Hey — It's Nico.

This is edition #4 of 💡 Startup Ideas, a weekly newsletter where I research business ideas and share my findings in 20-minute reports.

As every week, this free issue contains just the overview of the ideas. If you’re interested in getting the full report (4,609 words), subscribe to Startup Ideas Pro for $9/mo.

Today’s ideas are:

• An active participation Shopify plugin.
• A referral program SaaS focused on local businesses.

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💡 Idea #1: Active Participation Shopify Plugin

Buying in an eCommerce is different than buying in a retail store mainly for one reason: there’s no sales rep.

Sales reps personalize buyers' shopping experience by taking into account what the buyer says and the questions it has. Sales reps can show buyers products that fit their mentioned problems and can answer the specific questions they might have.

The idea I bring today aims to take this personalization aspect of retail stores into eCommerce through what’s called “active participation”.

In a world where attention is scarce, personalization becomes important, as it offers a way for businesses to cut through the online noise and create meaningful relationships with their customers.

Research shows that 80% of shoppers are more likely to buy from a company that offers personalized experiences and that personalization drives a 10%-15% revenue lift.

Active participation is one approach to personalization. Frictionless Commerce defines it as “an interactive and engaging approach that empowers users to actively shape their experience or involvement in a process. It enables users to make choices, provide input, or customize their interactions based on their preferences, needs, or interests.”

Today’s idea is a Shopify plugin designed to enhance user engagement and personalization in the eCommerce shopping experience. The plugin allows buyers to customize their journey by determining their interests and understanding level.

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💡 Idea #2: Referral Program SaaS for Local Stores

There’s a great specialty coffee shop in Barcelona that has a unique app that allows customers to collect points as they make purchases and refer friends.

I heard for the first time about the app from someone who shared with me his referring code, and over time, I’ve also been sharing my code with other friends.

I’ve formed part of plenty of referral programs from retail stores in the past, but what caught my attention the most from this one is that it was implemented by a small, local coffee shop rather than by a big chain (Starbucks, for example).

I tried to find which tool they used to create such an app and realized it had been custom developed. That’s how I came up with this business idea.

This idea is a SaaS allowing small to medium local businesses, like restaurants, coffee shops, and salons, to build their apps with points-based loyalty programs.

These apps aim to transform those loyal customers local stores may have into active advocates who promote the business on social media, write online reviews, and refer friends. This not only drives new customers to the business, but also retains the existing ones.

For every action a customer does (referring a friend, writing an online review, or making a purchase), it receives a certain amount of points which can then be redeemed for different rewards, like discounts, free products, merch, premium experiences, and more.

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• 🔎 Market Analysis
• ⚙️ Product
• 🆚 Competitors
• 💵 Pricing
• 📈 Customer Acquisition Channels
• 💭 Conclusion

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Cheers,

Nico