Local Discount/Coupon Directory

To the members who want to save money when shopping. Some years ago, I suggested a group membership system where I would get local shop/business owners on board to offer our members a substantial discount when shopping with them. The idea is also to help local businesses.

I got tied down with other projects but now that times have changed and many of us are struggling in the current economy, I’m seriously considering pursuing the project again. However, I need to measure the interest in the group first. It was quite popular back then and, given the current climate, I think it may be even more so now and should create a lot of savings to members of this group.

The group rules don’t allow external surveys but internal polls are allowed (with admin’s permission) so I gave myself permission to place one in the group and if I see enough of you guys are interested, I’ll start the ball rolling.

The fact that we are over 6,000 strong should be enough to get shopkeepers interested but it would take me some time to contact them in Maidenhead and now that we have spread to Ascot, Windsor, High Wycombe, Slough and Henley it will take longer. I’ll start the process only if I have a decent number so, please, make your choice, and make your opinion heard to help local businesses stay in business.

I’m looking to do a separate local discount directory for each of these genres… beauty salons, restaurants, fast food, clothing and shoes, Spas, Coffee shops, pedicure & nail salons, doggie and cattie services, pubs, etc. If you can suggest any more genres, please do so. Once done, there will be a main directory covering them all from which you can select the genre.

What will happen if we go ahead is this? I will add a QR code to a post here in the group. You can open your phone’s camera and point it at the QR code. There is no need to use a QR code scanner app. Depending on your phone (modern versions work by pointing at the code) you will be given a message to open it. Tap that and a digital coupon/voucher will open on your phone.

That coupon/voucher is what you will show the shop to get whatever discount has been agreed for you. You can then save it to your home screen so you can find it easily in the future. It’s a bit like a ‘taste card’ except it’s on your phone.

There will be occasional problems along the way and if so, you can text me at a number I will give you. Examples of such problems could be a shop/store reneging on the agreement.

When we were Maidenhead only it would have been easier, and I could have put it together fairly quickly. However, as mentioned above, it’s now Ascot, Windsor, High Wycombe, Slough, and Henley.

Not only have I got to visit/contact them to explain how it works, but I will also need to make an advert for them that will appear in a directory based on their special offer to you. Obviously, one person alone can’t build such a monster so I will need to employ staff to help.

I will try to finance the building of the ‘Local discount digital card’ initially but I will need to ask for a yearly £10 fee which you should get back quickly, maybe even on your first purchase. Whoever joins at this inaugural price will be guaranteed to stay at that price ongoing.

The maintenance/upkeep of tis local discount/coupon directory will obviously have a cost too. That initial fee could increase so anyone joining at a later date may have to pay any increased fee. Anyone in the group who employs staff will understand the cost of putting this together.

This is a small example of such a directory. https://bit.ly/miadgroup/  but please remember, the offers shown in this dummy are NOT real. At this stage they are dummies although they may apply in the future so, please do NOT try to claim any or you may need to bring me food as I languish in prison.

Even though we have over 6,000 members, this post will probably only be seen by a few hundred so, if you respond in the poll to go ahead I would ask you to find a way to prod any friends you have in the group (or ask them to join) because the more we have the better the discounts/offers will be from the businesses..