Q & A | Anchorage AK | EOA Commerce

Questions?

Overview

What is EOA, and how large is it's membership?

We are a 26 year old group of hundreds of Alaskan businesses and thousands of Alaskan cardholders. We use trade dollars when conducting trade business. To grow our member's businesses while improving their lifestyles. We also trade with more than 1 million businesses, located in the lower-48, and with more than 250 thousand businesses, located outside of the United States. How many Alaskan businesses do we serve? Less than one thousand. We made the wise decision years ago to be insanely valuable to a small number of businesses, instead of marginally valuable to thousands.

What is a Trade Dollar?

Trade Dollars are a form of currency. their face-value is equal to the US dollar. Trade Dollars are used to record purchases and sells between members. Purchases are deducted from buyer's accounts and sales are credited to seller's accounts, and are recorded pursuant to the Trade Procedures, Rules and Regulations of EOA, and that of the IRS. Because every Trade Dollar event is recorded, EOA trades do not need to be one-on-one events, but can be part of thousands of intermingled purchases and sales, which take place over time and with other businesses. EOA trades are not obligated to purchase from those they sell to, or to sell to those they buy from. Within our trading system, trade dollars are used like cash. They do not expire, and are secure, as their value is backed by more than 1 million businesses worldwide, who accept them.

What are the benefits of using EOA?

Any legal US business which has unsold time, or unsold inventory will greatly benefit from trading within a local, organized barter organization, such as EOA. Organized barter is a powerful tool for strengthening the finances of your company. The wise use of barter will build your profitability, protect your balance sheet, and improve cash flow. We will also show you how to use barter for acquisition financing or expansion capital. Since organized barter sales generally represent add-on business that you would not of otherwise had, the gross profit from these sales usually goes straight to your bottom line. Moreover, And, using barter to maintain higher levels of production can increase margins on non-barter sales as well. Organized Barter offers a unique solution to the problem of overstocked or stale inventory, and can protect your balance sheet from costly write downs due to deep discounting or liquidation costs and resulting lower sales prices. Alaskan business owners have been using this powerful tool for more than 24-years. In addition to increasing profitability and protecting against inventory write downs, organized barter can substantially improve your cash flow. The use of barter allows you to substitute trade for at least a portion of your normal cash outlays when purchasing needed goods and services. As a penny saved IS a penny earned. Alaskan sales fluctuate, demand rises and falls with our seasons, customers occasionally cancel at the last minute. It may be impossible or impractical to cut back staff and production to match. This is where organized barter comes into play. It allows you to trade your excess inventory and unsold time for goods and services that you use in your business, which you are currently paying cash for. Alaskan business owners strive to keep inventories to a minimum to avoid high carrying costs and the risks of obsolescence. Organized barter helps businesses operate at their optimum capacity to maximize profit margins and to minimize their lost sales of “perishable” goods and services.

What types of businesses use EOA?

