"We are recruiting one new Master Franchisee almost every month now," reflects Managing Director Peter Hallström. "In fact, our latest market is Italy, where we already have two Master Franchisees (in the north and south), and many shops selling our cards."

Established in 1997, Intercard's concept centres around the negotiation and servicing of sales & disribution agreements for its own range of greeting cards with supermarkets, kiosks, petrol stations, card shops, etc. "Our Gold spinner is probably Europe's best selling spinner," comments Hallström, who has been involved in franchising since 1976 and is a member of the Swedish Franchise Association's ethical committee.

"All our cards are designed by our own team of artists in our studio in Gävle, Sweden, and most have very exclusive embossed, die cut, foil, furry or holographic finishes with matching envelope colours. Because we sell our cards at the same prices at which competitors sell normal quality cards, consumers get more value for their money when they buy our cards.

"We are creating a new market due to the quality of our cards and the risk-free nature of our service to retailers. The cards are provided free of charge and every month the Intercard franchisee will charge the shops for actual cards sold. This means that the shops take no risk - they can only win!"

Intercard has developed a strong support programme for Master Franchisees, which starts with initial training in Sweden followed by at least eight visits to the Master Franchisee in the first year. "We do absolute every thing we can in order to get new Master Franchisees up and running as soon as possible," adds Hallström. "We help with recruiting and training franchisees, negotiating financing, writing franchise agreements and provide a total of six manuals, plus all marketing and recruiting material. The strength of our franchise system and quality of our products will enable our Master Franchisees to succeed in any market.

"We are seeking Master Franchisee candidates in the UK and eastern European markets such as Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Further afield we are looking to expand into the US, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, the Middle East and Asia."