Ground Floor: Coupon redemption leads to new Cedar Rapids, Marion business

Diana Boyce got hooked on couponing after seeing her total due at a local drugstore go from $88 to $12 through some strategic coupon redemption.

The savvy shopper is offering her services to the public through her new business, The Perfect Price.

'I use my couponing abilities to my customers' advantage to lower their out-of-pocket costs,” she said.

In March 2013, Boyce quit her full-time job to pursue an associate degree in Business Management at Kirkwood Community College. To help her family make ends meet, she started clipping coupons out of newspapers and looking for printable coupons online.

Boyce soon became so proficient in finding big savings on everyday items that her friends wanted in on the deals.

'A friend asked me to teach her how to coupon, but she had a hard time with it,” Boyce said. 'She didn't have the time or patience for it, so she asked if I could do it for her.”

The business-minded student saw a perfect opportunity to make some money in addition to saving it. Boyce began marketing her services to others in February while continuing to pursue her degree.

Boyce initially meets with her clients to understand their household needs and buying habits. She then looks for deals on the things they use regularly and purchases those items at discounts that generally range from 30 percent to 100 percent for name-brand products.

Boyce will purchase anything from cleaning supplies to toiletries to non-perishable food items and pet food.

Clients pay a fee equal to 35 percent of the savings plus the cost of gas, and Boyce delivers the purchases to their homes in the Cedar Rapids and Marion area.

'Couponing takes a lot of time, from finding the coupons to cutting and organizing them,” Boyce noted. 'What I do really benefits people who are working full time. I guarantee to save them time and money.”

Boyce, who has connected with other couponers through online communities, has not come across another business like hers. She aspires to expand into a storefront location and add employees to do the shopping while she manages the client relationships and locates the deals.

Boyce also is considering holding classes and workshops to teach others how to shop strategically.

'Know a manager or company in business for less than a year that would be ideal for 'Ground Floor”? Contact George Ford at George.Ford@sourcemedia.net

At a glance

'Owner

: Diana Boyce

'Business

: The Perfect Price

'Email

: theperfectprice@outlook.com

'Phone

: (319) 491-1899

'Facebook

: www.facebook.com/theperfectpriceia