Advertising  Ad Agencies  Ad Creations  Cellphone Marketing  Commercials Creation  Craft Fairs  Holiday Fairs  Magazine Advertising  Marketing Services  Messages on Hold  Moving Ads  Newspaper Advertising  On-line Advertising  Radio Advertising  Signs & Banners  Social Media  Specialty Advertising  Sponsorships  Trade Shows  TV Advertising  Voice Overs  Web Site Design  Web Reputation Management  Yellow Page Advertising Automotive  Airbag System Repair  ATV Repairs, Parts & Accessories  Auto Body  Auto Detailing & Washing  Auto Electrical  Auto Lighting  Auto Mechanics - Domestic  Auto Mechanics - Foreign  Auto Rentals  Auto Restoration  Auto Security  Auto Sound  Auto Starters  AWD's  four-by-fours  Limousine Services  Lube Centers  Marine Repairs, Parts & Accessories  Oil Changes  RV Rentals  RV Repairs, Parts & Accessories  Snow Machine Repairs, Parts & Accessories Beauty / Health  Acne Treatments  Barber Shops  Beauty Salons  Body Wrap  Botox  Day Spas  Eyelash Extensions  Facials  Fitness  Hair Care Products  Hair Removal  Liposuction  Manicuring  Nail Salons  Pedicures  Skin Care  Tattooing  Waxing Treatments  Weight Loss Management  Yoga Building Related  Blinds & Shutters  Building Sites  Carpet Sales  Green House  Hardwood Flooring  Laminate Flooring  Land  Plants  Security Systems  Shades  Sheet Vinyl  Tile Flooring  Window Coverings Business  Cartridges  Copier Ink / Toner  Copier Sales  Employment Related  Office Equipment  Picture Framing Supplies  Real Estate  Scanner Sales  Water - bottled Construction / Maintenance  Air Conditioning  Asphalt  Bathrooms  Book Shelves  Cabinets  Carpentry  Closets  Concrete  Construction Cleanup  Counter Tops  Decks  Doors  Drywall & Texturing  Duct Cleaning  EIFS (Exterior Insulation Finishing System)  Electrical Services  Excavation  Fencing  Fire Protection  Fireplaces  Floor Coatings  Flooring - install / repairs  Foundations  General Contractors  Handyman Services  Heating Services  HVAC  Insulation - exterior  Kitchens, Bathrooms & Additions  Lighting Services  Masonry  Painters  Parking Lot Maintenance  Patios  Plaster  Plumbing Services  Portable Shot Blasting  Pressure Washing  Remodeling  Roofing  Siding  Solar Energy  Staircases  Stucco  Tubs  Water Heater Install / Repairs  Weatherization  Windows Dining / Food  Acai  American Cuisine  Bagels  Bakeries  Banquet Facilities  Bar  BBQ  Bistro  Bread - artisan  Buffet  Cafe  Cajun  Candy  Catering  Chinese Cuisine  Chocolates & Candy  Cookies  Deli  Espresso Shops  Fast Food  French Cuisine  Greek Cuisine  Hawaiian Cuisine  Ice Cream Parlors  Italian Cuisine  Japanese Cuisine  Lounge  Mexican Cuisine  Mobile  Mongolian BBQ  Oriental Cuisine  Philly Sandwiches  Pho Cuisine  Pie Shop  Pizza  Pizza - take N bake  Ready Made Dinners  Seafood  Shaved Snow  Southern Cuisine  Super-foods  Sushi  Taiwanese Cuisine  Thai Cuisine  Water - bottled  Wings Entertainment / Sports  After School Activities  Bowling Centers  Boxing Events  Escape Rooms  Event Planners  Family Fun Centers  Fighting Expeditions  Fishing - charters  Fishing - guided  Fishing - unguided  Fishing - fly  Gold Panning  Golf  Golf - indoor  Golf Club + Grip Repairs  Hiking / Camping  Horseback Riding  Magic Shows  Mixed Martial Arts Events  Museums  Party Related  Playgrounds - indoor  Railroad  Self Defense Classes  Skiing / Snowboarding  Sporting Events  Sports Equipment  Summer Camp  Taekwondo Instruction  Water Park - indoor  Yacht Rentals Family  Apparel  Caskets  Convenience Store Items  Eye-wear  Footwear  Groceries  Hats  Headstones  Jewelry  Pet Supplies  Pipe Tobacco  Tobacco Shops  Tobacco Smoking Accessories  Urns Home  Antique Shops  Art  Cookware  Draperies  Hot Tubs  Jacuzzi  Knives  Picture Framing Supplies  Rugs  Saunas  Vacuum Cleaners  Water Softeners Medical  Acupressure  Acupuncture  Allergy / Food Testing  Alternative Medicine  Audiology  Birth Center  Blood Tests  CBD Products  Chiropractic Services  Clinics - medical  Cosmetic Dentistry  Dentistry  Dermatology  Diabetes Testing  Drug & Alcohol Testing  Eye Care  Eye wear  Family Practice  First Aid Classes - advanced  General Dentistry  Gynecology  Healthcare Administration  Hearing Aids  Heart Disease  Heart Disease Testing  Homeopathy  Hospice  Lab Services  Laser Surgery  Life Coaching  Massage Therapists  Men's Health Medicine  Midwives  Nurse Practitioners  Optometrists  Oral Surgery  Pain Management  Pediatric Clinics  Pediatric House calls  Pet Care  Prenatal / Pregnancy Testing  Reflexology  Reiki  Rolfing  Sports Medicine  Standby Services  Teeth Whitening  Therapists - individual / group  Tinnitus  Veterinary Care  Women Health Services Services  Accounting  Acoustic Ceiling Cleaning  Adoption Home study Services  Alarm System  Appraisers  Auctioneers  Audio & Video  Bookkeeping  Building Cleaning & Exterior  Business Broker  Business Consulting  Carpet Cleaning  Carpet Repairs  Cat Grooming  Ceiling Tile Maintenance  Child Care  Commercial Laundry Services  Commercial Leases  Computer Related  Conference / Convention Centers  Conference Planning  Copier Repairs & Maintenance  Couriers  CPA Services  Day Care  Decorators  Dog Grooming  Dog Walking  Embroidery  Employee Related  Financial  Fish Storage - frozen  Flood Repairs  Flooring - cleaning  Florists  Frame Shops  Funeral Related  Grade Schools  Graphic Design  Hauling / Junk Removal  Hood Cleaning  Hosting Services  House Keeping  House Watching  Janitorial  Landscaping / Maintenance  Leasing Agent  Logistics  Mail Box Rentals  Mailing Services  Mentor ships  Messenger Services  Move Out - deep cleaning  Moving Services  Music Related  Organizers  Packaging Services  Payroll  Pet Grooming  Pet Sitting  Photography  Picture Frame Shop  Plant Care  Portraits  Printers  Private Detective  Private Schools  Real Estate Services - Commercial  Real Estate Services - Residential  Refrigeration Services  Restaurant Equipment Repairs / Sales  Roof Shoveling  Routed Services  Sanding Service  Screen Printing  Secret Shopping  Self-Storage  Snow Plowing  Snow Removal  Storage Facilities  Tax Preparation Services  Tree Related  Upholstery  Upholstery Cleaning  Web Site Services  Website Builder  Wedding Related  Window Cleaning Travel - Alaska  Alaska Airline Tickets  Bed & Breakfasts  Cabins  Railroad Tickets  Extended Stay  Fishing Lodges  Hotels  Transportation Travel - Alaska  Alaska Airline Tickets  Bed & Breakfasts  Cabins  Railroad Tickets  Extended Stay  Fishing Lodges  Hotels  Transportation Travel - USA  Offices in the 500 largest US cities  Alaska Airline Tickets  Alaska Airline Buddy-passes  Alaska Airline Upgrades  Alaska Railroad Tickets  Delta Airline Tickets  United Airline Tickets  Car Rentals  Cruises  Hotels  Resorts  Restaurants  Shopping  Tourist Attractions  Alabama  Arkansas  California  Colorado  Connecticut  Florida  Georgia  Idaho  Indiana  Iowa  Kansas  Kentucky  Maine  Massachusetts  Michigan  Minnesota  Montana  Nebraska  Nevada  New Hampshire  New Jersey  New Mexico  New York  North Carolina  Ohio  Oklahoma  Oregon  Texas  Transportation  Utah  Vermont  Washington  Wisconsin Travel - Worldwide  Offices in 200 other countries  Alaska Airlines Tickets  Car Rentals  Cruises  Delta Airlines Tickets  Hotels  Resorts  Restaurants  Shopping  Tourist Attractions  United Airlines Tickets

