Growing Your Social Capital/ 20A

1)      Robert & Michelle

Who they are and what their background is: Robert and Michelle are both from central Florida but they have family all over the world. From Michelle’s family in the Philippines, to Robert’s family in South America, they have a great culture variety in their background. They have traveled to these places their whole life and have had many opportunities to learn and live in different cultures.

Which 'slot' you are filling with this person and how the person fills the spot: Robert and Michelle are my domain experts because they have a small Asian market/café here in Ocala. They have several vegetarian options and they do an amazing job at offering authentic Asian food to people here in Ocala and kind of push people to try things out of their comfort zones. This is something I really hope to do at my restaurant.

A description of how you found the person and contacted the person: They are the owners of one of my favorite places in Ocala. So to contact them, I just went in for lunch! They are always so friendly to me so I was confident in asking for a short interview while they made my sushi burrito.

The nature of the exchange you have with the person -- what favor did they do for you? What is the return expectation? I have spoken with Robert about opening a vegetarian restaurant here in Ocala before and he has also seen the need and has thought about opening one himself! He likes my ideas and thinks I would be able to bring a very classy element to the vegetarian scene. When I described my ideas to Michelle, she thought the same thing and said the types of food I plan on serving sound delicious. Of course the return expectation from them is for me to continue being a fan of their Asian market!

How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity?

This couple is awesome with networking. They have gained all of their business by using social media to advertise. I think having them in my networking circle would provide me with great ideas and examples. If they are so busy just by word of mouth, then I can be too!

2)      Mike

Who they are and what their background is: Mike is a real estate agent who loves to travel. He has several homes around the country and he is also licensed in many of them.

Which 'slot' you are filling with this person and how the person fills the spot: Mike is an expert in my market. He runs several online groups for vegans and vegetarians and knows where the good vegetarian restaurants are and what makes them so good (from all his traveling). He is also a member of the South Florida Veg Fest team who conducts the veg fest each year.

A description of how you found the person and contacted the person: Mike was in Ocala this week so I sent him a message on Facebook and asked if he would meet me for lunch at a local sushi place. I had never met him in person before so I was very nervous and brought my mom along with me.

The nature of the exchange you have with the person -- what favor did they do for you? What is the return expectation? This one cost me some money, but that’s okay. We went over my business plan and my ideas and he thinks I do have something unique but of course the food is what really matters. Since this is a fictitious restaurant I haven’t actually made anything to show him or let him taste, but I assured him my dishes would be out of this world. Because he was so kind to meet me, I paid for his lunch.

How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity? The amount of resources Mike would be able to offer my restaurant are endless. Like I mentioned, he runs the annual Veg Fest where many suppliers, competitors, vendors, customers, etc. would be exposed to my brand.

3)      Billy

Who they are and what their background is: Billy owns a local produce stand. He is from Pennsylvania and he moved down here to be close to his mother. He opened his small produce stand in 2010 which has since grown into a full café and small market.

Which 'slot' you are filling with this person and how the person fills the spot: Billy is my supplier. I chose him for this slot because he sells his produce to small restaurants all around Ocala for special wholesale prices. He could be a great supplier of locally grown produce and homemade pasta, etc.

A description of how you found the person and contacted the person: This is another local place that I love. They are the only place in town that sell my Japanese sweet potatoes. I just walked in for some potatoes and asked to speak with the head honcho Billy for a few quick questions.

The nature of the exchange you have with the person -- what favor did they do for you? What is the return expectation? Even though he is not quite a vegetarian, he is a big supporter of local businesses. He loved my idea and he definitely sees an opportunity for my restaurant in town. I wouldn’t be a huge competitor to him because he sells a lot of sandwiches and wraps and only has one vegetarian option on his menu. My return to him was to buy 100lbs of his sweet potatoes when I open my restaurant.

How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity? The location of Billy’s produce stand is very close to the area I want to be in, so we would likely be neighbors! I think he would be a great person to network with and maybe even partner with because of his great connections to local farmers. 


Final Reflection:
This project was interesting because I got to speak with local people and make some relationship that could benefit my future relationship. It also made the restaurant see more like a real business plan and not just a school assignment.