Thursday, December 05, 2024

Blog


Dear Collective Currency Members,

A couple of important reminders:


1) If you have an account in deficit, you have to list an offer! That's how it works. We are a member-driven exchange, so you guys are responsible for keeping up-to-date listings. If you need help with this, ask your broker, or ask me personally! We're glad to help. The Marketplace would be twice as full if every member in Deficit put up a listing, enabling all of you more choice to spend your T$.

2) The more quality members we have onboard, the more we can all benefit from the expanding opportunity base. We will grow exponentially if every member invites a member a month. You will earn T$300 for each new business member you bring in. Take advantage of your personal referral tracking url generated on the site (Overview - html banners - create banner). Again ask for help if needed, as this will automate your referral payment. You will also earn T$100 from your referral's referrals...

3) POST YOUR WANTS - this can only help you. It also helps us go after the specific new members you'd like to do business with. We're Trade Brokers, not mind readers!

Join us for fun and news on Social Media!
We love retweeting our members- Collective Currency @NoCashFee2Trade
We're are not as active on Facebook, but still there... Collective Currency
Our central networking and discussion forum- Linkedin Group
Thanks for your participation. Feel free and let us know what we can do for you to improve upon the program. We're all in this together!
All the best, Steve Dale
CEO/Founder- Universal Expansion Group, Inc.
steve(@)universalexpansiongroup.com

Bitcoin is brilliant and beautiful, no doubt about it. The growth of the original cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, has spurred much discussion about virtual currencies. Not suprisingly, most governments have decided that the regulation of such will essentially be along the same guidelines that have been governing the trade credits (T$) in use for decades by members of barter networks. The Trade Dollar was here long before Bitcoin, and while both units certainly deserve the moniker of Altcurrency as they do share a number of properties, they are also quite different in other regards.

Here are the differences as we see them:
1) Bitcoin - finite (capped at 21 million once they are all mined).
T$ - infinite (nearly... capped at the amount of excess capacity of users).

2) Bitcoin - quasi-anonymous, (only an email is required to open a wallet).
T$ - KYC rules in full effect (Know Your Customer), bank-like requirements to open an account.

3) Bitcoin - Credit not available.
T$ - 0% interest Credit lines available, along the model of Mutual Credit.

4) Bitcoin - may be stolen, like cash or gold. Difficult to trace.
T$ - theft-proof. Virtually impossible to steal. T$ are face money. It takes your face to spend your T$. They don't exist outside of the network.

5) Bitcoin - transfer speeds are much faster than bank transfers, even international.
T$ - transfers and transactions are instantaneous, much faster than BTC.

6) Bitcoin - free-floating value, a truly free market currency whose price is solely determined by the law of Supply and Demand.
T$ - pegged to legal tender value, simply mirrors national currencies.

7) Bitcoin - directly redeemable for legal tender in the global marketplace.
T$ - not directly redeemable for cash, only products or services.

8) Bitcoin - speculation causes dramatic instability.
T$ - there is no speculation.

9) Bitcoin - not available for use as a plastic card.
T$ - available for use as a plastic card through common merchant terminals.

10) Bitcoin - considered hipster currency and accused of being a fad in a bubble.
T$ - rarely even considered by the public. Hardly a fad. An accepted business tool.

Some similarities between BTC and T$

1) BTC and T$ both subvert the dominant paradigm.

2) Both are in use by those who embrace an early-adapter mentality, and seek an edge in business.

3) Accepting them generates additional sales for merchants from new customer-bases

4) Both are taxable upon redemption into cash, products, or services.

5) Mobile apps make them extremely easy to use.

6) Growing acceptance of both in the marketplace. New merchants joining daily.

7) Created without Usury.

8) Open source ledger = transparent accounting.

9) Banks don't accept them.

10) You can spend both on Collective Currency!

Collective Currency is proud to have been the first Mutual Credit network in the universe to accept Bitcoin. We hope to have more Bitcoin users buying T$ to spend in our network. This will allow more of our members to "cash out" T$ via BTC.

People ask me how I came to so passionate about doing commerce without cash. The first thing I tell them is that Necessity is the Mother of Invention. I certainly didn't invent this type of commerce, but I did come to rely on it when the cash economy slowed down, and I have not looked back.

