Assignment 4A- Forming An Opportunity Belief

I think there is an unmet need for the prevention of nail polish from chipping. Anyone who paints or gets their nails painted has this need. There is nothing more frustrating than getting your finger or toe nails painted and chipping them within a short period of time. To meet this need, people are getting their nails done very frequently, depending on the type of polish (regular, gel, dip). The average woman spends about $1,345 per year on services at the nail salon (www.wisebread.com). In 2017, $8.53 billion was spent on nail salon services in the United States (www.statista.com). I could provide a polish for finger and toe nails that stays on until you remove the polish with a chemical that is not used everyday. On average this polish would remain chip free for 4- 6 weeks. This polish would be a top coat so that you could still wear any color on your nails. 

  

Interviews with prototypical customers:

#1: A 16-year-old high schooler who works with her hands a lot at her job

• How long have you been painting your nails or going to a nail salon to get them done?

• “I’ve been getting them done for about 3 years.”
• How often do you get your nails done?
• “Every 2-3 weeks”
• Has your nail polish ever chipped after recently getting your nails done? If so, about how many times has this happened to you?
• “Yes, they chip almost every time I get them done. It mostly happens to my toes.”
• Did you know that the average woman spends about $1,345 per year on nail services?
• “No, but that seems accurate.”
• What do you currently do when your nails chip? How do you feel about this solution?
• “I usually just touch them up myself, if I have a polish that closely matches. I don’t think this is a good solution because it always ends up looking worse than it did before I touched them up.”
• How would you feel about a polish that did not chip and lasted 4- 6 weeks?
• “I would love it and it would definitely save a lot more money.”

#2: A 46-year-old teacher

• How long have you been painting your nails or going to a nail salon to get them done?
•  “For the past 30 years”
• How often do you get your nails done?
• “About every 2- 3 weeks"
• Has your nail polish ever chipped after recently getting your nails done? If so, about how many times has this happened to you?
• “Yes it happens all the time”
• Did you know that the average woman spends about $1,345 per year on nail services?
• “No, I had no idea that it was that much”
• What do you currently do when your nails chip? How do you feel about this solution?
• “When they chip I go and get them redone. It really irritates me.”
• How would you feel about a polish that did not chip and lasted 4-6 weeks?
• “I would love that. It would save me so much time and money.”

#3: A 22-year-old student

• How long have you been painting your nails or going to a nail salon to get them done?
• “I’ve been going to the nail salon for 10 years."
• How often do you get your nails done?
• “I go get them done every 3 weeks.”
• Has your nail polish ever chipped after recently getting your nails done? If so, about how many times has this happened to you?
• “No, my nails don’t chip because I get shellac.”
• Did you know that the average woman spends about $1,345 per year on nail services?
• “No… wow that’s a lot of money.”
• What do you currently do when your nails chip? Is this a good solution?
• “They don’t chip”
• How would you feel about a polish did not chip and lasted 4- 6 weeks?
• “That would be great. It would save money on gas and the nail services. And it would also save me time, since the salon I go to is about 30 minutes from my house.”

REFLECTION: It seems that nails chipping might not be a problem for EVERYONE who gets their nails done. I think it really depends on how often you are using your hands. It was interesting that each of these customers did not realize how much the average woman spends on nail services every year, yet they have each been getting their nails done for years as often as every 2-3 weeks. Trying to touch up your nails and then the colors not matching can be very frustrating, especially if it ends up looking worse.

SUMMARY: I truly think that anyone who gets their nails painted can benefit from this polish that does not chip and lasts 4-6 weeks. For one, it would save customers a lot of time. Depending on what services are done at the salon, one trip can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours (or even more). Trips to the nail salon can also be inconvenient to plan because of the amount of time they require and how often they are planned. I really think that there is an opportunity there for this product to work and thrive. I have been wanting a product like this for years and I mention something about wishing something like this had been created every time my nails chip.