[Brielle Buckler]

In this unit, we discussed what makes a business a viable enterprise, and what “counts” as a business. We all come in contact with businesses every day, many without even realizing.

Think about a single day this week, and describe the businesses you interacted with. Think about what you ate, where you went, how you got there, the technology you used to get things done, etc. Then, categorize the businesses on your list into either for-profit or not-for-profit/nonprofit businesses, and describe whether the businesses sell products or services.

What kinds of businesses, based on your list, do you interact with most often? Do you see a pattern? What other types of businesses do you frequent not on this list?

———————————————————————-

In order to receive full credit for this assignment, all components of this assignment are due by 11:59pm ET on Friday, April 1, 2022. You should first contribute a thoughtful post of your own before viewing/commenting on the posts of others.

Once you submit your post, you must respond meaningfully to at least two other classmates’ threads. This assignment is worth a total of ten (10) points — 6 possible points for your original post, and up to 2 points for each of the two responses to your classmates’ posts. Please reference our Discussion Rubric for more information.

• This topic was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Brielle Buckler.
• This topic was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Brielle Buckler.

[Amanda Hines]

My weekday routine consists of the following:

• Driving children to school – car business, for profit – products
• Childrens School – Education, non-profit – services
• Breakfast – Dunkin, for profit – product
• Work – Manufacturing company, for profit – products
• Snack – Vending Machine, for profit – products
• Shipping Samples – Fedex, for profit – services
• Computer – Dell, for profit – product

I tend to interact with business that are for profit and provide products. Other business I frequent that aren’t on this list include – supermarkets, laundry services, gas stations and target.

 

[Kamila Soopy]

Hi Amanda, I liked the way you listed the businesses in the order you used them in, it gives a very clear and concise description of what you use and what is necessary for your daily routine.

[Branine Jackson]

Hi Amanda, my typical work day is very similar to yours in the sense that it’s very routine and consistent. I usually grab breakfast at Dunkin, go to work, eat lunch, and uber home. It’s so interesting how someone you’ve never met could have such a similar work lifestyle as you.

[Syeed Salvant]

Hi Amanda, I like how incisive and meticulous your response was, Everything was well placed and formatted in a good way.  I also tend to interact with businesses that provide products frequently.

[Marckenson Desgrottes]

Hi Amanda- Very interesting, I like how you provided incisive details on the activities and the categories each one involves.

[Kevin j Pena]

On any given day I encounter many different businesses. The most common ones are transportation and food businesses. But not far beyond are the tech and retail businesses. Of course this is not including the businesses I interact with indirectly such as the suppliers to the stores and programs that run most of our lives today. One prime example is the MTA. It is easy to forget that it is a privately owned business that is highly profitable. When you consider the profit made from the price of travel, advertisement space rented and real estate rented. We see how they take full advantage of us the customers who use the transportation services they offer. Likewise you can look at the restaurants I frequent the same way. I interact with the restaurant directly by purchasing the food and drinks. But indirectly I am interacting with the farms that provide the ingredients to the suppliers which the restaurants buy their ingredients from. Not to mention the technology and programs that have streamlined most of these processes for everyone. Most of my daily patterns go from food to transportation with sprinkles of tech throughout the day.  As i’m sure most of our days resemble.

[Edward Quinn]

Hi Kevin!  I didn’t realize that the MTA is a for-profit, privately owned business.  One “neat” (well, ok maybe not neat, but maybe “interesting,” or at least “related,” haha) thing I just was reading was about how NYC has an MTA tax they impose on companies with at least one million dollars of NYC sales receipts.  That’s interesting to me to learn MTA is private if is also getting some tax revenue from NY State or NY City!  In any event, I do truly appreciate the MTA when I come into NYC, as it makes getting around to the different boroughs much easier and much more productive if I can work on my phone or computer instead of “drive” aka sit in traffic for hours…

[Fatima Pichardo]

Hello Kevin, I never really thought about the MTA being privately owned so this is a surprise to me which goes to show just how much we don’t pay attention to how everything that surrounds us is business! We just go about our day without thinking about the effect we have every time we do something so small like simply swiping a Metro Card!

[Fatima Pichardo]

A business is any type of activity that offers a service or product to make a profit. Every day we interact with so many different businesses, whether it be directly or indirectly; that sometimes we don’t even think about the effects it has in our lives and our society. Mostly I interact with the MTA which offers a service, Starbucks; a for profit business that offers an array of products like coffee, tea and other manufactured goods. I spend most of my day at work which is a for-profit welding supply company where we supply a variety of products to our customers and other companies. Something that’s always involved in our everyday life is technology. for-profit companies that manufacture our phones, computers, furniture, clothing, and other manufactured products. Less frequently I’ll visit entertainment businesses like movie theaters, concert venues, and retail businesses like clothing and home goods stores.

