1. No category

Elliott Wright
7207 Arizona Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90045
[email protected]
(310) 384-9371
Education
University of California, Santa Barbara
• Major: English / Minor: Professional Writing (Civic Engagement emphasis)
• Graduation: June 2015
• GPA: 3.93
• Dean’s Honors
Writing Experience
Goleta Skateboarding Movement, Editorial Intern, Santa Barbara, CA (01/2015-present)
• Working within community to bring awareness of positive benefits of skateboarding
• Focus on grant writing and completing the 501(c)(3) status application
• Fundraising to develop public skateparks in the Goleta/Santa Barbara counties
The Daily Nexus, Senior Staff Writer, Santa Barbara, CA (10/2013-10/2014)
• Commended by various editors for creative and critical story ideas
• Previewed, reviewed, and investigated various community events
• Used emotional intelligence to better understand countless interviewees
Work Experience
Blast Surf N’ Skate, Manager, Playa Del Rey, CA (01/2011-01/2013)
• Managed the store by opening, closing, and handling end-of-day reports
• Developed and strengthened sales techniques with each unique customer
• Connected with and developed relationships with members of the community
The Tripel, Bartender/Server, Playa Del Rey, CA (09/2012-09/2013)
• Responsible for serving food, changing kegs, and bussing tables simultaneously
• Educated customers about food and beverage varieties
• Thrived working an eight hour shift despite stressful circumstances
Relevant Coursework at UCSB
Writing 153A/B—Professional Writing Minor
• Studied procedures in grant writing and other fundraising techniques
• Hyperlink to class assignments: https://elliottedwardwright.wordpress.com/
English 236—Graduate-level seminar
• Entitled “Slow Modernism” and covered contemporary theory and philosophy
English 197—Undergraduate Senior seminar
• Entitled “Figures of Refusal: Work and the Politics of Not Doing”
Writing 107B—Business Writing
• Wrote business plan for hypothetical company
Writing 105R—Rhetoric Writing: Analyzing Rhetorical Techniques
independent.com
http://www.independent.com/news/2015/feb/03/w-kamau-bell-sets-curve/
W. Kamau Bell Sets the Curve
By Elliott
Wright
Tuesday, February 3,
2015
Courtesy Photo
W. Kamau Bell
Comedian Plots to End Racism in About an Hour
This Thursday, UCSB Arts & Lectures brings famed sociopolitical comedian W. Kamau Bell to campus to perform his
show The W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in About an Hour . Bell is an African-American, San Francisco–based
comedian whose one-hour comedy show — which he performs at many college campuses across the country —
addresses race and racism in the United States and his own life.
Bell has much to say about “ BBM,” or Being a Black Male, in America in 2015. His Vanity Fair article from November
2014 discusses how “petrified of the cops” he is as a 6’4”, 250-pound black man. He mentions the “precautionary
action” he must take every single day of his life. He states, “BBM is why I smile quickly. It’s why I don’t usually stand to
my full height. I slouch and bend.”
Most recently, Bell made news in the Bay Area after he was racially profiled at a Berkeley café. On January 29, Bell
described his experiences in detail in a blog post on his website. For his birthday, he and his wife attended one of her
favorite breakfast spots on College Avenue. He described how his wife went back to the café later that same day to
have lunch with some of her new friends. Melissa Bell, Kamau’s white wife, was holding their 13-week-old baby when
Kamau approached the group of young mothers with his Macbook under his arm. An employee of the establishment
then proceeded to “shoo” Bell away because she thought, “he was selling something.” After Kamau published his blog
post, news of this “textbook racism” has spread all over the Internet. Details of his experience could very well be
described during his performance at Campbell Hall later this week.
Bell started the Bell Curve in 2007, “before the idea of Barack Obama being president.” His show, which is composed
of big news stories, as well as tales from his personal life, has gone through many different incarnations since then.
“When I started doing it, it was about the fact that I had a white girlfriend. At this point, it’s about the fact me and my
white wife have two mixed-race kids,” Bell said.
