Making Money Helping Others Save

Whitney Zimet’s friends joked that she was a “maven.” Whenever they needed to know about the local deals before shopping, they would give her a call. After a while, so many people reached out to her that she decided to put it all in one place. According to South Florida Parenting, that place is a website called I am the Maven.

In 2008 she founded I Am the Maven, a marketing company that promotes businesses, primarily in the south Miami-Dade area, to South Florida moms and dads.

The Coral Gables mom of Ava, 8, and Henry, 4, works from home managing her website, which offers coupons, contests and giveaways. Twice a year she distributes her signature black-and-pink coupon-stocked maven bags to Miami-Dade schools. Zimet also emails a weekly newsletter to almost 7,000 subscribers.

With a background in corporate marketing for Redken in New York City, Zimet said she wanted to start a home-based business that would combine her strengths. Coming up with a name was the easy part.

“A maven is a go-to girl, someone who always has the best recommendations and the compulsion to share it,” she said.

Start-up costs totaled about $10,000 for her initial website design in 2008, then a redesign in 2010 that added contests, promotions and videos.

Her first distribution of maven bags, which included a die-cut sheet of 10 coupons, went to 1,000 recipients in six schools. Since then, more than 30,000 bags have been distributed. Zimet now gives out bags twice a year in March and September.

The core of her business is the “maven-approved” companies that receive her stamp of approval. Though local businesses pay her a promotional fee, Zimet said she is extremely picky about whom she promotes.

Is there a need for a “maven” in your community?

Screenshot from I am the Maven

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