4A-Forming An Opportunity

1. Recently an opportunity has began to present itself in my families business that I have had an uptick in involvement in over the past couple years. The opportunity is a need for general store items for all of the guests that come stay at our nearby Lake Shelbyville every week to camp.
2. The unmet need is not being fulfilled because it is a solid fifteen to twenty minutes into town from the campground area where we are located along with hundreds of campers each week. The people that have the need are the campers for the most part, but there all also locals that live close by. This has just recently come about because the local bait shop that used to supply visitors with these items closed down. To meet this need, people now are driving all the way into town, taking time away from their vacation. I'm 90 percent sure that this opportunity exists and during the camping season would thrive.
3a. The prototypical customers are the adults and children that come to the lake every week needing items such as: firewood, ice, soda, beer, milk, and many other everyday items they are willing to pay a little bit more for so they don't have to drive in town. The first prototypical customer is the head of household for a four person family camping by the lake for the weekend.
4a. How many times have you had to drive into town this week? 3 times and it takes about an hour out of our day each time. What items at a store nearby would prevent you from having to make trips into town? Soda, water, and beer for starters. Outside of that just some easy and quick supplies for cooking out, hot dogs and burgers.
3b. The next prototypical customer are the kids that come to lake with their families.
4b. Is there anything nearby where you guys camp to get something to eat or drink, a vending machine? Nothing at all, other than the stuff we bring with us or go to town to get. What are some things you would want after a long day on the lake? Somewhere with ice cream and at least a vending machine with soda. It's hot out and we cant't even buy ice cream if we go to town because it will melt back at our camp.
3c. The final prototypical customers are fisherman that come to the lake generally during the middle of the week.
4c. Describe your current needs for general store goods when you come fish and how do you fill them: Currently we always need ice, something to drink, and a quick bite to eat like a sandwich when we go out on the lake. Usually we will wake up well before the sun comes up to drive into a gas station fifteen minutes away to obtain these goods. Or we will get out on the lake and go out of our way to stop at the marina and pick some stuff up. If there was still a bait shop right nearby we could sleep in later and when we get out on the lake be able to spend our time on the water not at the marina.
5. I learned that people really did rely on the bait shop that closed a couple months ago to fulfill their needs when they come to the lake. The consensus seems to be that the long drive to town is a huge inconvenience and takes away from time they would rather spend relaxing on vacation. Like the campground, should we open store it would need to be seasonal, people don't come when the weather gets cold and there is no need to be open then.
7. Some of my thoughts changed after these interactions. The major takeaway was that there is a glaring need for a store and it would be profitable. What surprised me though is it doesn't need to be a very elaborate and large store. Everyone I spoke to has pretty much the same needs and the common theme is simple. You have to be able to adapt to customer feedback especially in this type of business. I need to know what they are looking for and what they will actually purchase. We don't want to purchase perishable foods that will sit on our shelves and later on need to be thrown out. We have to carry exactly what the customers want and also have some convenient services like vending machines for sodas and ice.