Digital Frontiers

Digital Frontiers at the University of Florida has truly developed my inner digital entrepreneur. As the end draws near to most classes in college, students breathe a sigh of relief and methodically schedule their next dose of hell. Well, contrary to the norm, I am slightly disappointed to end this class. I’ve learned countless pieces of information, advice and knowledge revolving around entrepreneurship and social media. The speakers were extraordinary, ranging from the small business risk-taker to the multi-millionaire. While a specific skill was not developed or learned, I gained an unimaginable amount of intangible knowledge. The world of business continues to thrive off of networking; this class did just that.

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Has the Internet stifled creativity? Hell no! The Internet has given life to millions of people worldwide. From the average Joe ordering a pizza online, all the way to the hot-shot basketball player getting suspended for inappropriate Twitter posts. The Internet has not prevented any person from doing anything. If anything, the Internet has opened pathways into vast worlds unknown by most. If the Internet has posed as a negative threat to anybody, then survival of the fittest kicks in. This is not to say that the Internet “stifles creativity”, just to say that the Internet provides a new competitive marketplace. Change, or die.

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Well, Financial Analysis sounds cool, and Accountants make the big dollars, but neither career-path defines extraordinary. The same cubicles, tall office buildings and nine-to-five, seven-day work-weeks. That blows. So, a million-dollar idea pops into my mind. What is it? Well, if I told you, you would just steal it from me.

I’m a generous kind of guy, though, so I’ll let you in on a little secret: my million-dollar idea: DO MY COLLEGE APPLICATION.

Now, there are countless websites that offer free essays, or paid essays written on the spot. Additionally, there are countless websites offering college counseling. With cheap essays on one spectrum, and expensive college counselors on the other, there lies a million-dollar gap between the two. Combining on-the-spot essays and modern college admissions experience, Do My College Application (aka DMCA) puts a college education within reach. This million-dollar idea is barely alive as Google and Yahoo have yet to crawl upon it. Yet, time will heal all problems.

With an angel investor coming my way to provide all capital goods necessary, I must battle the marketing landscape without a penny in hand. The internet becomes my new best friend. There are numerous ideas on my mind, all revolving around FACEBOOK:

1) Establish a fan page (already completed). Using your own personal network of friends, begin to pass the word.

2) Another extraordinary idea involves high school groups/fan pages. Knowing that high school seniors are my sole target customer-base, post comments (free) on high school group and fan pages.

3) Sex sells (see right photo). Hire/Create a model willing to friend-request people all over Facebook in order to pass the word regarding DMCA.

On the internet, the key is viral marketing. Pass, spread, infest the word onto the pages of all who care to look. Do My College Application is a million-dollar idea in the works. I just wish I had an actual angel investor.

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In order to maintain persistent awareness of a brand, product or service, it is necessary to continuously bug, pester and annoy the prospective customer… to a certain extent. This can be done in numerous fashions, all relaying the same product awareness. Emails can be sent, letters mailed, articles published and phone calls made. These merely scratch the surface of the various forms of marketing.

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The internet serves as the symbolic landscape of American free speech. As the world-wide web spans further than any country could possibly control, the American public can happily relish in their unrestricted atmosphere. So, as previously stated, surf freely my friends. Type without regret, blog with spirit and never hold anything back. Yet, Americans must never take for granted such freedoms. There are other countries that put forth a significant effort to restrict their civilians. In all honesty, the American public wouldn’t survive one day without the internet. Guaranteed.

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With the popular increase in user generated content, also known as UGC, the world-wide web is taking a rather interesting turn. No matter how retarded our public opinion continues to remain, businesses thrive off of such awkward ingenuity. The productivity of such a change can be gauged on various levels. Depending on what is being sold, viewed or discussed, UGC can both make or break every equation. This discussion becomes rather heated as some of the top businesses of the decade run (solely) on user-generated content. A perfect example: Google. Yet, user generated content can overwhelm the viewers. If chit-chat floats your boat, a blog is for you. If mindless communication pisses you off, then get off the internet. UGC allows each person to find their niche one way or the other.

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The bottom line remains the same: sales equal survival. An Internet site can bask in its glorious themes and content, yet fail to produce in the end. What am I talking about? Conversion rates: The funneling of online viewers traveling through websites, scrolling down pages and (hopefully) clicking the glorious SUBMIT/PURCHASE button.

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I hate to burst your bubble, but these dirty things are more along the lines of community service…

For a solid 6 THOUSAND dollars, high school sophomores and juniors can relinquish a full summer to engage in a few months of college life, community service and leadership building. Sound exciting? [More]

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The field of law ranges far and wide. From Ask Gary to corporate bigwigs, lawyers find a way to practice the art of justice. While the United States of America remains a free country, the demand for lawyers will forever remain intact. Yet, various disruptive changes occur within a field that is solely based upon one common document: the US Constitution. As politics continue to run the country on numerous levels, laws are constantly altered. Specialized lawyers can become ambiguous, while trial lawyers will forever be relevant.

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This question to a random homeless man kicked off an adventure of a lifetime. Yet, it all began with an even greater question: what truly defines value? Value encompasses too many spectrums to count. For every human being, value can be measured in various ways. As a bunch of college students venture onto a campus of 40,000+ with mere post-it notes, the challenge began: create value. Incorporating value through the use of post-it notes takes on a challenge of both entrepreneurial spirit and motivated teamwork. In less than two hours, a “Blanket – The – Homeless” initiative commenced. By covering one of Gainesville’s finest homeless men with hundreds of post-it notes, homeless awareness began. Students stared, professors glared. The Plaza of the America’s gained an interesting attraction. Pictures were taken and students laughed all the way to the library. Nevertheless, students were becoming aware of the homeless problem around Gainesville. Blanket the Homeless stands as a mere newcomer to the many homeless initiatives already in place, such as the Florida Coalition For The Homeless. Every night hundreds of homeless citizens fall asleep without proper care, most of all, warmth. These post-it notes served as a symbolic blanket. Value?: A warm night’s sleep, homeless awareness, student initiative… the list goes on and on.

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