4A- Identifying an Opportunity

I believe that there is an unmet need for bandages specifically for preventing blisters on your heels and feet. As a dancer, I have always struggled with having blisters but not having the proper protection and relief. Now, walking around campus I still meet this struggle constantly and because of it my heels are destroyed. Companies like Band-Aid have attempted blister relief bandages, but I have found that they simply rip my skin off. Whenever I get new shoes, I will want to wear them around to show them off but I find that I can’t walk more than a mile in them without tearing up my feet. I will try to put on normal bandages, but they always peel off quickly, don’t do the job, or show through the shoe on my foot which in my opinion is not classy. A more customizable bandage for the job needed that is also dynamic is needed.

#1: Female, 21 year-old, medium shoe collection.

·      Do you often find yourself with blisters on your feet from your shoes?

o   “No, because I don’t buy new shoes very often.” “When I do buy new shoes and I feel it rubbing I will put on a band-aid to protect it.”

·      What do you currently do to protect your feet from blisters, if anything?

o   “Socks help or I’ll put on a bandage”

·      Have you tried different bandage options to protect your feet from uncomfortable shoes?

o   “No because I don’t care enough and it isn’t a big enough worry to me”

·      Do you ever encounter problems with bandages staying on?

o   “Sometimes because if you continue to wear the shoe, the bandage shifts”

·      Would you want a better bandage to protect your feet?

o   “I would rather have shoes not rub” “I won’t spend extra money for this bandage”

·      Would you want this bandage to be customizable to the shape/fit of the shoe?

o   “No because I would rather it be more adaptable to the shape of my ankle”

REFLECTION: This would be the prototypical customer as she is a college student on her feet all day.

#2: Female, 20 year-old, dancer, walks around campus with different shoes frequently.

·      Do you often find yourself with blisters on your feet from your shoes?

o   “No, because I have thick scars on my feet from dance” “When I did dance though I would constantly have blisters”

·      What do you currently do to protect your feet from blisters, if anything?

o   “I’ll put a band-aid on”

·      Have you tried different bandage options to protect your feet from uncomfortable shoes?

o   “Yes, I’ve tried the blister clear ones and the cloth ones”

·      Do you ever encounter problems with bandages staying on?

o   “Yes, they will slide off of my foot”

·      Would you want a better bandage to protect your feet?

o   “No, that’s unnecessary.” “What I have is good enough usually”

·      Would you want this bandage to be customizable to the shape/fit of the shoe?

o   “No because I don’t need this”

REFLECTION: As a dancer, I would have expected her to have more of a need for these band-aids as dancers are always destroying their feet.

#3: Female, 58 year-old, has to wear nice shoes to work

·      Do you often find yourself with blisters on your feet from your shoes?

o   “No, but my daughter does.” “I don’t buy shoes that don’t fit my feet”

·      What do you currently do to protect your feet from blisters, if anything?

o   “I put a band-aid on”

·      Have you tried different bandage options to protect your feet from uncomfortable shoes?

o   “No, because I don’t get blisters”

·      Do you ever encounter problems with bandages staying on?

o   “Sometimes, the bandage will peel off but then I wear two band-aids”

·      Would you want a better bandage to protect your feet?

o   “Yes, but not if it’s inconvenient”

·      Would you want this bandage to be customizable to the shape/fit of the shoe?

o   “No because it should be customizable to the foot”

REFLECTION: As someone not on her feet all day, I would not expect her to be a prototypical customer. She is often sitting at her desk all day, not walking around.

SUMMARY:

I no longer believe the opportunity exists for this. This is a problem that I come across often for myself, but other prototypical customers do not feel the same way. It is an unnecessary addition to life in their opinion. I don’t believe much of an opportunity is still hear. If anything, the opportunity has already been solved with the addition of moleskin to the insides of shoes. This opportunity is more accurate than the one I thought up. I do believe that entrepreneurs should adapt their ideas to opportunities presented because that will make the business successful. With this being said, I do not believe that the entrepreneur should stray from their morals and gut instincts. Many entrepreneurs have been considered crazy before their ideas became a success.I do think that this exercise is important because I often see people jumping into a project without locating the need for it. Many products on the market exist just for the sake of creativity, but nobody actually needs them in their life. Customer base is important to a business.