Q Mag by Qoin

May 2021

mag

Be part of where the world is going

What is Qoin and how does it work?

Qoin injects new life into retro touring

Top tips on using Qoin

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Welcome to Q Mag I

t is with great pride that we report that since launching last year Qoin has welcomed more than 36,000 validated merchants and 73,000 wallet holders into the utility coin ecosystem.

The more businesses that join the Qoin community, the more everyone benefits, providing a vital boost to local economies. In this publication, our team talks to some of our most active merchants about their experiences with Qoin; provide you with some tips on how to get the most out of Qoin; and offer you some insight into the Q Shop, Qoin Digital News, the work that One Light Charity Foundation does, and highlights some of Qoin’s community ventures.

This level of uptake provides us with confidence that we are well on the way to achieving true belief in the purchasing power of Qoin. The mission has always been to enable a global commercial digital currency that empowers millions of sellers to trade their everyday goods and services with buyers around the world.

In closing it is extremely important to us that each of our Qoin masters, agents, merchants and all our consumers understand what the Qoin community is all about, and the value that they bring to the ecosystem.

Supporting small business is the cornerstone of Qoin. The Qoin model stands apart from other digital currencies in that the purchasing power of Qoin becomes more powerful as the merchant ecosystem grows.

Enjoy the read!

Qoin. All rights reserved. General Advice Warning: This information is of a general nature and does not take your specific objectives, needs or financial situation into consideration. Before acting on this advice you should consider how appropriate it is having regard to your personal circumstances. You should also read the relevant combined FSG and PDS before making any financial decisions. Call 1300 228 274 for a copy

The Qoin world I see, is a global movement inspired and united by a common vision ‘To be the world’s most prosperous trading community’. I see a values driven community on a mission ‘To make Qoin the most widely accepted digital currency’ transforming traditional payment systems, boldly impacting an ecosystem of millions of buyers and sellers in pursuit of a noble cause – prosperity for all. I see a community that refuses to be content with the status quo, passionately championing the cause of local merchants everywhere; encouraging them to be the best they can be. A community that dreams on a global scale, yet is personal enough for every ONE to find their place. I see a community whose servant hearted leadership is unified in their commitment to our movement knowing ‘what they are part of is bigger than the part they play’ and who always strives to do the right thing by each other ensuring a healthy vibrant Qoin economy. I see a community actively building relationships with a heart that beckons ‘Qoin Welcome Here’ to all that walk through their doors. I am Qoin!

CONTENTS 05

06-07 THE QOIN JOURNEY AND QOINVILLE

FANTASTIC AUSSIE TOURS

16-17 THE INSPIRATIONAL JOHAAN KAA

18-19

10 MYLKING IT WITH QOIN

MELBOURNE FLOATATION HOUSE

INDIGIEARTH: NATIVE AUSSIE FLAVOUR

Q SHOP: A NEW WAY TO BUY AND SELL

COSTUME CREATIONS BY ROBIN

TRAINING / EDUCATION PHOTOGRAPHER IN THE SPOTLIGHT

KRAKPOT LUCK

A KOMBI BUILT WITH QOIN

MEERKATS FIND A NEW HOME / ONE LIGHT CHARITY

SET SAIL FOR THE FUTURE

RELAX WITH CONFIDENCE

QOIN SUPPORT FOR WILDLIFE HOSPITAL

Visit the Qoin.world website

What is Qoin? What makes Qoin different?

Qoin’s unique benefits

oin aims to help business owners use their spare capacity to maximise their earnings potential.

Qoin is one of few digital currencies that can be used to purchase real, everyday goods and services online from participating merchants.

Small business owners account for just 6% of the world’s population, but over 90% of the world’s businesses. However, as much we may want to shop local and support our small businesses, many simply don’t have the resources that their larger, corporate competitors enjoy. Small businesses find it more difficult to offer rewards programs and marketing, which big businesses can use to move spare capacity and maximise revenue on their inventory and service investments.

Qoin is based on the Quorum Blockchain, developed with JP Morgan and Microsoft to deliver faster, simpler transactions than most other digital currencies, with all the security afforded by scalable blockchain technologies.

