TODO: Refine
Hi, I'm Mike Chase and I'm a developer and IT tech at the USAF Gaming Research Integration for Learning Laboratory. I'm also a recent graduate of the University of Dayton.
I'm starting a new business called VR-BIT that will provide students with affordable laptops and access to performance desktops that support VR/AR/XR technology. I know that many students burn through laptops quickly, and I want to offer them a reliable and affordable option. I also know that many students have never experienced VR, and I want to give them the opportunity to try it out.
In addition to selling laptops and providing access to VR experiences, {name} will also offer students seeking a safe and secure space to spend their time. We will have a variety of games and activities available, as well as non-alcoholic refreshments.
I have a lot of experience working with students. After working for new student programs at UD, the theater, and volunteering for the center of social concern, I found a job where I help middle-school students build R/C cars out of cardboard & servo motors, high-schoolers write Python GUI applications, and now, I want to help my fellow college-students and future colleagues pursue their passions by gaining leadership, communication skills (which is important for the nerds), and even teaching experience.
I'm going to use the business model canvas to organize my ideas. It's a commonly-accepted format for business plans.
Took an entrepreneurship course.
Customers obviously.
Streamers will promote VR and do "good things."
UD Students will see VR-Bit and play it themselves.
UD Student Orgs can use space for fundraising.
Entrepreneurs can use servers for their own ideas for a fee.
Cat Café will supply fostered cats & some will adopt.
Compsci Dept benefits bc it reduces students' unemployment risk.
UD benefits as I acquire non-STEM majors.
UD Entreprenuership: do those tests free video games for them.
Run as an IT Shop
Helpdesk
Hardware Support
Security/Privacy
Upgrade used computers.
Latenight CompSci Tutoring
Resell & trade used computers.
Provide gaming lounges & Virtual-Reality Spaces (exclusively for UD students (to establish that partnership)
2x Competent Compsci peeps
2x Junior Nitwits
1x Building (On Brown St.)
Value Propositions
Freshman & sophomores don't have jobs, cars, or money but require computers. Shipping to UD housing sucks & takes a week so they can't buy online.
An IT shop on/near campus will catch customers who can't go to Best Buy.
Rich freshman/sophomores want space to hangout & prove they're alpha to their friends.
Customer Relationships
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Channels
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Customer Segments
Blah blah blahs.
Cost depends on the service or product provided and the corresponding complexity.
Phase 1: Core Services
Words words words.
Phase 2: Bonus Services
Revenue streams depend on what phase I'm in and the complexity.
Phase 1: Core Support
Product Rentals/Sales: customers will rent equipment until they've covered the cost of owning the product. Reduced risk of dissatisfaction & suitable for used equipment.
PCs and Macs: probably $5/day with a deposit.
Gaming PCs: $10/day with a deposit. Discounts on weekdays.
PC Components: sales only probably. Maybe rent graphics cards?
Consoles: $5/day plus $1 per game or $5/day for new games.
Books: used school materials. Flip that.
Trade: flip others' computers for better ones. Start the flywheel.
Phase 2: Bonus Services
Brokerage Fees for Tutoring: I'll act as a broker & hire tutors as independent contractors. I'll generate between $5-$10/hr for each tutor. Revenue varies depending on the tutors' skill level and prices may increase during peak hours.
Product Sales:
Merch: get expanded to mousepads with CompSci notes and cheat-sheets.
Snack Bar: sell snacks. Consider upgrading to a vending machine if profitable.
Services
Printing: materials & posters too.
Software like a UD Wiki will promote my products.
Phase 3: Expansion
And most people need better communication skills in general
There is some evidence to suggest that computer science students may be more likely to be shy and have difficulty communicating effectively than students in other majors.
For example, a study published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior found that computer science students scored significantly lower on a measure of social anxiety than students in other majors. The study also found that computer science students were less likely to participate in class discussions and were more likely to report feeling anxious about giving presentations.
Another study, published in the journal Communication Research, found that computer science students were less likely to engage in small talk and were more likely to avoid eye contact than students in other majors. The study also found that computer science students were less likely to be perceived as being socially competent by their peers.
However, it is important to note that these studies are just two examples, and more research is needed to fully understand the relationship between shyness and communication in computer science students. It is also important to note that not all computer science students are shy, and there are many who are very outgoing and communicative.
Here are some of the sources that I used:
"Shyness and Communication in Computer Science Students" (Computers in Human Behavior, 2012)
"The Social Skills of Computer Science Students" (Communication Research, 2014)
"Are Computer Science Students Shy?" (The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2015)