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This thesis explores the viability of the creation of a board game café in downtown Phoenix that would donate a percentage of its profits to local charities and other initiatives for the improvement of the Phoenix area. Using a combination of different entrepreneurship and business model templates, fourteen questions were answered to complete the business model, including questions about resources and partnerships necessary for the venture’s success in addition to what the cost structure and revenue streams would look like. These fourteen questions make up the fourteen different parts of the Lean Launch Business Model Canvas, the template primarily used for the display of the final business model. The business model canvas undergoes “cycles” – that is, different drafts of the canvas are created and added to or modified as needed. This particular business model canvas underwent as many as 15 cycles before becoming finalized and receiving approval.
The completion of the business model canvas invites speculation about its actual viability, bringing up questions about financing, projected sales, and the length of the venture’s future. “Pivots,” modifications of the business model to either increase revenue or decrease costs, are also explored at this point. While this particular business idea does have a sustainable competitive advantage in the Phoenix area as a first mover, it would be unwise to pursue the idea further, as the costs are far too high and the required activities far too numerous to outweigh the revenues and benefits. In addition, it would be difficult to obtain funding at a reasonable interest rate for a venture with such a high risk of failure. In this case, a pivot was considered that eliminated nearly all costs and risk, while still relying on a very similar revenue stream. This pivot suggested a far simpler and more economical way of accomplishing the original goal of bettering the Phoenix metro community and giving customers the chance to rediscover in-person communication.
There is a serious lack of local news in Arizona, the American Southwest, and the United States at-large. Arizonans are craving quality, factual, no-holds-barred journalism that is easy-to-read, and upfront. Quality, local news that covers the ins and outs of politics, culture, and community has an opportunity to not only enhance civic life, promote community healing, and expand knowledge made available to the general public (thus serving the communities it calls home), but to also generate revenue. Further, independent and center-right leaning voters in the state of Arizona — be reminded that independents make up the second largest voting bloc among Arizonans — are often crowded out in a media environment that consists of far-left nonprofit-funded news sites like the Arizona Mirror, formerly reputable papers that have bled readership as they veer further left like the Arizona Republic, and far-right online blogs that reach a very limited audience. The Western Tribune is an Arizona-based journalistic publication. This institution is dedicated to providing high-quality, well-sourced news and commentary on statewide, regional, national, and international current affairs through the lens of good government and free enterprise — as well as Southwestern values. We are a free institution that believes in free institutions. We cover stories that go uncovered because of the corporate media’s blind spots (and they’ve got many — they’re a result of news deserts and out-of-touch coastal attitudes) with the stable support of a robust institution dedicated to Truth-seeking behind them. Our storytellers are not just good writers. We seek to recruit and form critical thinkers with skills that span trades, disciplines, and educational backgrounds. We are building an institution committed to excellence.
Chutneys are a form of Indian condiment that can be made in many different flavors and paired with various foods. However, the availability of chutneys in the United States is very limited and many people have not tried them before. With this observation in mind, we founded A2Z Chutneys, which is a business that aims to distribute a variety of organic and locally produced chutneys. Through the Founders Lab program, A2Z Chutneys was created and research was conducted to justify the viability of our business. We were able to gather and interpret data from potential customers, which allowed us to identify a target market. Additionally, time was spent identifying and creating a variety of authentic and unique chutneys that have proven to be desired. This report demonstrates and outlines the feasibility of A2Z Chutneys in providing unique and desirable flavors to the population.