Case Study: Health Tracker Product Launch

This essay will be an analysis of the health tracker case study and the risks involved in starting a business can partake in, as well as bring my own ideas into what I would have done differently. The case study takes you through a mother's journey into the world of entrepreneurs. Exploring her few failed attempts, and the one that succeeded in. Her idea flourished in a manner that she did not expect, making an impact on a different audience. As Well as showing the struggle she had to forgo in order to reach her goals. Her name is Teri and she’s the founder of the health tracker. 

Teri seems to have an interest in creating her own product. She has made multiple attempts to start her process, which is mainly based on her interest in children's joys and their health and safety. Her first two ideas ended in her giving up as she didn’t have the supplies or recourses to support them. The first being a puzzle toy meant to challenge toddlers, the second leaning more towards the safety aspect of their life's; being a guard for fireplaces to prevent children from harming themselves. Her third attempt leaned towards the health aspect, the product being a health tracker. This idea arose from the struggles she had to go through with her children, one being born with cerebral palsy: "It was the birth of another child to Teri’s close friend that set off another entrepreneurial episode. Teri and her husband were expecting their third when her friend delivered a beautiful little girl, born with Cerebral Palsy.” (Brookins, 2) 

Not being able to properly keep all the health and insurance records organized. She devoted her time to creating said health tracker exploring the key strengths and the opportunities she foresaw. Aswell as the weaknesses and threats that can come with a business involving people's health. Believing she could help those in her same position, some of the strengths and opportunities that came with the health tracker can range from being able to use such a product universally. The product originally meant to reach out to parents in need of way to keep track of their children's records, and instead caught the eye of college students and college health care professionals: “he personal health organizer became a market research project for the semester for several student teams. The results were surprising. The student research teams found a whole new market in college students who live away from home or study abroad. The teams discovered that over 90% parents of college students polled on campus indicated they would like their child to have a health care organizer like the HealthTracker.” (Brookins, 3) An alternative opportunity that Teri could have taken would be taking a different point of view in the way she tried to market her product. The opportunities being somewhat limitless, as such a product can rise to reach a level of popularity. 

If the business was something that I had came up with I would have tried to reach a bigger audience marketing the product to reach all those in need of it whether it was parents, students, health care providers, pet owners etc. Trying to reach more people, the idea would have a higher chance of success. Additionally, to planning, viewing the process to the end before fully putting an idea out to the public or reaching out for a publisher: “Once you have the basic concept for a product or service, you must develop a plan to create the business. This planning process, culminating in a sound business plan, is one of the most important steps in starting a business. It can help to attract appropriate loan financing, minimize the risks involved, and be a critical determinant in whether a firm succeeds or fails.”  (Gitman, McDaniel, et al, 186) 

In conclusion, this case study has helped me realize the potential most businesses could have if they were more open about who their audience is and or who their product is reaching out to. As well as some of the pros and cons that can come with trying to start your own business. Seeing as Teri had tried multiple times and struggled throughout those times before actually succeeding, and into a different audience than she intended to. I have come to understand that starting a business is more complex than just having an idea. Teri’s struggle has put it into a more though row perspective.