done in a personal way.

2.) The first person that I interviewed believes that my business should consider offering courses on how to actually work with artificial intelligence instead of working to combat it. For example, how to maintenance machines and work with technology. He likes my idea of moving online because online is always more convenient.

The next person suggested that I establish a type of service that will allow my students to network with employers of new industries. Once I establish a reputation, he believes I should do something that helps my students acquire jobs. This person said that he likes that my business will move to online, but he said to make sure that it doesn't wash out what I'm trying to accomplish.

In my last interview, the person suggested that I also offer more specific type classes so that I can move into the vocational schools' market as well. He seemed to be very hesitant about my business using an online platform because he believes this type of education needs to remain very hand on.

3.) After conducting my interviews and coming up with some ideas on my own, I believe I see a path for the future that will be best with for my business. I like the idea of creating an online platform for my education service, but I will definitely listen to my market's ideas. I need to make sure the service stays very hands on and gives my students the education they deserve.

Out of the ideas that were suggested to me, I liked the one about establishing a network that assists my students in finding jobs. I believe that as a higher education service, it is my duty to help my students actually obtain a job with the education that they receive. I'd like to partner with companies that understand what my business is all about and want to be a part of it. Doing this will definitely improve my reputation with customers and bring me even more business.

New Market

1.) I am currently targeting the working class, but in order to expand my market, I can try to target the upper class.

2.) I believe that once I establish my future plan which involves networking and establishing relationships with employers, I will start to involve more upper class people in my business. But my plan would be to create a segment of my business that appeals to higher educated people by holding seminars that help fine tune their skills. It is likely that the more educated are not willing to take yet another form of higher education.

3.) In my first interview, the person believes that if I am able to establish a nice reputation of being able to help my students get jobs then I will be able to adapt to this new market pretty well. He just believes I will need to model my seminars around obtaining more white collar type jobs that more highly educated people are looking for.

The second person I interviewed believes that a seminar system could be useful and successful because it can give people confidence when looking for and applying for jobs. He said that an adaptation I might need to make would be to create seminars that really help people through the application and interview process and also help teach people how to actually apply the skills they learned in college.

4.) I have to admit that I am a bit surprised at how optimistic these two people were about my business. I figured this would be a difficult market to tap into because I know that I wouldn't really want to do more school after already having a form of higher education. But surprisingly, these two liked my idea and said they would consider it. So, my expectations were definitely a little off.

This market, to me, definitely does not seem as attractive as my original market considering I don't believe there is a whole lot I can do with it. But it is nice to know that I will be able to tap into it a little. But the original market will have a lot more potential especially because they are interested in doing full semester long classes rather than just seminars.