DECA Crash Course Week 5: Defining the Three Main Problems

Hey everyone! Welcome back to Week 5 of this crash course. Today I'm moving on to an exciting part of your DECA journey - writing your written report! This post is geared toward entrepreneurship events, but I believe the underlying messages hold true regardless of whichever event you've chosen. Let's get started!

Week 5: Defining the 3 problems

Me, geeking out over starting my report. Source.

Defining the 3 Main Problems

As I said in numerous earlier posts, there has to be a reason why you're choosing to create the company you want. It has to make people's lives easier somehow; DECA's not a competition for purely entertainment businesses or gimmicks. To define what problems your companies solve, consider the following:

• What are problems currently being faced today in the industry? Obviously, do some research. Define the industry. Check the news. What's going on in the world?
• What is lacking in current solutions? What are other companies missing out on? 
• Why has no one been able to solve this problem? And why do you think you can solve it?
• Who faces this issue? Just as you should try to choose a business that the judge can empathize with or connect to in some form, you should try to select problems any judge could connect with to grab their attention. 
• How many people face this issue? Niche markets are fine (to give you an idea, my business sophomore year was geared toward pet bird owners). However, I noticed at ICDC that the businesses there seemed to have more universal appeal, so try to step out of niche markets if you can.
• IMO, avoid using price as a problem. In the real world, if you discover a way to cut prices, you'll be very successful. However, a judge might just wonder that if you could come up with a way to cut prices (paying for less labor, adopting a different marketing strategy, etc.), why haven't real companies already done it? This may lead them to think that you haven't done your research. So, unless your whole business is designed around some patented way to automate processes and you have prototypes and videos to prove that you could launch this system in real life, don't use price as a problem.

Me when people try using price as a problem. Source.

Also, when you finalize your problems, obviously make sure to understand how your company solves them. You wouldn't want to come up with 3 excellent, unsolvable problems, would you?

That moment when you come up with 1243 problems with 0 solutions. Source.

The problem section is graded out of 5 points, so it's worth about as much as any other section. More importantly, the problem section is what your whole company is built upon. Choose three key problems and make sure to refer to them throughout the report. Good luck! If you have any questions (doesn't have to be related to entrepreneurship events), please ask them either in the comments below or on this form here. This series is for all of you, so take the most out of it! And, I'd really appreciate a quick follow if you're enjoying the content (the button's on the bottom for the mobile version and in the sidebar on the PC version). See you next week :).

Top Ten Tuesday: Why I Love Historical Fiction

Hostess

I forgot to do this topic last week, so here I am, on time as usual haha!

1. The setting. Historical fiction is truly a chance to travel the world. A lot of my favorites actually take place in California/other pretty famous locations in the US, but each author points out incredibly new things to learn, so no setting really gets boring!

2. The culture. Most historical fiction novels are so rich in diversity. Plus, each ethnic culture comes with their own cuisine, so that's fun XD.

3. The perspectives. Getting to view the past through a lens of someone living through it is exciting!

4. The outfits + activities. Wild tea parties. Carriage rides. Victorian gowns. Me like.

Some of my favorites include:

Info

This one's more like magical realism. Info.

Info

One of my favorites of all time. Info.

One of my first historical, powerful reads. Based on a true story. Info.

Featuring Gretchen, Adolf Hitler's niece (if he had one). Info.

Do you enjoy historical fiction? What's your TTT? Let me know below!

DECA Crash Course Week 4: Digging Deeper

Hey everyone! Today I'll be providing a worksheet-style questionnaire for all of you to use when you're solidifying your business ideas. I geared this toward entrepreneurship events, but check it out if you're doing IMCs, ORs, or the like!

Week 4: Digging Deeper

Critical to excelling at entrepreneurship events is knowing your business, from the target market to the best geographic location to launch to your financials. The first step in creating a solid business plan, therefore, is fleshing out your idea. Similar to how authors develop their worlds in scific novels, to write a good report, it's important to immerse yourself in your company. Defining your business early on can also save you a lot of confusion, especially if you're working with others who may have a different vision than you. 