Bell describes himself as a comedian first and an activist second. Currently, he is a member of the advisory board of
Race Forward, a racial justice organization. He’s also the American Civil Liberties Union’s racial justice ambassador.
Bell states he was “inspired by Eddie Murphy and Bill Cosby as a kid.” It was not until he got older and starting
becoming politically involved that he was influenced by Bill Hicks, another political comedian of the ’80s and ’90s.
After withdrawing from the University of Pennsylvania, Bell began to focus on comedy full-time. He describes himself
as “big fan of higher education,” as long as one has a plan in mind. Although he did not complete his degree, Bell is no
stranger to college campuses. He is invited to universities all over the country regardless of how diverse or
homogenous a town might be.
Even though he likes to perform at places that are “racially, ethnically, and socially mixed,” he also freely goes to
places like Spokane, Washington, or Eugene, Oregon, which are 85 percent white. “I have done a lot of colleges
where they bring me in for the diversity thing and I actually am the diversity. I adapt to whatever the circumstances
are,” Bell said.
Thursday’s show, which is offered to UCSB students free of charge, is meant to “inspire conversations” among
attendees. “Ending racism in an hour: Clearly that is tongue-in-cheek,” Bell said. “But if people walk out having
different conversations about race and racism because of the show, mission accomplished. Even if those
conversations are, ‘I disagree with everything he said, and I hope they never bring him back to my school.’ Well, at
least that’s a new thought in your head.” Bell acknowledges that he will not get through to all the people who attend the
show, so he hopes to address those “sitting on the fence.”
4•1•1
UCSB Arts & Lectures presents W. Kamau Bell at UCSB’s Campbell Hall on Thursday, February 5, at 8 p.m. The
event is free to UCSB students with a valid college ID. For info, visit artsandlectures.sa.ucsb.edu.
Copyright ©2015 Santa Barbara Independent, Inc. Reproduction of material from any Independent.com pages without written
permission is strictly prohibited. If you believe an Independent.com user or any material appearing on Independent.com is copyrighted
material used without proper permission, please click here.
dailynexus.com
http://dailynexus.com/2013-11-18/santa-barbara-startup-weekend-draws-in-future-entrepreneurs/
Santa Barbara Startup Weekend Draws in Future Entrepreneurs
By Elliott
Wright
Santa Barbara Startup Weekend hosted a 54-hour non-profit event geared toward developing business ideas,
creating innovative products and launching new businesses this past Sunday at the Museum of Contemporary Art in
downtown Santa Barbara.
As a part of the Global Startup Weekend network founded in 2007, the event attracted a total of 125 developers,
designers, marketers, product managers, students and startup enthusiasts, many of whom attended or are currently
attending UCSB. Friday night — the first night of the weekend-long event — consisted of participants coming
together and pitching ideas before splitting into teams, with each team dedicated to bringing their specific start-up
idea to fruition for the remainder of the weekend.
UCSB Technology Management Program advisor and lecturer and Santa Barbara Startup Weekend co-organizer
Kyle Ashby said the event served as an ideal kick-starter for students interested in creating and developing business
ideas.
“The UCSB student presence here is a super vital part of the event,” Ashby said. “Students have the opportunity to
meet people and engage with mentors or future employers who are doing amazing, innovative things.”
Fourth-year economics major Mike Holubowski, who is participating in the College of Engineering’s Technology
Management Program, said the event is “immensely valuable” for students with an inclination toward technology or
business.
“I think more UCSB students need to come to Startup Weekend,” Holubowski said. “You might have a unique life
experience that no one else in the room shares, and that could be the starting point for a fantastic idea.”
Santa Barbara Startup Weekend co-organizer Ben Williamson said the event offered an opportunity for members of
the Santa Barbara community from many different academic and professional fields to share ideas. According to
Williamson, UCSB students hold the potential to become the next Mark Zuckerberg or Steve Jobs.
“Until you put yourself out there, you don’t know what you are capable of,” Williamson said. “It’s just a matter of
putting yourself in the flow of commerce before those resources really present themselves to you.”
