23A – Your Venture’s Unfair Advantage

1. Fundraiser planning experience
1. Valuable: this is valuable as funds will be needed to launch and sustain the product/service
2. Rare: This is not rare for large companies, however this can be a rare skill for start-up businesses
3. Inimitable: This skill can be learned, so it can be replicated to a certain degree.
4. Non-substitutable: cannot be substituted as this skill is essential. 
2. Absence of competitors
1. Valuable: this is valuable because the need for the product has yet to be satisfied
2. Rare: This is rare as they say “nothing is new under the sun.”
3. Inimitable: The product is new, so I do not doubt that it will probably take time for others to imitate it
4. Non-substitutable: other unique products would have the same benefits 
3. Social capital: contact with UF 
1. Valuable: this is valuable because UF is a primary customer of the product
2. Rare: This is not rare as many people are affiliates of UF or universities in general
3. Inimitable: This can be imitated as forming a relationship is not difficult as a student
4. Non-substitutable: this is substitutable because UF can still become a customer even without a prior relationship
4. Public speaking skills
1. Valuable: this is valuable because I will need to speak about the product to effectively market it
2. Rare: This can be rare as public speaking is dreaded by many people
3. Inimitable: This can be imitated as other companies can hire someone else to do the public speaking/marketing
4. Non-substitutable: this is non-substitutable because it is necessary to market the product
5. Social capital: publicity
1. Valuable: this is valuable because publicity will be an important marketing tool
2. Rare: This is rare as not many people have connections with news stations
3. Inimitable: This would be difficult to imitate because it requires rapport
4. Non-substitutable: this is substitutable because marketing will still be possible without news stations.
6. Social capital: student organizations
1. Valuable: this is valuable because UF students are a large stakeholder of our primary customer (UF)
2. Rare: This is not rare as many people are apart of student organizations on campus
3. Inimitable: This can be imitated as joining student organizations is easy
4. Non-substitutable: this is substitutable because UF can still become a customer even without connections with student organizations
7. Social capital: dual degree (students in two colleges)
1. Valuable: this is valuable because I have access to more students at UF
2. Rare: This is rare as most students are not apart of two colleges
3. Inimitable: This cannot be easily imitated
4. Non-substitutable: this is substitutable because UF can still become a customer even without being connected to two colleges
8. Social capital: contact with local businesses
1. Valuable: this is valuable because local businesses are primary customers
2. Rare: This is rare as many people do not have rapport with local business owners
3. Inimitable: This can be imitated as rapport can be built with an effort to do it
4. Non-substitutable: this is substitutable because local business can still become a customer even without established relationships when they hear how the service benefits them
9. Customer service
1. Valuable: this is valuable because UF students are a large stakeholder of our primary customer (UF)
2. Rare: This is not rare as many people are apart of student organizations on campus
3. Inimitable: This can be imitated as other companies can practice good customer service
4. Non-substitutable: this is substitutable because UF can still become a customer even without connections with student organizations
10. Service promotions (i.e. first month of service free)
1. Valuable: this is valuable because it will encourage customers to choose my service over potential competitors
2. Rare: This is rare as many people are not willing to provide free services for long term partnership/strategy
3. Inimitable: This can be imitated if other companies try to compete
4. Non-substitutable: this is substitutable because we can still get customers without these promotions. 

Absence of competitors is more important than my other resources because it is extremely valuable, rare, non-imitable. This resource scored the highest with the VRIN assessment. The lack of competition exaggerates the need, is rare because it is difficult to create a totally unique product, and it also makes it less likely to be imitated any time soon.