The End of a new Begining

When I first started this project, I truly didn't know what to expect. I was nurvous because I created this product that was not a technologic device or creation, so I was curious as to how I could relate it back to subjects based on technology. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised to see that I was able to do so every week!

With that being said, I think the reason why my project evolved over time had to do with the forced posts incorporating technology. I was able to hit a wide array of business tactics in an innovative way that only improved my product and the business power behind it further. Also, the comments that I read under each post were really helpful and really were insightful as to how this product could be pushed to the next level.

The overall experience I think was a good one. This project allowed for me to try something different -- I am no way interested in running my own business, marketing, or technology (to an extent). At times, I almost found this fun! I would always sit in lecture and take mental notes about things I could write about and would look at other products in a new way in terms of their possible advances in the market. This was a great learning experience and, hey, you never know.... ear buddies might just be the new BIG thing!

John Battelle's Searchblog

In my search for finding a relevant technology blogger, I stumbled across John Battelle's blog on technology trends and insights as well as social media posts. As a media enthusiast I was particularly attracted to John's blog due to his inclusion of media paired with technology. The layout of his blog is also eye catching as well as interactive for his readers. Those who view his page have the chance to interact with his sight through comments and have the chance to connect with social media outlets.

Stylisticly his writing is perfect for his targetted audience--all of his posts use an informal language that makes it easy for any viewer to read. In this blog you will find many posts on newly released products with personal reviews from John as well as opinions from other sites. If you aren't that interested in just technology but instead appreciate media, you will find that in this blog as well. Scrolling through the posts it is clear that he has interest in fields such as television and radio, but tends to relate all subjects back to technology and the way it innovates or affects the given social/media/technological fields

If you are interested in John's Technologic/Media blog, please head to the URL posted below. John does keep his posts coming at you, so you sure won't get bored!!! This blogger has been "Ear Buddy" approved and is sure to entertain any with a remote interest in technology and media.

http://battellemedia.com/

John Battelle

Legal Matters...

Hopefully one day my tiny little business will grow to be a larger operating enterprise with multiple employees using different sources of technology for many different purposes. However, at the beginning all business transactions will be done mainly on one computer--it will store all of my clients personal information for purpose of keeping track of who bought how much of my product and for shipment information. Storing this information in this fashion serves as a possible threat to my customers if it isn't handled in the right way or is seen by the wrong people.

Identity theft is an increasing problem in the United States due to the increase online transaction and the mishandling of clients' personal information within businesses. That is why I plan on locking that information in a way that only authorized personnel and I have access to it. Also, if a computer with this information must be thrown out I will destroy the hard drive completely by either pulverizing, shredding or melting the it as well as getting a broken piece of the hard drive fixed while closely watching the person do it. I will never sell a hard drive (external or internal) on the internet with important personal information on it because there is still a large chance that someone can read previously stored information even if the drive is reformatted.

I know this seems a little extreme, but I feel that as a business owner I have the responsibility of keeping my clients' information safe from those who could potentially steal it. Looking ahead, I could also use such computer forensic techniques to track and see what my employees are doing during their work time by getting the information of the company computer's drive. This is to ensure all online time during work is geared towards the product and all internet use is appropriate for the workplace. Now that I think of it, I should probably learn how to execute such a task... right? Oh well! I got some time...

A Catchy Tune

Just like every successful product, Ear Buddies will have to have a fun jingle to stay in all consumer's heads. Now that we have down a functional web layout complete with a practical color scheme geared towards targeting a certain audience, it is important that we look at marketing techniques and one of those includes a jingle. The question now becomes what the format for the audio file posted on the website will be. I have two options: WAV and MP3.

If I am aiming for quality in the audio I post on my site, WAV files would be idealistic. They are substantially large in file size but the audio quality includes a wider array of frequencies which enhance the listening experience. However, most people cannot distinguish the difference between the WAV and MP3 format, and for that reason if I make the jingle accessible by download, I would have the download format as an MP3 file. This will take up less space on the computer and the download time would be significantly decreased. Either way, it is important that some type of phrase is associated with my product, and I believe that a catchy tune will do just that.

To be honest, I struggled with finding a use for the incorporation of material from this week's lecture, but I feel that by somehow including audio as a component of selling the product is a good idea. If you take the time to think about, the products that stick in your head when you go to the store to buy them are generally the ones that leave you singing their jingle within your head. This is where I feel that the use of WAV and MP3 files for different purposes would help my product expand to farther reaches of the marketing world. There is only one thing left to do: make the song...

Now, where did I put my Buddies....

