Biz Quiz 1.Which of the following inventions were created for safety reasons?
a. Life Preservers
b. Band-Aids
c. Condensed Milk
d. Portable Heart Defibrillator
e. Safety Pin
Research 101 2. What Activity is Often Mistaken for Research?
a. Investigating
b. Critical Thinking
c. Reading
d. Writing Answers
1. All except for Band-Aids. Technically, that product was invented
for ease of use. When the newlywed wife of a salesman kept cutting and burning herself during her daily cooking chores, her husband invented a disposable bandage that could be easily applied to her fingers as she prepared meals.
* Descriptions of her constant injuries are hair-raising.
It appears that barring her from the kitchen might have been the best safety measure.
Lesson: If you first glanced at the list, a-e, and decided the answer was obvious, that may indicate a tendency to make make snap decisions without gathering facts.
2. Research 101
Reading
The activity is merely an element of research.
Dee Adams’ Online Class: Biz and Aptitude Quiz
Common Inspiration The three inventions listed have one major thing in common.
Can you figure out what it is?
Chicken & Waffles
Levi Strauss Blue Jeans
The Point Reyes Blue Cheese Company
Dyslexia & Ability
True or false?
People with the disability dyslexia
gravitate to the performing arts industry and tend to avoid business start-ups.
Travel Agents & the Nursing Profession
These vocations share the same important aptitude necessary for success in
the travel industry or nursing profession. What is it?
Superman’s Worth
True or False?
The teenage creators of Superman were paid, in today’s dollars, about $15,000
for their idea for the comic book superhero.
Gender May Determine Research Strategy for Aspiring entrepreneurs True or False?
True or False?
According to research, since students spend 85 percent of their
waking hours outside of the classroom much of their learning
takes place in the real world.
Answers
Common Inspiration All created to solve a problem. Levi Strauss invented jeans that would
allow prospectors to store heavy gold ore in their pockets without the fabric tearing
Chicken and waffles were the answer for meals demanded at an odd hour.
and environmental issues triggered the idea for the Point Reyes Blue Cheese product.
The dairy had to decrease their herd, which meant they needed an idea that would produce enough income to compensate for a smaller herd.
Travel Agents & the Nursing Profession Graphoria: High-level ability to handle paper work skillfully,
reports the Johnson O’Connor Research Foundation http://www.jocrf.org/
Superman’s Worth False. When last I checked, according to the bureau of labor statistics, the creators of Superman, who received the whopping sum of $130, which translates in today’s prices to $1,639. 38.
Gender May Determine Research Strategy for Aspiringentrepreneurs True. Boys favor questioning business owners while girls tend to read more
for their instruction, according to the Kauffman Foundation http://www.kauffman.org/
True or False? True
Dee Adams’ Online Class
Class Notes
Biz Quiz
1. True or false? The Wright brothers tried to start an African-American newspaper but couldn’t make any money in the competitive field, so they turned to aviation.
2. Which of these occupations have to be concerned about repetitive stress syndrome? A. Football Player
B. Masseuse
C. Symphony violinist*
3. What circumstance inspired Jeff Bezos to start Amazon?
A. Consumers wanted to pay less for books, Bozos believed the Internet, and e-commerce would allow him to meet the needs of the public.
B. Bozos had a passion for books and he believed that selling them out of his garage would be a low-cost way to start-up a business.
C. The publishing industry had a bad distribution system.
4. After leaving office Eliot Ness of The Untouchables fame began A. Writing detective stories under a pen name.
B. Started his own security and bodyguard company.
C. Sold shoes.
Answers
1. True
2. All of them
*Source: KQED Northern California This Week
3. C
4. According to journalist and author Jonathan Eig, the answer is C.
Finding New Ideas for Social Business
Dee Adams’ Online Class Entrepreneurial trends in the academic world was the topic of a previous post
that included references to the article
Me, Inc. The content reveals how some non-business majors
are showing an interest in becoming their own boss by enrolling in entrepreneurship classes.
For instance, students in music, art, and journalism.
However, you don’t have to enroll in business school to find inspiration for a social venture.
Class assignments from other disciplines can provide ideas too.
For example, communications or sociology.
After choosing a topic of interest, write a short term paper, fill out an index card,
produce a 2-3-minute podcast, or use a pinboard on Pintrest to create an illustrated
response for the following activity:
Homework Activity for Inspiration
1. Find an article that discusses a major social problem that troubles you greatly.
2. What solutions would you create to address the problem?
Note: Several years ago, I wrote a term paper for a sociology class that addressed some of the major problems in public education. While I have never attended a school as was described in Kozol’s essay, the piece read like a horror story, and my values regarding fair play and equity, the importance of learning, and dislike of abusive bureaucracy led me to choose the assignment.
