The Hotcouponworld Story

hotcouponmama · 08-19-2007, 02:55:06 AM

Sometimes in life, you'll get the opportunity to be a part of something amazing. It could be the traditional things we normally think of when we think of special times in our lives - births, weddings, personal accomplishments.

But then there are chances to be involved in other things that are bigger than your own personal circle, and have a positive impact on others. For both myself and Heidi, Hotcouponworld has been one of those times where being involved with others in creating this site has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we've no regrets about how we came to be......

Five year ago, Heidi (who was Busybeemomof3 back in the day) and I met at Fatwallet, a deals site that, at the time, had a grocery coupon section. I can remember when she was as new to couponing as some of you might be now. But she asked a lot of questions, and like many others here, quickly learned how to get in the coupon game. I had personally been a couponer for nearly 10 years, although not nearly to the extent that I had become since having an online community in which to participate.

About a year or so into our time at Fatwallet, the site owner there opted to get rid of the grocery coupon section. The people we'd come to know and trade with were scattered between different sites when the grocery section closed in winter 2004. Two members from Fatwallet offered to create a new home for us, and Deal-a-gogo (DAGG) was born.

Heidi and I, with a handful of other Fatwallet refugees were brought on as moderators. In fact, several are here today in that capacity. The board existed for about a year and a half in which time, we saw a mix of members come and go, but held a pretty good core group. In May, 2006, the board owners opted to sell DAGG to a larger web-publishing company. Most of the mods and members were willing to hang in there, but I didn't have any interest in doing so.

One night, I called Heidi. We'd never spoken personally on the phone in all the time we'd been online. It was like talking to someone who you grew up with...a sister, or a friend...someone who you'd known forever. We recalled the same stories and laughed about funny things we'd seen happen over the past few years on the grocery sites where we'd been members.

It was in that conversation we thought we might have a shot of building our own site. We kicked around several ideas, but also talked about challenges and what issues might arise. One thing was clear....if we were going to own and operate a site, it would be "By couponers, For couponers" and that we would be active members who do exactly what our members do - chase deals and try to save as much as we can for our families.

We resolved to open Hotcouponworld. Heidi relayed a story about a time when her family had been struck by hard times. Her husband had been injured at work, she was pregnant with the twins, and she'd broken her foot. Things couldn't look much worse. And then she shared that it was a post I'd made in a thread at Fatwallet about stockpiling that made couponing click for her. Someone had asked about storing stockpile items and I had posted pictures there for folks to see how our shelves had been built...the first "stockpile pictures" that I think any of us had seen before online. The combination of the information and the visual helped her understand coupons and was a start of turning her into the super-saver she is today.

Her story cinched it...we would start the site, that it would be run professionally as a real business, and that we had a purpose in helping others. Mark (my husband and our technical support for the site) and I were committed to funding the site indefinitely.

The relationships we'd built with others over the past few years were too important for us to get scattered to the edges of the web. And the timing was perfect. I'd just quit a job I loved with a boss I hated, and hadn't decided what to do with myself. Hotcouponworld was a great outlet for my energy in the early creation stages.

We moved pretty quickly into action. We spent several long nights working on design, terms of service, and content arrangement. When we felt we were ready, we contacted the moderators we trusted most and invited them to see the new site. We asked if they would be a part of Hotcouponworld. All but two of the original DAGG mods came over to be with us here. They hopped in and quickly helped with design, content, and brought forth great ideas that we hadn't thought of previously.

In 10 days, we'd put together what was the beginning of the site you see now. Through the work of our admin team, and our wonderful, original super-mod team (Mama22Qts, MrsPinecone, NrPeace17, Pappys, and SBP) and a few helpful members who had backstage passes to check us out and give feedback, we were ready to open.

July 10th, 2006, we opened with 176 new members to the site - core members with whom we had been traders, info-swappers, and friends. For some, this was the third site we'd been on together. We made a promise it would be the last.

More than two years later, Hotcouponworld is a thriving community that welcomes new members no differently than if they had been with us five years ago when Heidi and I met at FW. The sheer volume of information, combined with our members and mods extraordinary talent to search out deals has made Hotcouponworld the best site online for deals discussion. Comments from our Anniversary Forums reaffirmed our decision to continue to build and grow Hotcouponworld into a site that is one-stop-shopping for information, coupons, and friendship.

When we read your stories that you share with each other, we are impressed by your shopping adventures, amazed by how you handle your struggles and accomplishments, and humbled that you choose to spend a part of your day with us. That we've created a site that helps bring people together, empowers our members, and encourages people to support one another....well, I can't speak for Heidi, but for me, it's been one of my proudest personal accomplishments.

