At the
University of Florida and Santa Fe College in Gainesville, motor-scooters are a
common item to own for undergraduate and graduate students. Most students that
are currently enrolled in college range in age from eighteen to twenty-five
years old. These students ride scooters, motorcycles, and bicycles daily to and
from their home to campus. There is even an abundance of students that live on
campus who own these vehicles. Unfortunately, most of these students are not
wearing helmets while riding their vehicles. Whether they lost them, didn’t
purchase one, or simply refuse to wear a helmet, this is a dangerous situation.
It does not matter how far the trip will be, people should always be wearing
helmets when riding a bicycle, scooter, or motorcycle. Students are putting
themselves in dangerous situations and disregarding their safety by not
protecting themselves. Most students will purchase a helmet, and then proceed
to lose it or simply never wear it. This could also extend to any non-student
in the Gainesville area that does not care to wear a helmet when riding one of
these vehicles. Students are not the only ones making these poor decisions, and
it is a pretty scary truth. I believe that there will always be a market of
incoming students and new-scooter owners who need to purchase helmets. Riding
motorcycles, scooters, and bicycles to and from class is a steady trend, and I
believe there will always be people who are looking to buy a helmet to keep
themselves safe.
My company,
Street Smart, will be designing, manufacturing, and selling helmets to students
and non-students who own bicycles, scooters, or motorcycles. These helmets will
be customizable on our website or in-store, and this will ensure that each
customer is beyond satisfied with his or her purchase.
The customizable aspects will
consist of:
·
Material
·
Shape
·
Fit (provide measurements)
·
Color
·
Design
Customers will be able to personalize
their helmets so that they are satisfied with the
purchase in the end. These helmets will provide complete
protection to the customer’s head, and an optional eye shield will be available
as well. There will be a strap that wraps under the chin in order to secure the
helmet safely. Each helmet’s cost will vary, but the helmets will range from
around $70.00-$90.00. Most helmets are around this price range, but these land
on the higher end because of how customizable and high-quality they are. The purchase
will include a helmet and a lock and key to secure the helmet to the scooter
when not in use.
These
helmets will attract college students because they are fashionable and
comfortable. This will eliminate the danger of students riding to and from
classes or work without wearing a helmet. The importance of safety and wearing
a helmet cannot be stressed enough, and my company will make that clear to each
and every individual customer. Customers will want to buy these helmets because
of how comfortable and stylish they will be. I think customers will want to
switch to this new product because of how customizable they are. There are
currently no other scooter stores in Gainesville that allow customers to personalize
their helmets. Also, I think that once customers who already have helmets see
what these new ones can look like, they will highly consider switching to this
helmet. In Gainesville, there are multiple other scooter stores such as Solano
Cycle and New Scooters 4 Less that sell helmets for scooters. My company’s
advantage is that neither of these stores allow customizable capabilities to
their helmets. Their helmets are limited in sizing, and my helmets will allow
customers to provide measurements in order to perfectly fit the helmet, which
in turn is safer for the customer while riding. This will reduce the
possibility that the helmet will slip or not properly cover the entire head.
My business
will provide a website and a local location that customers can use as resources
when inquiring about pricing, options, shipping, and more. The website will
clearly outline all of the different customizable options, price points, and
shipping details. The local store location will also be convenient for anyone
who would want to try on sample helmets or speak with customer service representatives
in person. My business itself would consist of the CEO, a team of five store
managers, three assistant managers, and part-time staff members. This can also
include interns from the college or university in order to provide experience
and professional training.
I think my
business has the ‘unfair advantage’ of me being a college student who owns a
scooter and struggles with my helmet every day. I understand that wearing
helmets can be considered ‘uncool,’ and they can honestly just be
uncomfortable. I can talk with peers about what they would like to see in their
helmets, what their current problems with them are, and even work out group
purchases with athletic teams. Eventually, I would hope that my business would
grow to encompass more than just helmets. I think that I could grow my business
to providing more safety accessories to scooters, motorcycles, and bicycles.
After enough growth, the business could even have separate departments for each
vehicle. This would widen my target customers beyond people who simply need helmets.
Finally, as an entrepreneur I would hope to be the CEO of this company, and
possibly managing or consulting with other scooter companies. I think this
venture would help me learn a lot about the scooter business, and I would be
able to branch out in that area. I would hopefully be able to look to expand
into Tallahassee or Orlando because they also have major universities.
