(1) Positive Statement

What are you most proud of in your Block Presentation and/or your senior project? Why?
I am most proud that I made time, and I engaged my class with my activity. I felt that many were interested because they participated and some volunteered to give what they felt about the activity. Also because passing showed that in the 9 months leading up to this I want just sitting around but doing what was asked by me. 


(2) Questions to Consider

a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your Block Presentation (self-assessment)?

AE       P          AP       CR       NC
I give myself a P-

b.     What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)?

AE       P          AP       CR       NC
I would give myself an Ap+

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?
The one thing that worked for me is finding mentorship. There are many landscapers in California hundreds actually. So mentorship was one thing that worked. 

(4) (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would have you done differently to improve your senior project if you could go back in time?
I would have taken my 30 min presentation a little more serious and focused more on making my first answer as solid as possible. 

(5) Finding Value

How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors?   Be specific and use examples.
It has helped me realize that no matter what profession you chose to pursue, choosing a profession you love will make everything so much easier. It also helped me realize to be an expert in your profession researching and studing it is essential. Just like researching and studying your topic was essential in making this project.

Mentorship

    Literal

·     Log of specific hours with a total and a description of your duties updated on the right hand side of your blog

• https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Amqk500aJNz9dF96UTVla2FIbEdOUEplSGJfa0N6RUE&usp=drive_web#gid=0
• Rosalio Jimenez, Rosalios landscaping service

    Interpretive

     What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?

• The most important thing I gained from this experience was that in any business its hard to get going and make profits. Money is an important issue that should be covered kept good track of. Also being an expert in your field takes years of experience and cannot be covered in one day.    

   Applied

     How has what you’ve done helped you to answer your EQ?  Please explain.

• What I have done really has helped me because I am working in a landscaping environment. Every hour of mentorship I attend the more I learn. My mentor has over 15years experience and teaches me what I need to know in order to answer my EQ by putting me in situations. For example he has me quote houses and then tells me the real cost to show me how important it is to quote a house. Getting a price wrong can make you lose profit. Part of my EQ involves profit so mentorship does help so much in answering my EQ. 

Exit Interview

Content:

(1) What is your essential question and answers?  What is your best answer and why?

What is most important in managing a profitable landscape business? My best answer is Maintaining cost and designing cost effeciant landscapes. This is my best answer because it is my first answer. I have quite a bit of research to back it up. Also because in a business keeping track of your cost is key to a successful business. 

(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?

To arive at this answer all I did was go over and look at all my answers and choose which one had the most research and which one was most solid in providing evidence for. 

(3) What problems did you face?  How did you resolve them?

The only problems i faced was finding credible research and enough of it. With the help of Ms.Pittman I used advanced google search and the calpoly data base. The calpoly data base opened up a whole other door where I can find research. 

(4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?

My mentor and my third interview interviewee. They are my two most sigificant sources because combined theynhave over 60 years experience and have all the knowledge that is need to know to run a successful business since they themselves have successful businesses. 

independent component 2

Content:  

LITERAL
(a) I, Juan rizo, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.
(b)I worked with Rosalios Gardening company- (909)-(538)-(6580)
(c)https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Amqk500aJNz9dGZnd1BEYlNlODdvWmNiUzRwVTR5aXc&usp=sharing#gid=0
(d)For the majority of this component I worked  during spring break with Rosalios landscaping. I worked about 8-9 hours each day depending on the amount of work that was needed. We worked like any other day, started in the morning at 7:30 and went on to our clients houses to work on the jibs they wanted us to do. 
This helps with Eq because it helps me answer my questions. As we arrive to our clients houses I guess what the cost will be and my mentor will tell me what it is I need to do to make an accurate estimation. Then at the end hetells me the real cost and the mistakes I did to get my estimation. 

These pictures show the finished job, I wasn't able to take a before picture. Basically before the job the space that is filled with rocks was just dirt. 

Third answer

EQ
What is most important in managing a profitable landscape design business?

Answer #3:  designing landscapes relevant to the area in which the house is located is most important in managing a profitable landscape business.

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Conclusion:

Fourth Interview Questions

20 questions:

1.) what are some factors that go into quoting a house?

2.)what interest you when trying to acquire a new client?

3.)How accurate are your estimations?

4.)What happens when your estimation on a house is totally wrong?

5.)If a client is unhappy with your estimation what do you do?

6.)how much of a factor does the quality of a house play in estimating the cost?

7.)Is there a price that is to little for you to even work for?

8.)What is the hardest part of estimating a house landscape cost?

9.) When estimating do you encourage second opinions by other businesses to your client?

10.)Does an employee ever estimate the cost of a house? why?

11.)If the client already has another estimation would you try to equal that price?

12.)How much does the estimation differ between different businesses?

13.)If the house has two owners and one does not like the quote of the house what is done?

14.)In terms of the estimation is the estimation based weekly or monthly?

15.) How much of your money is spent on resources?

16.)what is the most profitable way to run a landscaping business?

17.)what is most important in making profit in this business?

18.)what do you do when profit is not made?

19.)If an estimation of a house in largely underestimated what is done? 

20.) How do profit and estimating a house affect business? 

Advisory Meeting #2

Content:

Just like you did for answer 1 and the objectives for Purther's textbook work for answer 2 post:

EQ:What is most important in managing a profitable landscape business?

Answer #2 (Write in a complete sentence like a thesis statement)*

The experience and knowledge of knowing how to give accurate estimations. 

3 details to support the answer (a detail is a fact and an example)

Detail #1- Experience comes with knowing the field you are working, the more experience you have in something, the more likely you are skilled in the field. The same goes with giving prices and estimations for a house. Giving estimations is a learning experience you will not go out one day and be a master at estimations because there are to many variables to deal with. For example time, labor, resources used are all hard to calculate, also a lot of the times you will not know the full price of what you wasted until the job is over. 

Detail#2- In order to know how to give accurate estimations you need someone to teach you. A teacher can be someone who knows what they are talking about and knowledgeable in estimation. Learning how to give accurate estimations will help your company grow and give the most amount of profits. By giving accurate and efficient prices the margin for profit will grow. 

Detail#3-Giving accurate and fast estimations will make you look professional, The client will also be more likely to stick with the price you gave them if you do not constantly change your estimation. The estimation will seem more sure and will more likely be payed by the client. 

The research source (s) to support your details and answer

"Calculating Profit Margins." Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Feb. 2014. http://www.business.qld.gov.au/business/running/making-and-managing-money/making-your-business-more-profitable/calculating-profit-margins

Concluding Sentence

One thing that is most important in running a profitable landscape business is knowing and correctly estimating a possible clients house. By doing this it will effectively raise profits for a landscape business.