Australasian Mining Review

AUST R A L AS I A N M I N I N G R E V I E W / Issue 9 / www.miningreview.com.au 194 Finance & Trading PrOduCtS & ServICeS W The Bartercard model suits people that enjoy leading a team and have acquired the business skills throughout their career to run their own business. If working for yourself is something you're interested in and you want to secure and take charge of your future, contact Bartercard today on 1300 BARTER (227 837), email franchise.enquiries@au.bartercard.com and visit bartercard.com.au/franchising. TAKING CHARGE OF YOuR FuTuRE… Earning money whilst others sleep is not a foreign concept to most shift workers, however, how does a five day working week with a 24 hours a day 365-day a year revenue stream appeal? elcome to the franchising world! Franchising is one of the fastest growing sectors in business today. Compared to starting your own business, buying into an established franchising model has considerably less business risks. Franchising offers many more advantages including: • Being able to start a new business quickly • All the training is provided • The Franchisor provides a knowledge base as well as technical and managerial assistance • The Franchisor provides the advice and/or help in identifying suitable trading locations • The Franchisor is able to negotiate better rates of finance • Franchisees receives the benefit of national scale (if appropriate) advertising and promotional activities at low costs • The Franchisor offers the benefit of continuous research and development programs • There are clearly defined territories/regions of operation to protect from competition So which franchise model do you go for? There are many options from retail, hospitality and service models. Bartercard fits into the category of a service model. Within this franchise system you work with business people and you don't have to manage stock, work within retail hours or work on the weekends. Since its inception in 1991, the Bartercard franchise system has grown into a national and international operation. Now located in 7 countries and boasting 40 franchises offices within Australia and 72 around the world. Why become part of the Bartercard system? Bartercard is the global leader of the trade exchange industry, and is an internationally recognised brand. Bartercard is a member of the Franchising Council of Australia, and is a multi- award winning franchise model which operates in a diverse range of Australian and international locations. Linda Mills from Bartercard Sydney North bought her franchise in 2001 and says, "Bartercard provides a great platform of systems, training and opportunities. Being a franchisee is a great opportunity to help other business and I now have more flexibility for my family and it has improved our lifestyle ten-fold". How Bartercard works Bartercard works by connecting businesses and enabling them to exchange their products and services through a system of trade dollars as an alternative to cash. The traditional 'barter-trading' system of exchanging goods and services has been around since biblical times but Bartercard takes this one step further by allowing businesses the flexibility of barter-trading not just one on one but with thousands of businesses, locally or internationally. The most appealing aspects of becoming a Bartercard Franchisee is that it is a service model, so there is no stock taking and you have the opportunity to have multiple revenue streams. Franchisees are able to draw income from new membership fees and trading transaction fees including online transaction which can occur 24/7. Dominic Blewitt has been a Bartercard franchisee since 2001 and says, "Becoming a Bartercard Franchisee was the best decision I have ever made. I now have a business that is growing, a lifestyle I have dreamed of and a fantastic team of people to work with". I've been provided with the opportunity to take control of my future, I enjoy financial growth, stability and a variety of work. One day is never the same and I gain a lot of satisfaction from developing a team."

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