My wife and I have been operating an estate winery by the name of Rollingdale Winery, Inc. in West Kelowna, BC, Canada since 2004. More information about this winery can be found at www.rollingdale.ca. Rollingdale Winery is a boutique estate winery with a focus on high quality red and white table wines, as well as highly regarded Icewines. With the market for high end wines entering into a bit of slump due to the proclivities of the mainstream economy in 2009, I decided that I had better get creative, and I explored the possibility of marketing wines (and acquiring goods and services) through trade networks. After looking at the existing networks, I decided that I would trade my wine on some of them. As I became familiar with the benefits and limitations of these trade networks, some ideas formed, and I began to devise what I believe to be a more attractive and efficient platform to facilitate the trading of goods and services globally. Lots of business owners were happy to trade their goods and services, directly or indirectly, for Rollingdale wines, at full retail price in trade credits. Rollingdale was then able to use the trade credits earned to offset other expenses, such as media, printing, shipping, storage, landscaping, painting, cleaning services, golfing, skiing, hotels, restaurants, promotional merchandise, irrigation work, electricians, plumbers, cabinet makers (a new wine bar), website design, software development, a pre-owned 29’ Carver (cabin cruiser), etc. These trades increased the winery's exposure to new customers, who often referred more cash business to the wine shop. The demand for the wine in trade credits soon became too much, so Rollingdale began selling the wine as cash/trade credit blends, 50% cash and 50% trade credits, plus the taxes in cash. If Rollingdale were to sell the wine to the Liquor Distribution Branch of BC, or other wholesale buyers, the most that we would receive for our wine would be approximately 50% of the listed retail price in cash, making the 50% in trade credits in this case pure profit. Selling wine to restaurants is competitive at the best of times, but when the economy is in a slump, most restaurants are very tight with cash purchases. Allowing them to buy at 50% cash and 50% in gift certificates really got their attention. All business owners and operators know that gift certificates come back with cash business attached to them at some point, if they make it back at all.

What I and other trade network members appreciate about operating in a second economy based on trade credits (taxable, and tax-deductible, as are conventional dollars), is the ability to liquidate excess production, downtime, and/or overcapacity in a profitable manner at full retail value, without discounting our goods or services. For reviving their dead capital in this manner, trade network members also benefit from increased exposure to the business community in general. What they don’t necessarily like, is the fact that all of the existing trade networks, aside from ours, charge a cash initiation fee to join, usually between $500-$1,000, and cash commissions of 5-10% on each end of a transaction. These networks require a blank cheque or credit card number on file to charge their members cash fees. This cost is taken into consideration, and when the profit outweighs the expense, it is considered acceptable to trade. On some items with slimmer margins, however, the cash commissions can make trade deals objectionable to many potential clients. By taking away the cash fee component, we open up the possibility of greater trading and greater harmony. We never have to collect what the members are short of, but only deduct from that which they have plenty of.

Wineries are using trade credits not only to increase sales drastically and quickly, but they avoid discounting their product, which can eventually damage a brand. Smart wineries are also benefiting from surplus barrel production from cooperages, many of whom are currently weak in cash flow, but strong in inventory. These cooperages are eager to offset their sales team's travel expenses, since hotels, restaurants, and car rentals are quite common in trade networks. The cooperages also benefit from shipping on trade, by both sea and land. The difference between cost of goods and retail, is the discount for every company that pays in it's own currency. Would a cooper rather write a cheque, or pay in barrels? Obviously, moving more barrels is preferable to writing more cheques. It is a true win-win scenario, whether we are talking about barrels, corks, glass, labels, storage, shipping, media, promotional goods, printing, signage, casual labour, or sometimes, even grapes! The winery would rather pay in wine for all of these things, but of course the printer cannot print everyday for wine, so, that is were the network comes into play. Even if the printer only printed wine labels, the printer would still like to earn more than wine. The companies that don't supply wineries will be happy to get the wine, and the printer can spend his credits at any company in the network. It is with great satisfaction that we achieve profits as we simultaneously lessen our dependence on fiat currency. It is truly liberating, and I love to share that with others.

Another thing that winery owners have in common with many other business owners is that all manner of charitable organizations are constantly asking for donations. We can't always write a cheque for everyone, but we can usually donate in kind. The trade network makes it easy for the charities to exchange tax receipts for the goods and services that they require, or that they could auction off privately for cash, as needed. This makes it possible for charities to have all that they require to further their noble goals. None of them need much cash, in and of itself, but they need what they would spend it on. Cutting down on cash requirements makes soliciting donations much easier.

Open up an online trading account with Collective Currency today. You have nothing to lose, but your dependence on a false economy denominated in usurious fiat currencies. With Collective Currency, you have located a trading platform that acts as a community currency for the global community. Commerce + Unity = Community! We are collectively stronger and better off without the zero-sum game of fiat currency. Our Collective Currency is backed by the goods and services pledged by our members. Fiat currency is backed by nothing but the impossibility of ever repaying the interest charged. How can we all repay what never entered circulation? Some can, but most can't. It's Musical Chairs, and a mathematical impossibility. Usury is defined as a debt that cannot be repaid. Recognize that, and the futility of the mainstream economy becomes glaringly apparent. The mainstream economy is not broke, it is doing exactly what it was designed to do; steal the savings of the population through inflation, and keep the people competing, instead of working together. Divided in this way, we are conquered as a whole. Unfortunately, poverty is the norm on this planet, not the exception. Fiat dollars cannot defeat poverty, because fiat dollars create poverty. Fiat currency is the enduring Ponzi scheme of the last century. This planet is prosperous and bountiful by nature, but is handicapped by a problem of biblical proportions: USURY. If you are sick of this fraudulent economy, we are the antidote.