[Edward Quinn]

Hi Fatima!  I enjoyed reading your post, and I wholeheartedly agree about technology, for-profit companies being involved in our everyday lives so much.  What is interesting to me lately is how these companies are making money–for instance, Apple makes money selling the iPhone (among other products), but they have so much personal info about each one of us down to our core personality traits, current moods, and literally what’s on our mind.  I have been reading how “data is the new oil” lately and it’s changed how I think about these companies, in particular how hard it is to function in modern society without using some form of their product(s).  It’s doable, but it feels so weird!  I have an issue with my Apple iPhone not charging now; the phone is only 2 years old, but it already feels like it’s time to get another iPhone, which for me feels ludicrous because the phone costs about the same as my laptop, and I couldn’t imagine getting a new laptop every 2 years…debating if I can make the switch to something “lower tech” that will last me 10 years lol…maybe something we’ll discuss in this class with revenue models is the concept of “planned obsolescence.”

[Fatima Pichardo]

Hi Edward! I definitely agree, its really interesting and scary how technology has evolved to the point where is impossible to live without it. Most specifically with cell phones, computers and the film industry. Nowadays a smartphone or computer is required for almost everything we do. from communicating with our families and friends to buying things online, to checking the weather, to more important things like applying for jobs, bank accounts, booking trips etc. Also social media and the way our personal information is retained is pretty terrifying!

[Nadia Khan]

Hi Fatima. I loved that you discuss your consistence usage of MTA and technology. That reminds me of how MTA and technology are advancing today. For example we can use GooglePay or ApplePay to pay for train rides and we have food markets inside some of our train stations like you mentioned Starbucks and that reminds me of the first reading we were assigned that mentions how convenient the world is for us when they were discussing refilling a prescription as an example. MTA is smart for incorporating other business within the stations so it more a one-stop situation for our needs on the go. I have even noticed Walgreens vending machines where they sell over the counter medications and other necessities.

[Mohamed Hossein]

Hello, Fatima. I think you mentioning the MTA was a great example that breaks down how a business offers you service.  It is a business that tends to be supported by so many individuals, they can make their profits, and at the same time offer the services needed for others. Great discussion!

[Edward Quinn]

I choose to document my Wednesday this week.  I am the owner of a new business called Moonraker Coffee Roasters, which is a start-up based in Philadelphia that partners with coffee farmers in Latin America to create direct trade relationships for specialty coffee shops, restaurants, hotels, and the like.  Right now, I use Wednesday as my day to find new customers.

My Wednesday this week consisted of driving around the Rittenhouse Park area of Philadelphia to identify nice hotels and restaurants that might be interested in a custom coffee for their establishment.  In spending several hours building my contact list, I interacted with the following businesses:

1. Google.  I probably interacted with Google the most this past Wednesday, as I was using Google Maps and Google search to track down exact locations of hotels, restaurants and cafes, and then to read reviews, the companies own websites and social media, and the like.  (PROFIT; hybrid of selling product and service)
2. Apple.  I was on my phone a lot, and I interacted with Apple to use search, make calls, Apply Pay for lunch, send and share contact info with hospitality managers, etc. (PROFIT; hybrid of selling product and service).
3. Toyota.  My second office in in my truck, and I am always making calls, scouting areas, running errands, etc.  I interact with my truck a lot, haha. (PROFIT; product).
4. Post Office.  I ship a lot of coffee to Washington, DC where we have several big clients; I am often there more than once a week but this past Wednesday I made drop-offs for almost 150 lbs of fresh roasted beans. (NOT SURE!  I think PROFIT, but USPS receives money from taxpayers, so in a sense is a non-profit type business that provides a service for society).

One interesting take-away I have here is that I typically don’t interact with many non-profits.  I do interact with Fair Trade, which is a not for profit entity that works to certify farms, producers, and value-chains as “fair” for those who typically create or first work with the raw inputs, but my interaction with them is typically once a month.  I did also notice that I stuck to my goal from 2021 about spending as little money as possible right now on food and drink outside of the home!  Ironic for a dude selling coffee to cafes but I am self-funding this business venture and on a tight budget until I am out of school with BMCC and have the business firing on more cylinders.