UCSB alum, New York Times-bestselling author and entrepreneur Patrick Vlaskovits said that with the rising cost of
education, students should think twice about pursuing a Master of Business Administration and instead maybe
consider a launching a startup. Such a career move could potentially offer better experience, better education and be
a more financially lucrative endeavor overall. According to Vlaskovits, students no longer have to live by the book as
he did in college.
“When I was in college, you wrote a business plan, and your professor would grade it,” Vlaskovits said. “There is a
reason why he is a professor and not an entrepreneur himself. What does he know if this business plan is good or
bad? These days you don’t have to waste your time writing a business plan. You just go for it.”
Vlaskovits said events like Santa Barbara Startup Weekend present students the opportunity to learn in ways that
span beyond conventional education.
“When I did my first startup, there was nothing like this,” Vlaskovits said. “There was no training ground to get
together as a team … The future is wide open to those who want it.”
dailynexus.com
http://dailynexus.com/2013-11-12/paul-rusesabagina-shares-stories-of-rwandan-genocide-passive-resistance-at-sbcc/
Paul Rusesabagina Shares Stories of Rwandan Genocide,
Passive Resistance at SBCC
By Elliott
Wright
Humanitarian and Rwandan hotel manager Paul
Rusesabagina, whose efforts in hiding and protecting
1,268 Hutu and Tutsi refugees during the Rwandan
Genocide provided the basis for the film “Hotel Rwanda,”
spoke publicly to a packed Garvin and Jurkowitz Theatre at
Santa Barbara City College on Friday.
In discussing the genocide that began April 7, 1994 and
resulted in the deaths of anywhere from 500,000 to 1
million people, Rusesabagina also talked about his
experience in saving the refugees who hid in the hotel he
managed, Hôtel des Mille Collines. Additionally, he told the
story of how he survived from being slaughtered by the
extremist Interahamwe militia, and he discussed the power
of peaceful dialogue, rather than violence, in fighting evil.
ELLIOT WRIGHT / DAILY NEXUS
According to Rusesabagina, all people have a duty to teach youth the best way to address evil so that they may
apply this learning to future events.
“Every hard heart will always have a soft spot,” Rusesabagina said. “Look for that soft spot. It is your duty. Apply
maximum energy on that spot, until you come up with a result.”
During his talk, Rusesabagina described many of his role models and figures of inspiration. One of these individuals,
Rusesabagina said, was his father, whom he respected for instilling honest values in him at an early age. In his
discussion, Rusesabagina recalled a story his father told his family during a New Year’s dinner.
“If you see two brothers fighting, your mission is to separate them. Stand in the middle. Never look to the left side or
right side. By doing so, you might be influenced by either one,” Rusesabagina said. “Instead, look upwards, and only
speak the truth.”
Hannah Colombo, political science major at SBCC, said she understood why Rusesabagina spoke highly of his
influences — which included his own father, Mahatma Ghandi, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King, Jr.
“It’s amazing that Paul read about Dr. King, who was really into passive resistance. It was coincidental that he was
reading and studying that because Paul actually applied it to his own life in a really influential way,” she said.
Professor Joseph White, UCSB alum and chair of the philosophy department at SBCC, is the executive director of “A
Year Without War,” a nonprofit organization working toward creating a year of global ceasefire beginning Jan. 1,
2020. White said he invited Rusesabagina to SBCC in hopes of educating today’s youth about the Rwandan
genocide.
“When Paul was in Southern California last, one of his contacts contacted me because they knew we do these
programs,” White said.
Chase Paisley, economics major at SBCC, said he felt extremely privileged to be a part of the audience and listen to
Rusesabagina speak.
“It’s rare throughout history to see people who make such a big impact. He’s one of those figureheads that will be
written about across history as time goes on.” Paisley said. “He stood up against an extreme opposing force, and he
made a difference. One day my kids will learn about him in history class, and I can tell them that I saw him speak at
my school.”
Since the genocide, Rusesabagina has been living in Belgium and the United States, and now he works on the Hotel
Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation, a non-profit company he founded to prevent future genocides.
