Idea Napkin No. 2

 Idea Napkin #2

1)   You. Who you are. What your talents are. What your skills and experiences are. Also: what are your aspirations? Specifically regarding your business concept, how do you see this business (if you were to start it) playing a role in your life?

I’m a former cosmetologist, corporate accountant and mom of three. I wanted to create something to help those that just don’t seem to have enough time for themselves. I see my business as meeting a need that you didn’t know you had. I wanted something that I could personally benefit from as well.

2)   What are you offering to customers? Describe the product or service (in other words, how you'll solve customers' unmet needs). 

I’m offering an app/website based business that will be a community of cosmetologist available to help clients at the times they need. The goal is to have the availability to benefit the busy client as well as providing a client base that would otherwise be unreachable.

3)   Who are you offering it to? Describe, in as much detail as possible, the demographic and psychographic characteristics of your customers. Think especially of this question: what do your customers all have in common?

I’m catering to those that lack time to themselves. Busy professionals between the ages 25-45 are my core clientele. They will be the ones that are very focused on their daily tasks that scheduling time for themselves are impossible. I see primarily women, will be the ones wanting someone to help them with their styling needs for work but also for play at the hour and with the least amount of notice. No matter age or sex, lack of time is going to be the common denominator.

4)   Why do they care? Your solution is only valuable insofar as customers believe its valuable to them. Here, explain why customers will actually pay you money to use your product or service. 

I believe my customers will pay to have the convenience of their cosmetologist/stylist coming to them on their time. If you can’t seem to schedule in a traditional salon on an hour you need, there is still the need to have these services done. Being busy doesn’t mean you neglect yourself.

5)   What are your core competencies? What sets you apart from everyone else? Also: what do you have that nobody else has? 

I believe I have the knowledge and experience in both sides of the coin. I know what it is like to be so busy that my hair looks horrendous and getting an appointment is impossible. I also know what it is like to fight for clients and convince them to not go somewhere else because you have time constraints that hurt your business and client base.

I believe all of these items are intertwined and make the business a very viable option. I do realize there is going to be constraints such as availability and number of cosmetologist signed up as well geographical problems. Big cities would most likely be best. I think the core customers are correct as well as the desire to have a service like this. Also, I believe it is absolutely something people would pay for.

Memo:

I didn’t get as much critical feedback to respond to, but I was able to clarify in my idea napkin this time around. This is an app based idea like one of my comments had questioned. In addition, I wanted to clarify that I hadn’t planned on actually being apart of the providers as one of my responses inferred. It would be only cosmetologist/stylists that wanted to sign up as a provider and expand their client base. After reading all my responses, I felt really positive that my idea was something people would pay for. I addressed all misunderstanding in my idea napkin this time around.