Will EOA accept our business as a client?

EOA always has a list of businesses waiting to join, as we limit the number of similar offerings and those with little or no demaind for what they offer. And then only businesses that:

Are already a successful company, with a positive cash flow and existing customer demand.
Have the ability, the capacity, and the desire to acquire new customers.
Are ambitious, and want to continue to grow their company.
Are entrepreneurial, and willing to try new things to achieve their business, and/or personal objectives.

How are trade transactions completed?

In EOA transactions, the purchasing member’s account is debited, the selling member’s account is credited, and the full transaction details are recorded by EOA and represented in both members’ account statements. There are many ways to buy & sell using EOA; on the marketplace, in-location, via the EOA mobile apps, or on the EOA Point of Sale web-based terminal, just to name a few. When members trade through EOA, they accumulate trade dollars which are banked in their EOA account. Members are able to purchase goods & services from any other member, and when they do so, they spend this balance – getting things they need without spending valuable cash. The innovation in this approach is that no two members have to have what each other need to make a deal – you do not have to purchase from a member that purchases from you. You can spend your trade dollars with more than a million companies, at any time – and these dollars never expire, so you can sell now, and buy with confidence later on.

Is there a learning curve?

We understand that for most business owners, this is a new concept and that it can take some time to get the hang-of-it. The good news. There are numerous videos, and articles on this website, which guide you on how to take the most advantage of EOA. Typically, several visits and calls with your assigned broker, is all that new members need to start taking advantage of their EOA membership.

Why do businesses join EOA?

