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July 6, 2010 by Angela Shupe | 1 Comment

Jamie Ratner was looking for the perfect wedding dress. Determined to find a good deal she was not deterred when she saw all the hefty price tags stuck to each Vera Wang dress. That was until she managed to find one at 90% off reports Gazette.net.

After her wedding, she sold the dress for a profit. For the past four years she has maintained a blog that would zero in on good deals for young families in the Bethesda area or online.

Ratner is determined to bring her nose for good deals to a broader audience as she launches Certifikid, a website that will resemble online group discount services such as LivingSocial and Groupon, but with a narrower focus.

The site launched May 24. Ratner said there were eight discount purchases on its first day, and about 1,200 subscribers had signed up for Certifikid within a day of its launch.

Certifikid will try to carve out a niche market by finding and advertising group discounts for families with young children. The discounts will run five days a week and will be for businesses ranging from family photographers and child-friendly restaurants to play gyms, family entertainment, children’s haircuts and birthday party packages. The site is also meant to appeal to child care providers, expectant parents and grandparents.

Certifikid has reached enough deals with businesses in the Washington, D.C., metro area to cover two months’ worth of discounts, Ratner said.