Groupon started a coupon revolution and has spawned many imitators most of whom offer specific demographics — young singles, moms, and a soon-to-launch service aimed at gay men — great deals. As a gal who loves a good bargain, I subscribe to many of these services and eagerly scan my email box each morning in search of discounts.
As a serial entrepreneur — I ran an internet service provider (ISP) in the nineties back east and a coffee shop in Santa Clarita — I know that getting word out about your small business is tough, especially in this economic climate,” said CircleQpons founder, Dave Nye.
“And, while Groupon is a great way to bring in business, a lot of smaller businesses can’t afford the deep discounts coupled with Groupon’s fees which are required to participate in a large scale offering. Further, smaller businesses that do give Groupon and their ilk a try, discover that they are taking a loss on each of these transactions negating the value of the new customers brought into their storefront. I wanted to create a virtual coupon service aimed at small business to be enjoyed by local customers. CircleQpons therefore has smaller fees and less steep discounts but more exclusivity,” Nye continued explaining the niche he envisions for CircleQpons.
The new company has just launched its first deal and already even a casual observer can see the difference in scale; the minimum number required to make the deal a ‘go’ is 25 and the maximum available is ’50’; tiny by the virtual coupon standard but great for me and my gal pals to enjoy in our backyard. The reason for the smaller parameters is because the deal is for a hairstylist who works independently.
“I want to build my business but don’t want to compromise on the quality of my work so I could never offer a deal with the bigger companies like Living Social or Groupon because of the huge quantities required. CircleQpons is perfect for the independent business person; fees are reasonable and we worked on the copy and the numbers to be offered in partnership with Dave and his writing staff,” said Adrienne Florez who coifs customers at Salon Nesou in Santa Monica and is the first CircleQpons deal.
Florez’s deal is described in the context of current news topics, “While the value of a college degree is the subject of much debate, the benefits of an ego altering new coif can never be overestimated – especially when it’s discounted. So, discover a new view of yourself with Adrienne Florez at Salon Nesou whose artistry, technical skill and ability to really listen to her clients makes her a true style collaborator.”
And, the savings (good for new clients only) are nothing to sneeze at: Florez will cut, color (single process), tone and blow dry your hair for $95 a $100 discount from her usual $195 fee. Plus, she is offering 10% off her other services and the salon is chipping in with a 10% discount on all of the products offered at Salon Nesou; Bed Head, TIGI, Keratase, and Sebastian if purchased at time of appointment.
While there are restrictions; new clients only, appointments are only available on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday and must be used before the deal expires on August 13, 2011, it seems like a great way to get a style revision at a good price locally.
For more information: www.CircleQpons.com