A version of this article appeared on page 1 of November 12th’s print edition of the Daily Nexus.
dailynexus.com
http://dailynexus.com/2014-03-03/sedaris-returns-to-santa-barbara-for-night-of-storytelling-satire/
Sedaris Returns to Santa Barbara For Night of Storytelling, Satire
By Elliott
Wright
The Arlington Theatre downtown was filled with fans last Friday night
who braved the wet weather to witness Grammy Award winningnominated satirist and humorist David Sedaris recite old and new
material in his sold-out performance.
Hosted by UCSB Arts & Lectures, the performance covered a range of
topics, such as taboo and relatable subject. A book signing for his April
2013 release, Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls, followed the event.
Sedaris, a best-selling author and National Public Radio (NPR) celebrity,
is known for his satirical wit and observant social commentary. Also a
popular comic essayist for The New Yorker, Sedaris has written
numerous bestselling books, including When You Are Engulfed in
Flames, Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary and the
aforementioned Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls, which are available
worldwide in 25 languages.
PHOTO COURTESY OF KQED.org
Fans new and old attended the performance. Angela Weidmann, a Santa
Barbara local who has previously seen Sedaris perform twice before, said she enjoys his earlier works, particularly
Me Talk Pretty One Day, a bestselling collection of essays.
“I re-read his books a lot, and I still like the older ones,” Weidmann said. “In Me Talk Pretty One Day, he needs
speech therapy because he can’t pronounce ‘S’s. He just evades the speech therapist by always using words that
don’t have an ‘S’.”
Meanwhile, Kevin McDonough, a UCSB alumnus who graduated in 1977, said he has wanted to see Sedaris perform
for years and finally decided to take his night off from work to commute from Thousand Oaks for the event.
McDonough said one of his favorite works from Sedaris is When You Are Engulfed in Flames , another book with a
collection of essays that brings up humorous and bizarre social situations.
“I liked When You Are Engulfed in Flames because the thought of him trying to stop his cigarette habit by going to
Japan was hysterical,” McDonough said. “I’m not a smoker, but I know how difficult it is for people to quit smoking. I
was just in hysterics reading that book.”
Leah Millar, a student at Anacapa School, said she “couldn’t breathe” for half the show because she was laughing so
much. Millar said her favorite part of the evening was when Sedaris explained a book signing experience for a male
college student after a previous performance. According to Millar, Sedaris said the student asked for a comment that
was shocking and offensive, so Sedaris obliged with “Dear Mary Lou, your son left teeth marks on my dick.”
Dan Capa, a Microsoft employee, was visiting Santa Barbara for business purposes over the weekend and took the
opportunity to see Sedaris speak. Capa said he enjoyed Sedaris’ style, which he described as “witty and off-beat.”
“I find his wit just very spot-on, very observant,” Capa said. “I find all of his work to be just very unique, not many
perspectives are very similar to his. It’s very off-beat, but still very intellectual.”
Rachael Letter, a long-time fan who saw Sedaris live for the first time, laughed as she said she thought his comedy
was not mainstream. Letter called the culture of his fan base “underground.”
“If they listen to a lot of NPR, they know who you are talking about. That’s about it. Unfortunately, if they watch a lot of
Fox News, they have no idea who you are talking about,” Letter said. “I think he’s going to be one of those
underground people.”
Nancy Isley, a fan who follows Sedaris on NPR’s This American Life, spoke highly of Sedaris’ radio show and said he
carries an ability to captivate audiences, even if much of his performance was, as Isley thought, simply an act of
reciting the words in his books.
“His delivery is awesome, and I think it’s awesome that people are here just to hear him read out of a book,” Isley
said. “He’s just on the stage reading from a book; and look, this place is pretty packed.”
Francis Pat, a friend of Isley’s who saw Sedaris perform for the first time, said she was introduced to Sedaris’ work by
listening to This American Life and commended his ability to cover a wide range of topics.
“Even when he writes about serious subject matters, he writes really well,” Pat said. “It’s like reading somebody’s
diary. It’s like really from the heart.”
A version of this story appeared on page 3 of Monday, March 3, 2014′s print edition of the Daily Nexus.
