SaveKey’s new app designed to help small businesses and save customers’ money is set to launch for the public in January.
Mercedez Kuse, founder of SaveKey, decided to start the online discount opportunity after her son was born.
The two would check out local shops and boutiques in the Eau Claire area; recently her family moved to the Green Bay area and she wanted to learn about the local businesses.
“I don’t know where a lot of these shops are, or these little boutique places or small businesses. And I realize a lot of them probably don’t have the funds for advertising,” Kuse explained.
She decided to start SaveKey to give small businesses in the region the chance to gain a new customer base and advertise themselves.
SaveKey is proud to be both women-owned and military-owned, as Kuse served for seven years in the military.
Helping people, especially local shops, is a very important part of Kuse’s life, and she wants to do just that with SaveKey.
“I’ve always wanted to run my own business… I’m a nurse right now and I just really love helping people.” Kuse continued, “This is perfect. I can help so many people doing this, and it would be my own little business.”
She added, “It’s hard to get people to shop local and I’ve seen so many places shut down. It’s sad because small businesses kind of are what creates our community and we need to support them.”
Kuse wants people to shop locally to support the economy and fellow community members in the Green Bay area.
She explained, “So if you’re shopping local, shopping small, it all goes back into the community and keeps circulating like that. I believe it will help all these communities and all these small businesses around.”
Memberships to SaveKey cost $5 per month or $50 for the whole year.
With the membership, you get exclusive deals and discounts for the small business involved with SaveKey.
Kuse said that for the small businesses looking to get involved themselves, it is free of charge to participate in SaveKey and on the app they will have their own business portal.
The discounts offered will vary based on the store itself.
“They just decide what works best for them, which every business would be different. So like a boutique shop, I would say like percentages off or spend this much, get this much off,” Kuse explained.
Other possible deals would be punch cards or coupons, the business would create the deals themselves based on what they are comfortable with.
“It really depends on what the business offers and what would work better for them, because it’s geared to help them,” she said.
A large variety of small businesses are involved already from postpartum services to gun shops to t-shirt customization.
Over 20 small businesses in the greater Green Bay area have joined SaveKey to offer discounts and Kuse hopes to make the number be over 100 by the end of her first year in operation.
She is hopeful to reach that goal with her current progress, “It’s very new and it has really strong potential already, so I’m excited for what it becomes.”
In just two months, she has amassed over one thousand followers on her social media platforms and has many members signed up for her newsletter.
Kuse mentioned that the first 100 customers to sign up for SaveKey’s newsletter will receive their first year on SaveKey for free.
Small business owners are able to register to receive discounts through SaveKey on their website https://savekeywi.com/home.
Nonowners can recommend small businesses to SaveKey through the same feature.
Also on SaveKey’s website, there are $50 weekly giveaways for the winner to spend on a small business of the week.
At recent giveaway was with Blue Lotus Massage, in which the winner was given the $50 after following the business and SaveKey on social media and filling out a Google form to give SaveKey insights and opinions on what customers would like to see.
Kuse said, “Shop local and you’re making somebody super happy, but if you shop corporate or these big shops, they’re not even gonna know your name.”
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