As a business grows, it is important that you have a good system of tracking the whereabouts of your product. Too many times are items lost within the places they are stored, and as a "makeshift" business owner here, the idea of losing sales because of the misplacement of a product is just clearly unacceptable! However, there does seem to be a fix. Instead of the classic barcode placed on each individual Ear Buddy, I now have the option to use RFID chips. Not only is the switch fro barcode to RFID chips practical, it will save me money and my worries about security will be put to rest.

With the RFID technology I have the ability to know the exact whereabouts of each case of Ear Buddies I have within my storage facility. All I have to do is scan a RFID sticker of sorts, and that individual sticker holds unique information about that individual product like a product number, style, size etc. Say a case of my Ear Buddies goes missing, all I will have to do is go to my scanner and type in certain information, and the radio waves will pinpoint exactly where my product is hiding.

RFID has the ability to take my product line past just security innovation, for it creates another way of keeping everything organized. With the use of RFID, products can be located with quickly and can therefore be sent to customers quickly, thus resulting in some happy returning buyers. In this day and age, having a small business is all about staying afloat and to make that happen, you need to be able to have a slight edge. That edge for me is a practical product paired with the ultimate tracking/organizational technology: RFID chips.

Videos Galore!

The key to any product's success is good advertising. Over the next couple years, our nation will see a dramatic increase in online shopping and online video streaming, like on Hulu or Youtube, due to the increase easiness of online access and speed. With that being said, a key importance for the success of ear buddies will have to lie within the way in which my product gains attention online. For this, advertisement or e-hows must be created (this clearly involving video).

For this purpose, I feel as if HTML5 is the best way to go for platforms to run my video on. However, because it is not readily accessible yet to the population at bulk, I think I would first use the Adobe Flash Player. I would construct a website that has videos of my project as well as a user-friendly interface. As far as the method of delivery goes for my video content, the use of the progressive download system will be best for me at first, for I will have a very limited budget and will not be able to afford streaming systems when my business is just starting out. Later on down the line I will probably switch to online streaming that way I can put up videos that last loner than 5 minutes and I will be able to afford a server and all the costs that come along with it.

However, an even easier way to gain viewer video hits is to put product videos on youtube--a hybrid version of the streaming and progressive download mechanisms. With that being said, all use of online social networking sites will help gain attention for my product, so spreading the word through facebook and twitter will be key. As for right now though, simple tweeting and facebook posting will have to do for getting an idea on how popular this idea might just be.

Spread Sheets and Pretty Colors

Who wants to buy my product... someone... anyone? Well hopefully a lot of people. In that case, I need an organized way to make sure shipments go out to the right companies and an orderly way to make sure payments go to the right people. For this purpose, it would be a good idea to use excel. Not only does it provide an orderly approach to organizing information that pertains to my product, but also frees the problem of human error when computing data.

In a world filled with technology savy consumers, it is of the utmost importance to maintain a fully functioning site where people can easily order my product and share product information through social media. More importantly, however, is the way the site looks. For this, I can use the HEX values to get my site looking exactly how I want it to. For example, the pages should have a pink-purple like hue for this product is almost entirely geared towards female consumers. To achieve this color scheme, I would use the values when designing the site.

I tend to be a highly organized person and the use of excel would not only benefit my OCD craziness, but would in the long run benefit the expansion of my product. I also understand the importance of a good looking site and how it is the key to gaining buyers and attention from other media outlets. That is why I feel that Excel and HEX values can be used to benefit the expansion and success of my product.

"Ear Buddies"

Calling all girls out there who have been victims of the brutal violence from their hair straighteners. Though pain is beauty, there is absolutely NO reason why one should fall victim to nasty burns on their ears from trying to get that one hard to reach stubborn section of hair to fall to straight perfection. Lets face it, we have all carelessly clipped the side of our ear at least once... or twice... ok, maybe even three times, and you probably muttered a few unfriendly words to your straightening friend. Well it gives me great pleasure to inform you that those frustrating, ear burning mornings have seen their last days, for I have found the solution!

For the entrepreneurship project, I propose "Ear Buddies," tightly fitting heat-resistant covers that are made to be placed over and around ears to prevent accidental burning from hair straighteners. Essentialy, a small cotton-synthetic sack with elastic drawstrings would be placed over the top of the ear and pulled down to cover the bottom and sides--extra elastic hanging from the bottom can be pulled to give the sack a tighter fit. Because we all have different ear sizes I would make them in varying sizes so there is no extra bulk for those with small ears and is not too tight for those with larger ears. Also, to make the product more marketable, "Ear Buddies" will come in different colors and designs.

I believe that this product would sell because it addresses and solves a beauty "issue" of sort that has existed for many years and many burns. Whether it be a mother attempting to de-kink her squirming daughters hair, or a half-awake college student carelessly straightening her hair in the dark as to not wake up her roommate, this product caters to all women and girls of all ages with different ear shapes and sizes. The question now becomes, will you use protection.... for your ears?