Friday, May 29, 2015
May Extra Blog (LAST BLOG!)
The time has come for my very last blog post here. There are only 16 days until graduation!!! My senior presentation is done and I am so very relieved! It has been quite the year, with it's ups and downs. Perhaps one day I'll come back with a successful small business, but until then...
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Blog #23: Senior Project Relflection
(1) Positive Statement
What are you most proud of in your block presentation and/or your senior project? Why?
In my presentation, I am most proud of how my powerpoint/visual aid turned out. I spent a lot of time making sure that I had slides on everything I needed to cover, and wanted to make it aesthetically pleasing to keep people's interest. I think my powerpoint really helped to guide my presentation and laid my ideas out clearly.
For my senior project, I'm most proud of the work I did in my independent components. Working to create my own small business was very rewarding because I could experience first-hand what I was researching. I'm proud of how my business blog turned out because it represents everything I researched for my third answer, and I really enjoyed the process of blogging.
(2) Questions to Consider
a. What assessment would you give yourself on your block presentation (self-assessment)?
I would give myself a P-, because I believe I met the basic requirements. I was so concerned with getting all of my information out and making time, that I think my presentation may not have been the most exciting, but still was informative and got the job done.
b. What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)?
For overall senior project, I think I deserve a P. I thought I did well with research, but was lacking in mentorship. I did keep on top of my work, but definitely didn't have much time to go above and beyond.
(3) What worked for you in your senior project?
One thing that worked really well for me was research. With my topic, I was able to find many books that helped me dig deeper into small business marketing. I read many authors and learned different facts from their various perspectives. I also got to interact with many small business owners for interviews, because I mentored with so many people and got many perspectives.
(4) (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your senior project if you could go back in time?
I wish I could of had a stronger mentorship experience. Jumping around with different mentors definitely was a setback. I feel like I didn't get the same experience that some other seniors did. I would have spent more time during the summer finding a quality mentorship. I learned lots working with my mom, but I also think it would have been more beneficial to work with someone who has an in-store business, or even a team of empolyees to get the full experience.
(5) Finding Value
How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors? Be specific and use examples.
Working on this project has actually helped me a lot in my work habits. Having a project to work on for such an extended period of time is something I had never experienced in the past. I had to learn to take it one step at a time, and try to avoid getting overwhelmed by the size of the project. It definitely took some trial and error to figure out how to handle the workload. I found that the best way to do so was by planning ahead of time all of my due dates and deadlines.
Since I had some trouble with mentoring, I learned some things as well. I was ready to give up, but instead I had to work with what I had to get the most out of the experience. In a way, this setback was good for me, because it forced me to be resourceful and reach out of my comfort zone to talk to new mentors, and find information out for myself. I think these skills will certainly help me through college and beyond.
What are you most proud of in your block presentation and/or your senior project? Why?
In my presentation, I am most proud of how my powerpoint/visual aid turned out. I spent a lot of time making sure that I had slides on everything I needed to cover, and wanted to make it aesthetically pleasing to keep people's interest. I think my powerpoint really helped to guide my presentation and laid my ideas out clearly.
For my senior project, I'm most proud of the work I did in my independent components. Working to create my own small business was very rewarding because I could experience first-hand what I was researching. I'm proud of how my business blog turned out because it represents everything I researched for my third answer, and I really enjoyed the process of blogging.
(2) Questions to Consider
a. What assessment would you give yourself on your block presentation (self-assessment)?
I would give myself a P-, because I believe I met the basic requirements. I was so concerned with getting all of my information out and making time, that I think my presentation may not have been the most exciting, but still was informative and got the job done.
b. What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)?
For overall senior project, I think I deserve a P. I thought I did well with research, but was lacking in mentorship. I did keep on top of my work, but definitely didn't have much time to go above and beyond.
(3) What worked for you in your senior project?
One thing that worked really well for me was research. With my topic, I was able to find many books that helped me dig deeper into small business marketing. I read many authors and learned different facts from their various perspectives. I also got to interact with many small business owners for interviews, because I mentored with so many people and got many perspectives.
(4) (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your senior project if you could go back in time?
I wish I could of had a stronger mentorship experience. Jumping around with different mentors definitely was a setback. I feel like I didn't get the same experience that some other seniors did. I would have spent more time during the summer finding a quality mentorship. I learned lots working with my mom, but I also think it would have been more beneficial to work with someone who has an in-store business, or even a team of empolyees to get the full experience.
(5) Finding Value
How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors? Be specific and use examples.
Working on this project has actually helped me a lot in my work habits. Having a project to work on for such an extended period of time is something I had never experienced in the past. I had to learn to take it one step at a time, and try to avoid getting overwhelmed by the size of the project. It definitely took some trial and error to figure out how to handle the workload. I found that the best way to do so was by planning ahead of time all of my due dates and deadlines.
Since I had some trouble with mentoring, I learned some things as well. I was ready to give up, but instead I had to work with what I had to get the most out of the experience. In a way, this setback was good for me, because it forced me to be resourceful and reach out of my comfort zone to talk to new mentors, and find information out for myself. I think these skills will certainly help me through college and beyond.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Blog #22: Mentorship
Literal
· Log of specific hours with a total and a description of your duties updated on the right hand side of your blog
Hours
Hours
· Contact Name and Mentorship Place
Laura Grello, Etsy: OneDutchButtercup
Interpretive
Interpretive
What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?