Here are two examples, of why hundreds of Alaskan businesses barter within EOA: Selling Example: A 300 room hotel running at a 80% annual occupacy with a $200 average room-night rate, still has $4.38 million dollars of potential revenue that is not being realized. By bartering just 10% of this available inventory through EOA, the hotel can gain more than $400 thousand dollars worth of products and services without displacing any cash business. And, the same potential saved revenue applies to almost any business! Buying Example: You are about to write a check or provide a credit card to pay for a company or personal expense. The selling business stops you and says "Wait, instead of your cash I will take credit for a future purchase with your company." Would you say "No, I don't want the discount that paying with my products and services provides me, nor do I want another customer." Or, would you happily say "Sure!" Especially since EOA trades are easy legal, and not one-on-one!

Buying

Where can I spend Trade Dollars?

Can I spend Trade Dollars on personal purchases?

How do I use my Line-of-Credit?

Business and Personal Travel

Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure. For a weekend, or for a month. We’ve got you covered. Our 24-year old travel department makes bartering for travel super easy – as we do all the bookings for you. Complete a EOA Travel Request Form and we’ll do the rest. With our 500-office network in the lower-48 and our 250 foreign offices worldwide, we book hundreds of trips a year for EOA clients. We offer more than 2,000 accommodation options world-wide with usually the only cash outlay being sales and room taxes. It’s not all business with EOA. Many of our clients travel for business, and as many take their families on vacations, worldwide. So if you are a small to medium-sized Alaskan business owner who travels for business, or if you're looking to conserve cash while improving your family's lifestyle, call us to learn more.

Selling

EOA offers an effective 50 - 90% Discounts

The power of markup discounts (trade dollar costs) among our members varies, but consider how the power of “the cost of a trade dollar” translates with these unique businesses. • Anyone who bills by the hour – such as attorneys, accountants, consultants, creative designers or graphic designers take their available downtime or free time and turn them into buying power. What is their actual cost for a few hours of time that would have gone “unsold” or wasted otherwise? Answer: Almost zero! Organized barter allows you to buy wholesale – sell retail – Always! • A restaurant who barters restaurant meals is essentially filling a table that would have remained empty. Their variable cost is what they pay for the food—typically 35%…. yet they trade their meals for 100% of the menu price. EOA allows your company to buy wholesale – sell retail! • Trade professionals, like electricians, auto and home repair professionals and carpet cleaners also have very low or no incremental costs for otherwise unsold time – as they receive cash for all required materials and parts. They only trade their labor, and at retail, while buying wholesale! The same goes for the manufacture and retail industry. The cost of goods is typically far below what they sell for, yet that’s what they are able to barter for through EOA. Which allows them to acquire the goods and services they need by trading their otherwise down time. So that you can buy wholesale – sell retail! You simply can’t match the power of EOA (organized barter) to expand your presence and help you increase your market share. Our experienced account brokers work as your extended sales force to bring you new customers. So that you can buy wholesale – sell retail. EOA’s worldwide network has hundreds of thousands of members today, and even more tomorrow.

Can EOA help Auto Mechanics?

Alaskan mechanic and auto body shops have been trading their empty bays for thousands of Alaskan products and services for more than 24-years. Most companies in the automotive industry depend upon word-of-mouth to grow their customer bases, while our clients simply advertise whenever they want. The automotive industry almost always have some empty bays, and idle staff. And like hotels, unsold time cannot be saved to sell later - when the time is over, so is it's value. Consider how much these empty time slots cost your company. Five unsold appointments per day at an average retail rate of $300 equals over $9,000 per week or more than $38,000 per month. If EOA converts just 10-percent of this downtime at your full value (all organized barter transactions are at your regular pricing) this 10-percent increase would in this example equal an additional $45,000 per year in added revenue. Which is what EOA will try to do for your company! We try to provide our clients with new customers to fill those otherwise unsold time and cash for your parts and materials! And these new customers usually are loyal to your garage. They normally by-pass your competition to use you, and will not jump like Groupon-ers to the next discounted offering your competition makes. It is easy. Trade your unused time for trade dollars and cash for parts and materials. EOA handles all the paperwork. Billing your services at their usual hourly-rates, makes your garage a lot more profitable. Our clients can also control the amount of trade dollars they receive per month, thereby only acquiring what they plan on using. Spending earned trade dollars instead of cash allows you to keep your cash for other uses. EOA clients use trade dollars instead of cash to pay for many locally needed products and services, such as: And remember, every trade dollar you spend leaves a matching cash dollar in your bank account! When you purchase goods and services through our 24-year old, 650 Alaskan business owner network, your basis is almost zero, as you only book time when it would have otherwise gone unsold!

Can EOA help Restaurants?

