Opportunity:
My business will provide a service in which targets college students who have tobacco addictions. This is a major need, especially with students who decide to go to college outside of their hometown, because they no longer have easy access to their friends and family for support.
We have had significant impacts to our society with the COVID-19 and personally, I have dealt with issues with even being seen by a doctor. Many college students are turning to tobacco products to help reduce their anxiety and stress – and with COVID-19, they have to social distance, creating a gap between their current support system. We want to act as a bridge in which provides them the assistance they need to get well while quitting their tobacco addiction.
I believe this window of opportunity will always be available, because although the use of cigarettes have decreased, the use of e-cigarettes or vapes have increased. Since they are new to the market, many students still are not understanding the long term effects they will have on their body. Many believe they are not as harmful, because they are vaporized, but health complications such as “popcorn lungs” has become prominent.
Our goal is to not only provide services and products to help kick the tobacco addiction, but to also raise awareness of the burden these products will create in your life.
Innovation:
In order to provide service that is personalized to each individuals needs, we will begin with a questionnaire along the lines of-
- What tobacco products do you use?
- When did you start using these products?
- How often do you use these products?
- Have you tried to stop before? What was the result?
- Did someone in your family use tobacco products when you were growing up?
- Do you or an immediate family member have any mental illnesses?
Based on the information provided, we will set up a plan in which addresses the best way to end their habit, while also ensuring they don’t need any additional help that’s beyond the tobacco use. You will get paired with an advisor whose sole focus is to ensure the plan is effective, and if not they will act accordingly. The advisors will be the customers main point of contact for the services which are listed below-
- Provide nicotine patches/gum
- Therapists
- Group support
- 24/7 access to phone calls, emails, text messages etc. if you need to talk
- List of affordable health programs
We are a non-profit organization which heavily relies on the support from our community. We will provide different rallies in order to raise money and we are also very dependent upon volunteers. These rallies will include fundraisers that will also raise awareness to our brand and service.
We are looking for volunteers within the same demographic to our target customers, that way they are able to relate to one another easier. This business plan is a slow walk in the beginning until we are able to get more established.
In the future, we hope to have financial backing from companies such as CVS since they have also made the decision to become tobacco-less. We believe they will support us for having similar views and the same goal.
Venture Concept:
My innovation will solve the opportunity, because it allows a customized plan in which will be most beneficial to our customer. For example, someone who smokes cigarettes out of stress will need a different plan of action for someone who says they just smoke when they are drunk. While one understands that they have an addiction, the other is not as aware. We must cater to each individuals persons needs in order to best suit them.
If we provide enough relevant information to our target customers, they will understand the harm they are causing to their body and will at least be interested in the next steps to quit. We understand that with our business, a key element is the customer actually wanting the service. “You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot force it to drink.” Although we will provide all of the services they need, they will also have to be a willing participant and understand why quitting will improve their life.
Our biggest competition would be Tobacco Free Florida. They are an anti-smoking organization based in Florida and also administered by the Florida Department of Health. They are a well-known company, but I think they lack the personal relationships. Although I see their commercials and their smoke free zones, I do not see them targeting this demographic. The commercials commonly reflect older individuals and the smoke free zones I have seen are at places like my job, which is a law firm and a bank – mainly individuals who are older.
Three Minor Elements:
1. I think my most important resource will be the support for the community.
2. The next venture will include all drug addictions, not just tobacco.
3. In the next five years I want to continue to help individuals in the community who do not have the same support and privilege as other people do.
Feedback of Summary:
I received positive feedback in which agreed to my point of the increased vape usage in young adults. I was given the idea to add fundraising as a way to raise more funds for my service. I do not believe right now I want to charge a small fee for services, especially with how the market is now. Many people are living paycheck to paycheck and no longer have the extra funds coming in from unemployment. I want to be able to help people and not have them worry about the costs of it.
Changed Venture Concept:
Not only will I expand to fundraisers, but I will also add something similar to an "exit interview." Once someone is finished with the program, I would like to know what they struggled with and if there would have been anything that could've helped them out during that time. I want to know how they were treated by the staff and if any changes needed to be made to ensure we are assisting them properly.