I definitely gained a sense of the "behind the scenes" action that takes place in a business. Marketing plays a big part in gaining customers, sure, but having a strong business is ultimately the most important thing to focus on. Once you have a solid foundation, marketing becomes endlessly simpler.
Throughout my mentorship, I spent a lot of time on things like taking inventory and making sure that my mentor's business as a whole was running smoothly, all while maintaining a consistent brand. I thought of it like this: if a business is going to market one thing, but not deliver, that ruins the trust between customer and business. So, it's important to live up to the expectations you put forth in marketing.
Applied
Throughout my mentorship, I spent a lot of time on things like taking inventory and making sure that my mentor's business as a whole was running smoothly, all while maintaining a consistent brand. I thought of it like this: if a business is going to market one thing, but not deliver, that ruins the trust between customer and business. So, it's important to live up to the expectations you put forth in marketing.
Applied
How has what you’ve done helped you to answer your EQ? Please explain.
Since I was often able to choose which tasks I wanted to focus on during my mentorship, I got some specific experience with using social media. Simple jobs such as responding to customer questions or comments helped me to see how the producer-consumer relationship works. This plays a big role in creating a web presence, because social media involves that interaction. You have to know how to make customers comfortable and wanting to engage. It may seem overly simple, but there is an art to creating a brand, establishing a voice, and sticking to it.
My mentor helped me to understand what her business was all about, and from there, I could take on that brand identity and apply it to my interactions with her customers. Prior to this experience, I didn't recognize the importance of these interactions and thought it would not require any thought. Now I can appreciate the effort that business owners put into crafting the perfect way to speak with potential customers.
Since I was often able to choose which tasks I wanted to focus on during my mentorship, I got some specific experience with using social media. Simple jobs such as responding to customer questions or comments helped me to see how the producer-consumer relationship works. This plays a big role in creating a web presence, because social media involves that interaction. You have to know how to make customers comfortable and wanting to engage. It may seem overly simple, but there is an art to creating a brand, establishing a voice, and sticking to it.
My mentor helped me to understand what her business was all about, and from there, I could take on that brand identity and apply it to my interactions with her customers. Prior to this experience, I didn't recognize the importance of these interactions and thought it would not require any thought. Now I can appreciate the effort that business owners put into crafting the perfect way to speak with potential customers.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Blog #21: Exit Interview
(1) What is your essential question, and what are your answers? What is your best answer and why?
EQ: What is the most effective way for a small business to create an online web presence to promote their business?
1st answer: Identify a target audience and determine which websites to use to market to that audience.
2nd answer: Update online content frequently.
3rd answer: Create a blog to establish a relationship with customers.
Best answer: My first answer, to identify a target audience and thus find social media platforms to use for marketing, is my best answer. I chose this because this answer creates the basis for my whole project. Marketing is based on communication, and so it's important to find the potential customers you want to reach, and figure out how you want to reach them.
1st answer: Identify a target audience and determine which websites to use to market to that audience.
2nd answer: Update online content frequently.
3rd answer: Create a blog to establish a relationship with customers.
Best answer: My first answer, to identify a target audience and thus find social media platforms to use for marketing, is my best answer. I chose this because this answer creates the basis for my whole project. Marketing is based on communication, and so it's important to find the potential customers you want to reach, and figure out how you want to reach them.
(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?
I actually came to this answer pretty early on in my research. After reading many basic business books, I gathered that finding a target audience and deciding how to market to them is pretty necessary. As I continued researching, I went more into the specifics of how exactly to build that online presence. I could have chosen one of those aspects for my best answer, but I know that none of that is going to be effective if you're not reaching the people who will actually care. It's like talking to a bunch of preschoolers about physics. No matter how great a physicist you are, they aren't really going to care, because they can't fully relate to or understand you. Thus, you need to find those people who will be able to understand and be on the same page as you/your business.
(3) What problems did you face? How did you resolve them?
I went back and forth many times, trying to figure out what my best answer should be. I thought that perhaps my first answer was too obvious to use. But then I realized that just because it's fairly basic, does not mean that it's not important. When it comes down to it, there are a few ideas that apply to all sorts of marketing, and I believe that the audience is a huge factor.
(4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?
My first source is a book called Engagement Marketing by Gail F. Goodman, because it introduced me to the whole idea of interacting with customers in a way that's fun and inviting. It reinforced the idea that communication is key is marketing, and really forms the basis for the consumer/producer relationship.
My second source is another book, Visual Marketing by Anita Campbell, because it focuses on different ways of reaching customers. Along with giving specific examples that go outside of the box, it also included a lot of basic tips on what people want from a business and how to deliver that to them.
My second source is another book, Visual Marketing by Anita Campbell, because it focuses on different ways of reaching customers. Along with giving specific examples that go outside of the box, it also included a lot of basic tips on what people want from a business and how to deliver that to them.
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