Business Plan Invention

When first starting this project I will admit to being overwhelmed with the work. I thought it was going to take hours and hours to complete and would be difficult. In the end, it did take hours and hours to complete, but I learned more through this project than any other project in my college career. When beginning, the project seemed to flow and each section helped to answer all the other sections which made the paper flow. This was worth the time and effort and I'm glad to now posess the skills I have learned.

Business Product Invention

Business Interview/Presentation Reflection

Having worked at Talladega Superspeedway over the summer and interacting with the president and every other member of the team made doing this interview even more special. I knew that Rick Humphrey would be an excellent interviewee due to his constant willingness to help and his openness with his employees.

By asking him these specific questions I gained more information about his past and the steps he took throughout his life to get to where he is now. I am grateful he allowed me to interview him and thankful he gave me such great answers to every one of the questions asked.

This was a valuable experience and I enjoyed the project.

Teamwork

This summer I interned at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, AL. In June they began a series of team building activities coinciding with an employee luncheon every month. The track employs 50 full-time employees year round but during race time there are over 3,000. With only have 50 full-time employees the majority of the time one would think that they work close together; that is not the case. The president of Talladega Superspeedway recognized that his employees should be more familiar with each other because when one department needed something from another department, not everyone was sure who the proper person was to go to.

During the team building activities, we were separated randomly into groups so that we would meet new people every time. We would all have certain tasks that needed to be completed that required every ones different skills. Which ever group completed the task with the fastest time would receive a prize of some type. After team building we were separated into different groups yet again at different tables to eat lunch.

I met so many other employees this way and it made communication between departments a lot easier.

Business Reflection

Five years ago my father was laid off from his job of 20 years. He decided to start a business venture that he had always dreamed of, opening an antique and collectibles store in our town. He opened it as a sole proprietorship. It wasn't long until opening day rolled around and business was booming at first. He did not mind being there everyday, all day because it seemed to be taking off. But as the effect of the new business in town wore off, people stopped coming in one by one.

At this point, my father started to dread going into the store because he knew his dream was slowing slipping away. He was working long hours because he had no hired employees, just immediate family who would volunteer to help out. After two years, my father had to close the doors. I believe now that more preparation should have went into location, products and services that we offered. Our small town was not the right place for an antique store.

This is just one example of a business that could have took off had there been more thought put into it.