Person 1: Silvestros
Silvestros is a long time general manager in the restaurant business. He is very strong on the business operations and customer service sides of restaurants. He is a domain expert in the sense that he is very knowledgeable on the kind of product that I would like to produce. In being in the business for such a long time, he has come across all forms of implemented technology within restaurants. He has seen a lot of products similar to mine. I know Silvestros from the restaurant I work at and asked to speak with him on this. I asked Silvestros to watch my elevator pitch and requested feedback. He has been in the business so long and has many connections in the industry, so once I begin producing my product, he will be a huge help in getting my product distributed in restaurants.
Person 2: Chelsea
Chelsea is a representative and installer of a company that makes POS systems. She is a market expert in the sense that she targeting my market with a similar product. POS systems and my technological device provide almost the same function, however, they have different users. POS systems are typically used by employees and my device would be used by customers. Chelsea installed the POS systems at the restaurant I worked for, and I was able to reach her over the phone. I discussed my idea napkin with her over the phone and requested feedback. She knows my market as good as anyone and could be a key help in overcoming any technological issues that we may have in the future. She is extremely educated when it comes to the technology side of POS systems.
Person 3: Dwayne
Dwayne is the owner of a company that distributes POS systems. He would be the supplier in the sense that he sells products to restaurants that are similar to the product that I am aiming to sell. Dwayne is the owner of the company that installed the POS system at my restaurant and I reached him through a contact that knows him. I asked him to review my business concepts and requested feedback on my product. Dwayne is very knowledgable on the production side of the business and would be able to guide me in producing the product if I were to move forward with this idea.
Reflection:
This experience changed the way I view networking. It shaped how I will participate in future networking events in the sense that I will look for domains, experts, and suppliers to speak with in future business ideas that I come up with. I believe that all three people can add tremendous value to a business idea and can guide you in the right direction. This experience differed from networking experiences in the past because it was more targeted and specific. I have never segmented the people that I would network in, but I see the value in doing so to get the most out of a networking experience!
Hi Jacob,
ReplyDeleteI think it's really cool that you were able to speak to two people that work with POS systems. I've worked in restaurants as well, so I am very familiar with POS systems, and when I first read your business idea those immediately came to my mind. I think should you ever choose to actually pursue this business idea, having the POS system people in your contact list could be very beneficial. Who knows, maybe you could even work with them when developing the product.
Hey Jacob!
ReplyDeleteI think it's super awesome that you were able to use your previous work experience at your restaurant to contact an expert on the POS systems that you are interested in using. I think that being able to use past connections to your advantage is vital to owning and running a business successfully, and it was cool to see you do that.