Open your business to the future Your business is all about connecting with consumers. Qoin opens new doors for buyers and sellers alike to move spare capacity with a digital currency that has the potential to grow, lifting the revenue potential for everyone in the community. Usher your business into the future. Get started with Qoin today.

Meanwhile, most digital currencies remain volatile and can seem untrustworthy, as they are not backed by any central authority or commodity. The decentralised nature of these digital currencies makes them immune from interference, but the lack of regulatory control keeps many business owners sceptical of their potential to improve cash flow.

For more general information, go to www.qoin.world For technical information refer to the Qoin White Paper located on www.qoin.world

The Qoin model stands apart from other digital currencies in that the purchasing power of Qoin becomes more powerful as the merchant ecosystem grows. The more businesses that join the Qoin community, the more everyone benefits, providing a vital boost to local economies. Qoin is represented by the goods and services of participating businesses within the ecosystem.

How it works • Qoin offers businesses and consumers the opportunity to transact on a day-to-day basis or accumulate digital assets for potential future growth. • Merchants turn their idle capacity into a digital asset which is then purchased by consumers in a zero-fee, touch-free environment.

With more than 36,000 validated merchants in Qoin, the result is an ecosystem where digital currency works more favourably for business owners and creates a digital currency tailor-made to sustain cashflow and make the most of their downtime. Qoin enables them to do both while offering a payment method to their customers that is fast, secure, and virtually contactless.

• Through a directory-based Qoin wallet, consumers can search, contact, and transact with their favourite merchants in-store and online. • To get started download the wallet through Apple or Google Play.

Float your way to wellness I

a proactive way of looking after our health as opposed to a reactive one.

t was a career-ending back injury that floated the idea of a wellness centre business for Kerry and Scott Thurrowgood, but the initial appeal was driven by a need for pain relief.

“Our float is the equivalent of four hours of meditation in terms of the positive effects it has on the brain.

At the age of 40, after 23 years as a roofer, Scott was told that he would never work on another roof again.

“We’ve got a lot of clients that struggle with anxiety and depression, and they come in weekly, or people with PTSD, we have a lot of people who come in that are in the services – the police and ambulance – they use our centre as part of their mental health plans,” she adds.

“That was obviously really challenging with four kids, a mortgage and the rest of it,” says Scott’s wife Kerry, who had been a personal trainer for the 10 years prior to the diagnosis. “The pain he was suffering was so bad that he couldn’t even put his shoes on, so we started to look for things that were going to help him with his pain management,” she explains. The pair started off exploring infrared saunas, that was until someone suggested float therapy.

You definitely haven’t missed the boat, as more and more people get used to using digital currencies it’s going to be the norm.”

“Scott went and had a float and had a whole hour of no pain, which was lifechanging,” adds Kerry, saying they also tried cryotherapy. “We were travelling all around Melbourne [for the treatments], then one day we were sitting at the kitchen table saying it would be really nice if the therapy centres were closer, and under the one roof.”

With Scott having undergone surgery and now in much less pain and with the business successfully riding out the Covid closures and recently celebrating three years in operation, the Thurrowgood’s decided it was time to join the growing Qoin merchant community. “It was just a no-brainer from our side of things,” admits Kerry, “we do have our times when we’ve got downtime … I’m really grateful we got on it when we did.”

Like so many other merchants in the Qoin ecosystem, the management team at Melbourne Float House saw the utility currency as ‘the new frontier’, and one that ‘makes a huge amount of sense’. “In terms of our business, we’ve used Qoin to get our brochures done and we’ve had signage done too, and then personally, we bought a caravan using it and got some rendering work done on our house as well,” Kerry notes.

The following February, the Melbourne Float House threw open its doors, and according to Kerry their centre is now the largest of its kind in Australia. “We did a huge amount of research in terms of looking into what the treatments were, we work hand-in-hand with physiotherapists and have a lot of physios and doctors who refer to us.”

And, she has some sound advice for anyone who may be considering joining the community. “You definitely haven’t missed the boat, as more and more people get used to using digital currencies it’s going to be the norm.”

For those who have never tried floating, infrared saunas or cryotherapy, all these therapies, Kerry will tell you, are

The Qoin journey The very early days

n August 5, 2019, a new mission was launched by a duo who had been brought together purely by fate.

