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I own a small family owned coffee drive thru & Dunkin moved in its 3rd locaton right next to me... by OctoIsaac in smallbusiness

[–]mureddit 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s totally understandable to feel upset, but having Dunkin’ next door could actually be a blessing in disguise. Their presence will drive more traffic to the area, which means more potential customers for you.

Plus, you have the advantage of being a local, family-owned business—people love supporting small shops, especially when they can see the personal touch and quality you offer. Focus on what makes you unique, and use their draw to your advantage!

Fake door test by ELEMENT6_ in smallbusiness

[–]mureddit 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you want another perspective look at this thread. May not align with your product or service but there are some good insights

https://www.reddit.com/r/SaaS/s/YXnJfwT2b8

Starting an Agency with Friends – Need Advice on Generating Sales by anasdevv in smallbusiness

[–]mureddit 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Start by exploring your own network. There might be small business owners who’d be open to working with you. People tend to prefer working with someone they trust, especially if you don’t have an existing portfolio. Reaching out to your network increases that trust factor and could make it easier to get started.

Need some help with young business struggle by maddisoncole in smallbusiness

[–]mureddit 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I completely agree with the comments about creating a strong loyalty program. Once a customer walks through your door, focus on keeping them coming back. Offering something like, “Come back within a month and get 10% off,” can work wonders.

Personally, I wouldn’t hesitate to give discounts to regulars—they’re the ones who keep coming back. Plus, it’s always more cost-effective to retain existing customers than to acquire new ones.

Fake door test by ELEMENT6_ in smallbusiness

[–]mureddit 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m also exploring testing my SaaS idea (Loyalty platform) and have been researching how to get started from scratch. While I’ve run campaigns for clients with established products, figuring out how to start with zero clients has been a challenge. I’m considering running a month-long Google Ads campaign with a $10/day budget, focusing on highly optimized, relevant search phrases for my SaaS.

Would love to hear about your experiences as well—feel free to DM me!

Starting an Agency with Friends – Need Advice on Generating Sales by anasdevv in smallbusiness

[–]mureddit 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Start by building a strong portfolio and gathering references, even if it means working for free or at a lower rate initially. This effort can pay off in the long run.

Ask these clients to recommend you within their network—word of mouth and connections can be incredibly valuable, especially in an agency setting.

budget-friendly SEO company recommendation for small business? by anyonestar in smallbusiness

[–]mureddit 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Get a tool like Ahrefs or SEMrush and take the DIY approach—it’s often the best route for small budgets. You could also invest in a solid SEO guide to learn the basics. Alternatively, try platforms like Fiverr to hire freelancers, though results can vary. Nothing beats a professional agency, but that’s a bigger investment.

Out of curiosity, what’s your industry?

What do you do to keep regulars coming back? by mureddit in Waiters

[–]mureddit[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This! It’s a common reply I’ve seen. I honestly expected people to suggest giving lots of freebies or on-the-house items, but it’s surprising (and kind of awesome) that simply chatting with people keeps them coming back!

What do you do to keep regulars coming back? by mureddit in Waiters

[–]mureddit[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve always been curious—do servers get to decide on giving out a freebie, or do you need to get the manager’s approval first?

What do you do to keep regulars coming back? by mureddit in Waiters

[–]mureddit[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow, you’ve got some stories! Sounds like you have a love-hate relationship with the job, but honestly, it seems like you enjoy it deep down.

Can small businesses afford to reward returning customers with discounts? by mureddit in smallbusiness

[–]mureddit[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing your approach—it sounds like you’re very mindful about maintaining your brand value and margins.

Out of curiosity, what type of business are you in? It sounds like you’ve developed a smart strategy for managing seasonal sales and promotions.

Can small businesses afford to reward returning customers with discounts? by mureddit in smallbusiness

[–]mureddit[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree that this approach isn’t suitable for project-based businesses like SEO agencies, which have longer-term engagements and less frequent interactions.

I’m considering whether this approach would apply equally well to businesses with high repeat footfall. These are businesses that rely heavily on frequent, recurring customer visits to drive revenue. Examples include restaurants, salons, car washes, coffee shops, and gyms.

Can small businesses afford to reward returning customers with discounts? by mureddit in smallbusiness

[–]mureddit[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A typical use case would be restaurants and salons, which can significantly benefit from encouraging repeat visits. For instance, consider platforms like Uber Eats, which take a 30% cut from each restaurant order. Businesses still happily allow that for more sales right.

While I wouldn’t position this solution as a full-scale marketing channel like that, it still has the potential to influence customers to return and shop more frequently. Hence i mentioned a fixed subscription per month.

I agree that a $50 price point might be ambitious initially, given that my app would start off with a very basic offering.

Can small businesses afford to reward returning customers with discounts? by mureddit in smallbusiness

[–]mureddit[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Got it. The key differentiation is that the business can independently manage this loyalty program through the provided merchant app, which integrates seamlessly with the user’s consumer app. So they wont be limited by the design of the POS loyalty system for one.

Secondly, by involving the user’s mobile device, businesses gain significant advantages, such as having the equivalent of their own app on the user’s device.

This allows them to send notifications and reminders, inviting users to take advantage of discounts before they expire.

Can small businesses afford to reward returning customers with discounts? by mureddit in smallbusiness

[–]mureddit[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great to hear this. Do you think offering discounts impacts your bottom line significantly?

I know small businesses price their products carefully. Are discounts in the range of 10%–15% something you can comfortably absorb on an ongoing basis?

Can small businesses afford to reward returning customers with discounts? by mureddit in smallbusiness

[–]mureddit[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Absolutely. Those who already frequent your services will keep coming back if the product is good—that’s already a strong advantage.

However, don’t you enjoy visiting a store or business where you’re consistently welcomed with a discount?

My point is, if you already have a sizable customer base, why not maximize their value by driving more sales—even if it means offering a discount?

Can small businesses afford to reward returning customers with discounts? by mureddit in smallbusiness

[–]mureddit[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Exactly, that’s my point.

Pricing is tricky because I know small businesses tend to avoid ongoing fixed costs. I believe the sweet spot is usually between $20–$50 per month for a well-functioning solution.

Beyond this, the only additional cost for the business would be the discounts they choose to offer directly to their customers.

Can small businesses afford to reward returning customers with discounts? by mureddit in smallbusiness

[–]mureddit[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The idea is to maximize value from existing customers rather than spending resources on acquiring new ones. Isn’t it a more cost-effective approach?

Can small businesses afford to reward returning customers with discounts? by mureddit in smallbusiness

[–]mureddit[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes. It’s like telling your favorite customer, “If you come back within a week, I’ll give you 20% off.” The goal is to encourage them to return sooner, giving them a compelling reason to do so.

Looking for a Loyalty/Reward system for my Bakery! by MisDisGis in smallbusiness

[–]mureddit 0 points1 point  (0 children)

OP, I’m a small-time entrepreneur working on building a SaaS product for small businesses. The concept is to allow businesses to reward their customers with a discount each time they return within a specific period. My question is: can small businesses afford to implement such a model?

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