Writing 107B—Business Plan for Hypothetical Surf, Skate,
and Bike Retailer
2.0 Industry Analysis
2.1 Overview
The extreme sports industry has evolved at an exponential rate in the last 15 years.
Traditional sports like baseball, basketball, and football, which once entertained millions
of American children, became less appealing when more exciting and dangerous
extreme sports made an appearance in the mid-1990s.
The thrill and risk associated with surfing, skateboarding, and bicycling became more
popular after the first X-Games event was held in Rhode Island in 1995. All of these
activities promote a sense of individuality and creativity; the participant is able to walk
out his or her front door and pursue an athletic endeavor without the responsibilities of
having a coach or scheduled practices and tournaments.
Tony Hawk, the first skateboarder to land a 900 degree rotation on a U-shaped ramp,
became a household name when he released his own video game in 1999. This
sparked a huge increase in skateboard sales and would make events like the X-Games
even more watched and attended.
Sales in the extreme sports industry, on a broad scale, continue to be greater than
those in traditional sporting goods. In addition to the boards themselves, companies
offer a variety of accessories and clothing to the extreme sports audience.
2.2 Industries Involved
Sands Supply Co. will be associated with two different industries, the extreme sports
industry and the mobile app industry. In terms of extreme sports, we will focus on
surfing, skateboarding, and bicycling. Our company will offer a mobile app that allows
customers to request knowledgable Sands Supply Co. team members to come fix
damaged surfboards, skateboards, and bicycles. Mobile apps are a rapidly growing
industry; we will use our app to promote our business and appeal to customers’
demands. It will be beneficial for our business to offer a mobile app because of how
many young adults use smartphones and how big the industry will become.
2.3 Industry Leaders
Within surfing, skateboarding, bicycling, and mobile apps, there are industry leaders
that serve as the inspiration for our business. These successful companies are proof
that our industries are relevant in the current market. By us founders striving to work
together collaboratively, we will be able to one day become as successful as these
successful businesses.
2.3.1 Channel Islands Surfboards
Coincidentally located in Santa Barbara, CA, Channel Islands
Surfboards has been in business since 1969 and has grown from a
close-knit group of dedicated employees to the most respected
surfboard brand in the world. This transformation was due in part to
the founder, Al Merrick, whose passion to provide the best surfers
in the world with the best boards led to the company’s success.
2.3.2 Element Skateboards
Founded in 1992 by Johnny Schillereff, Element Skateboards has
become the largest money-grossing company in the skateboarding
industry. The company’s logo, symbolized by a tree, promotes
growth and improvement to skateboarding as a whole.
2.3.3 Facebook
Facebook has the two most popular mobile applications available
today. The Facebook App and Facebook Messaging App are ranked
first and second among free apps downloaded on GooglePlay.
Facebook’s successful has been phenomenal, and with any
successful business a successful app can follow suit. We will
diligently work to make our own app as user-friendly as Facebook’s.
2.3.4 Specialized
Leader of the biking industry, Specialized was founded in 1974 by
Mike Sinyard. The company began as a way to provide parts that were
difficult to find in the United States. The initiative that Sinyard brought
to his company will be the same attitude and passion will we put into
our own. He saw that there was a gap in the market for difficult-to-find
parts, so we started his own business as a way of filling that void.
2.4 Extreme Sports Industry Statistics
In addition to our products, we will offer services including lessons and rentals.
According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (Encyclopedia of Emerging
Industries), statistics show:
• Tens of millions of Americans engaged in extreme or alternative sports during
the twenty-first century’s first decade.
• An estimated 2,767,000 individuals participated in surfing during 2010. That
made the sport the fifth most popular among young people age six to twenty-four.
• Televised events, such as the X-Games, will lead to an increase in participants
and spectators in future years.
Figure 1 demonstrates the large number of participants within skateboarding, which
makes up one element of extreme sports. The industry decrease between 2007 and
2008 correlates with the recession that negatively affected the national economy. As the
economy has improved in later years, the extreme sports industry has benefitted as
well.