Having worked together at Bartercard International for many years, Tony Wiese and Raj Pathak (right) had a deep understanding of digital currencies as well as small business, and their new mission was Qoin. The concept was to develop a global digital currency that would be widely accepted by businesses and their customers around the world, starting in Australia then moving into New Zealand. The vision was to create the world’s most prosperous trading community. On January 20, 2020, Qoin was minted on the Qoin Blockchain for the first time as a digital currency for everyday payments.

Growing fast In October 2020, the much-anticipated Q Shop was launched. It is an online store that allows the merchant community a central spot to promote their products and services to the Qoin community, one that has grown above 20,000.

Mark Atkinson and Wiehan Venter, the two engineers leading the Qoin project’s technology team, visited New York on December 26, 2020, to meet with the Quorum and JP Morgan Chase teams who developed the platform underlying the Qoin Blockchain. These teams had been collaborating to ensure a successful launch of the blockchain.

Mark Ferszt was appointed to manage the quality and user experience of the merchant directory while Peter Fenton and his 45-strong field trading team was commissioned to assist the Qoin merchants with trading induction calls.

The first Qoin sales masters, Belinda Baker and Ange Ryan, Bill Meywes, Darryl Toreaux and Scott Griffiths were trained by Mike Caladine. These masters would go on to recruit a successful sales force who registered thousands of new merchants into the ecosystem.

New Zealand opened to Qoin in November 2020 by Paul Hebbink and the first Sales Masters Tony Brooks, Steve Roberts, Mark Wikström, Rick Buissink and Ruka Te Moana.

On February 14, 2020, the Qoin wallet was launched, it was connected to the blockchain and the first Qoin payment was transacted. Justine Oakhill established a support team with new systems – Maree St. Clair created the administration systems whilst Steve Quinn, Perry Jenks, and Daniel O’Reilly oversaw the minting and funding of merchant processes.

On December 11, 2020, the first Qoin was listed on the Block Trade Exchange (BTX) in Australia. Since then, over $20 million in Qoin had been traded for cash. At the end of 2020, the community had grown to 48,000. In February this year, we launched the Qoin Digital Network. Bill Key, Andrew Barker, Mel Anthony and a host of special guests have been keeping the Qoin community informed, entertained and up with all the latest happenings every week on our Qoin YouTube channel.

At the end of March Covid-19 restrictions shut down most of Australia’s retail and small businesses which forced the Qoin project to reset, and all training and communications shifted to Zoom.

During the first quarter of 2021 the focus has been on the advancement of the technology and management systems, quality of the merchant directory, and regulatory approvals for the new countries.

A new set of experienced sales masters were trained following the worst of Covid-19. Michael Starr, Shane Anderson, Dempsey Nutley, Allan and Lari Hilzinger, Jodi Brown and Nicole Conditsis, Matt Simpson, Brenda Homersham and Haydn Gerrard, Andrew Federowsky, Darin Adams, Deon Elliott, Ian Reilley and Erwin Brem, greatly expanded the ecosystem in the various cities across Australia.

Now at 73,000 in the community, the Qoin project is poised to embark on its international journey into the United Kingdom, Singapore, South Africa, Canada, Switzerland, and Brazil in the second half of 2021, taking Qoin to every continent in the world.

Welcome to Qoinville E

volution is the secret for the next step, Karl Lagerfield once said.

As a team, we have achieved so much in the first stage of the Qoin Journey. Whoever you are and whatever you do, we have all played a part in building the foundation of the Qoin community. And now it is time for the next step … to build our community a home. Qoinville is a place of fun, prosperity, but, most importantly, a place that gives a sense of belonging for the whole community. Launching soon, Qoinville will evolve over the coming years in stages, offering opportunities and activities that reflect on the core vision. From education and learnings to exclusive events, unique shopping opportunities only available within the Qoinville Marketplace, and incentive programs to grow the community and the prosperity of all. You will soon meet the characters of Qoinville that will grow our merchant and consumer base and take our Qoin … to the world.