[Nadia Khan]

Hi Edward. First of all, I think it’s very cool you have started your own business. Much like yourself I don’t interact very much with non-profits either. Looking at the businesses you interact with most I would say technology is something I use the most in my daily life as well. I didn’t realize until you mentioned Apple that they do in fact provide serivces and products. I also had a goal to spend less money on food outside, unfortunately hasn’t been going as well for me as it has you haha.

[Mohamed Hossein]

Hi, Edward! As Nadia mentioned, its awesome that you have your own business, which is great to hear considering I would love to open my own one day. I wish you the absolute best of luck! I think there was one thing that struck my attention from the businesses you listed, which had to be Apple. Previously, someone had mentioned the usage of the MTA. In contrast to Apple Pay, it is a quick and efficient method that Apple came out with that an abundant amount of people use, while it serves as a service.

[Nadia Khan]

This week’s assignment has made me think of how almost everything around us is a business. If I were to think of an average weekday I think about how often I use my iPhone which Apple is a for-profit business (product) and even more specifically the apps and platforms I use that I pay a monthly subscription for. For example, Netflix, Hulu, my Spotify account, texting, my regular phone bill, etc. which would be considered for-profit seeing as it is a service being offered. As well as my daily transportation which consists of either MTA, Uber or Lyft which is a for-profit business (services). Majority of my meals during the week are takeouts. Sometimes bought from a fast food chain of some sort (product) or through UberEats (service) which are both for-profit businesses. Seeing as I work an administrative job most of my time is during the day at work, sitting at a desk on my Macbook which is a for-profit business (product).

Other businesses that I interact with throughout the week but not daily, are supermarkets for groceries (for-profit products) and my local laundromat which is also a for-profit business seeing as they charge me for a service sometimes even a product if I am in need of washing detergent or dryer sheets. I would say I interact with most of the businesses I mentioned above equally but the most would have to be my cellphone. I admit I’m guilty of using technology the majority of the day. The pattern that I see is that all of these are for-profit businesses. I lack interaction with non-profit businesses.

[Kamila Soopy]

Hi Nadia. I’m pretty much on my phone/laptop most of the day too. I get that guilty feeling sometimes, especially  when I’m unproductive with my time spent online.

[Fatima Pichardo]

Hi Nadia! I also interact with for-profit businesses the most. I can’t think of any business that I’ve interacted with recently that is non-profit. And the reason for this is because people interact with big chains the most because they are the most common and convenient. if you notice when you go outside you’ll find a McDonalds, Starbucks, Dunkin, Target, chipotle etc, in almost every corner!

[Lingjiao Gong]

<div class=”gE iv gt”>Just as you said, we cannot do without various enterprises in our daily life. We even order takeout for meals. We never leave our mobile phones in our hands, listen to music and watch videos, and all kinds of things are inseparable from enterprises</div>

[Kamila Soopy]

On any given day of the week the businesses I am most likely to have interacted with include Apple (phone/product that also gives me access to services I may need for the day), the MTA/Lyft (a service that provides me transportation), and of course my local deli. Besides the deli, most of the other businesses I use are an after thought as they don’t require much/if any person-to-person interaction but after this assignment and thinking about my day, I see how many are actually involved in not only my life but everyone else’s as well.

I mainly interact with businesses that are for-profit. I’ve also noticed that the main industries that many of us use daily include technology, food, and transportation which I think is an important indicator of the common needs that exist amongst individuals. I think other businesses I use infrequently are more service based, ie going to the salon or getting my taxes done by an accountant. I, like some others mentioned in their posts on this thread, don’t interact with any non-profit businesses.

[Syeed Salvant]

Hi Kamila, I also mainly interact with businesses that are for-profit, and many times while interacting with these businesses we don’t even realize it because it has become a normal part of our life, like people opening their phones in the morning or signing on to computers and laptops to do school work.  The majority of the things we do in a day cause us to interact with a business.

[Lingjiao Gong]

<div class=”gE iv gt”>
I agree with you very much. Many people unknowingly find that they have been in contact and interact with various companies. Just like maintaining contact with companies in our daily life is essential, it is what we need and what companies need.</div>

[Jamal thomas]

On one of the days within this week, I went to work at Transatlantic Reinsurance (For Profit- risk management for generally insurance companies). Afterwards I proceeded to check out some music and work on my own with the application known as bandlab (incorporates for profit and non profit tactics when buying exclusive production material though also having donation features). I later went shopping on Amazon and Ebay (Both being for Profits by selling a wide variety of items). I find myself interacting with the previously listed companies quite often. I also recognize that the majority are for-profit organizations.

