Testing The Hypothesis (Part I)

For this assignment, I wanted to focus on the unemployment rate and the homeless issue we have in Alachua county. I have talked about this topic in a previous assignment so I can recognize that it's really important to me. Many of the people who are homeless consist of retired vets who have had it rough and those who have been thrown out or left home. I feel that from an entrepreneurial level, there is a great deal of opportunity here as well as being able to give back to your community. My concept is through the sponsorship of small businesses in and around Gainesville/Alachua county. Through these sponsors, a company could be started that takes those who are homeless, teaches them the skills they need to sustain a job and get them trained in a number of different skills. Once the company takes off is when revenue would be coming in. Businesses like construction companies can work with you if they need some extra hands or maybe train some to be HVAC technicians or even electricians. Trades are a great way to help people with little education or minimal experience out into the workforce.

The Who: Homeless people in and around Gainesville

The What: They often find it hard to find jobs due to lack of education, experience, or due to underlying conditions such as disabilities.

The Why: Many of these people are unable to find jobs and such because they have no resources to help them with basic life necessities such as housing, proper hygiene, and knowledge to enter the workforce.

The prospective company would help teach them work ethic as well as different skills they can take into the workforce under your supervision. This, in turn, could help make our unemployment rate go down in Alachua county and help keep our area in good shape. I feel that others would benefit from this company due to the decreasing rate of panhandling in the streets. All citizens of Alachua county could technically benefit if they needed work done that the employees are able to do. We could send our employees on apprenticeships to find what they are most interested in and once they have successfully learned the skill, we could supervise the amount of work given to them and set up their payroll as well as help them with their living conditions. Eventually, I feel this type of program would benefit from working alongside the local government.

After talking to 5 Alachua county residents of all different demographics, I have come to the conclusion that this kind of program is something that could be a big opportunity. Many of the individuals said that they would like to see that kind of opportunity. I even spoke to one homeless man on the corner of University and 13th street who said that if something like that were to be created that he would definitely take part in it. This really put me into the perspective of just how much it can help the community. I believe there is a real opportunity here and it would benefit many people in the community. While I don't have all of the details thought up in my mind, I definitely think I have the big picture.