Local business builder Dan DeKorne, 27, was born to be a businessman. Growing up working with his family-owned
DeKorne Furniture Company, DeKorne's natural entrepreneurialism led him to branch out on his own from an early age. Moving beyond personal ambition, DeKorne has since fashioned himself as a revitalizing force, helping to rejuvenate several companies.
"I was always the kid that had the lemonade stand," DeKorne says.
His first solo venture began as a teenager with Dan's Detail, a car cleaning business, but DeKorne's initial success kicked off when he moved beyond the family business. "My dad sets me down one day and says, 'the worst thing that can possibly happen is if you work for me and don't enjoy it,'" he says.
DeKorne promptly informed his father that he wanted to start his own lawn care company. "I really love being outside. I like changing and doing something. I thought the next best thing to (simply) being outside was to mow lawns," DeKorne says.
Stubbornness became success. "My dad suggested I work through another (lawn care) company first but, I said 'no, I want to do it myself,'" DeKorne recalls. "I worked through high school and Calvin College (majoring in business and communications, with a minor in Spanish) and my brother Jeff worked alongside me. That's kind of where I started getting the reward for what you can do by yourself."
Grand River Lawncare grew to 120 lawns a week and won a contract with all the Grand Rapids Christian Schools, and the company is still thriving today.
After college, DeKorne was interested in buying another company. He befriended a business broker and presented him with a list of criteria which led him to purchase
Renu Services which specializes in ink, toner and the remanufacturing of cartridges among other services.
Then the web-based discount company,
Hop In Deals, came along. "About four to five months ago, (my broker) came to me and had some stuff for me. I said, 'I can't do any more,' but, he said 'you've got to check this out,'" DeKorne says.
In the summer of 2010, Cindy Curtis "started the idea of Hop In Deals," says DeKorne. Hop In Deals partners with local companies to offer online subscribers daily coupons featuring deep discounts on everything from pizza dinners and family photo shoots to spa treatments. By purchasing coupons online, consumers can score savings of 50% and higher on varies goods and services.
Curtis worked with "a local website host and creator. It crashed and the website fell apart. There were a lot of issues and she had to shut down the site. She went to a broker to get rid of it or find an investing partner," DeKorne says.
After considering the proposal, "I said all right, I know how to do a website, work the Internet and with my connections and involvement in the community, I can make this work," DeKorne says. "I took over most of the responsibility of Hop In Deals, with Cindy as a small partner."
Thus began a partnership between Curtis and DeKorne, but more importantly between Hop In Deals and local businesses and charities. The new and improved Hop in Deals had a re-launch party at the DeVos Place and "started off a new thing here in the community," says DeKorne.
But, in the interim leading up to DeKorne's involvement, "Hop In was down, Groupon came into town and Living Social came into town and suddenly this little local business has competition," DeKorne says.
Groupon and Living Social are highly visible international companies created on the same business model as Hop In Deals. Consumers log in, purchase coupons featured in their region and in turn, use the printed vouchers as gift certificates at local shops and national chains.
Despite this competition, DeKorne believes that "the niche we work in will ultimately lead to our success." Unlike other, similar companies that have a worldwide presence, "we are able to strategically partner with local groups and give back," DeKorne says.
The hyperlocal Hop In Deals is currently focused on three regions: Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and the Lakeshore.
"We are an official partner in the chamber of commerce. That's something that we have that a large company, national-sized, cannot do," DeKorne says. "We are partners with Local First and we also do stuff with JQ99 radio station."
"We do a different charity every month," DeKorne adds, including "Kids Food Basket, Gilda's Club, Mel Trotter," along with others. "A percentage of our profits we take in, we (donate)."
A firm believer in local spending, DeKorne asserts that "when you spend money locally, twenty five percent stays in the community. That money that stays here gets re-circulated." DeKorne sees Hop In Deals as a partnership between themselves and the local companies they feature. "We actually work together. It's a win-win -- they promote us and we promote them."
Considering the economic slump Michiganders have been mired in, "It's really what will help drive commerce these days," DeKorne says. "There is a new wave of social buying and it really shows that we can make an influence if we try and offer our platform to other cities in Michigan."
When placed next to Groupon and Living Social, Hop In Deals is notable because of the local edge. "We are a Michigan-based company. I was born and raised in Michigan, and everyone is aware of troubles. We want to…primarily focus and stay in our roots and we know our markets best in Michigan," DeKorne says. For example, "The Civic Theater has been hounded by Groupon and Living Social and the Civic actually called us, and said 'you are the local deal site.'"
DeKorne emphasized that most importantly Hop In Deals has the "hometown feel. We are the little hardware store on the corner dealing with the Walmarts in the world."
Audria Larsen, writer for REVUE Magazine, is the founder of Audacious Hoops hula hoop company, heads the Atomic Hoop Troupe, performs with Super Happy Funtime Burlesque, is headmistress of Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School Grand Rapids, produces Shimmy Shack Burlesque and is an occasional model.