nikewong | 
02 28th, 2012| 
You’ve surely heard of Groupon, right? Groupon is the site that makes it possible for you discover and enjoy whole new ways to love your hometown at fantastic discounts. Dinner for two for 50% off? No problem. Spa day for half off? No sweat! But did you ever wonder how Groupon started? Where it came from?
Well, it’s an interesting story! Back in November of 2007, a website was launched with an eye towards helping community members start campaigns to donate money or do something as a group (such as volunteer work). This website was called The Point and is still doing its thing today. Out of The Point grew Groupon, a patent-pending idea that arose as the solution to a common problem for all of use city-dwelling types: So much to do and so little time! Honestly, most cities have an enormous amount of things to do, see and explore but it can be overwhelming trying to figure out what those things are, when is the best time to do them and of course, how to afford them. Groupon uses The Point’s framework for collective buying and in so doing accomplishes several things at once:
- Consumers get access to interesting things they didn’t know existed
- Businesses offering these experiences get exposure like never before, reaching a wider market base than they were doing previously
- Everybody saves money! Groupon’s consumers save money and so the businesses that offer their deals through Groupon.
The thing that makes Groupon so special is that it sprouted from a grass-roots organizational mindset and has kept that mindset from day one. Groupon first launched in November of 2008 and in the intervening years has not strayed from it’s original philosophy: treat their customers how they like to be treated. It’s so simple and yet increasingly today, so hard to find in a business philosophy. Groupon shows the teeming masses of the world how it works, though, effectively and efficiently. They only sell stuff they themselves would want to buy so don’t expect to find crummy deals, lousy products or poor service at any of the establishments Groupon is advertising services for. There are no hidden catches. Nothing spoils a good deal like sneaky “fine-print Gotchas” and Groupon’s staff is as derisive of these as anyone else. You won’t find them here. Groupon may be the only business in the world where if you find a deal that’s “too good to be true” it probably is true and you should waste no time snatching it up. The number one thing Groupon prides itself on is their fantastic customer service.
With all of these things going for it, there is no reason not to give Groupon a try. You can rest easy knowing that Groupon is one addiction that’s totally safe.