Before you jump into writing your report, spend time thinking about various aspects of your business. Is the existing market large enough? Is your business really solving problems, or is it more for fun? 

Here's a questionnaire I created for all of you to fill out when digging deeper into your business:

Digging Deeper

• Company Name
• My business in 50 words
• Three problems my business solves
• How my business solves these problems (3 solutions)
• Main features of my business
• Who would be interested (clearly define demographics, geographics, psychographics, etc.)?
• Who else may be interested (secondary target market)?
• Additional features drawing in customers
• The solutions to the problems I fix + why my business is better
• Quick sketches (app prototypes, store layouts, etc.)
• Timeline/tentative schedule for working on my project

Hope this quick questionnaire helped you delve further into your company ideas. Let me know if you'd like the printable version of this questionnaire (Blogger doesn't allow file uploads :( ). If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to leave a comment or use this form here! Lastly, don't forget to follow using the button on the bottom (mobile version) or button on the sidebar (web version) ;). See you next week!

Review: Starfish By Akemi Dawn Bowman

Goodreads Synopsis: Kiko Himura has always had a hard time saying exactly what she’s thinking. With a mother who makes her feel unremarkable and a half-Japanese heritage she doesn’t quite understand, Kiko prefers to keep her head down, certain that once she makes it into her dream art school, Prism, her real life will begin. But then Kiko doesn’t get into Prism, at the same time her abusive uncle moves back in with her family. So when she receives an invitation from her childhood friend to leave her small town and tour art schools on the west coast, Kiko jumps at the opportunity in spite of the anxieties and fears that attempt to hold her back. And now that she is finally free to be her own person outside the constricting walls of her home life, Kiko learns life-changing truths about herself, her past, and how to be brave.

My Review: I'm so, so happy that I discovered this story, because it got me out of my reading slump. I have to admit, this book was pretty much perfect. 

Kiko was a deeply fleshed out character, and I really appreciate the time the author took to develop her and the other characters in this story. The mom made me so incredibly angry, and it was really difficult to understand her intentions, until I realized that she was meant to be this flawed and cruel. As her true colors are revealed, Kiko learns to outgrow her shell in a completely natural, realistic way, and I love the way the plot was structured to show her growth. 

Kiko herself was such a lovable protagonist, and I like how she started to focus on herself instead of her relationship when she realized what she truly wanted from her life. She also never shows much jealousy in her relationship, which is uncommon in many YA novels, and very refreshing! 

Additionally, the author spends time focusing on Kiko's passion of art, and I enjoyed the vivid all the descriptions of paintings and sketches Kiko creates. When Kiko doesn't get into the art school of her dreams, it's inspiring to watch her stick to her passion, strive to get better, and never give up.

There were so many twists and turns in this novel, and just when things are going great, something horrible happens. But it really shows you the power of living in the moment, and I think it's something Kiko needed to learn.

Some problems I had with the novel:

• I feel like the whole point of Kiko getting rejected from Prism was to move on, but she still reapplies in the course of the novel?
• Kiko meeting Hiroshi seems very coincidental.
• Jamie meeting Kiko was also pretty coincidental? It was absolutely integral to the plot, too.
• I'm not sure why Kiko only applied to one school in the first place? Even if she could only imagine herself at one school there are so many amazing art schools around the country, so I'm pretty surprised she didn't apply to any safeties.
• That's it. Go read the book. Shoo.

If you can't tell already, I highly recommend Starfish. It handles important issues in an elegant, poignant manner, and the author took her time to focus on the plot, Kiko's art, and character development. I rate this story 5 stars, and I can't wait to read whatever Bowman writes next!

Trigger warnings: sexual assault, attempts at suicide, anxiety

DECA Crash Course Week 3: Creating a logo

Hey everyone, welcome back to my crash course! Today's post is a shorter one, geared toward people doing entrepreneurship events. I used to get questions about how I designed my business's logo, so today, that's what I'll be going through.

Week 3: Designing your logo.

