Encointer and Small Business

#1

Hi!

I just read your proposal in Kusama Treasury.

I like your encointer project.

I was thinking on another project that involved locality, although not for the particular purpose of providing unique identity. I would like to share it with you in case there is anything you can recycle into encointer.

The idea was around helping small business get organized to better compete with dehumanizing profit making ones such as Amazon. In fact, small business can compete better when they work together as a cluster.

I imagined a shared fidelity program (air-miles like, with discount points, etc) on chain, with some peculiarities. Points can be exchanged in any participating small business, not only where you got them. Points are worth more if spent near to the place where you obtain them (locality).

For example… when you shop in your local supermarket, you may get points that you can use to have a coffee nearby.

When working as a cluster small business become like a mall, they benefit from each others traffic, referrals, etc. This would be an accelerator that encourages to spend nearby.

When I saw encointer I thought that Small Business could play also an accelerator role.

Perhaps encointer could include something similar so that the business are in for their own interest and can play an accelerating role in your adoption.

For example, they could omboard new users by simply granting reward points, or similar. Encorate users to install a wallet to receive their points Then the same wallet can be used for p2p activities, etc.

Anyway… I was just brainstorming. I hope you are successful with your proposal.

Although briefly, I also lived in Zurich, and I can imagine it as a good place to kickstart this kind of initiate.

2 Likes
#2

Thank you for posting this idea. I think it is close in spirit to Encointer.

While I could imagine to combine Encointer with a local&smallbiz loyalty programme ( it kind if has this component already), I’m concerned that fungible loyalty points would lead to a dynamic where some businesses will be net issuers and others will be net collectors of these loyalty points, the latter paying the price for the increased turnover of the former.

#3

Thank you for the idea and the concerns. I think Encointer has this component already. We might be able to test it as a value proposition pitch for businesses joining the local ecosystems. Thank you for this suggestion.

#4

I don’t want to criticize or disrespect the project. Its more to provide my point of view as someone attracted to this kind of initiative, even consider myself candidate to help promote a local community.

If I visit Encointer.org now. I see the following calls to action:

  • Join/Start a community
  • Install the APP
  • Participate in Ceremonies

I feel the project it is putting a lot of responsibility and tasks on individual participants for too theoretical/distant goals: own autonomous currency, for example.

I see the part of “stimulate the local economy” as the key to traction and call to action.

Small Businesses are mainly local people too, and they are vested and struggling, they should have a co-driving role in the community.

“loyalty program” is a current mental model that unites both forces. I don’t think long term goals are bad, but complementary. doesn’t need to be called loyalty program perhaps “entointer local regulars” or something.

when I compare to for example “attend a ceremony”, that sounds too alternative to promote, almost like asking to join a cult. Meet up could be a better term. Actually internations.org cames to mind as a project that has been very successful in creating local communities (of expats) with a purpose too.

getting local businesses to sponsor or participate in those meet ups would also be beneficial, they would host while promoting their business and getting locals to know them better.

At end end of the day in a not very long distant dystopian future it will be only Amazon and Starbucks to spend encointer points at. That makes this kind of project unattractive at the other end.

My feedback is strong about giving more participation, responsibility and power to local businesses.

I envision encointer.org as site targeting equally two audiences: locals and local businesses:

For Locals:

  • protect local’s favorites small shops and businesses
  • be rewarded as a regular
  • JOIN encointer

For Small Business:

  • protect your business from big chains
  • reward local regulars
  • team up with other local business
  • JOIN encointer

Of course, long term purpose remains intact, it is more a go-to strategy.

As said this is only feedback, feel completely free to discard it :slight_smile: