Venture Concept #1 

 word count 995

Opportunity

The words “missing child” call to mind tragic and frightening kidnappings reported in the national news. According to the FBI, between 2014 and 2015 over 900,000 children were documented as missing. The likelihood of finding abducted children has sharply increased in recent years due to technological advances in the way searches are conducted and a greater awareness that fast action saves lives. More than 99 percent of the reported missing children in America in recent years come home alive. However, the recovery rate for the alarming segment of children abducted by strangers is less heartening. Statistically, on average 57 percent of them come home alive and 40 percent are killed; the rest remain as open cases. When the kidnappings are the work of strangers, the snatcher has typically targeted the child for sex and has studied the child’s habits in order to increase chances of a successful abduction. We know that pictures are the most effective way to get a child home safely, and so, pictures are everywhere. Every known idea is employed to help pictures of missing children get out to the public as soon as possible. The Amber Alert, a public notification system that focuses on highways has reported having safely brought home over 800 missing children; Walmart postings about 234 and about 200 from direct mailing. 

While we are deeply grateful when even one child is rescued and returned home safely, these numbers represent a small portion of the millions of children that are missing. Of all the children kidnapped, about 25 percent are abducted by strangers, almost all are abducted by men, and over 2/3 involve female children. Kids are rarely abducted from school grounds and most are in their teens. Granted, new technology and social media are increasingly used by law enforcement to instantaneously share news of an abduction, bringing new hope for those still searching for the thousands of missing children still unaccounted for, there is still much work to be done. No family wants to face the horror of a child who has gone missing, and in such cases, they deserve to know that all resources are being deployed to ensure a quick and safe return.

Innovation

74 percent of children kidnapped and later found, are murdered within the first 3 hours of being taken. People think “it can’t happen to me,” but it can; no one is immune from the tragedy of a child abduction. There are reactive ways to help find children, however, what we need most is the proactive raising of public awareness on how to protect children and prevent abductions. Additionally, while the Amber Alert is a successful national alert system, there are gaps that must be filled to become even more effectual in rescuing missing children. This is where my innovation becomes a partner in the already growing network of child recovery organizations that will increase the likelihood that abducted children will be recovered swiftly and safely. Because information about the missing child is vital, many cases might be solved more easily if key pieces of information about their kids is provided immediately, these strategies could be employed:

·         A child’s identification file that could easily be sent to authorities immediately

·         DNA Swabs

·         Current picture (taken every 6 months) and other demographics

·         Fingerprints

·         Identifying marks

·          Prevention and safety training to local communities, schools, and parent associations for parents and other volunteers

·         Work with Amber Alert to send current pictures to every smartphone within range of cellphone towers near where the child disappeared.

·         Classes in physical defense techniques to keep children safe from attack, abduction, and sexual assault.  

There is no set dollar amount for this venture, as it depends on many variables. However, I would offer a partnership program for those who would like to partner with my organization. My revenue drivers would be donations from individuals and corporations, corporate sponsorships that might include an employee match, in-kind donations such as office equipment and supplies, service donations that might include free event space or photocopying, an adopt-a-kid event, and varying levels of sponsorship ranging from Bronze at $500 – Platinum with a donation of $4000. Moreover, I will be seeking grants to ensure ID kits are distributed to school age children annually.

Venture Concept

FSU and UF are fierce football rivals, however, during the 2006-2007 football season, FSU legendary head coach Bobby Bowden and the National Championship Florida Gator’s Coach Urban Myers, joined forces to distribute to 2.6 million school age children similar kits in what was the largest state-wide ID kit distribution in history. While kudos belong to all involved, there must be education and follow up for effective management of information. 

From the tragic experience of losing a child to having a friend with a missing daughter of 15 years, my passion would increase my chances of having people clamoring to be a part of my program. My goal is to match the above number each year as an ongoing commitment to keeping children safe. I would seek to have my DNA/fingerprinting kits approved by the FBI, and in doing so would have the vital information stored at home in one area, to be provided to law enforcement and other search teams in the event of an abduction. I would depend on volunteers along with a few dedicated administrative personnel.

Minor Elements

 My greatest resource is my lifelong experience – first as a foster child, then as a parent of a dead child, then as a guardian ad litem, I have more passion for children and their safety than most other people I know.  

      

      I have not been able to come up with the “next best thing” but am hoping that this venture will double or triple the rescue and safe return of missing children.

3.      

      F. Scott Fitzgerald said, “Show me a hero and I will show you a tragedy.” I would like to leave a legacy of heroes around the world, all seeking to help save our children. 

My Unfair Advantage Week #11

V – valuable • R – rare   • I – inimitable  • N – non-substitutable

Passion

·        V – My passion is valuable because I could do this venture all day and keep on throughout the night regardless of what else I must do.

·       R – At the end of the movie, Serendipity, one of the main characters makes this statement: “The Greeks did not write obituaries. They simply asked, ‘Did he have passion?’” This quote is inspiring because it suggests that we should live with gusto – with excitement and wonder – so that when we pass away, we will rest contented, having employed fully the unique talents with which we were blessed?

·       I – Few people discover the work the love and for this reason, people cannot imitate my passion for my idea.

·        N – Passion in innate and helps to engage an organization. Once you discover the work you love, work becomes more than a job – it becomes a unique calling, a life’s mission. A life’s mission cannot be substituted by any other resource than passion.

Motivated

·       V – My motivation is intrinsic and it energizes, maintains and controls my behavior.

·       R – Motivation, like passion, is a rare commodity. Very few people have it consistently and in useful quantities.

·       I – Motivation refers to the energy and/or commitment with which an individual performs a task or role. Because of my experiential background, no one can be more motivated that I.