Figure 1
2.5 Mobile App Industry Statistics
Currently, an app resembling ours does not exist. Bringing our services to the customer
will fill a gap in the market. Because so many apps exist, it is essential to come up with
a creative, unique purpose in order to stay relevant. The team members of Sands
Supply Co. have collaborated to create a service that will be useful and applicable to
our target market. According to Gartner research firm, Jupiter Research, and World
Entertainment News Network (Gale Encyclopedia), important data include:
• Mobile phone users spent more than $6 billion on mobile apps in 2010, with a
projected revenue of $25 billion by 2014.
• Approximately 100,000 apps were on the market in 2009, with a projected
increase to 10 million by 2020.
• Individual apps exist for virtually every conceivable purpose
Figure 2 demonstrates the current and projected revenues for mobile apps in the United
States. The sooner we can introduce our app to the general public, the sooner we will
see success and profits.
Figure 2
2.6 Conclusion
Sands Supply Co. will be involved in two different but thriving industries. The extreme
sports industry continues to grow because of support from multi-billion dollar companies
and an improving American economy. There are numerous televised competitions in
addition to the X-Games that portray these activities year-round. The mobile app
industry will continue to grow because more people are using smartphones and the
market ceiling has not been reached.
4.0 Market Analysis
4.1 Overview
Our target market will include University of California, Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara
City College students, both male and female, living within the 93117 zip code. This
includes Isla Vista, which is directly adjacent to the UCSB campus, and Goleta.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 28.5% of residents in Isla Vista and Goleta are
between the ages of 20-24.
4.2 Interests of Target Market
Surfing, skateboarding, and biking are activities that promote exercise and allow the
participant to experience the outside world. By appealing to young, active, and funloving individuals, our company will find success simply by being located in the right
area. By making these activities more accessible to the Isla Vista community, we will
provide an outlet for students who are stressed out with the day-to-day grind of college.
The market will be broken up in several ways:
• Isla Vista residents, including UCSB and SBCC students, between the ages of
eighteen and twenty-four.
• Residents who are either younger or older than our primary market with an
interest in surfing, skateboarding, and biking. Examples include families with
young children or older residents who live in Isla Vista but do not attend UCSB or
SBCC.
• Individuals living outside of Isla Vista, including Goleta and downtown Santa
Barbara.
4.3 New Students
Each year UCSB acquires on average 4,500 freshman students. This means that these
students will be living in Santa Barbara for the first time. These new students will also
be prospective customers. Whether or not these 4,500 students have surfed, skated, or
biked before, it is likely that these students will try any one of these activities in college.
The proximity to the beach and the bike-and-skate-friendly campus all encourage these
activities. Natural wear-and-tear on surfboards, skateboards, and bicycles will mean our
customer’s products will need servicing. New students who are adjusting to college life
might not have the time or ability to get their damaged products repaired. By using our
mobile app, they can continue to focus on their studies or employment while we get
them back on their surfboard, skateboard, or bike.
4.4 Location
Santa Barbara, with its favorable climate year round, is the ideal place to surf, skate,
and bike. The UCSB campus even features its own beach, Campus Point. Because of
the school’s academic and surfing reputation, Surfer Magazine named UCSB the “Top
Surf College” in the nation. In addition to Campus Point, Isla Vista houses Sands
Beach, the inspiration behind the name Sands Supply Co. Rincon, “the Queen of the
Coast,” is one of the world’s most famous surf spots and is located thirty minutes south
from the UCSB campus.
4.4.1 Sports Participants by Region
Santa Barbara’s climate is ideal for surfing, skateboarding, and biking. The ability to be
outdoors any month of the year allows participants to fully enjoy the benefits of exercise
and thrill-seeking.
Figure 3 shows the distribution of participation in extreme sports throughout the country.
As noted in the graph, it can be seen that surfing and skateboarding are two of most
popular activities performed in the western part of the U.S. Especially with Isla Vista’s
proximity to the ocean and lack of snow, surfing and skateboarding are even more
common than in other parts of the country.
Figure 3
4.5 Conclusion
Sands Supply Co. is in the right location based on the target market. The surf, skate,
and bike culture is common enough among the residents of the 93117 zip code that we
will always have customers who are interested in our products and services. The
interests of UCSB and SBCC students coincide with what we have to offer. We will build
a sense of community amongst Isla Vista residents because we are a student-run
business. Being students ourselves, we understand our customers’ wants and needs.
