Assignment 23A – Your Venture’s Unfair Advantage

Assignment 23A – Your Venture’s Unfair Advantage

1. Leadership Experience: I worked on different positions where my leadership skills were built; for instance, I was the Vice-president of Student Government in college.

• Valuable: this is really valuable, as I already have experience and the skills to lead a team.
• Rare: this is not at rare, since a lot of people can develop this capability
• Inimitable: I believe it is not inimitable because with the right training anybody could get these skills.
• Non-substitutable: It is not difficult to find someone with the same skills who could do the job for me.
1. Uniqueness of the Business idea: there are no other retail businesses who only hire single moms.  
• Valuable: this is valuable because helps my business stand out in comparison to others.
• Rare: it is not completely rare since there are other businesses who hire single moms; however, they do not only focus on them.
• Inimitable: My product and my social cause are both imitable.
• Non-substitutable: I believe I could come with more and different ideas for my product, so it is substitutable.
2. Social Capital: Contact with Single-mom Families in Peru: My parents back in Peru already work with single-mom families; therefore, contacting them and working with them would not be so difficult.  
• Valuable: This connection makes it easier to find and help these single mom families.
• Rare: It is somewhat rare because there are no records or organizations that have a list with personal information about single moms. However, ther
• Inimitable: This could be imitated if I found other entrepreneurs who hire single moms.
• Non-substitutable: This connection could be substitutable by contacting Ong’s who are dedicated to help single mom families.
3. Strategic planning: I already know the long term of my business idea and I am planning to create a virtual structure, so that I can work with entrepreneurs from Peru and here.
• Valuable: I think this is valuable because I already have a long-term plan that will help me go on with my idea.
• Rare: This is not rare since every entrepreneur must create a strategic planning.
• Inimitable: This could be imitated, but every plan will come out different and will depend in the effort I put.
• Non-substitutable: It can be substitutable because I can create better plans in the future.  
4. Personal relationships with fellow entrepreneurs: I come from a family of entrepreneurs, and I have grown up learning about how to manage
• Valuable: I can use the skills and past experience of my relatives to create my own business.
• Rare: Growing up while learning and also helping relatives to expand their businesses is not really common.
• Inimitable: This relationship is inimitable and is worth a lot.
• Non-substitutable: This might be substituted if I find an entrepreneur who has experience with larger and older companies.
5. Support of Organizations: There are some organizations and programs in Peru that help single moms fight against discrimination and violence.  
• Valuable: This is valuable because these organizations would support my business and my social cause.
• Rare: There are some organizations that fight for the same cause, so it is somewhat rare.
• Inimitable: This might be inimitable since not so many companies only hire single moms.
• Non-substitutable: I do not think I could get better support than from organizations that fight for the same cause.
6. Business experience throughout UF: I am currently a junior at UF, and I know I will get the experience and contacts to help me go on with this idea.
• Valuable: This is really valuable since it is personal experience and learning.
• Rare: It is rare to get so many resources and connections only in one place.
• Inimitable: Anyone who goes to UF or any other university has the resources to get the most from their experience.
• Non-substitutable: I believe this experience would be non-substitutable because it is personal.
7. Financial Capital: This investment would not be extremely big since everything would be done through the internet.
• Valuable: This is valuable because as a new business, capital is really important to reach and satisfy consumers.
• Rare: This is not rare because anyone can have an online business.
• Inimitable: This is not inimitable; however, you need to succeed when doing it.
• Non-substitutable: I believe my financial capital is not substitutable.
8. Empathy Skills: I believe I have the right social cause to go on with this business and I am sure I can help women.
• Valuable: This is valuable because I am passionate about my idea.
• Rare: This is not rare. Whoever finds what they want to do to help others could have the same values.
• Inimitable: This could be imitated by anyone who is in the same field or has a similar social cause.
• Non-substitutable: I could not substitute my own values.

10. Social Capital: Political Background: The Ministry of Women in Peru is in charge of every issue women have in Peru.  
• Valuable: I believe this is valuable because they would support my social cause and maybe even help me improve my ideas.
• Rare: It is rare to get these connections since I have no relatives in the political environment.
• Inimitable: This can be copied by other companies; however, that would be uncommon.
• Non-substitutable: These connections would be really helpful, and I believe they are non-substitutable.

After doing the VRIN analysis, I think my best resource would be having the support of organizations that have the same social cause. This would be extremely helpful for my business but also to reach women who need help and are willing to work for me. It would open the door for more connections and maybe even to create a non-profit organization for other social causes.