Assignment 20- Growing Your Social Capital

Domain expert:

             I was able to exchange a few emails with the owner of Camelot Super Smoke Shop that is a local business in my hometown. His smoke shop offers various products including vape like JUUL. I found him online when I was looking at the local smoke shops in my area. I told him about my potential product and asked if he saw any success in my plan. He gave my some very good feedback about what customers look for and others things he has noticed and learned about vape products.

Market expert:

            I was able to message a representative from “The Facts Now” which is an organization trying to bring an end to smoking and the use of tobacco products. I explained to her my business plan as well as the product I wanted to create and she gave me a few tips on marketing and how to engage young people like her company has been doing. Including her in my network could be very useful for not only more feedback but I could also use this company to help get my product out there and advertised.

Supplier:

            I was able to email a representative from Altria’s( they are a tobacco distributor) investor relations department and ask for their feedback on my potential product. I found this person online when I was looking for tobacco companies in the state of Florida that actually allowed me to contact them. I was only able to exchange a couple e-mails but the representative was able to provide me with valuable information on getting a leg into this kind of industry. She also gave me her own personal thoughts on her product and was very interested.

            I think this experience was very helpful because I don’t have a lot of experience in networking for a business, so it helped to boost my confidence for future networking events. It also helped me to become more comfortable and okay with receiving criticism.  This networking experience was very different from others I have done because it was more professional whereas normally the networking I do is less formal and for my own social circle.