Central Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 hospitality industry entertains and serves over 55 million visitors from throughout the globe each year in addition to its local residents. And due to the extraordinarily high volume of costomers, many restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and entertainment venues in the area can charge a premium rate for their services 麻豆精品 S� a cost that local college students often can 麻豆精品 S檛 afford.
麻豆精品 S淔or most college kids, spending two or three extra dollars is a huge deal, 麻豆精品 S� said Julien Meyer, a 20-year-old Hospitality Management and Event Management double major at the University of Central Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 Rosen College of Hospitality Management. 麻豆精品 S淎 couple bucks can really decide where we go to eat or hang out, so we 麻豆精品 S檙e always looking for some sort of deal. 麻豆精品 S�
Many college students download coupon apps to their smartphones or visit websites, like Groupon.com, to find savings on lunch, groceries, coffee, and other various daytime activities; however, there are very few, if any, companies that market nightlife discounts specifically to college students.
Meyer, a self-described life-long entrepreneur, realized this market gap and founded collegeTKTS 麻豆精品 S� a marketing firm that aims to connect UCF students with discounts to local concerts, eateries, special events, nightclubs and more.
麻豆精品 S淚 used to DJ at different bars around town and I would always invite my friends to hang out, but many of them could only afford to go out one night a week, 麻豆精品 S� Meyer said. 麻豆精品 S淪o I began talking to the managers I worked for to see if they could offer discounts to college students, and they loved the idea, but needed a medium. This was my 麻豆精品 S楢ha! 麻豆精品 S� moment. 麻豆精品 S�
With no other direct competition, Meyer launched collegeTKTS in August of 2012 and word quickly spread throughout the local hospitality industry.
麻豆精品 S淚 know it sounds clich茅, but my company grew faster than I ever expected, 麻豆精品 S� said Meyer. 麻豆精品 S淚 thought I wouldn 麻豆精品 S檛 have any revenue my first year and that most of my time would be spent cold calling businesses. 麻豆精品 S�
What Meyer underestimated was the power of networking.
麻豆精品 S淚 scheduled meetings with the managers I knew from DJ-ing and pitched my company to them, 麻豆精品 S� Meyer recalled. 麻豆精品 S淭hey loved the company and began telling their friends, who also owned restaurants and bars around town. Before I knew it, businesses were calling me for my services. 麻豆精品 S�
What collegeTKTS offers is simple, direct and effective. Through the company 麻豆精品 S檚 website, UCF students can register their .edu email address to receive a newsletter loaded with nightlife discounts from Meyer 麻豆精品 S檚 clients.
Within its first five months, more than 1,200 students subscribed to the company 麻豆精品 S檚 newsletter.
But despite Meyer 麻豆精品 S檚 success, the college junior was still looking for guidance to grow his business. Meyer ultimately found a mentor and business partner in Matt Ockwell, a UCF alumnus, 麻豆精品 S�10, who owned the bi-monthly coupon publication, CollegeStack.
麻豆精品 S淐ollegeStack is very well-known around UCF and has a similar business model to my company, 麻豆精品 S� said Meyer. 麻豆精品 S淚 reached out to their owner, Matt Ockwell, and he was happy to meet with me. We started talking about our goals and he asked me if I would be interested in purchasing his company. 麻豆精品 S�
After rounds of negotiation, the two struck a deal on Jan. 11, and Meyer now owns collegeTKTS and CollegeStack to become the coupon kingpin of UCF.
麻豆精品 S淐ollegeStack offers discounts to college students for lunch and other daytime activities, while collegeTKTS focuses on nightlife savings; so I have kind of cornered the market, 麻豆精品 S� Meyer explained.
With the acquisition complete, Meyer and his team now manage over 100 client accounts.
麻豆精品 S淚 want people to know that there is no formula for success, you just need to go out, experience things, and learn from those experiences, 麻豆精品 S� said Meyer. 麻豆精品 S淚 hope that my story motivates and encourages others to act on their business ideas and instincts. 麻豆精品 S�
Meyer 麻豆精品 S檚 story and entrepreneurial spirit was recently featured in Small Business Owner magazine, and will also soon be featured in Small Business Today Magazine.