Chamber to offer online discount program

Move over Groupon and Living Social: The Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce is getting into the email discount-coupon business.

The chamber has signed up with Try It Local, a Louisville, Ky.,-based online service that works with chambers of commerce around the country to offer discount programs.

“It’s a way of promoting our local businesses to each other and to our community,” said chamber spokeswoman Polly Welden.

Try It Local, which will begin locally in a few weeks, is similar to other discount programs, Welden said. A Springs-area business that wants to advertise or promote itself by offering a product or service discount — a restaurant offering $20 worth of food for $10, for example — can sign up with Try It Local. Consumers and businesses, in turn, can sign up with Try It Local to receive those discount offers via email; the offers will come out when they’re available and not necessarily on a daily basis, Welden said.

The chamber will promote the program for area businesses via email, on its website and in its member reports, but won’t send out the discount offers, Welden said.

There is no upfront cost for businesses to feature their products or services with Try It Local; like other discount programs, Try It Local keeps a percentage of the sale. But, with Try It Local, participating businesses keep a bigger share of the sale revenue than with other programs, Welden said.

“They’re a little more affordable, they give you more of your money back,” she said of Try It Local.

The program is now in 75 cities, according to the company.

Businesses that want to be featured on Try It Local can call 1-800-715-4445 or go to TryItLocal.com/ColoradoSprings and click on “feature your business.” Businesses or consumers who want to sign up to receive offers also can register on the website.

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Contact Rich Laden: 636-0228

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