Early on I realized education does not end when you leave school, sometimes it is just the beginning. My education was in finance, and my work experience was in IT and sales, but I have always had a drive to structure my own company. When the dotcom world started making a comeback, I knew that I wanted to be a part of it. The only question was how.
I noticed all of a sudden that the group buying industry sprung out of nowhere, and it caught my attention immediately. I knew I could tackle this on but also find a way to improve upon it. This was the perfect business endeavor because the industry suited my skill set, and most importantly I wanted to take on the big dogs of the group buying world.
Dealavue.com's Difference
When joining a space that already has hundreds of similar competitors it is crucial not to be labeled as “Not Another.” The key is to take a start-up idea and change it, improve it and make it your own. I followed those steps when creating Dealavue.com, a Chicago based deal site, that is certainly not another deal site. Our business structure sets us apart from the rest.
Using new technologies and an innovative approach to performance driven advertising, Dealavue.com creates a lasting consumer-business relationship beyond the frenzy of a one-day only sale. By featuring long-term deals, the website offers buyers the benefit of choosing their deal, and sellers the advantage of attracting relevant repeat customers. Ideal for commercial businesses, professional services and non-profit groups, Dealavue exposes clients to a moneymaking opportunity that puts a growing subscriber list and localized purchasing information at their disposal without the upfront costs associated with other marketing tools.
Coming from an IT background, I wanted to make Dealavue.com accessible everywhere and at any time. I knew the perfect way to do that was by having an interactive user friendly website. Dealavue.com’s website allows users to enter their location and view a map pinpointing surrounding deals going on around them from a list of lifestyle categories, but that wasn’t enough. Recently we launched a mobile location-based app that allows consumers to do pinpoint deals around them, receive push notifications from merchants and also use their mobile device as their voucher. We eliminated the steps of having to wait to purchase and use the deal and the hassle of printing anything out.
Dealavue.com is changing the way consumers ultimately find, purchase and use deals on everything they would want to do and see. Before the year’s end, Dealavue is planning to expand into 13 more major U.S. markets to serve a broader clientele.
I knew it would be challenging entering the group buying space but with any idea if you believe in it, give it your all and don’t give up you can be a successful entrepreneur.
5 Tips for Going Up Against the Big Dogs
- Have a team that believes in what you’re doing– You have to have a strong team that believes in the ability of your company and themselves, to achieve great things.
- Make a presence – It’s key to connect with your consumers and to actually reach out to them. Dealavue goes out to where Chicagoains are in hopes of finding what deals they want. By the end of the summer the Dealavue crew will have attended over 40 festivals.
- Always follow through– Do not give up easily. There are always going to be obstacles in your way and things never go as planned. No failures are worth getting stuck on. If you think you can do it, you will persevere and learn as you go.
- Have fun– Have a life outside the office. Take time to learn something completely new or have totally new conversations. Your new experiences and positive attitude will follow you to the workplace.
- Always carry dog treats– When meeting competitor’s employees, be nice! Start a conversation with them, learn what they have in the works and discuss new things going on for your business.
This guest post is from Anthony Berg. He is the founder of Dealavue, a Chicago based deal-site.