Support Local Business - Shop Local Stores : Fastlane or Not?

[TC2]

After doing volunteer works for charity to deliver foods to homeless people, setting up free clinic to people with no insurance for years and having few friends closing their local shops, I thought that I can do something to help others again.

I am not so sure if this is my fastlane to millions any more. Doing something meaningful means much more to me than doing anything else do. I am also enjoying creating thing start from scratch and moving forward one step at a time. I do have so much to learn in the real business world.

It means to help local business survive the economy crisis and help local residents to save money shopping. It's a location based promotions system that allows customers to print local discount coupons and shop at nearby stores.

Goals:

1. To replace paper based coupons book eventually. Go Green!
2. To allow customer print only the coupons they need
3. To lower the advertisement cost to local business
4. To promote local small business with no physical boundary
5. To reach out potential customers who visit different places
6. Become a trusted authority for local shopping

Main features for Business:

1. Register local business (store) and be seen on Integrated Google Map
2. Publish Promotions, discount coupons and be found on the Internet
3. Listed as nearby stores on other stores' dedicated page.
4. Store photo gallery page
5. Store video page
6. Search Engine Optimized store page and promtions
7. Lower cost to advertise on Google AdWords and Yahoo Publisher Network
8. Cross promotions to other local business netwrok

This site is far from completion and perfection. There are more neat features coming. It has huge potential since Google is adding local business to search result and coupons template to AdWords while other coupons sites are joining the war.

As matters of facts, I have received many positive, negative feedbacks and have even been threaten by a big company. I know it has potential and I would like to get more feedbacks from fastlane members. I am also wondering if anyone on this forum runs local stores? Basically, it allows any local stores in any business types to publish their promotions. It is virtually no limitation.

I am also needing some help and advice in marketing, public relationship and business operations. Also looking for partners to grow with. I appreciate your help and will do my best to return your favor!

Thank you all so very much!

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

Thanx TC! Don't get caught up if something is "Fastlane" or not ... if you enjoy what you're doing and it brings great joy to your life, who cares!

 

[yveskleinsky]

TC,

I really like the idea, and think it has huge potential. I think it is "fast lane" (at least fits my definition of the fast lane) in the sense that it is scalable, has the ability to go viral and fills a need.

Great job and keep us posted!

 

[TC2]

yveskleinsky:

Thanks!

I was a little nerves when I saw news about Google AdWords offering coupon template. I realized that is actually a good thing to me. Google won't jump into something that has no potential.

I also saw this on news media.

There were almost 2.6 million unique visitors in Canada to online coupon sites last December, up 60 per cent from 1.6 million in December 2007, comScore said.​

:great:

I will definitely update my progress on this thread.

 

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[TC2]

Update on my project - Need advices to calm me down

My last update.

This is getting me very exciting, but it's a little overwhelming to me. I need to calm down and think straight and need advices.

I just got an email from one of the very large mall developers in N. America interested in using my site to promote their clients/stores in each malls they developed. They are looking for alternative ways to publish their clients/stores coupons online to widen the reach and lower the cost, which is exactly what I am doing.

OK. I know there is nothing solid at this point, but I want to prepare for the BEST. Here are my questions and need your advices.

1. Looks like I may need to customize the backend to fit their need. Not sure if it is worth the time to do so without a solid contract.
2. I am currently offering free beta account. How do I persuade them to pay me while offering free account to the rest of local business?
3. They must also contact other coupons sites for the same thing. I want to take every bit of chance to beat them. Should I hire PR person to get in their channel?
4. What's the best way to find the right person in their organization to nail the deal? Do I just call? or Have someone know them to introduce? The person contact may not have decision power at all.
5. What dangerous signs should I look for to protect myself before going further?
6. Should I take partnership or just sponsorship?

I was not expecting this to happen in 2 years after the launch. Now it's hitting my head hard. My original plan was to help small local business. I guess I was not thinking big and fast enough. I Know this is too early to tell. Well. Who knows?

PS. Is there any better way to make this conversation privately? They maybe watching what I am saying. PM me would be great!

Thank you all very much.

 

[TC2]

Update:

After short discussion with few people from news medias, I decided to put up a temporary landing page on the home page. So people visit the site knows what is currently going on for local business and local shoppers.

Now the site offering 1 year free advertisement / internet marketing for the first 50 local businesses in every city in USA. That should sound pretty attractive, doesn't it?



I will test this for few weeks and hope to get some attention from the news media. Will be working on the PR and AdWords. I think I should hire a Flash artist to do the work too.

I would love to hear your criticism or suggestion about the new home page.

Thank you!

 

[yveskleinsky]

I like your landing page, my only constructive criticism at this point is to get your copy (text) rewritten by someone who has strong grammar skills.

You are on the right track! Keep us posted with the contract from the mall developers--the deal sounds very promising!

 

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