EOA restaurants, bars, diners, espresso shops and caterers have been trading their empty tables, slow times and unbooked catering jobs for thousands of Alaskan products and services for more than 24-years. Most restaurants depend upon word-of-mouth to grow their customer bases, while our clients simply advertise whenever they want, and as often as they want - as they can easily afford it. The dining and drinks industries almost always have the ability to serve more clients then they do. Like hotels, empty tables, slow times and unbooked catering jobs cannot be saved to sell later - when the time is over, so is their value. Consider how much these empty tables and catering jobs cost your company. Twenty empty tables per day at an average retail rate of $35 equals over $4,900 per week or more than $21,000 per month. If EOA could convert just 10-percent of your current lost revenue at your menu pricing (all organized barter transactions are at your regular pricing) this 10-percent increase would in this example equal an additional $2,100 per month in added revenue. Which is what EOA can do for your company! We provide our restaurateur clients with new customers to help fill those otherwise empty tables and turn that unused capacity into purchasing power. And these new customers are usually loyal to your restaurant. They normally by-pass your competition to use you and they will not jump like Groupon-ers to the next discounted meal your competition makes. It is easy. Simply trade your unused catering time slots and empty tables for trade dollar paying customers. EOA handles all the paperwork and you'll make your restaurant a lot more profitable. Our restaurateur clients can also control the amount of trade dollars they receive per month if they want, thereby only acquiring trade dollars for what they plan on spending. Spending earned trade dollars instead of cash allows you to keep your cash for other uses. EOA clients use trade dollars instead of cash to pay for locally needed products and services. And remember, every trade dollar you spend leaves a matching cash dollar in your bank account! When you purchase goods and services through our 24-year old, 650 Alaskan business owner network, your costs are around 35c on the dollar, as you only accept trade dollars when you'd otherwise have an empty table. Let’s do the math: If your food costs are 35% of your sales, then 35% of each diner’s tab is the wholesale cost of product, and 65% of the tab is a net loss per unoccupied table. EOA allows you to monetize those unused tables and turn them into buying power. Which allows you to negate the loss, by turning vanishing inventory into essential goods and services. Besides hundreds of Alaskan clients, 90% of which are located in Anchorage; where are also 500 offices located in the lower-48 that represent more than 1 million businesses where Alaskan members can spend their trade dollars. There are also 200 offices located outside of the US, whose office's businesses also accept trade dollars.

What if you already Trade?

A lot of businesses already barter on their own. And, if you're one of them, the good news is that our hundreds of groups of traders span the globe. Where you used to be limited to trading for only what you wanted, with other businesses who also want what you offer, and for the same value. Now, you can safely trade whenever it helps your business. As we usually purchase, at full value, those trades that members acquare and don't want. We pay members trade dollars and then sell their trades to other members for the same amount, in trade dollars.

How to Acquire your Competition's Best Customers

My mid-sized janitorial company was repeatedly outbid by several larger local firms. After years of losing contracts, I joined EOA Commerce Network and reversed the roles. Shortly afterward, using one of their many powerful business tools I resubmitted my bids with a slight twist. I gave businesses the opportunity of paying a portion of my cleaning contracts with their products and services, and at their full value. Being in business myself, I knew that allowing them to pay a percentage of our contract with what they sell would allow them to pay that portion discounted by their usual markup AND I'd also be giving them an additional sale. They realized that my offer would save them thousands of dollars a year over my competitors and I got my first large contracts, with many to follow. This system also works with the retail side of my business. When I sell cleaning supplies I allow my business customers to trade their products and services for some of my selling price. Which likewise saves my buyers money, which makes them loyal to me. Now every month my company continues to increase it's market-share while squeezing out my completely helpless competition.I always make sure that the cash portion of my contracts and product sales cover all non-tradable expenses. Then I use EOA to convert (at full value) all of my "to me useless" client credits into trade dollars, which are loaded onto my EOA card. Which I then use to purchase wanted products and services from my family, business and employees. For my business I use my card to pay for employee benefits; soaps and rags; construction; embroidered uniforms; equipment; vehicle maintenance; accounting; printing; legal advice and a lot of advertising. My family locally uses their cards for dining; shopping; entertainment; medical and construction services. We have also enjoyed luxury vacations all over the world! EOA has really improved my family's and my employee's life-styles. EOA also provides me with a lot of new trade clients; monthly statements; 1099B forms; membership websites and mobile apps; an assigned trade coordinator and a large line-of-credit. My EOA cards even swipe through sellers credit card machines. Now I wonder how my company survived and how any business survives with out EOA Commerce Network. And my story is duplicable by almost any business. Our clients have been doing this for 24 years. Your competition will not be able to copy you. And, this works for almost any Service business.