And now you are apart of our story. Your participation, knowledge, and willingness to share with our community is what sets Hotcouponworld apart from every other deals discussion or couponing site on the web. We know you have a choice where you search for deals - that you've chosen Hotcouponworld speaks to our wonderful members and our amazing moderators and the caring atmosphere everyone has worked so hard to create.

Heidi and I thank you for being here and sharing your stories. We continue to learn from our members, and your insights help us personally save money as well.

Everything happens for a reason - and Hotcouponworld is the reason my path crossed with Heidi's five years ago.

happysoul · 07-10-2008, 09:38:57 PM

Thank you for your entreprenurial spirit and willingness to benefit others in the process.
I am very thankful I came across this site 10 mos ago.

timbectwo · 07-10-2008, 10:09:13 PM

Wow!!! That is amazing. It was certainly meant to be!!! Thanks for sharing the story - I'd been wondering about the origins here. HCW rocks!!!!!!!!!

lmncc2003 · 07-10-2008, 10:13:03 PM

Amazing, well-written story!

I am so glad you two thought of the idea, and I am glad it is becoming more and more of a success every day!

fairydustcrissy · 07-10-2008, 10:21:15 PM

Yiou know, I guess its been so long, but seeing it there in type, I remember teh FW forums, and how sad I was when they announced they were closing it. Then on to DAGG, which I believe was run by Lisa & Rick (?...I could be off in that, its been a while, lol). During that split, I tried out many of the outlets people were exporing, whether it was thier own site, or another established site. I was quick to register here, and within a week it was very clear to me. HCW was my new coupon home. I know I don't post nearly as much as I used to, but I'm always around :) Given the events that have taken place recently for me, there was no question about spreading the word to people. Hopefully it has garnered some new members, who after a little time & questions will be well on thier way to the savings many of us see already. Wow...this is a much longer post than I intended, but in closing....THANKS. HCM & Heidi, what you do is an amazing thing.

puakinikini · 07-10-2008, 10:25:00 PM

What a fantastic story - thanks for sharing it.

I had heard about this site from someone I traded with from another site - once I discovered it, I never went back to the other site. One thing that continually impresses me about HCW is how nice the people are here. Everyone is genuinely trying to help other people out. I hope it always stays that way. It is refreshing.

isis · 07-10-2008, 10:38:37 PM

Yes, I think that is what separates up from the other couponing boards. We truley help each other out. No matter how many times the same question is asked, someone jumps in to make the newbie feel welcome. Other places are quick to jump on ya...hey read the FAQ or just plain mean.

I was never a member of FW. I started off on MC and someone told me about another board, I registered, and made a post about an upcoming triples event at SavACenter. A member pmd me and after a few pms, come to find out we lived just blocks away!! She told me about DAGG and registered right away.
I was soo sad when all that stuff happened with the merger of DAGG and (I don't even remember the name of that other board LOL) I was like a lost puppy for a few days until someone pm'd me "hey, check out HCW, thats where everyones at!" I was soo happy. Pretty much everyone I remember on DAGG is here on HCW. It truely is like family and glad to be a part of this group.

Shadowchasy · 07-11-2008, 04:55:17 AM

It is truely an amazing story of not only how the greatest coupon site was born, but also how a friendship has grown.

I for one have not been a member of any other coupon site but this one.

I just want to say ...... Julie, Heidi and Mark...you guys are the GREATEST.....thank you for sharing your dreams, knowledge and friendship with us here at HCW.

hotcouponmama · 07-11-2008, 05:07:46 AM

Thanks everyone. What's been really amazing is that to this day, Heidi and I have never met. We do everything via chat, pm, email, and over the phone. It's a long time to go without having ever met the person you share a business with. She's really like a sister at this point to me, and the mods and members are like family. We love being part of the fun stuff like babies, new houses, and big savings at the store. But we're also glad to be here for the hard things, like deaths, illnesses, and financial hardships. That collectively we can solve people's problems, like with the Helping Hands forum, has really been an amazing experience for me. That the site helps so many is the best "job" I could have ever dreamed of. But that there are so many wonderful people to share my day with....it's part of what gets me going each day.

fitguru4life · 07-11-2008, 05:16:03 AM

I am so inspired by the three of you, the wisdom and will power to continue this everyday. I feel truly blessed to be able to have the guidance and help that each and everyone of you provide each and everyday! With this horrible economy my family of six would not survive without WONDERFUL, thoughtful and caring people like you guys.

Thank you for all you do,

Jenny