Finally, after you've come up with a business idea you want to pursue, you've decided to create your business's logo. A logo is pretty critical to a business: that teeny design showcases the business's values, and is a true example of the phrase "a picture is worth a thousand words".

So what are the main aspects you should focus on when designing your logo?

• Capturing your business's theme. Whether your business is elegant or playful, your logo should capture its originality. There's nothing wrong with having a playful logo instead of a sleek one; it's all about capturing your business's brand promise. 

You wouldn't see Toys "R" Us using a black and white logo because they sell toys, for example.

• The color scheme and fonts. Choose gender-neutral colors if your target audience includes all genders. Use simplistic fonts that pop rather than really decorative ones that are hard to read. 

• Additionally, keep in mind that the color scheme for your logo will probably be similar to that of your report, so try to choose colors that would look good on both. 

• The symbols you're going to include. The best logos are simple, and use relevant symbols to capture the message they want to send. Think Nike, Target, and Amazon.

Nike's logo is clear and simple. Their slogan, "just do it", is crisply captured in this check mark. 

And finally, which tools should you use to design your logo? There are a million options! I actually designed my logo sophomore year using Google slides, and I was pretty satisfied with the result! I simply found free images, played around with the colors, and saved my work!

Also, last year, I used Powerpoint (my love for Microsoft products is never ending, as you'll see these next few weeks!). I know a lot of people use Canva as well. In fact, that's what I used to design this series' icon. 

However, I probably would advise against using logo makers, because they're pretty generic. Your logo is your judge's first impression of who you are, so make sure to capture the best look of your business.

That's all my tips for today! How do you guys usually design your logos? Tell me below! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or ask me on this form here! This series is for all of you, so don't be afraid to ask me questions :).

Thanks for reading, see you next week!

*DECA Inc. does not endorse or create this post, series, nor any of the visual content on this blog.

Review: Fake It Till You Break It

Goodreads Synopsis: Mia and Jake have known each other their whole lives. They’ve endured summer vacations, Sunday brunches, even dentist visits together. Their mothers, who are best friends, are convinced that Mia and Jake would be the perfect couple, even though they can’t stand to be in the same room together. After Mia’s mom turns away yet another cute boy, Mia and Jake decide they’ve have had enough. Together, they hatch a plan to get their moms off their backs. Permanently. All they have to do is pretend to date and then stage the worst breakup of all time—and then they’ll be free.

The only problem is, maybe Jake and Mia don’t hate each other as much as they once thought...

My Review: Another intriguing premise... that unfortunately didn't live up to my expectations. This book was pretty light and fluffy, but mainly revolved around the protagonists' inability to express their feelings for each other. Which would be fine as a sub-conflict, but as the main problem of the entire story, it didn't get me excited. I know plenty of YA books that have explored the complexities of relationships and added fresh takes on tropes, but this one didn't. I also thought the plot line with Jake's brother was pretty unoriginal: girl fixes guy's relationships -> guy gets mad -> we all know how it ends. 

Ultimately, this novel is great as a light and fluffy read. I just wish the novel showed some more creativity with its plotline, so I rate it 3 stars.

DECA Crash Course Week 2: Idea Generation

Hello everyone! Welcome back to my DECA Crash Course. Today I'll be going over a really, really important aspect of creating your projects, idea generation.

Week 2: Idea Generation

Idea generation means different things for different events, but what I basically mean is, which type of business should you choose to create/research/develop a plan for, and does it even matter if the report is solid and well-written?

The short answer: Yes, the type of business you choose matters a lot. If you choose the wrong business, even a solid plan might not get you far. You should choose a business that you're passionate about but that's also realistic to compete with.

My advice is tailored toward entrepreneurship events because I've competed in ESB and EIB for the past three years. However, based on what I've seen from my friends' experiences, the following is applicable across pretty much every event. 