[Syeed Salvant]

A business is an organization or company that attempts to vend something to make income.  On Wednesday I interacted with a multitude of businesses, most of them being for-profit businesses. I used my iPhone which is created by Apple and ordered items from a business named nature cabinet, then I went on to make another order on amazon which provides products in the same manner that nature cabinet does. Later on that day I used uber and Spotify which are both businesses that provide services.  The types of businesses that I interact with the most frequently during the week are for-profit businesses that offer an online shopping option, this is the most glaring pattern when it comes to how I interact with businesses.  Outside of the businesses I already named I frequent businesses like grocery stores such as Stop & Shop and Costco and this is just on a broad scale.  If we all take a deeper dive, most of the things we interact with come from a business or are a business, for example, this laptop I’m using right now to finish my assignment.

[Gabriel Aman]

Hi Syeed, I also mainly like shopping online to and finding specific things in  Amazon that are cheap but also great quality.  During my days I also us uber as a commute to take me to my destinantion and on my way during my commute i also listen to music on spotify. During the weekends I love going to Costco for groceries and reliable deals that are convent but also great because there is more slection and great bargains compared to a regular supermarket.

[Branine Jackson]

I literally do all my primary shopping through amazon. From clothing to groceries it’s literally a one stop shop. I just love the user friendliness and the wide of variety of literally anything you may need.

[Lingjiao Gong]

The federal government “counts” as a business. Almost every day, I deal with some enterprises, such as restaurants, MTA, Uber, music software, doctors’ clinics, etc., all of which exist in our daily life. However, these enterprises are necessary for our daily life, and they also need the help and recognition of customers. Businesses play a huge role in culture and society in general. They not only take up the most amount of time in most people’s lives, but they also help create innovations and make important technological advancements.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 7 months ago by Lingjiao Gong.
• This reply was modified 2 years, 7 months ago by Lingjiao Gong.

[Gabriel Aman]

Buisness can have different organization that conlcude enterprising such as commercial, industtrial, or professional activities. During my week Thursady I went to workout at a gym called Life Time which is know to be a huge organizationa concluding Athletic Buisness estimateing an average revenue a customer, such like me generating a lifespan and money to be spent grinding so i can be in the best shape. A business Like Lifetime determines there customers help to know there economic decisions such as marketing budget, resources such as gym equipment and professional trainners that help the business profitbality and there forecasting as a gym/ resort including a pool and rooft tope lounge.

[Mohamed Hossein]

A business is the act of exchanging a good or service for compensation. It is a variety of factors that when put together, has a main goal of making profit. Typically, we tend to support businesses almost everyday whether we realize it or not. Throughout this week, I interacted with a couple of businesses such as an accounting firm to get my taxes done, and Rite Aid. One of the most popular business that is most common anywhere we go is known as Starbucks. I took my car, went to Starbucks, and I ordered an iced coffee and a cake pop through the mobile application. Starbucks is considered a for-profit business, considering the fact that individuals pay for goods in which the company makes profit on each good sold. I believe Starbucks sells both products and services because you are able to purchase the products and the employees provide the service by making the product for you. Additionally, Starbucks is known to advertise their items to everyday customers, such as mugs and coffee. Rite aid is a for-profit that provides products to its customers. An accounting firm is a for-profit that provides the service to its customers as well. The most interactive business I encounter would be Starbucks because I consider myself a regular customer. I definitely see a pattern in Starbucks, as it is a constant exchange between money and products and services. A business I do not frequent on this list would be the accounting firm, because I typically only visit it once a year.

[Zakaria Ahmed]

Basically, Business words come from any organization or our professional activities. It should have a lot of advantages as well many profits and also non-profit organizations. Also Business is the Organized effort of individuals to produce and sell for a profit. it seeks to make a profit by working toward common goals.

 

we have a lot f different kinds of examples in our industries,

such as

Shopping centers, Medical stores, IT companies, etc.

in our environment, we have a lot of business examples that we can expand.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 7 months ago by Zakaria Ahmed. Reason: Adding few examples

[Branine Jackson]

From Sunday to Thursday my life follows a pretty consistent routine. I normally stop at Dunkin’ Donuts then Uber to work. During lunch I either bring food from home or I order from Uber eats. By the end of the day I Uber home. I typically spend about $60-80 each day using the uber platform. I can definitely say I mostly interact with service based businesses. One of the other businesses I interact with often is Apple. As a product based business they always have something new in store and I’m usually the first to purchase a new product.

[Marckenson Desgrottes]

A business is an organization or any other entity engaged in commercial, professional, charitable or industrial activities. It can be a for-profit entity or a none-profit entity and may or may not have a separate existence from the people/person controlling it. A business commercial activity which involves providing goods or services with a primary motive of earning profits.

[Author]

Posts