·        N – While there is no real substitute for motivation, I would say that discipline would be the closest substitute for motivation, and it is discipline that eventually becomes a huge source for motivation.

Adaptability & Flexibility

·       V – There is a well-known Chinese proverb that says that the wise adapt themselves to circumstances, as water molds itself to the pitcher. I have a keen ability to change to fit new circumstances. I have no problem getting out of my comfort zone.

·       R – The reason there are not more entrepreneurs is because many people might have passion about an idea, but are inflexible in their own environment.

·       I – I think one can pretend to be adaptable and flexible, however, when push comes to shove, their inability to adapt shines through. Change frightens some people while is seen as an opportunity to others. Again, because of my background I am quite adaptable to all situations, except ethical, moral or legal.

·        N – The only resource I can see that would be substituted for adaptability would be tolerance. You can be tolerant, yet inflexible on major issues.

Self-belief

·       V – Because of my experience I believe in myself. I know that what I am doing is not for myself, but for the benefit of society. I am confident and dedicated to my project.

·       R – Self – belief is like a pendulum – it swings too far one way where people believe in themselves TOO much, and then it swings back to the other side so some people believe in themselves TOO little.

·       I – Self-belief can be imitated by pretending to believe in yourself. I have done this at times until I could believe in myself.

·        N – Self-belief can be substituted, as mentioned above, by positive self-talk until you actually do believe in yourself.

Hard work

·       V – Having an intense focus in my idea is by far a valuable resource.

·       R – A work ethic is a set of values based on moral virtues of hard work and diligence. It is difficult today to find someone as reliable as I am, or as having as much initiative to accomplish my goals.

·       I – Hard work can be copied by others with no problem, it is just the fact that it is hard to find someone working hard today.

·        N – I grew up hearing the old adage: “There is no substitute for hard work.” I still believe that idea, however, I have learned to work smart – and not hard – in some situations.

Disciplined

·       V – I would say discipline is the most basic and building block of success. You can figure out the rest of these resources, however, without discipline, you can’t be successful.

·        R – Discipline is a rare commodity in a microwave society. Foregoing immediate gratification for a future reward is something in which this generation does not understand. I have the uncanny ability to discipline myself regardless of what other events happen around me. One can see in professional sports, where some amazing athletes take performance enhancing drugs, to win events.

·       I – Discipline cannot be imitated, even though there are varying levels of discipline.

·        N – I see no good resource that could be substituted for discipline.

Understanding of what I am offering

·       V – Having experience in child neglect and abuse, plus a friend who has a missing child, gives me a deeper understanding than most others without the same experience.

·       R – Because it is rare for someone to have a missing child, understanding of this situation is quite rate.

·       I – Deep understanding – inside and out - cannot be imitated by an outward concern.

·        N – There is no real substitute for experience in this type of venture.

Planner

·       V – Planning is a long-term commitment but you cannot always plan every step of the way in one sitting. I am the type of person who plans for everything, while having a ready solution for all possible risks. Moreover, I am capable of dealing with unforeseen possibilities, which is vital to the life of a business.

·       R – My experience shows most people are reactionary, whereas I am proactive in practice. Being reactive shows that one does not have initiative, but appear to be tossed and turned by the tides of life.

·       I – It is pretty difficult to imitate planning. Either you plan or you fly-by- the-seat-of-your-pants or your plan. Sometimes you can over-plan which zaps creativity, but most people are not guilty of over-planning, but rather they lack the discipline to plan.

·        N – There is an old saying: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Occasionally, you can recoup and start over, but a continual lack of planning is organizational suicide.

Network abilities

·       V – It takes a village! Using others for their good and your gain makes any venture easier and more successful. In sales, networking is invaluable for potential clients or vendors. Networking helps you work smarter, not harder. I always seek out mentors.

·       R – We live in an over-connected world and navigating this social media to find purpose and meaningful networks can be daunting. Learning to connect intelligently in order to harness our connectedness, is a rare commodity.

·       I – There isn’t really a resource that can be imitated for networking abilities. Either you know how to connect in order to network to get big things done, or you are at the mercy of other advertising strategies.

·        N – The only real substitute for networking is “pounding the pavement” when looking for clients.

Ability to make an Exit

·       V – Not every attempt is successful as we see in the high rate of entrepreneurial failure. Like the old country star, Kenny Rogers says: “You gotta know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away………know when to run.” This is valuable or otherwise, you will continue to make sunk cost investments in the same venture.

·       R – Cutting losses is rare among individuals – we see that in people who stay in toxic and dysfunctional relationships. There are people who quit too soon – and who end up employed by those who never give up.  

·       I – There is no resource that can be imitated by the ability to quit, only that people know when and why to quit and move on.

·        N – While giving it a second chance is powerful and at times, honorable, there is no substitute for making a gracious exit at the right time.  

Discipline is my top resource because when I get my teeth into something for which I have deep passion, I don’t let go. I believe discipline is a common trait of all successful leaders. If you take a look at successful business leader or professional athletes, you will see that discipline is the one key element. Discipline is a fundamental element in obtaining goals, dreams and desires. I have climbed over many obstacles to keep heading toward my goals, and although there have been some sacrifices along the journey, but believing in my journey has kept me plodding forward. Years ago, a pilot friend told me the first thing they are taught in any emergency situation is to “keep flying the plane.” In my life most of the time I just keep flying the plane. I have disciplined myself to keep putting one foot in front of the other in the midst of some pretty deep waters and my discipline has taken me from an orphan to the halls of Congress where I was instrumental in facilitating the enactment of homeschooling laws in Tennessee.