Spotlight on Qoin A

s Qoin expands, the company continues to increase its community partnerships. Not only has Qoin put its support behind elite sporting teams like the Queensland Reds – the 2021 Super Rugby AU champions – and the ACT Brumbies (2021 runnersup) with their logo across the rump of each of the club’s playing kit, it also threw its support behind NRL first grade outfits the Wests Tigers and the Manly Sea Eagles. And in AFL, the West Coast Eagles are proudly supported by Qoin.

the partnership has provided plenty of branding opportunities. The Super Rugby AU Final saw 41,000 fans at Suncorp Stadium and 207,000 people on TV watch the two Qoin sponsored teams do battle. In addition to this the Qoin branding was clearly evident in the highlights packages run across multiple media channels’ news coverage across that weekend. This coverage is a good example of the power of strategic sponsorship to achieve brand awareness. When you add in our Qoin Toss for home games we also received great fan interaction with the Qoin brand throughout the season.

Across the ditch, the Super Rugby Aotearoa runners up, The Chiefs are backed by Qoin and

The company sponsored, nationally, the Qoin Small Business Achiever Award in this year’s 7NEWS Young Achiever Awards along with the recent B2B Expo in Melbourne. It teamed up with District32 in Perth, also Tixstar in Melbourne as business networking events, and Qoin is once again the naming rights sponsor of the annual Small Business Expos in Southeast Queensland. Qoin also sponsored the pole predictor and recieved branding throughout the 2020 Supercars Pro E-series.

Clip go the wheels

here is no missing this bus … as you can see it is not only a ‘genuine piece of Australian history’ but also a sweet ride.

“Today, we’ve got a fleet of coaches, which do local charter work for us and tours around Australia, the 1947 Clipper, and Whispering Pines, our holiday cottages.”

Originally imported from the Flxible Company in the United States in 1947, this beauty’s arrival in Australia represented a new era in coach travel.

Covid forced the Fantastic management team, like so many others around the world, to consider some changes to the business to remain viable, and with devastating bushfires thrown into the mix John and Darrell were looking at every opportunity for new business. This is where Qoin came in.

Today, ‘Yooralla’ screams retro and can be hired as a means of luxury transport, for meetings on the go, or as a unique space for special events like the annual races in the NSW town of Parkes. “My business partner Darrell Booth has been involved with Clippers for a long time,” Fantastic Aussie Tours’ managing director Jason Cronshaw tells us. “Darrell has bought and sold a couple of them personally, he fully-renovated Scarlet Rose [which the company recently sold-off] and is involved with an organisation called the Clipper Club of Australia.”

After having it explained to us by our agent it was a no-brainer to jump on board and become involved

“After having it explained to us by our agent Lucy it was a no-brainer to jump on board and become involved,” says Jason. “Really, we just put everything into it, almost straight away we got inquiries for the cottages, we’ve had a number of bookings for them. We’ve also had a number of booking for our Explorer Bus.

“I guess for us, as a business, one of the two elements for us was looking at the savings of the transactional costs of the traditional banking system and credit card fees. The cost of our credit merchant fees alone is about $90,000 a year.”

Older than the company itself, Yooralla can seat up to 29 people and boasts original fittings throughout – it’s a Clipper Classic that just gets better with age. It is the company’s point of difference, but it is certainly not the only vehicle Fantastic has in the fleet it has been building for the past four, nearly five decades.

Born and bred in the Blue Mountains, Jason lives for his community and is keeping the dreams alive for his own children to take over the business some day. For now, though, his sights are set on expanding the fleet, boosting Qoin for his business, and venturing back out into the world of global tourism post-Covid.

“My mum and dad started the business in 1974, they were still teachers then and ran the first overnight excursion for a state school,” Jason admits.

Dressed for success W

hether working with film and television production executives, teaching special effects make-up skills to creatives, or glamming up clients for balls, after 30 years in the costume game Robin Worship has earnt his billing as a class act. Robin, below, is a certified pattern maker, a qualified

“Since relocating from the Gold Coast to the Sunshine Coast, I’ve been receiving a lot of enquiries for my custom costumes – we’ve recently moved to a larger premise, three times the size of our original storefront,” Robin tells us. “Under the banner of Costume Creations By Robin, we’re now operating several successful businesses, including an entertainment agency called Stage Box, which offers murder mystery parties and caters for corporate functions by providing performers, actors, singers and dancers.”

hairdresser and he formerly ran the entertainment departments of Movie World and Aussie World on the Gold and Sunshine coasts, respectively.

