Identifying Local Opportunties

Hey folks!

These past few weeks have been flying by! It's so cold in Gainesville (as cold as Florida can ever be), good time for cuddling and doing next to nothing. But first, homework. This week, I'll be looking through local newspapers to identify opportunities, or unmet needs. The February 2015 Palm Beach Post, from my local county, will do nicely. Enjoy!

Opportunity 1.

"Florida tops U.S. in fraud, ID theft; Region's complaints far exceed those of second-place Seattle. area"

http://bi.galegroup.com/essentials/article/GALE%7CA403438593/bf1f50817d0b1aec3b10c00677ee8a8a?u=gain40375

Synopsis: Florida leads the U.S. in fraud and identity due to scammers targeting those least knowledgeable about giving information over the phone - which is generally our elderly and non-English speaking demographics.

Problem: people are having their identity stolen and used to commit crimes which can be difficult and uncomfortable to solve. Also the banks have to recover most of the money that gets stolen.

Who has the problem? People who get their identity stolen and used to commit crimes. And the Banks.

Opportunity 2.

Hotel room crunch greatest in Wellington

(You don't say?)

http://bi.galegroup.com/essentials/article/GALE%7CA403438595/f6666c68d69a90136b02a081102cdfdc?u=gain40375

Synopsis: LET'S BUY SOME PROPERTY IN WESTERN WELLINGTON. Lots of horse people come to Soflo during the winter for pony related activities and there are very few hotels to accommodate them during the peak of season.

Problem/Who: I won't know what to do with all of my money. But actually rich Snow Birds don't have places to stay in the predominantly farm dominated area of Wellington during pony season.

WHO WANTS TO BUY SOME PROPERTY IN WELLINGTON

Opportunity 3.

Condo owners feel trapped: Sober house operator may be community's only hope
http://bi.galegroup.com/essentials/article/GALE%7CA403679910/77918f7815101560afe485e5eef58035?u=gain40375

Problem: A developer is charging insane HMO fees to force out inhabitants of an apartment complex so that it can be sold.

Who: the problem for the inhabitants is that they're being forced to pay high fees for homes in terrible disrepair. For the developer, he's trying to get out of a failing investment but is stopped by the residents of this housing complex.

Opportunity 4.

New prisons chief pushes for less public access to investigative info
http://bi.galegroup.com/essentials/article/GALE%7CA401149909/6c68dafa1574e6eb222ff350031d4493?u=gain40375

Problem: The new chief of the Florida Department of Corrections office is trying to block employees investigating abuse and misuse in the prison system from speaking about it to people outside of their organization.

Who? Outside forces who would be interested in publicizing abuse in the prison system and the family's of those who could be victims in the system can't get information about their loved ones cases.

Opportunity 5.

Fla.'s Medicaid for children needs money

http://bi.galegroup.com/essentials/article/GALE%7CA397048462/d1e1f4d728b6c97ecf8cc0ddf967bf06?u=gain40375

Synopsis: The demon Gov. Rick Scott would rather pay $2.7 million to lawyers to have a federal judge repeal his declaration that children on Medicaid do not receive adequate healthcare. Florida's children's state run healthcare is terrible.

Problem: Medicaid for children needs to change and become more efficient because it is negatively effecting our state's poor children.

Who: children on Medicaid and the parents who go to extreme lengths to help their kids.