a) I, Aldo Rodriguez, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.
b) My only source to compete this independent component was Antonio Ruiz, owner of A. Ruiz Wholesale in the Los Angeles Flower District.
c) Log
d) I completed thirty hours of work at the flower shop in Los Angeles. It is a wholesale shop where florist from all over LA county buy their flowers. I helped wrap, sell, stack, unload, and keep the place clean while i stayed to learn more about the business.
Interpretive:
Waking up at one in the morning to get to the flower shop at two in the morning was hard work. Being in action at the place for three to four hours was very helpful to my senior project because not only do i know how to sell flowers, i know where they come from and how much money i can really make off of them. I unloaded trucks full of greenery and lilies. I also sold to florist who have flower shops all over Los Angeles. Antonio helped me with one of the answers which is proving to be my strongest answer: know your product. In order to make a profit you need to know everything about it, so you know how much it is really worth. Thirty hours of work was logged, however, even after this component is done i will continue to visit and help the shop out, not because i was asked to, but because Antonio taught me very good administrative techniques that can help me with general business.
Applied:
My essential question is: "What is the best way to sustain a profitable flower shop?" In order to help me answer this essential question i had to turn to my mother. She was a huge help but what made it even better is that she introduced me to Antonio Ruiz. From day one he loved the enthusiasm i had towards business. Form that moment i knew he was going to be part of my project. As i was answering the essential question i mentioned to him i was going to use "knowing your product" as one of my answers, he threw some flowers on the floor and took me on a walk through the flower district. He told me the importance of knowing a product. He pointed to a lady that had opened up a shop nearby, she was selling rose for two dollars! That was outrageous, no one would buy. Antonio sold his for about fifty cents, he was making the best business. That lady did not know her product. After, he told me that no matter the business, no matter the market, a good entrepreneur needs to know the product front ways and backwards. He is the reason why knowing the product is my best answer.
