W14 Reflection: Entrepreneurial Journal Final Blog

My brother is starting a window washing business. As he has gone through the steps I have been paying close attention. Each challenge that he has met and difficulty he has faced has been for me a live action example of the teachings of this course. I saw as he came up with a strategy and identified his product and market. I watched as he budgeted out the first couple of years, even gave him some advice. I have been happy to see that he has found good people to partner with, and that they have drawn clear lines of expectations.

I am excited to see him finally begin his business. I think his model is sound. He is yet lacking a few things but will I think have a great summer. We were discussing today a strategy that he is employee to help his businesses growth rate for the first year, a promotion he and his partner are doing to get and retain customers. They will be offering 10 percent off, up to 100 dollars, for a customer’s job if that customer is able to refer another. We had a fun conversation in discussion the different variables that he might follow in coming up with and offering this strategy.

As I have watched him in this process I have been considering what sort of business I might start out with. I know I want eventually to take existing models and restructure them to be more for the employees than for the business owner, but am uncertain if that idea will turn out to be successful, much less something someone would want to fund or invest in. It is a difficult mental puzzle that I am still working out. I could do something simple at first, I even think that might be best. A simple burger chain or ice cream. Everyone loves ice cream, but how one might structure that business model to be more a profit to its employees is still beyond my reach. But only just. I can feel it all coming together, slowly but surely.