Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

We are a young start-up trying to figure out how we are going to make money! We have a good idea, but just need to be pushed in the right direction.  We launched CampusBooze.com in November of 2008.  It`s an online resource for college students helping them find the cheapest booze near their college town!  Let us know what you think and how you can help us grow!

http://www.campusbooze.com

Thank you!

since many/most college students are not of drinking age in many states, there may be some liability there.

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James Lindon, Ph.D. Patent Attorney
Lindon & Lindon, LLC
Cleveland, Ohio
Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, Pharmacy Law, Litigation
[this is not legal advice - provided for discussion only]
Intellectual Property for the Individual and Small Business: Identify, Protect, Enforce, Defend.
"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread."
http://www.LindonLaw.com

Assuming you`re covered on the legal issues, I`m thinking this reminds me a lot of coupon sites and other industry-specific advertising.

I did a test on the site and see a place called Albertson`s and a Costco. You could grow this business by approaching the retailers and letting them know that you`re advertising for them. Then they might be willing to give you permission to build an online coupon.

When printed out and presented, the store would offer a 10% discount or something. You could get a premium for coupons coming from your site.

There are other ways, the main point being that the business model is similar to restaurants or food locations.

I go along with Patentandtrademark,

There have been many lawsuits filed recently against people who assisted minors with obtaining booze.  And, many college students are still under the legal drinking age.   

If you want to start a business, start one that will benefit students.  One such business is run by students to help students find jobs.  Another student run business provides laundry service for college students. 



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The older we get, the more excuses we make for not chasing after our dreams. But truth is, goals are attainable at any age.

Actually, we don`t sell alcohol to minors.  That is the stores responsibility and that of the purchasing individual as well.  If you have checked out the site, you`ll see that we only compare prices.  We show students where to get the best deals on booze.  Also, check out our section on alcohol awareness. 

This does benefit students!  It saves them money.  Students are going to drink either way - why let them waste money?

I`m going to go with CraigL.  I think that if you can show that your website is producing a healthy amount of traffic, and that their time will not be wasted in investing in your idea, I think that they would profit tremendously from endorsing you.  I would start by promoting your website, and getting some really good, consistent traffic going to your website, once you do that, you will have the leverage to approach these different chains and proposition them endorse you.  You`d probably be very surprised by your results.  With any web start-up, you are pretty much losing money until you get the proper and respectable traffic rolling into your website.

And regarding your possible prosecution or legal issues by "contributing to minors", I do not personally see how you would be liable, What I would personally do is have a lawyer draft a disclaimer for your website, or upon entering have the user enter their age, and hopefully this will absolve you of any possible litigation.

First off young people having the drive and the initiative to start a business is impressive and an online resource for college students sounds good. But this particular business model has a major flaw as I see it. Lets be real college students do not need a website to find the cheapest booze in town and they will still have their favourite places to hang out and spend their money even if its not the cheapest.

Do a facebook page and join every students page that you can.

I dont know much about that type of advertising but I imagine that if you friend request thousands of students from different schools the word would spread rather quickly. They also can sell you targeted adverting for fairly cheap from what I have heard. Pay per click style.

Once your site is properly promoted and getting the traffic that it should then approach companies whom also target college kids to advertise on your site. I would hire a advertising consultant or sales person at that point to do the selling for you.

Take this into consideration. New York City has a delivery service dedicated to delivery alcohol to households. Many times when you order the alcohol they ask you for identification information and they scan your information to make sure a legitimate ID is being used and then they review it again upon delivery. Issues? If something goes wrong, such as a death from alcohol abuse, some can scream CAMPUSBOOZE and not only shut you down but put you into jail

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That sounds great!Good idea!

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