TUN, The University Network, has been advertising the deals of college-area businesses for 10 years, and it launched its website, TUN.com, in 2010.
"Our goal is to help students save money every time they open their wallets," said Peter Corrigan, TUN's CEO.
TUN attempts to accomplish this goal through its website.
TUN.com displays local businesses on an interactive map and advertising the discounts that they offer to students via its website, which was launched in 2010.
The site also lets users search for local businesses by name and sort businesses by type.
TUN recently created an application for iPhone and Android smartphones called TUNdeals that makes the company's bargain hunting services portable.
"Nowadays, technology is in our hands," said Helen Trieu, public relations intern.
Both TUN and TUNdeal are free to use, and Trieu said that the majority of the company's income comes from the companies that it promotes.
TUN promotes deals for more than 12,500 businesses around more than 600 universities across the country including almost 40 local businesses.
"In general we try to include as many universities as we can," Trieu said. "It's still a growing business."
Trieu said that TUN is also beneficial to the companies that it promotes, not just the students that receive discounts.
She said that it offers an opportunity to increase business and potentially develop a loyal customer.
Only businesses that offer student discounts are represented on the website, and TUN often works with the company to create or increase the discounts offered.
Businesses that TUN promotes are primarily selected based on proximity to universities and willingness to offer discounts to students.
Trieu said that the company encourages businesses to increase the discount offered to students, although TUN simply promotes discounts it does not create them.
Savings created by TUN are also maximized by the possibility of repeated use of the discounts.
Trieu said that unlike websites like Groupon or physical coupons the sales advertised by TUN can be used multiple times.
"We look up businesses around college campuses and reach out to them," Trieu said.
Trieu said that the company also uses feedback from students to decide what types of businesses TUN should promote.
"Students can request the sort of businesses they like," Trieu said.
Trieu said that if students voiced the opinion that they wanted to see more discounts on gyms, for example, then TUN would attempt to advertise more deals on gym membership.
One of the local businesses represented is Adventure Sports.
"I think people know about the student discount," said Wade Lloyd, manager. "I think word of mouth is primarily how it gets out."
The goal of TUN is to let many more people know about discounts like this one.
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