Here are the three main details you should keep in mind when choosing a business to pursue or when designing your own business:

• How judges of all backgrounds will react to your idea. Would male and female judges be equally interested in your business? Would older judges be more dismissive of your idea? Consider using a business that everyone can relate to, because you don't want to walk into the room with a disadvantage to begin with.
• If the business has an aspect of social good associated with it. People love to hear about how you're helping other people. While the main goal of your project should be to make the business money, choosing a business that tries to make change in the world is a bonus. This can work in many ways: perhaps the business treats their employees especially well, donates a percentage of their profits to charitable organizations, or had strong environmental impact last year. If you're designing your own business, try to include a small humanitarian aspect.
• How unique your business is compared to other competitors' ideas. This one is very tricky, because depending on your judge, your idea may or may not be well received. Don't go out of your way to be different (after all, there may be a reason why your idea hasn't been done before), but if you do come up with a novel business idea, then by all means, use it in your report! If you find a quirky business, it'll only help the judge stay engaged with your report and presentation. But if you find yourself in a place where all your business ideas have been taken, it just means that you're on the right track, and that whatever you've been coming up with is a product people need! Don't be discouraged, and just keep looking.

I hope this advice helps you decide what type of businesses to pursue for your projects this year. What types of businesses have you guys already competed with for your written events? Tell me below!

Have any additional questions? Let me know in the comments below or fill out this form here! This series is for all of you, so don't be afraid to ask me questions.

Thanks for reading, see you next week!

Also, follow me on Bloglovin and IG to support quality content ;). I also realized that many people don't have a Bloglovin account, so I added that blue button at the bottom to follow instead. I really appreciate your support 🥰.

Top Ten Tuesday: My Dream Bookish Party

Hostess

Hey everyone! I promise I will be adding more content besides TTTs (these topics are so exciting I can't stop haha). But today I'm back with a topic I've actually done as a post here: 10 things I'd bring my dream bookish party! I've decided to deviate off this post, so it's time for Tea Party 2.0!

Guests:

• Shahrzad from The Wrath and the Dawn
• Clara Shin from The Way You Make Me Feel 
• Dimple from When Dimple Met Rishi
• I didn't really enjoy the book, but I liked Dimple's character!
• Audrey Rose from Stalking Jack the Ripper
• Samantha Lee from Under A Painted Sky
• Gigi from Smart Girls Get What They Want
• Everyone from Harry Potter. Because it's my party and I do what I want, including reviving Dumbledore because :(.

        

Food:

• My favorite food at the moment seems to be... noodles? So maybe Pad Thai and some Asian salads? 
• Dessert: Raindrop cakes. They're so beautiful; I simply cannot stand to be an uncoordinated piece of cheese around them. So I'll eat them instead.

Source

Activities:

• Light mingling. No dancing, I don't think anyone on the list would approve of that.
• Discussing our favorite books! (Actually this sounds like a good post idea... maybe you'll be seeing that soon!)

Miscellaneous:

• Music: I'd introduce everyone to tunes of the 21st century: a mix of Dimple's Bollywood playlist, and some of my favorite pop songs! Ooh and I'm sure Samantha would love to play some violin :).

So that's it, my perfect (second) bookish tea party. What does your party look like? Let me know below!

DECA Crash Course Week 1: Choosing Your Written Event

Hey everyone, welcome to the first post in my series, a DECA 20 week crash course that will guide you through all the wonderful madness, from choosing an event to presenting your winning report to a judge! I've designed this series so I can share my tips from (as of next year) 4 years of experience (including things I learned from being an ICDC finalist) with all of you, so feel free to ask questions and give feedback through these next several weeks. Today, I'll be starting off with the basics: deciding what event is right for you!

Week 1: Choosing an event.

When I was faced with the task of deciding between 20+ events freshman year, I was pretty overwhelmed! But taking the time to look through each event's guidelines, pros, and cons, I was able to find the perfect event for myself, and you can, too! It's really important to find an event that you can thrive in, so please don't skip out on this very important step.

So what's the difference between all the written events that DECA offers?

There are several popular events, namely:

• Project Management (PMBS, PMCD, PMCA, PMCG, PMFL, PMCG, PMSP)
• Business Operations Research (BOR, BMOR, FOR, HTOR, SEOR)
• Entrepreneurship (EIP, ESB, EIB, IBP, EBG, EFB)
• Integrated Marketing Campaign (IMCE, IMCP, IMCS)

...and here's my two cents on them!

