This is sort of interesting, but a very tight niche. I think I would find this more useful as a set of either birthday or party or restaurants features. So, as an extra section on a review site, or one of many tools on a plan-my-party site. Otherwise, people only have a reason to visit the site a couple times a year. I'm not sure you can build enough traffic to support the site with just a Birthday Deal list, but I could be wrong.

I like this niche... for one you have an audience that WANTS to go some place so advertisers might drool at that.

Might be paired with some other birthday centric features (birthday reminders sent to you about friends and family, birthday wish lists...)

This is cool. I would use the service. Good add-on selling potential and it could be social (allow users to upload photos of the experience for friends to see). Charge the restaurant a small fee to distribute coupons to the site users throughout the year to keep them coming back. It’s a good start.

J

Sounds neat, but that it'll take a lot of marketing and negotiating with businesses. You get the right people, and it'll be an enjoyable time. Perhaps you should start with one metro area and then once there's decent coverage, begin on another. How does the business make money, though? Will the businesses pay to advertise? Subscription fees? Outside Ads?

Has great potential although indeed a small niche. I'm not sure if it will make a lot of money though..

Not bad idea. As far as I can remember, there is always the uncertainty in the air about places to go or what to do for bdays. I believe this could be an added on service within a party planning services. Have you though about the economics and cashflows of such venture?

It would be interesting seeing establishments competing for the business. About two weeks ago, I received 20 tickets for a comedy show out of the blue. My point being that I believe restaurants, bars, clubs are willing to give something in exchange for a group of people.

I think money would have to come from restaurants/establishments rather than from those looking for a place to go, otherwise nobody will use the service. Perhaps it could work on a commission basis? Not sure how you'd know when someone HAD gone on a recommendation from you though...

Its going to need more then just that. Unless you just want a general list of places. I don't think this will be easy or efficient to do otherwise.

Hmmmm. Who is waiting for just the easy and efficient solution out of the box? A little creativity and enthusiasm easily dilutes commentary suggesting EASY should represent the baseline of a project (and most people using this forum are technical enough to understand the commitment issue). Stand to the side and let the “doers” make a mark on the world.

No, not easy but efficiency is a product of established process. I think the income potential comes from added services for the business owner. The most obvious being email and coupon marketing campaigns and direct site advertising (are their a hundred others?). Vanhees brings up a good point with the niche market issue �" in this case it is a plus not a negative. The market is targeted, the demographics are favorable, and the economy of scale means price points can reflect the small business nature of the proprietors. Independent sales people (summer break students) can sign up businesses on a commission basis in targeted metros. This project properly implemented could be very lucrative… and remember the market is broad �" plenty of baby-boomers are looking for ways to stay busy and they are adopters of technology.

Stretch: mash it with the Google Maps API for a customized bar crawl itinerary!

This is a winner.

Sounds like a good add-on service for party planning services / sites, which would mean B2B marketing on your end.

I like the focus of the idea. I've attended past parties where the attendees all chipped in for a few hour party on a boat for the honoree. It was fun, and facilitating a process like that in addition the some of the already mentioned aspects of it seem promising.

I agree with stevesitv that this sounds like an add-on service. I currently use online reservation booking for restaurants in my city, I don't see why they wouldn't also have options for booking parties.

There are lots of club and party scene sites out there, they usually suck. How are you going to make something that lists venues but doesn't suck? That is useful, and easy to use, that is driven by member reviews and votes?

Good Idea, however there are sites like Metromix and City Search that rate bars/clubs and describe the scene.

Perhaps you could partner up with and promote all the venues in an area that offer free party rooms (I know there are a ton in Chicago) and you get a commission on the number of parties (or amount spent by a party) based on bookings through your website.

Okay. Open it to the filthy rich -- a good source for entrepenurial exploit -- and offer the same service for exotic islands, places, settings. Offer travel links. Lots of ad sales here.

not bad..