We will welcome incoming freshman students by providing a service that will make their
first year of university a smoother and less stressful transition.
5.0 Competition Analysis
5.1 Overview
Like any new business opening up in a saturated market, Sands Supply Co. will face
direct and indirect competition. Rather than be dissuaded by our competitors’ presence,
we will reinforce our own strengths in order to remain relevant to Isla Vista and Goleta.
5.2 Direct Competition
Direct Competition will include bike, surf, and skate shops located in Isla Vista, Goleta,
and Santa Barbara. Our most threatening competitors will be those located specifically
in Isla Vista, but it is important we acknowledge the stores located within the same
county as well. Some students will have access to cars and might be more inclined to
drive to either Goleta or Santa Barbara for surf, skate, or bike needs.
5.2.1 Varsity Bike Shop
Varsity Bike Shop is located at 6547
Pardall Road, which is located just
down the street from our location.
They were founded in 1964 and are
an established member of the Isla
Vista community. Their website
states that their services are
performed on a “first come-first
served basis with most repairs out
the same day brought in.”
Photo of Varsity Bike Shop shot from the perspective of
Pardall Road
5.2.2 Movement Boardshop
Movement Boardshop is a surf and skate supply
store located at 6556 Pardall Road. They sell
surfboards, skateboards, accessories, clothing, and
shoes. All of their products are sold at retail value,
which has a considerable mark-up for the customer.
They offer repairs for skateboards, but not
surfboards. For surfboard damage, customers can
purchase a repair kit. Without proper instruction
when using the repair kit, a customer may be liable
to damage the surfboard he or she is trying to
repair.
Do-It-Yourself Repair Kit
5.3 Indirect Competition
Indirect competition will include bike, surf, and skate shops located outside of Santa
Barbara county, major sporting goods stores, and online retailers. The easy-accessibility
of the internet allows customers to make purchases quickly and effortlessly. Some
websites also offer “warehouse” style pricing and can sell products less for retail value.
These competitors not only hurt our own business, but other small specialized stores.
Major sporting goods stores, such as Dicks Sporting Goods and Big 5, account for the
most sports equipment sales in the U.S.
5.3.1 Evo
Evo is a website that specializes in selling skis, snowboards,
skateboards, and bicycles. Evo provides the industries’ newest
products at affordable prices to the customer. They offer free
shipping on orders over $50 and hold huge sales offering up to
60% to move their inventory quickly.
5.3.2. Dick’s Sporting Goods
Dick’s Sporting Goods was founded by Dick Stack in
1948 and has 500 locations within the U.S. In addition
to their retail locations, they also allow customers to
make purchases online. These large-scale sporting
goods stores carry lots of inventory in a very large,
difficult-to-navigate space. Large numbers of staff are
needed to assist customers’ in locating the
product within the store.
5.4 Competitive Advantage
Although we will be facing both direct and indirect competition, Sand’s Supply Co. will
be able to accommodate to our target market with our mobile app. Our direct
competition, Varsity Bike Shop and Movement Boardshop, require the customer to bring
damaged products in to be repaired. If an Isla Vista resident’s bike chain has fallen off
and that person lives 2 miles from Varsity Bike Shop, it is unlikely the student has the
time or energy to haul the bike to the shop. Likewise, many students buy a skateboard
yet do not understand the mechanics of how the wheels and bearings work. If a
student’s bearings become rusted, the wheels will not roll unless the bearings are
thoroughly cleaned or replaced.
Students who have been living in Isla Vista become acclimated to the easygoing
lifestyle associated with the small college town. Because the main modes of
transportation UCSB students are skateboards and bikes, getting anywhere without one
or the other becomes tedious.
The 21st century has seen an increase in small businesses, and many people feel that
supporting small businesses is more beneficial for the economy than supporting major
sporting goods stores. We will appeal to the customer over our competitors because we
are Isla Vista residents serving Isla Vista residents.
