There is a new card being launched in Zurich in 2011, for Expats moving to the Greater Zurich Area (but can also be purchased by anyone who would like to take advantage of the offers). The business is aimed at expanding the Expat Community as well as helping local start up businesses amp up their marketing. The annual fees are very cheap...especially for start-ups (2 employees or self employed companies)!

Check out what the card offers:

http://www.theexpatcard.ch/why-become-a-tec-provider/

and the fees are listed here (Membership fees are below....):

http://www.theexpatcard.ch/tec-membershipsponsorship/

For more information contact: info@theexpatcard.ch

Are you involved with the company or just passing on the info? It's not quite clear from your post. Also, does the card holder have to pay a fee as well as the businesses making offers? (I'm too lazy to visit the links)

From what I read, No.

The card however is not available yet and we don't know how many people have this card, so the target market is unknown...

various levels of membership from CHF400 per year, to CHF5000...

with the card not even available yet I wouldn't really bother...

OK, I've had a look now..... I would have also have had the home page finished before launching it and getting some companies signed up for the first year for free so at least when it does go live there are already offers available.

I don't know, I find the whole business concept of "targeting ex-pats" a tad mercenary. Most of the non-Swiss people I know, as customers and friends, hate the term ex-pat.

Hi There,

I am passing this information on for a friend of mine who is working on the card. There are businesses on board,and that is the targeting for now...hence why it is under this forum, and not another. The cards will be available at a later date...but more information can be known about that in the near future.

I think the idea is pretty good...as an Expat myself....

I agree with first 20 companies free or something like that. not gonna waste 400 chf if im not certain that it will take off.

I like the concept though

I like the fact that there are so many perspectives to the card and I think it will do well because she has a great marketing outline and is already working in Marketing in an Internationalcompany in Zurich, so already has the networking down.

It´s a win/win from what I know...the cardholder gets the good deals (she has mentioned a few big names to me that have gotten me excited...mums the word though...), the Expat Community has a card that makes them feel more welcome in Switzerland (When has that every been bad?), and the busines get a really cheap rate for the first year...if you look at how much it costs just to advertize on some of these websites and publications...the annual fee seems like breadcrumbs!

I say go The Expat Card! Hooray!!!!!

That section of their website says it is unfinished, but according to the officially declared entry in the business register they will charge also the cardholders.

Hi There,

I just spoke to my girlfriend again, and she would like to clarify that the membership and sponsorship fees are geared towards the businesses who come on board, and is not to be confused with the actual cards annual fee for cardholders.

This post has been moved from the Entrepreneurs and business forum to here...so the top information I wrote does not apply any longer...

So there will be an annual fee for cardholders? Do you know how much that will be?

I am not even allowed to know that right now...sorry peeps!

Oh dear! I was cautious, BUT now....

wait for it....

I'm OUT!!!

Well, this was really only to be posted for businesses who wanted to take the opportunity to join, NOT the public. Thats why I initially posted it in the "Business and Entrepreneurs" section, but it got moved here by the Moderator....

Give it a chance. Why would she tell me so that I could come immediatelöy and tell you? With business everything has its steps.Lets not shoot down to quickly those who are brave enough to take steps forward.

We should support each other...not be shooting each other down at every first opportunity. We have the Swiss for that...

There is a big difference between supporting each other and making money out of each other. Which is what the scheme appear to want to achieve. Which is why I guess it was moved to commercial, because it is...

Well everybody need to make money. The difference is between supporting and making money, or taking advantage. If you knew how this all worked, you would think differently, but I willleave it up to the launch. Let´s not judge until we see the full picture.

I on the otherhand, am willing to support ANY expat-run business if they have something I need. Especially the food ones....

The design of the card looks good I must admit and in general the idea is good. But as others have commented, it all depends on the fee and the amount of deals possible.

IMO, the card should be free to consumers otherwise few people would take one. With a low membership it would be very difficult to sign up companies to place offers.

400 CHf minimum membership fee to make offers? How much cheese would I have to sell (at a special offer discount) to even just cover that?

Good luck to your friend, but I think the idea needs tweaking.

I love fellow entrepreneurs and am interested in hearing of any win/win opportunity, including the fantastic concept of an expat membership card - love it - so I would recommend to this entrepreneur to ensure;

- when selling something, ensure you define the benefit to the person/company you are selling it to. Don't expect cash in return for a great idea or for a benefit to the expat community at large unless you can explain clearly how your new business wants to access those expats, ensuring distribution of and ultimate success of the card. I get so many "offers" for my company to pay cash for .... Nothing. Like websites /portals which are new and don't have any hits yet, for example, or copy expat expos which nobody has ever heard of (I don't mean the genuine web portals for expats like xpat xchange run by Louisa which has huge hits, or the original expat expos run by Ed, they are most definitely value for money - I mean the notorious copycats). When I ask these firms what I would get for my investment they explain how great their idea is, or how its a great bargain as it is cheap this year (for what?) google adwords is cheap too if there are no hits ....and when I ask how many expats will see my company name they explain that it's new, and to give them a chance to build up, but they're sure they'll have a lot of hits one day. This is not business and it's not sustainable.

- in business you have to spend at the beginning to increase your market. Or do deals with businesses who already have access to your target market. Perfect. Get the businesses on board for free in first three years and have them help with marketing and distribution. This costs you nothing (no cash). Give the card away to start with. Again, costs you nothing. But give it with benefits, otherwise it is also worth nothing to the holder. Clear, quantifiable benefits may even make the card an attractive buy eg for 50 if it gets them 200 off on a sports club membership or something.

- if it is something people want, then it will work. If you can tell me you have a certain number of cards out there, and some key named partners already prividing benefits making it attractive, then yes, I might be interested in " investing" 400 too.

I really do think it has potential and expats might latch on to it if handled carefully.

The market is huge - it was already in 2003 when we did our research. But it has to be tapped carefully. Don't ask too much cash from businesses who already have their own access to the expats ... we talk to your market already.

Good luck!

Lisa


www.myBlueSky.ch
Personal and professional development in Zurich.... in English

Reach for the Sky!

Loyalty cards are very simply disguised methods of collecting personal data such as shopping habits - the profit from such businesses comes from selling that data so that companies can use targeted advertising.

Also, like many others, I am not an expat - I am an immigrant.

So, I'm not interested from a business nor a user perspective .

I just don't like the business model idea of "targeting" expats, it's as if you're admitting that you believe the group are easy pickings but you assume that a big proportion of them won't be able to find their way around the country/shops/service providers etc.

I have always advocated here marketing your business to the population as a whole, auslanders are just a small proportion of your potential customers.

Good luck to your friend again, but I think she really needs to think again about charging a fee to cardholders.