When Angel and Nik Rowell moved to Salida last winter they say they immediately felt at home. It was in the spirit of community that the couple decided this spring to launch Discovery Pass: a digital savings pack meant to promote Chaffee County local businesses.
“This small town, the community, and the support that you get in this county is second to none,” said Angel Rowell.
Angel and Nik Rowell moved to Salida after leaving corporate jobs in Minnesota. (Photo Courtesy of the Rowell family)
With offerings from nearly 50 local businesses and restaurants, the Discovery Pass they have developed boasts a savings package worth around $1,000 per year.
“We asked, how can we drive more support to local businesses,” said Rowell. “What impact can we have in this community that we love so much?”
The couple says that businesses can join for the Discovery Pass for free, and then provide a dollar-based offer for consumers, making the Discover Pass offerings available as digital coupons. The pass is divided into two distinct seasons, summer (May through October) and winter (November through April).
For consumers, the cost of the pass is only $25 per season or a total for $50 per year for consumers purchase of both summer and winter passes. With more than $1,000 in savings available, the Rowell’s say it’s a no-brainer.
“There are 55 offers, with some businesses having more than one offer,” explained Rowell. “The pass is pushing $600 in value (per season). Typically, the pass pays for itself in just a couple of uses.”
Rowell said that with her marketing background and her husband’s expertise in web development and design, created the Discovery Pass platform in a matter of months.
As a website-based system, Discovery Pass can be accessed via smartphone to quickly access a collection of what she calls “Can’t-be-beat deals and savings.”
“People want to be here. They want to come to visit frequently,” said Rowell. “[With Discovery Pass], you are incentivizing someone to come in, and maybe making a customer-for-life.”
Participating businesses include Monumental Expeditions, BV E-Bikes, Vino Salida, Amicas, Corvus Escape Room, Moonlight Pizza, The Lariat and The Deerhammer. While the pass includes primarily businesses are in Salida and Buena Vista at the moment, Rowell says it can be used by any interested businesses throughout Chaffee County.
Rowell said they are looking into expanding to Fairplay, Leadville and other nearby towns in neighboring counties. She added that there are no stipulations on businesses who wish to participate, barring a minor qualifier for offer submissions.
“I ask that it’s a dollar-based offer right now,” said Rowell. “That helps us put a value on the pass. Consumers think in terms of dollars, not percentages. They have dollars in their pockets. They don’t have percentages.”
With the prevalence of travel-based agencies like Yelp and TripAdvisor, Rowell says the Discovery Pass offers an additional option for local entrepreneurs who want to support another local entity.
“Keeping money in the community is important, instead of going through some [out-of-county corporation],” said Rowell. “When you support a local business, you are putting dollars back into that family so they can go on vacation or send their child to camp.”
Angel and Nik Rowell say they are so committed to the community that they have pledged a portion of proceeds through Discovery Pass to a local non-profit.
“One thing that is really important [to us] is giving back to the community,” said Angel Rowell. “A portion of our proceeds, which is still undefined, will go toward a [as-yet-undetermined] Chaffee County nonprofit. We want this to be a joint effort.”
In small communities, we grow by helping each other out. We all succeed when one from the community succeeds,” said Rowell, with a smile. “A rising tide lifts all boats.”
Businesses interested in participating in Discovery Pass can email Angel at info@discoverypass.co. Those interested in purchasing a Discovery Pass can navigate to its website.
EDITOR’S NOTE: discoverypass.co is not a typo. The domain is .co (as in Colorado), not .com.
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