According to Robin he and Mark have recently opened a dedicated Drag Emporium, which is proving hugely successful.

His highly sought-after creations include mascots, custom costumes and wardrobe design with his clients spanning everything from city councils, government departments, sports clubs and associations, entertainment venues, shopping centres, television networks, films, and theatres.

“We have a very loyal Drag community and it’s our pleasure to custom design outfits that, well, fit. They are custom designed to suit your shape and size and we also have all the accessories you’ll ever need.” Trading in Qoin was a step in the right direction for the creative pair.

Robin’s business partner Mark Williams-Worship attends to the day-to-day management of the business. He is responsible for keeping an eye on what is trending in costume couture and getting the word out about any unique branding opportunities.

“We’re willing to try anything that will better our business and help us acquire more customers,” Robin admits.

Their Costume Creations By Robin storefront in Bells Creek, Caloundra West on the Queensland Sunshine Coast, is now accepting payment in Qoin.

“It’s my hope that it’ll be embraced by the industry and other companies will also see the benefit of Qoin and take it on.”

Mylking it with Qoin

what Qoin can do and the benefits it can bring to his business.

hat started out as an alternative to peanut butter has evolved into a unique market offering of 100 per cent nut and seed milk concentrate products. Hayden Booker started his Vigor & Vitality business seven years ago in Rotorua and it’s changing milk-drinking habits for the better with stockists all over New Zealand including major supermarket retailers.

He already had a good knowledge of digital currencies and felt Qoin was a good fit for VV Mylk.

I am excited to be part of something in its infancy here in New Zealand, to be able to watch it grow and succeed,

Using an ancient method of stone grinding the end product is something special preserving the flavour and nutrients for maximised quality and health benefits. These nut and seed concentrates can be used as a substitute for all other milks and can be used on their own, over breakfast cereal, in baking, coffee and cooking.

“I can really see the potential in Qoin and how unique it is which is why I’m determined to make it work for me and my business,” says Hayden. “I’m looking forward to getting set up as a merchant so I can start to take Qoin and make payments using it!”

“People are becoming more financially savvy and health conscious so I have no doubt that being a part of the Qoin community will bring a whole new customer base and create even more interest for VV Mylk. “I am excited to be part of something in its infancy here in New Zealand, to be able to watch it grow and succeed, and I have already recommended other local businesses get involved.”

Hayden was introduced to Qoin recently via his agent who already knew the family, and he is excited about

Qoin Digital Network: Keeping you up to date Each week for the past three months, real Qoin staff – Andrew Barker, Mel Anthony, Bill Key, and Peter Fenton along with some great guest presenters, bring you the latest in Qoin communication, including updates, news, entertainment, and answer some of the most frequently asked questions within our community. QDN is hosted on our YouTube channel and you can watch each episode by scanning the QR code featured here.

“It’s something I had wanted to do but hadn’t, so I just bit the bullet and actually backed myself [for once] … funny thing is, I hadn’t even made a pot when I decided to go into business.” Backing herself has paid off, she now has her own KrakPots online store and is getting good traction from the markets she has stalls at – these include Eumundi, Redcliffe, and the Maleny Handmade Markets. “Probably the biggest coup for me though is being accepted into the Queensland Garden Expo on the 9th, 10th and 11th of July [in Nambour],” Suzanne says. Further to this, KrakPots recently started trading as a Qoin merchant and the business has had an ‘awful lot of interaction through it’. “I wasn’t a complete stranger to it, I have a girlfriend who investigated it, so I’d heard her talk about it a lot and

The exposure would give me a client base that I wouldn’t normally have and it’s working really, really well

KrackPot luck

I knew about Bartercard,” she notes.

The KrakPots are priced between $10 and $50 depending on the size and can be purchased on the online store (www.krakpots.com.au); at various markets; and through stockists in Bundaberg, Maleny, Buderim and Kallangur.

“I probably signed up a month or so ago, thinking that the exposure would give me a client base that I wouldn’t normally have and it’s working really, really well.”

ot luck, that is the best way to describe Suzanne Hitchen’s foray into the world of gardening.

