20A – Growing Your Social Capital

1) Who they are and what their background is: Bill Wilson is the owner of Wilson-Lewis-Wilson Design.
2) How this person is a "domain expert:" Bill Wilson is engaged in the same activity I would like to be entrepreneurship. He started and runs a design company which specializes in graphic design, art work, and helping other company's create their websites. The company has sold merchandise such as cups, t-shirts, and limited edition prints. He knows the ins and outs of running your own business.
3) How I found and contacted the person: I asked my immediate family if they personally knew any entrepreneurs. My mom told me her cousin owned his own company, so she gave me his phone number and I contacted him.
4) The nature of the exchange: I explained my product idea to him and asked for his opinion. He said it was a good idea and could see it working. He asked if it was a "smart device" and if he could control it with his phone or Alexa. He pointed out as technology is increasing people have become so use to using artificial intelligence. The best product are those that fit a specific niche. Creating the machine with artificial intelligence would be a great upgrade. I also asked him what the most difficult part about running his own business was. He said getting established, marketing, and building clientele. In the beginning he had to learn how to wear "multiple hats," including graphic designer, illustrator, marketer, manager, programmer, and copyrighter.
5) How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity? Since he has successfully run his own business, I would ask him for tips on how to start my business. He would be able to give me insightful advice on marketing and management tactics. He is also a very creative thinker, so I would ask for advice on product design. I really liked his idea to improve the machine by adding artificial intelligence. If I were to continue with this idea, I would ask for his advice along the way.

1) Who they are and what their background is: David Chudhabuddhi is the Assistant General Manger at West Shore Lucky Dill in Tampa
2) How this person is a "market expert:" Restaurants represent a major piece of my market. I want The Spice to be sold to local and chain restaurants. David Chudhabuddhi is very knowledgeable about the products that could be used in a restaurant. He understand the front of the house (hosting) and back of the house (cooking) procedures.
3) How I found and contacted the person: My friend use to work at the previous restaurant Mr. Chudhabuddhi managed. She gave me his phone number and I contacted him.
4) The nature of the exchange: I explained my idea to him and asked if my product could be utilized in a restaurant. He really liked the idea and said it could be used in a restaurant. It would save the company money by not wasting spices. He liked the additional oil dispenser and said the idea was out of the box. He pointed out that not only could it be used for meals, but also craft cocktails. It could be used to store and dispense garnishes such as orange zest, fresh basil, and thyme. He advised me to upgrade the product to hold fresh herbs. To do this I would need to install a cooler into the machine to keep the herbs fresh.
5) How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity? David Chudhabuddhi has direct connect to a restaurant that could possibly be my first customer. Before I market my product to the public he would be able to test it in his kitchen and let me know what the advantages and disadvantages were. He came up with a great idea by adding a cooling machine to allow the device to store fresh herbs. If I were to implement this idea, I would ask for his assistance on testing out the product.

1) Who they are and what their background is: Nathan L (preferred not to disclose last name) is a Customer Solutions Specialist at Webstaurant Store.
2) How this person is a "industry supplier:" Webstaurant Store is a restaurant supplier that provides restaurant equipment from refrigerators to mixers to food processors. This company would be selling my product to restaurants. Nathan is knowledgeable on the products that are currently being sold from his company and the process on how a product would be approve and added to their supply list.
3) How I found and contacted the person: I researched restaurant supplier and found Webstaurant Store. I contacted him through the live chat function on the website.
4) The nature of the exchange: I explained my product idea to him and asked if it could potentially be sold on the website to restaurants. He said the closest item that is similar to my product and is currently being sold on their website is the cereal dispensers. The difference is it does not dispense exact measurements. I also asked him how long it would take for a product to be approved and appear on the website. He said they do not have individual product submissions, but work directly with manufacturers. The product details would be sent Webstaurant Store and reviewed by the purchasing team. The company works with all different types of manufacturing companies including Vollrath, BUNN, Beverage Air, and Tuxton.
5) How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity? Nathan would be a great contact point in regards to supplying my product to restaurants. He is also aware of products that are currently selling the most and products that are similar to mine. He could give me advice on the price point I should set my product at. By speaking with him I learned the only way I could market my product on Webstaurant Store is if I sold it to a manufacturer.

Overall Refection: This experience showed me that even if you personally do not have a connection with an "expert" someone you know will. In future networking events I will be more open to who I connect with and try to connect with as many people as possible. You can meet a potential business connection anymore. This experience did not differ from my previous networking experiences. Whether it be through a secondary connection, LinkedIn, or directly walking up to a potential employer I have had to make direct contact with people I do not know. Networking is about marketing yourself and connecting with potential employers or colleagues that will help you accomplish your future endeavors and goals.