MY GROUPON EXPERIENCE

As a long time customer of Groupon myself, I wanted to figure out how I could put my new business up on the website in hopes of building clientele and getting more hands on experience. In 2017, I was a brand new lash tech working out of a basement suite in a local hair salon and I was having a hard time attracting new clients. Out of desperation, I reached out to Groupon and inquired about becoming a merchant on their marketing platform.

How it Works

I was earning 60% commission pay-- providing my own product and supplies at the salon. My boss was taking 40% and Groupon wanted to take another 50%. Easy math here... I would be taking home just 10%. To add salt to my injuries, Groupon wanted me to price my services way lower than I was comfortable with. This came with the promise of attracting a lot more clientele in my local area so I decided to go with it because I figured 10% was still better than nothing. My campaigns did really well but financially, I was struggling.

Full Transparency

The numbers below are from my top selling campaigns. Keep in mind, this is after Groupon's 50% cut. Minus another 40% cut that would go to my boss. That's around $10 per service...

Groupon was advertising my campaigns to people way outside of my area, meaning they were not likely to return as a full price paying customer. The entire purpose of getting your start on Groupon is to hopefully build your clientele so you are essentially working for free in hopes of making a long term client. That rarely happened! Some people were super friendly and kind, sometimes left me generous tips but most of the time it was a quick transaction and never to be seen again. I was burnt out and started feeling like I was being taken advantage of so I needed to come up with a new plan as soon as possible.

Why did this Happen?

One of the biggest reasons I fell victim to this type of system or marketing platform was the fear of failure. Obviously I wanted to make money too but everything I read online and learned through my business program said that most businesses fail within 1 year. I did not want that to happen so I was willing to do whatever it took to make it work even if it meant that I was severely undervaluing myself and my services.

Lash Industry Growth

When I first started my business, I heard a lot of chatter about how "doing lashes is not a real business" and to be fair, when I first started, the lash industry was relatively new and had a lot of mixed reviews...

• Tools and products were limited or mostly available outside of Canada so we didn't have access to a lot of good quality or affordable tools and products.

• The industry is not heavily regulated so there was a lot of untrained and non-professional techs operating illegally.

• The education was lacking to say the least so the level of services provided was not satisfactory for most, didn't keep lash health in mind and was not consistent from lash tech to lash tech.

So I get it! But things have come a long way since then and a lash business is very much a real business. It works just like any other small business; we deal with day to day operations and providing hands on services, customer communications, management of clients, staff and software, record keeping, data analytics, inventory, marketing, training, financial etc. etc.

The Customer Experience

Finding discounted products and services on Groupon can be super exciting! Not to mention that saving any bit of money in this economy is really important for a lot of people. For some, this is the only way they can afford the service or product and I completely understand that! I have totally been there. So there is zero judgement on that part, I want to make that clear!

Here are some tips on how YOU as the customer can use the platform to find & support newer artists, service providers and business owners on marketing or discount websites like Groupon.

• First give the business a quick Google search. Check for reviews, photos of location (inside & out) and see if there's any social media accounts that you can further examine to verify the business. As a customer, I have had some NOT so great experiences with Groupon purchases and that has mainly been due to my own lack of research prior.

• Then find a way to contact the business DIRECTLY. Phone, email or DM and let them know you found their AD or send a screenshot of the deal listed online. Ask if they would be willing to honour the price that's listed and that you will pay them directly.

I learned of this method when a few people reached out to me directly during my Groupon days and I appreciated it so much. Give it a try next time!

If you must go through Groupon directly because of a gift card or you have received a Groupon voucher as a gift; bring cash so that you can tip your service provider!

Moving On

After nearly a year of doing this, I decided it was time to go out on my own. To learn more about the early days, how I got my start in the industry and going solo click HERE.

Contact

Beauty by Lirie is my very own passion project backed by my business education and love of self care. Explore my site and all that I have to offer—perhaps my blog will spark some inspiration in your life too!

We are always looking to work with and to grow our network of passionate entrepreneurs and talented beauty industry professionals. Let's connect! beautybylirie@hotmail.com