The Bahamas has a paternalistic culture that values
American individualism and a casual
laid-back style. It’s a Caribbean culture that would be a good fit for
aspiring entrepreneurs seeking a partnership agreement in the
Bahamian business community.
If you traveled to the Caribbean, island of St. Kitts
and *handed out $100 bills to strangers at the airport
A. You would be considered a hero and welcomed into the homes of islanders
B. The money would be returned
C. You would be arrested
*Based on a real incident
ANSWERS
The Bahamas is a matriarchal society and a collectivistic culture.
In direct contrast to the individualism valued in America.
All the members of a particular business
enterprise would have to agree to the joint venture
and without 100% agreement, the joint venture would not
move forward. Although American culture is popular in the Bahamas,
Bahamian business society adheres more to British etiquette,
practices and formality.
And when a well-known entertainer’s husband visited St Kitts
and handed out $100 bills at the airport, recipients returned the money.**
Lesson: Customs and culture differ greatly in other English language countries.
Regardless of race, color or creed. Not learning what those customs
are ahead of time can be costly and sometimes embarrassing for aspiring
entrepreneurs.*
How much do you know about African American
entrepreneurs in the 21st century? This iconic musician heads the first African American Company
to have their product sold at Wal-Mart? Who is he?
How many African-American Fortune 500 CEOs are there,
and how many are women?
Answers
Lloyd Price, founder of Lawdy Miss Clawdy, which he named after his hit song, supplies a sweet potato cookie.
In late 2012, there were 13 African American CEO’s, 6 active, and 1 woman.
Versus Other Entrepreneurial Books Finding Your Niche is designed solely to help you uncover the right venture. Small business books and classes are geared to help you start-up an enterprise when you already have an idea in mind.
If you are considering self-employment, but don’t know what business to start, then this eBook will help you target the correct path and avoid costly mistakes.
Bonus
Biz Quiz
Class Notes
How Much Do You Know?
What group in the working population is more likely to start a business or moonlight?
What does Henry VIII have to do with the NASA space program?
Star Wars, Harry Potter, American Graffiti, A League of Their Own, Charlotte’s Web, 12 Angry Men, and Cool Runnings apart from being movies, share a common element that relates to the business world. Do you know what it is?
Answers
Teachers, according to the Wall Street Journal
In the 1960’s, NASA used the King’s dress as inspiration for the design of the space suits for the astronauts.
All the movies illustrate examples of teams and how they function.
The concept of using teams to achieve goals continues to be a growing trend in the business community.
Thinking Critically & Solving Problems
Logic in the Real World The ability to evaluate arguments, claims, or situations and solve problems in one’s business and personal life is the most valuable skill that a potential entrepreneur can possess.
I grew interested in the issue once I realized my understanding of the subject was superficial. Furthermore, I found most of the online explanations were lengthy but lacked clear how- to instructions.
Then I discovered that I was required to take a class in the matter. The material below is an excerpt from two of my homework assignments. Note: At times, the material seemed like one gigantic hairy, numerical tongue twister, but the class proved to be one of the most useful I’ve ever taken.
Excerpts
I am not hungry
~H
I am tired.
T
I am not tired.
~T
I am both hungry and tired.
H&T
I am hungry or I am tired.
HvT
It is not both the case that I am hungry and tired. ~ (H&T)
Generalizing from Incomplete Information
F 1 is a G
F2 is a G
F3 is a G
n) Fn is a G
————-
n+ 1) Thus, all F’s are G’s
1) Job Hunter #1 is a person who finds a job.
2) Job Hunter #2 is a person who finds a job.
3) Job Hunter #3 is a person who finds a job.
——————————————————
4) Thus, all job hunters find good jobs.
Analysis: The conclusion is a generalization based on the results of only three job hunters. Without a proper sample reflecting the employment outcome of the job hunting population, the conclusion is not supported by proper evidence and is therefore invalid.
Furthermore, depending on the location, industry, gender, and other socioeconomic factors, not all job hunters may find employment.
1) A windy day correlates with downed trees.
——————————————————-
2) Thus, windy days cause downed trees.
Analysis: The argument does not take into account that other factors may have weakened the roots of the trees or that the wind was merely a catalyst and not the actual cause. The claim does not present a definitive link or offer reliable data on the amount of wind force necessary to bring down trees.