• Choose project management events if you've made (or plan to make) real change in your community. These events require you to design a project and involve your chapter/members of your community and raise awareness about the field of business. Keep in mind that the first conference of the year (at least where I'm from) is in December, so you must have time to execute your project and write your report until then. 
• Tip: each chapter event can only be done by 1 team per chapter, meaning there's less competition for this event. 
• Choose research events if you'd like to learn the inner workings of an existing business in your community and develop a plan for them based on the assigned topic of the year. You do not need to go out an execute these plans, but they should be developed so well that you could do so if needed. 
• Choose entrepreneurship events if you'd like to develop a business proposal. Have you ever wanted to start a tea shop? An online roti-delivery service? These are the events for you! You'll create a proposal for creating a business from the ground-up, and learn numerous skills, from defining your market to crunching your financials.
•  Tip: These events have pretty high competition, but don't let this deter you! Hard work and passion for your project will get you where you need to be.
• Integrated Marketing Campaign events are where all that time spent on social media comes in handy, for the prompt is to develop promotional plans! If you're a creative person and want to come up with fun ways for businesses to get their names out, then these events are perfect for you! Get inspiration off Instagram and hone your inner funky cat for these events!

Some other factors to think about...

• The competition. Don't let this aspect drive you, because I guarantee that if you choose an event simply for the lack of the competition, it will be hard to feel motivated. Choose an event that you're comfortable in and enjoy, and your passion will show!
• The testing component. Some written events have a test, so if testing is your strength, consider these events! Even if you're weaker at testing, there are so many resources online, so study, study, study :).
• Report length. I honestly prefer events with longer reports because there's just so much content to put on the page once you get started. Though 20 pages may seem like a lot, remember that you're researching/developing an entire business, so there's already a lot to cover. However, if you are better at graphic design and can make your report look visually appealing within a limited space, you might consider a shorter report.
• Team or solo. This isn't really a consideration for choosing an event, but make sure that whichever event you end up pursuing, you have a great team to work with. Finding the perfect partner(s) is essential; choose people you're comfortable being around, but you can also be honest with. Efficiency is important, and even if you don't partner with your friends, you'll still be working with them at workshops and at conferences, so you definitely won't miss out on anything! Don't forget, you can still do these events solo and have a great experience.

This is the general overview of each event type; go ahead and read specific guidelines if you want to learn more about each individual event.

Also, don't be afraid to change your event from year-to-year; DECA's all about trying new things! Ultimately, try to learn as much as you can, and the experience will be incredible.

Now, before I sign off, I want to leave you guys with a couple of fun resources in case you're still deciding which event to pick:

• A Flowchart by DECA Inc. (includes written, roleplay, and online events)
• An Interactive quiz by DECA Ontario
• A DECA Direct Article + Prezi
• A Flowchart on DECA Direct

What's your opinion about choosing events in DECA? Tell me in the comments below! And if you have anything you'd like me to cover in upcoming posts (or would just like to say hello), please let me know here! This series is for all of you, so don't be afraid to ask me questions.

Thanks for reading, see you next week!

My Secret Surprise...

Hey everyone! Last post I mentioned that I had a surprise planned, so here it is! I'm starting a 20-week-long Crash Course to DECA here on my blog :). Each week, I'll be sharing my tips, from choosing your event to writing your report to presenting to your judge! As a (as of next year) 4-year DECA member, ICDC finalist for EIB in my sophomore year, and current VP of Competitions for our school, I have a lot of experience to share! It is my hope that a lot of you will learn from this series, and benefit from my insight into the competition.

I've created most of the content, but before I begin, I'd like to hear any questions you may have! Feel free to request certain topics and ask me (pretty much ;) ) anything here. This series is for all of you, so take the most out of it!

I know it's quite early to start preparing for next year, but I think you'll be amazed by what a little extra planning can do for you!

See you back next week! Thanks for reading :).