System and method for financing promotional services

Abstract

Disclosed are systems, methods and computer program products for online marketing, scheduling and booking of service appointments as well as financing of promotional services. In one example, the system enables a service promoter and a service provider to execute a secured financing transaction pursuant to which a service promoter provides an agreed upon amount of monetary funds to a service provider in exchange for the right to promote to users a plurality of service offers from the service provider. The system then promotes service offers from the service provider and facilitates booking of service appointments for users with a service provider based on promoted service offers.

1 . A computer-implemented method for financing and promoting services, the method comprising:
 receiving by a device associated with a service promoter, a request from a device associated with a service provider, wherein the request is for an amount of funds from the service promoter in exchange for promoting one or more services of the service provider on a computer user interface;   analyzing booking records associated with the service provider via a processor, wherein the booking records include service appointments booked for one or more services and a price paid for one or more services;   determining based on the analysis of the booking records, a booking volume forecast of service offers and an amount of funds to be provided by the service promoter to the service provider, via the processor; and   executing via the processor a financing transaction between the service promoter and the service provider wherein the determined amount of funds is transmitted by the service promoter to the service provider in exchange for promoting service offers for one or more services on a computer user interface.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of analyzing comprises analyzing booking records associated with a different service provider and wherein the step of determining comprises determining based on the analysis of the different service provider's booking records, the booking volume forecast of service offers and the amount of funds to be provided by the service promoter to the service provider. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determined booking volume forecast is further based on a calendar selection by the service promoter. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the determined booking volume forecast is further based on a calendar selection by the service promoter. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of analyzing comprises analyzing an inventory of services of the service provider, and wherein the step of determining comprises determining based on the analysis of the inventory an amount of funds to be provided by the service promoter to the service provider and a range of services of the service provider to be financed by the service promoter. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the booking records include a number of service appointments historically booked by users for services of the service provider and prices paid by users for the services. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the financing transaction is a secured transaction. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the financing transaction is a collateral-secured loan. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of executing the financing transaction comprises providing to the service promoter exclusivity for promoting a percentage of total inventory of the service of the service provider. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 determining via the processor and based on the analysis of the booking records, a quantity of unused hours of one or more services; and   determining the booking volume forecast based on the quantity of unused hours.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 promoting at least one of the service offers to the user interface;   receiving an indication of acceptance of the promoted service offer from a computer user interface; and   transmitting via the processor to the service provider the received indication of acceptance or issuing through a computer user interface an electronic promotional certificate for the service.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of promoting the at least one service offer includes promoting the service offer via an online advertising marketplace accessible via a network 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more services are selected from the group consisting of salon, spa, barber and fitness services. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the salon services comprise hair services, body waxing services and eyebrow services, wherein the spa services comprise nail services, skin services and massage services, wherein the barber services comprise men's hair services and shaving services, and wherein the fitness services comprise personal training services, instructed class services and club membership services. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 determining via the processor a cost of each service offer based on the determined forecast of service offers and the determined amount of funds, wherein the cost of each service offer is less than a standard price of the service; and   promoting the service offers to a computer user interface at a discount price.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the step of:
 determining the discount price via the processor based on one or more rules set by the service provider, wherein the rules are adapted to vary the discount price based on one or more parameters selected from the group consisting of a time schedule, an initial discount amount, a practitioner and user behavioral data.   
     
     
         17 . A computer-implemented system for financing and promoting services, the system comprising:
 a device associated with a service promoter and a device associated with a service provider,
 wherein the device associated with the service promoter is configured to receive a request from the device associated with the service provider, and 
 wherein the request is for an amount of funds from the service promoter in exchange for promoting one or more services to a computer user interface of the service provider; and 
   a computer configured to:
 analyze booking records associated with the service provider, wherein the booking records include service appointments booked for one or more services and a price paid for one or more services; 
 determine based on the analysis of the booking records, a booking volume forecast of service offers and an amount of funds to be provided by the service promoter to the service provider; and 
 execute a financing transaction between the service promoter and the service provider wherein the determined amount of funds is transmitted by the service promoter to the service provider in exchange for promoting service offers for one or more services on a computer user interface. 
   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , the processor is further configured to:
 analyze booking records associated with a different service provider; and   determine based on the analysis of the different service provider's booking records, the booking volume forecast of service offers and the amount of funds to be provided by the service promoter to the service provider.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the determined booking volume forecast is further based on a calendar selection by the service promoter. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the determined booking volume forecast is further based on a calendar selection by the service promoter. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the financing transaction is a secured transaction. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the financing transaction is a collateral secured loan. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 determine based on the analysis of the booking records, a quantity of unused hours of one or more services; and   determine the booking volume forecast based on the quantity of unused hours.   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 promote at least one of the service offers to the user interface;   receive an indication of acceptance of the promoted service offer from a computer user interface; and   transmit to the service provider the received indication of acceptance or issuing through the computer user interface an electronic promotional certificate for the service.   
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 determine a cost of each service offer based on the determined forecast of service offers and the determined amount of funds, wherein the cost of each service offer is less than a standard price of the service; and   promote the service offers to the user interface at a discount price.   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 determine the discount price based on one or more rules set by the service provider, wherein the rules are adapted to vary the discount price based on one or more parameters selected from the group consisting of a time schedule, an initial discount amount, a practitioner and user behavioral data.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more services are selected from the group consisting of salon, spa, barber and fitness services. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the salon services comprise hair services, body waxing services and eyebrow services, wherein the spa services comprise nail services, skin services and massage services, wherein the barber services comprise men's hair services and shaving services, and wherein the fitness services comprise personal training services, instructed class services and club membership services.