My Unfair Advantage

Knowledge of the target market- I have first-hand experience with both of the main target markets, college students and young professionals, which gives me insight into what they want from an app like this.

            Valuable- yes

            Rare- no

            Inimitable- no

            Non-substitutable- no

Connections to IT workers (for app development)- I have many friends who are currently working in coding or designing apps, which would be valuable when conducting app development.

            Valuable- yes

            Rare- no

            Inimitable- no

            Non-substitutable- no

Experience in marketing to millennials- my current job of director of campus operations for Study Edge gives me valuable experience in how an established company markets to millennials.

            Valuable- yes

            Rare- yes

            Inimitable- no

            Non-substitutable- yes

Organization- I am very organized, which allows me to juggle a wide range of responsibilities without compromising quality in them.

            Valuable- yes

            Rare- no

            Inimitable- no

            Non-substitutable- no

Time Management- This trait allows me to accomplish a long list of obligations in a short period of time.

            Valuable- yes

            Rare- no

            Inimitable- no

            Non-substitutable- no

Energetic- I am often energetic and positive, which allows those around me to associate energy and positivity with me, and therefore, my brand.

            Valuable- yes

            Rare- yes

            Inimitable- yes

            Non-substitutable- no

Knowledgeable about banking and financial statements- My past internship, as well as the business classes I have taken, have made me knowledgeable about things like how banks operate and how to read financial statements, which will give me an advantage when planning financials and applying for loans.

            Valuable- yes

            Rare- no

            Inimitable- no

            Non-substitutable- no

Approachable- I’m very easy to talk to and I tend to smile easily, which helps make other people more comfortable. I get asked for directions by strangers pretty often (even though I’m not very good at giving them) or to take pictures because I seem friendly and helpful. This will make it easier for employees to ask me questions without feeling intimidated or to form business relationships with others.

            Valuable- yes

            Rare-yes

            Inimitable- yes

            Non-substitutable- yes

Strong writing skills- Writing is naturally my stronger suit (as opposed to math) and I have a good amount of experience in writing business correspondence.

            Valuable- yes

            Rare- no

            Inimitable- no

            Non-substitutable- no

Connections to bankers- Due to my Mom working in banking, as well as my internship, I have many connections to those currently working in banking, which will give me an advantage when applying for loans or completing financial statements.

            Valuable- yes

            Rare- yes

            Inimitable- yes

            Non-substitutable- no

Conclusion:

My top resource is being approachable. This resource is extremely important when making new business relationships, either with those in other companies or with employees. It’s also something that’s hard to copy or imitate if you don’t naturally have it.