Digital Discounts FingerTips cuts out paper clutter, takes coupon savings from computer to local businesses by Rebecca Riddle   Jeffrey Weinberg believes he has had many good ideas over the years. But he feels he has missed a number of commercial opportunities by not acting on those ideas. So when he had a brainstorm to place coupons on floppy disk, to spare the coupon user the clutter associated with standard newspaper coupon packets, he made sure the innovation would not get away. "I said to myself, `I'm gonna do this one. I'm gonna make this one happen,' " he said. Mr. Weinberg, 39, created FingerTips digital coupons -- floppy disks that contain coupons from local merchants. The coupons are, for the most part, aimed at small, locally owned businesses and cost advertisers $350 per advertisement. Every six months he produces a new disk. He gives each advertiser 50 to 100 disks to distribute to their customers. Consumers can print the coupons from their home computers as needed and can use them as often as desired, though some carry expiration dates. Mr. Weinberg stresses to merchants the importance of properly limiting the coupons, as they are reusable. Mr. Weinberg includes the advertisements and coupons on his Web page for no additional charge. The Pittsburgh native began his coupon venture four years ago while living on the West Coast in Camarillo, Calif. He had grown weary of searching through stacks of paper in search of coupons -- coupons he said he needed to help make ends meet. He considered them a bit of a necessary evil. "Since I don't earn that much working, I have to earn saving," he said. Mr. Weinberg was paying his bills through a variety of jobs. He said taking orders was never something he found rewarding, so job hopping became a bit of a profession unto itself. "I change my career at least once a year," he said. Economically, this left him dealing with coupons and the accompanying clutter. He began scanning coupons into his computer and printing them for personal use, but quickly found that stores would not accept copies. He then took matters into his own hands, visiting his favorite stores and pitching the idea of customized ads and coupons on disk. He said he gained 100 clients in two years. As the business grew, he hired a friend to design a program that would allow 30 full-color graphic ads to fit on two diskettes. Though he has not patented the disk coupon idea, he did patent the program. He returned to Pittsburgh in 1997 and fired up his coupon business last March. He runs it from his West Deer home while working as a salesman at A Direct Maytag in Monroeville, a business that advertises with FingerTips. He markets FingerTips coupons via phone, mail and use of the Small Business Network, a group of North Hills business owners. For additional advertising, his car is emblazoned with "FingerTips," his phone number and address. He also counts on consumers sharing the disks to boost distribution. The coupons can be downloaded and the disks passed on. "I'm sorta like the Grateful Dead of software," said Mr. Weinberg. "I want people to copy the program." He admits traditional coupons present formidable competition and there are a growing number of electronic sources. But he banks on being able to customize his offering to serve the local market. "The way that I beat them all and have a category all to myself is that I focus on regions while everyone else wants to conquer the world." Chef Rich Ferrone of Senator's Restaurant in Point Breeze, a FingerTips advertiser, said consumer response has been good. About 15 customers a month pick up the disks at Senator's and use the coupons offering meal discounts. Mr. Ferrone said it is difficult to measure the coupons against other, more traditional advertising. Dirty Harry's Bicycles in Verona is another of Mr. Weinberg's customers. The bike shop offers customers a bonus with a bicycle purchase. Owner Barry Jeffries said the response has been so-so, but he likes the idea. "I like the networking between the different stores," he said. "It's a new alternative to advertising." But he is not certain whether he will continue to use it. Mr. Weinberg says his venture is profitable. He is working on some advances to allow more interaction between consumers and advertisers and he hopes to implement them in the next six months. He operates another home business, At Your FingerTips, designing brochures and business cards on disk. In addition, Mr. Weinberg designs Web pages. While he has been dissatisfied in the past working for others, being his own boss also has its drawbacks. He and his wife, Deborah, who helps with distribution, packaging and design, are looking for a few good sales reps. "I don't like selling anymore," he said. "I'm an idea guy."   MS. RIDDLE, Business Times intern, may be contacted at rriddle@amcity.com.