Peace and Plenty, Steve Dale


There are a lot of good reasons that they should! By waiving Collective Currency initiation fees for Chamber Members, they have a super incentive for signing new Chamber prospects. The capacity trading of your members creates an additional revenue stream for your Chamber from your existing Members. The Members will buying everything through the network, effectively at their cost of goods, and paying with business that they would not have had otherwise. This creates a loyal new customer base for their businesses. The Chamber is more effective at fulfilling it's mandate for it's members by allowing them access to a business network that revives dead capital. By monetizing their members excess capacity, and earning a trade fee commission, the Chamber increases it's member's profitability and makes them more cost effective by offsetting many of their business and personal expenses for trade credit. Many Chamber Members already belong to Barter Networks, and would welcome a chance to switch from a cash commission model to a trade fee based one! The Chamber's increased revenue, and relevance, should be dramatic. Chambers will be allowed to offer their members 0% interest accounts for deficit spending. Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more details and register your Chamber as a Trade Broker on Collective Currency as soon as possible. Your members will thank you and your Chamber will thrive! Acting as Trade Brokers, Chamber operators may opt to have trade credit earnings redeemed for cash on our arbitrage site, www.Dealacopia.com Chambers that are acting as Trade Brokers for their members will become eligible to act as Credit Clearing Specialists on another division of Universal Expansion Group, Inc. The division is www.CreditClearingSolutions.com

Blog Post One


Your Invitation to Apply for Collective Currency Membership – a message from our Founder.

The last few years have been trying times for many businesses. During this time, most successful businesses have had to be extra creative to maintain market share. Undoubtedly you are aware that many companies have joined barter networks to offset expenses and increase sales. Barter networks are not a new phenomenon, and have proven to be a recession-positive business model around the world, offering a second shot at profits in an alternative economy when the cash supply in the mainstream economy is unreliable.

It is taken for granted that ``necessity is the mother of invention``. The reason that I am writing to you today is due to the fact that I have had great experiences using trade networks for my own business. I own a small winery, Rollingdale (www.rollingdale.ca), in West Kelowna, B.C., Canada. I have first hand experience of success using barter networks to conserve cash, create loyal customers, and bring in new cash business. I have also spent the last three years creating a better barter network: one that removes the objections that many companies have to joining such a network. So, why should you choose our network over the others? The first reason is because we do not charge cash fees, unlike the others. The vast majority of networks charge a cash initiation fee to join, and require a credit card or blank cheque to charge their ongoing monthly cash commissions to. We do not! We actually accept our own currency as payment for fees. We don’t charge our members cash, period. Our initiation fee is $500 trade credits (vCAD). The trade commissions are broken down as follows: 1% on each end of a transaction goes to the platform - 1% from the buyer, 1% from the seller. The Trade Broker for each party earns 4% from their respective end of a transaction, on average size transactions. The Trade Broker will offer a sliding scale, with their commission dropping according to transaction size, but we can get to those details later. The typical deal ends up costing both the buyer and seller 5% in Collective Currency trade credits. This is at the low end of the pricing when compared to our competitors, and unlike the competition, our fees are not in cash.

If you would like to spend before you offer your goods or services, we can authorize a line of credit to your business for 0% interest. The extent of your credit line will be equivalent to 10% of your last year’s gross earnings (financials required). This way you only have to offer your goods or services once you have bought something you need or want. The alternative is to offer up some of your goods or services on trade to the other members right away. As you earn trade credits, and attract new business, you will be able to start spending them on the goods and services from the other members. Your savings on everything you buy this way is equivalent to your cost of goods! Your preferred currency should be that which you issue yourself. Conserve your cash. The credits you earn can be spent at face value on printing, media, hotel rooms, caterers, websites, graphics work, gym memberships, renovations, etc. The first thing you should do upon having your account approved is add your Wish List to the site, you will be notified when something you seek becomes available. Trade Brokers will actively seek what you are looking for on your behalf. They will also be directing business to you. This is a method of keeping more business circulating locally, and a great source of both increased savings and sales for the members, their businesses, and all of the people that rely on them. Also, unlike the typical franchised trade network, ours has no territorial limitations. A trade credit from your city works with other Collective Currency members around the world, and customers from around the world can spend their trade credits in your city. The payments are processed by mobile apps, online, or by our automated broker by phone, 24/7.

We have a very professional team in the Executive Suite. We have no overhead. We are here for the long haul - to grow with you. Our currency is backed by our member’s pledges of goods and services. It is real money backed by real goods and services. The Legal Tender cash which is loaned at interest by the banks is the only problem with the economy today. It is not actually money (as defined by The Bills of Exchange Act) it is a negotiable debt instrument. Your gift certificates or company scrip is real money. Your money.

For more information regarding how we operate, and the benefits of being part of our community, visit www.collectivecurrency.info. The Collective Currency site is only 1/3 of our unique business model. We can do a lot for your company through our second Divison, www.CreditClearingSolutions.com, but that is another letter…

Thanks for your consideration! As business owners, we are stronger together. I look forward to meeting you in person at our launch party, time and location to be announced.

Steve Dale

Vintner – www.rollingdale.ca

West Kelowna, BC, Canada

Founder – www.universalexpansiongroup.com

St. James, Barbados