Does your salon offer coupons and deals, but just can’t seem to get people in when you really need them? Many salons and other businesses struggle with the same issue, but thanks to sites like Groupon and LivingSocial all that could change.

The information age has changed the way many of us do traditional things, such as keeping in touch with family and friends, reading and even shopping. Sites like Groupon and LivingSocial offer great daily deal coupons to local events to help draw in business. The problem for small business owners is that they have no control over when these coupons are redeemed. Most consumers will use the coupon when they make time, or they may forget they even have the coupon as these deals can last days or even months.

LivingSocial has changed that by offering instant coupons with short time limits through LivingSocial Instant, similar to Groupon’s instant coupon deals called Groupon Now. Because of the short time span allowed to use the coupon, small businesses are given control over when the coupons can be used. An article on PCWorld believes that, “the instant deal is the future of mass coupons.”

What does this mean for you? It’s a chance to bring in business when you need it. If the slow time at the salon is between 12pm and 3pm, the instant coupon could be for $15 off tanning packages if used between those hours, or half-off a specific lotion purchase for one hour. “This is because those instant deals are or will be served to users in the immediate vicinity of the business, where they probably live, work or play, and where they’re more likely to return,” reports PCWorld.

Instant couponing puts control in the business owner’s hands. And with so many consumers using smart phones, coupons can be scanned directly from the phone, making instant couponing the perfect option for consumers wanted to stay green.

To read the entire PCWorld article, click here.