After losing her job last June and making the move from Bundaberg to Maleny in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland to take up another role, Suzanne, a chalk paint enthusiast, stumbled across a material called hypertufa that piqued her interest. “I was looking for a recipe for wax and this material popped up out of nowhere and just really intrigued me, so I just started watching YouTube video after YouTube video,” she tells us. Hypertufa is a stone-like substance originally created as a substitute for natural Tufa (a slowly precipitated limestone rock). It is made from aggregates like peat moss and vermiculite or perlite, which are bonded together with cement. According to Suzanne, when compared with concrete or stone pots, Hypertufa pots weigh considerably less, making them a friendly and more organic alternative. Not wanting to waste another minute in a job she wasn’t enjoying, she threw caution to the wind, tossing in her fulltime job in and launched herself ‘headfirst’ into her own bespoke garden pot business she aptly named KrakPots.

Meerkats find new home Qoin’s charity partner One Light Charity Foundation has been busy helping the community and giving back to those who are doing it tough for more than 10 years now. But, it’s not just humans that are the beneficiaries of their goodwill. Two meerkats now have a brand new home thanks to the generosity of One Light Charity Foundation.

ambi Wildlife retreat has some new ‘retirees’, Jasmine and Daisy.

The super cute pair were relocated to their new forever home in Western Sydney from an Australian zoo earlier this month, and from all accounts, they are loving their new enclosure. “They had been picked on by others in the group, this often happens and many times the animals need to be separated because of the injuries and then can’t be returned [due to the tightness of the unit they came from],” says Donna Wilson, Zambi’s director/operations manager. “The pair get on really well and we feel they are enjoying having the complete run of their new home.” The 50-acre retreat the girls [dubbed the Qoincats] have joined is on the old Bullen Animal World site, the family-friendly theme park that attracted its fair share of visitors between 1968 and 1985. Thanks to the efforts of Donna and her team – Traci Griffiths, a long-time volunteer, fundraiser, animal rights activist and animal Reiki practitioner; and renowned Aussie vet Dr Rob Zammit, who has dedicated his life to caring for animals and teaching others – the site is now something of a retirement village for animals from the zoo, circus, and entertainment industries. Funded mostly by donations and run by volunteers, the nine-year-old retreat currently costs about $8,000 a week to operate with 100 per cent of the proceeds going to maintaining and developing the site. The latest additions to the 100-strong animal family that includes lions, tigers, dingoes, reptiles, birds, and horses, wouldn’t have a safe forever home if it wasn’t for the generosity of entities like One Light Charity Foundation

who have assisted Donna and her team in building Jasmine and Daisy’s spacious new enclosure. “The love and kindness that has been shown from corporates such as One Light Charity Foundation has been amazing, it hasn’t just been a one-off donation either, but an offer of continued support,” notes Donna, who has dedicated her life to working with big cats and is known affectionately as ‘Mother of Lions’. “The meerkat enclosure was purposely built with the animals’ behaviour in mind. It has so much to explore and lots of digging and hiding places as well as height points for lookouts,” Donna adds. While Zambi is not open for public walk-ins, it does offer visits by appointment and has attracted high-profile visitors of late, including Hollywood superstar Chris Hemsworth. If you would like to donate, volunteer or sponsor one of the beautiful animals at Zambi Wildlife Retreat, go to zambiwildlifefoundation.org/donations

Relax with confidence T

features wire-free breast support.

he adage that confidence and comfort is everything certainly rings true for Central Coast entrepreneur Belinda Jane Keehn. The fashion enthusiast (right) who has worked in the industry since she was just 15, launched her sustainable pyjama and loungewear line BJ’s PJs in 2018 with the view to inspiring women and assisting them in their efforts to feel more body confident. Think flattering designs that highlight your best assets, have a relaxed fit where needed most, less cling and more sex appeal. “I am passionate about producing ethical and sustainable, skin-friendly and Australian-made products,” Belinda says. “Regardless of your shape and size, you can experience freedom of movement and built-in breast support to keep the girls firmly in place with styles, that although simple, are super flattering and fun to wear.” Manufactured from premium organic fabrics with zero harmful chemicals, dyes, or toxins, BJ’s PJs offers a range of dresses, tops, pants, shorts, and maternity wear, including the iconic best-selling Adele dress, which