5.5 Conclusion
Our business is going to be effective because we are going to bring our services to the
customer, rather than wait for the customer to come to us. In the business world, “time
is money,” and by being proactive we will be able to see profits sooner. The
convenience of the mobile app will allow students to focus on important issues instead
of worrying about how they will get to and from campus. Before the mobile app boom,
this idea would not have the success that it would have today. Seeing as that mobile
apps are only going to increase in popularity, it makes sense that we take advantage of
the upward trend in the market as soon as possible.
Writing 107B—Good News Letter for Hypothetical
Business
Sands Supply Co.
6551 Pardall Road
Isla Vista, CA 93117
(310) 384-9371
Dear Isla Vista Resident,
As a fellow Isla Vista resident, Sands Supply Co. cordially invites you to celebrate the
grand opening of Santa Barbara’s friendliest surf, skate, and bike store. This Friday,
October 10th, we will open the doors of 6551 Pardall Road to the Isla Vista and greater
Santa Barbara community. Hana Kitchen will cater the event; be sure to bring your
appetite!
Sand’s Supply Co. is an UCSB student-owned retailer that provides products, services,
and rentals for the action-sport lovers of the Isla Vista community. We will contribute to
our community in several ways, including:
• Convenience- Using our mobile app, you can request our expert staff to quickly
repair your surfboard, skateboard, or bike within the comfort of your own home.
• Affordability- Because we support local Santa Barbara surfboard shapers, our
quality boards will be more affordable than the corporate, alternative brands.
• Rentals- In addition to renting out surfboards, skateboards, and bikes, we also
offer beach equipment like volleyballs and beach chairs.
• Education- If you do not know how to surf, skate, or bike comfortably, we provide
lessons by skilled instructors to ensure your safety and enjoyment.
We are the newest members of the Isla Vista community, and we hope to appeal to your
wants and needs by providing a complimentary one-year membership when you spend
$100 or more during our opening day celebration. We are eager to meet you on October
10th, from 11:00 a.m. to 6 p.m., to enjoy the opening festivities.
After meeting and spending time with our helpful staff, it will be obvious that Sands
Supply Co. will be your best choice in providing for your surf, skate, and bike needs.
On behalf of the Sands Supply Co. team,
Elliott Wright
Elliott Wright
Owner, Sands Supply Co.
Writing 107B—Hypothetical Bad News Letter
800 North Brand Blvd.
Glendale, CA 91203
(818) 549-6000
July 14, 2014
Ms. Kelly Keeler
932 Opperman Drive
Eagan, MN 55123
Dear Kelly,
As President of Powerbar, a company that encourages athletic endeavors and healthy eating
habits, I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience we have caused you. We appreciate your
choice to support our business, so you can imagine our sadness to hear of your negative
experience with one of our products. We are grateful you have contacted us; our customers’
feedback, whether positive or negative, will help our company grow and improve. By doing so,
we can better cater to your future needs.
We are proud of manufacturing products in well-maintained facilities and inspecting all incoming
ingredients with the latest available technology. Despite our efforts to eliminate infestation, in
extremely rare cases the Indian meal moth has infiltrated some of the packaging of our bars
containing grain ingredients. When we received your call describing your experience, I was
distressed our imperfect product was made available to the public. We strive to prevent this
from happening ever again to customers like you. I want to assure you that this is an unlikely
occurrence and that the pest found in your bar is completely harmless and non-toxic to humans.
I have enclosed a brochure, “Notes About the Indian Meal Moth,” detailing its harmlessness.
What you experienced is inexcusable and I want to do everything in my power to correct the
fault we have committed. Our company will happily enclose a check for the $26.85 grocery bill
to reimburse your purchase. In addition, we will gladly send you a complimentary case of our
vanilla-flavored PowerGel, a revolutionary product that will provide you with ample energy and is
completely free from any grain ingredients. Kelly, we are a company that encourages your
healthy and athletic lifestyle. We appreciate your support and hope to encourage your healthy
habits in the future.
Sincerely,
Brian Maxwell
Brian Maxwell
President
Enclosures: Check and Brochure