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BizConnections.coop Brings Big Value to Local Businesses
As the country struggles amid a tough economy and a weak job market, Touchstone Energy continues its mission to help co-ops connect with their members on pocketbook issues. The latest money-saving initiative from the brand—BizConnections.coop— delivers exclusive savings and promotional opportunities to co-op-served businesses.
BizConnections.coop is an online portal to business-to-business (B2B) discounts. The site connects co-op business customers to valuable savings on everyday services and allows those businesses the chance to gain national exposure by offering their own discount through the site.
Access to the site is free as part of Touchstone Energy co-ops' annual investment in the brand. Co-ops can develop customized sites by adding B2B discounts offered by businesses in their communities to an extensive roster of pre-existing discounts at more than 75 nationwide retailers like ARAMARK, Hertz rental cars, Best Western hotels and Office Max. BizConnections.coop automatically adds local deals to the national discount roster.
The program builds on a partnership between the brand and BizUnite, a marketplace for B2B discounts. Megan Abad, marketing coordinator for the company, says the national discounts have been "designed to save money for any type of small business in any industry, focusing on reducing the everyday costs of doing business." Abad adds that the discounts have been aggressively negotiated to secure the lowest possible rates.
Russ Carothers, a member of the brand's Business Development Advisory Committee, gives a strong endorsement to the program. "Who wouldn't want to take advantage of this site? BizConnections.coop will offer our local businesses the chance to save on things they're already purchasing as part of their day-today operations. It's also an opportunity for local businesses that want to offer an exclusive deal to other businesses."
Jim Bausell, COO of Touchstone Energy Cooperatives, says the program is all about co-op communities.
"The goal of BizConnections.coop is for co-ops to not only help strengthen businesses in their communities, but also to support the economic foundation of the community as a whole."
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