That would certainly be the case for the company which has established Master Franchisees in 14 countries since its foundation in 1997. "We are recruiting one new Master Franchisee almost every month now," he adds. "In fact, our next market will be Italy, where we have a Master Franchisee preparing to launch."

Intercard's proven concept sees the Master Franchisee concentrating on building a network of sub-franchisees across the territory, with each sub-franchisee responsible for negotiating and servicing sales & distribution agreements with approximately 200 supermarkets, kiosks, petrol stations, card shops, etc. "Our Gold spinner is probably Europe's best selling spinner," Hallström comments. "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."

The greetings card market varies from market to market, with an average of 52 cards bought per year by the UK consumer, compared to 10 in Germany and six in Spain, Hallström reports. "However, our sales in Spain are extremely good. Our best shop in Europe is in the Southern part of Spain - it sells an incredible 700 cards per month! We have found that growing internet and SMS usage have not hurt our sales - to give a real greeting card is perceived as more personal.

"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 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."

Intercard's Master Franchisees are already operating in Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Holland, Belgium, Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, and the company plans to enter a further six markets this year.

"The strength of our franchise system and quality of our products will enable our Master Franchisees to succeed in any market," Hallström reflects. "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."