Operations

EOA is Legal

We are recognized by the Federal Government and the IRS as a third-party record keeper, along with Banks, Insurance Companies, and Stock Brokerages. Today, because of the TEFRA Act passed in 1984, along with the Accounting Principal Board Opinion #29, and the Financial Accounting Standard Board FASB #30. Both the IRS and CPA's regard EOA trades as just another legitimate and legal method of doing business.

EOA Tax Advantgages

Tax Loss Method: Let's say a business is told that they need $30,000 more in tax deductions to avoid paying income taxes. Let's further assume that this business has an incremental cost of 35 percent, meaning that there's a 35c cost for every $1 sale. Business tells their EOA broker, who lends the business $100,000 trade dollars and has them purchase a piece of property worth $100 thousand cash, for $100,000 trade dollars. The cash repayment cost will only be 35% or $35,000. If business immediately sales property for $70,000 cash. They will doubled their cash investment while showing a $30,000 loss on their taxes. IRS doesn't care that property was purchased with trade dollars and sold for cash. Taxable Loss = $30,000 Cash Cost = $35,000 Net Income = $35,000 Donation Method: Let's say say that your company sells hot tubs at a 50% markup. And your CPA tells you that you need $10,000 more in deductions to avoid pay income taxes. You already know that if you donate a $10,000 hot tub to a charity, you can only deduct the costs associated with purchasing and giving the hot tub away, instead of it's market value. To earn the $10,000 tax deduction you'll need to donate two hot tubs. However your EOA broker has you sell one hot tub for $10,000 trade dollars, which you then donate to the charity. IF YOU DONATED TWO HOT TUBS: Tax Savings = $10,000 Cash Cost = $10,000 IF YOU USE EOA: Tax Savings = $10,000 Cash Cost = $5,000 Prepaid Expenses Method: Let's say that your CPA tells you that you need $10,000 in deductions to avoid paying income taxes. If EOA lends you $10,000 trade dollars (at a cost to you of $5,000) to prepay advertising and other business expenses this year for next years usage. Taxable Deduction = $7,000 Cash Repayment Cost = $5,000 Due Income Taxes = $0.00 EOA income is taxable the same as cash income and EOA expenses are tax-deductible the same as cash expenses. This is not tax advice. EOA is not qualified to provide tax advise, and encourages the reader to contact a tax expert (their services are available on trade) before considering using these examples.

EOA Financing

Unlike banks, EOA does not have a huge cost of funding, as it pays no interest to depositors. Consequently, it's able to provide qualified members unsecured, low interest loans and lines-of-credit. Savvy members are constantly using EOA credit to purchase what they want, when they want, as we continue to bring them new customers to repay their loans with (without touching their cash flow), so that they can continue to purchase!

Employee Benefits

EOA offers an Employee Benefits Program that costs employees and businesses nothing. Employees are normally a business' most valuable asset. And, attracting and keeping qualified staff has become more difficult as more national companies move into Alaska, with their powerful employee benefits programs. However, our EOA members have a competitive advantage. They are able to provide their staff and staff's families one of Alaska's finest Employee Benefits Program, without any cost to themselves or to their employees. In fact, most EOA businesses make money while providing these benefits. Example: A law firm joins EOA and decides to provide their staff an Employee Benefits Program that pays for half of their employee's purchases made at millions of businesses locally and worldwide. EOA issues their employee's (law firm branded) Employee Benefits cards. Each card holder is assigned an account broker to assist them in making EOA purchases. An employee uses their benefits card and spends $100 bowling and dining at EOA's clients businesses. The restaurant and bowling alley are paid in trade dollars from the law firms trade account and $50 cash is then withheld from employee's next paycheck. Employee received $100 in value at a $50 cost. Employee is very happy and plans on dining out more often, as now dining out as expensive as buying the groceries and cooking at home. Later they call EOA's free travel department to plan their families next vacation. As using their new Employees Benefits card allows them to book twice what they used to be able to afford. The law firm is equally happy. They transfered $100 trade dollars into employee's account and received $50 cash. The law firms trade dollar sales are incremental to their cash sales, and therefore only the actual time spend is considered in the costs for trade sales. As their rent, utilities and employee costs do not raise from the 10 percent raise in sales that EOA provides them. Service businesses like them average a 10 - 20 percent cost per trade dollar. So, their cost for employee's $100 purchases was only $20. So the law firm made a $30 profit from employee's one night of spending.