Bartering business sells franchises for free?

QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA. OzoneCard Australia, an International excess capacity barter exchange, announced today that it would sell some of its regional franchise across Australia – without any cash changing hands. Under the programme, OzoneCard will allow existing business owners the ability to swap their spare products or capacity in return for a local OzoneCard business license - complete with training, resource materials and ongoing support.

“Let’s say you own a hotel but want to get into another business,” says Miriam Worsnop, CEO of OzoneCard. “We will now let you buy an OzoneCard franchise through simply giving us your extra, unsold rooms.”

A unique idea, OzoneCard lets business trade in their excess capacity for things they need.

By accepting payment in trade dollars instead of swapping directly a business can maximize their efficiency by increasing inventory turnover or billable hours and get things they would otherwise pay cash for in return. A sample of offerings includes: advertising time or space; office supplies; car rentals; printing; and even holidays away.

A firm believer in the barter concept OzoneCard CEO, Mrs Worsnop, engages in barter for virtually everything. She even regularly barters her own pedigree poodle puppies.

“I sell puppies on barter because business owners are much happier to trade their spare capacity for a puppy than hand over hard-earned cash,” says Mrs Worsnop. “The value I receive is still the same except that the transaction is much quicker than it would be with cash.”

OzoneCard expects its combination of leading-edge technology and local franchisee agents to bring in great rewards and says that the company differs from other barter exchanges because it does not charge monthly or annual fees, allows businesses to trade whenever they want and provides its members with direct access to all of its brokerage services through an online trading platform and a 24 hour telephone brokerage service.

“Using the OzoneCard automated phone and mobile telephone banking combined with internet trading busy entrepreneurs are able to participate in exchanges at any time of the day or night. Offline exchanges, on the other hand, are only open during business hours, and they usually require that business deal exclusively with brokers,” says Mrs Worsnop.

“Franchisees of the operation will be expected to develop the local member network through attending local business groups and chambers of commerce meetings and promote the OzoneCard concept. They are also expected to help facilitate by marketing members’ products through daily emails and weekly faxes, running local networking meetings and helping customers who are having difficulties trading.”

The company is advertising local area franchises from $25,000 and will consider any full barter deal for products or services which it can resell through its own network.

OzoneCard also recently announced its intention to float on the stock exchange later this year and, of course, its shares will also be available for sale on 100% barter for a limited time.

For more information contact miriam.worsnop@ozonecardaustralia.com or visit www.ozonecard.com.