ChamberFest 2012: Austin Networking

For the first time ever, the Austin Chamber of Commerce has put together a showcase, ChamberFest, to bring all of Austin’s small business network under one roof. ChamberFest is part of an ongoing initiative to serve the greater Austin area’s small business community, which actually encompasses more than 85% of the Austin Chamber’s membership organization. The event will include door prizes, giveaways, and discounts from select area restaurants, and the ChamberFest 2012 Exhibitors include the following companies:

ISM Services, Inc.

Atchley & Associates, LLP

Focus Embedded

Fastframe & The Prickly Pear Galleries

Q2ebanking

ContractGurus.com

Capitol Wireless

VanDeWalle Chiropractic

Gail Darling Staffing

CAM-I

Rockford Business Interiors

Holiday Inn Austin Midtown

Caesars Entertainment

Advanced Mobility Systems of Texas

Austin City Living

Mercury Communication Services of Austin

Infintech LLC

AlphaGraphics

Goodybag, Inc.

RE/MAX Austin Associates

Doc2e-file

Austin Business Journal

PubCrawler of Austin

Strategic Payment Systems

QuintEvents, LLC

Baylor University – Executive MBA Program | Austin

Extend Stay America Hotels

Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More – South Austin

Longhorn Office Products, Inc.

Austin’s Park

Frost

Austin Energy

Upstream Investment Partners

City of Austin – Small Business Development Program

Community Impact Newspaper

Rodan + Fields Dermatologists – Loree Hart

Speedpro Imaging

Allstate Insurance Company

Burnett Specialists, Inc.

Clear Spirit Corporate Massage

Legend Dental

Mothers’ Milk Bank at Austin

Rackspace Hosting

Texas DPS Credit Union

Westin Austin at the Domain

EQ Consultants Group, LLC

Texas State University – San Marcos

Austin Rare Coins & Bullion

American Diabetes Association

All Seasons Nursery

Bastrop Convention & Exhibit Center

National American University

Imagecraft Exhibits

LDRK Media

Hilton Garden Inn

ScanSee

Come by The Marchesa Hall and Theatre on Tuesday, October 23, 2012 from 4:00 – 8:00 PM to mix, mingle and expand your network or just say hello to your favorite Gennovacap folks! 

Weird Coupons: Stay Weird Locals

“What if we really went local?” That’s the question Austinite Eric Knittel asked himself when he had the idea to start Weird Coupons, a new, local coupon and deal provider that’s available ONLY to locally-grown Austin businesses.

Weird Coupons was conceived as a companion to Austin’s unofficial slogan, "Keep Austin Weird," a concept originated by Red Wassenich who claims to have made the comment while pledging his support for a local radio station. Now symbolic for supporting Austin’s vibrant local business community, “weird” is an idea that Austin business owners have embraced as a way to differentiate themselves from national franchises moving in to capitalize on Austin’s growing economy.

Weird Coupons is seeking to be the first and foremost coupon company that supports the health and growth of locally-born and raised businesses. As Eric sees it, “Why go to a Starbucks when you’ve got Austin Java, Juan Pelotas, Mozarts, Progress, Joe’s, and on and on.” He goes on to say, “And think about the restaurants, clothing stores, movie theaters, entertainment, bars, bands and more. The Austin joints smoke the competition.”

According to the Austin Independent Business Alliance (The ibuyaustin.com folks), “For every $100 spent locally $45 stays in Austin. Opposed to just $13 when shopping at a national chain.” As Eric puts it, “I saw the big group couponers coming into Austin and making deals with local businesses that sounded great for consumers but ultimately were harmful to the Austin economy.” He goes on to explain, “When a business offers 50% off it’s product or service through a group couponer, they are really giving away 75% of their product. Because after all is said and done, the business has to split the price the consumer pays for the coupon (which is really a gift certificate). How many businesses do you think can survive by giving away 75% of their product?”

To add insult to injury, the money spent with the big discount programs goes to Chicago, D.C., etc. Eric says, “I saw this and thought to myself, this is silly. There has to be a way, using today’s technology, that Austin small businesses can attract more customers without losing their shirts.” 

At www.weirdcoupons.com, consumers can download the [free] app for both iPhone and Android (www.weirdcoupons.com/getapp.php) and businesses can open a free account to create and push their coupons or deals to the smart phones of Austinites with the app. “We’ve designed Weird Coupons to be super easy for business owners to use, as well as consumers,” states Eric. For the business owner, Eric says, “All the control is in your hands. You decide the discount or deal, you set the terms, you determine how long the deal lasts, and you push it to the app. For customers, all you have to do is download the app. There’s no account to open, no password to remember, no big brother watching what you buy. Simply download the app, check it when you’re ready to eat, shop or have some fun, and look for the best deals. That’s it.”

Weird Coupons is a local business focused on growing the local economy. It’s aimed at helping Austinites discover all the incredible businesses we have in our city. Eric puts it this way, “I sometimes take for granted how blessed I am to live in Austin, Texas. As our city grows, Weird Coupons is going to help me remember how lucky I am that I live in a city that appreciates and supports the entrepreneurial spirt – the American spirit.”

As Weird Coupons ramps up, they are giving their service away for free to all Austin-born businesses. So if your business is born and bred in Austin, you’re eligible to run all the advertisements, offers, discounts or deals you want to. Simply go to www.weirdcoupons.com and signup, and as Eric says, “Start sending Austinites a little love.”

If you are interested in partnering with Weird Coupons to offer your deals exclusively through Weird Coupons please contant Eric at eric@weirdcoupons.com for assistance in setting this up.