“I personally despise underwires, especially when I’m lounging around. I wanted to create products that are not only comfortable, but also provide support, discretion and confidence,” adds Belinda. Since launching three years ago, BJ’s PJs has turned plenty of heads, taking out numerous awards including Women with Altitude’s Best Eco-Ethical Women’s Loungewear Brand of 2020; AusMumpreneur Fashion Business Excellence Award 2020; and the international Parent and Baby Award for Best Eco-Ethical Women’s Loungewear Brand for 2020. With the future very much top of mind, Belinda has recently joined Qoin because she’s a believer that if you snooze, you lose. “Digital currency is on its way. When I heard about Qoin, I knew I needed to get with the program and integrate digital payments into my e-commerce business,” she tells us. “There is nothing to lose by joining Qoin, plus the fact that it’s an Australian owned and operated company, which aligns with my brand’s values.”

Tucking into native Australian flavours I

t was a yearning to share the cultural and spiritual connection traditional bush tucker has offered her that prompted Sharon Winsor to develop a range of quality native products. As a youngster growing up in the western NSW town of Mudgee, Sharon (below), a proud Ngemba Weilwan woman, spent much of her spare time collecting bush fruits and catching yabbies. It was this pastime that she says fuelled her passion for sharing Aboriginal food in its purest form with others. In 1996 she began a career in catering, serving Western Sydney with a taste of the Outback whilst developing and testing innovative ready-to-use natural products. During this time, she found it increasingly difficult to source native ingredients, so after much research and a good dose of passion, in 2012 she launched Indigiearth – a decade on, the 100 per cent Aboriginal owned and established business is turning the bush tucker it gathers into gourmet offerings. “Indigiearth takes 60,000 years of my culture and heritage and packages it into products that people can

enjoy in their home every day,” Sharon says proudly. Wild harvesting where possible, Indigiearth’s raw native fruits, produce and materials are purchased from Aboriginal communities across the country ensuring that employment, income, and education remain within the community. “Our retail products range from confectionary, native loose-leaf teas and, chutneys to skincare products, showcasing the health and wellbeing benefits of native ingredients.” One of the standout products in her range is Kakadu Plum Superfood Powder. “Kakadu plum is a native fruit containing the highest vitamin C content in the world. One Kakadu plum is equivalent to 80 oranges,” Sharon explains. Indigiearth also offers the Warakirri Dining experience, turning her humble bush tucker cafe by day into an intimate cultural and dining experience, including fivecourse degustation, for groups of up to 16 guests by night. With interest in the business ever-increasing, its owner, also an accomplished Aboriginal performer, decided it was time to add a new forward-thinking flavour to the operation, digital currency. “I’m glad that I jumped on board and have taken advantage of Qoin. The way that it was presented to me helped me to understand how it works and how it can benefit my business,” she tells us. “The network that Qoin has is quite amazing… there’s a whole network to market to. We’ve been accepting Qoin for three months now and it’s been going quite well. I’m impressed by how many people do use Qoin.” It’s a step in the right direction for Indigiearth, which has become much more than just a business to Sharon. “It’s my healing, my passion and runs deep within my soul.”

A new way to buy and sell Q

Shop is the Qoin community’s dynamic marketplace. The store’s virtual shelves are packed with products and services and welcomes businesses that trade digital currency for goods and services.

of last year. As this new business process developed, it evolved into Stage 6 of the merchant journey and the implementation of new business listings being published after they had been through the company quality assurance process.

Mark Ferszt is the man with the Q Shop plan. In his role as product manager it is his job to drive the use of Qoin on the platform. Initially though, Mark has been finetuning business listing guidelines, quality assurance processes, and developing a framework for the acquisition of new merchants.

Updates

Mark and his team are actively promoting products and services across Qoin’s various distribution touchpoints, including electronic newsletters and social media. The team includes digital product executives who liaise with merchants and users and help keep the Q Shop shelves stocked. They also help manage the listings and identify and develop content for promotion.

More recently the Tech team successfully deployed Q Shop version 1.1 as well as completing a server upgrade last week.

It is critical for user experience that merchants maintain their business listing’s description to be an accurate reflection of what they are prepared to sell on Qoin as well as ensuring contact details, business hours and other necessary details are up to date

Meanwhile, product development executives focus on trading support for Q Shop merchants, enhancing the merchant user experience, education, and strategic placement of key merchants to assist them in trading with other users.

–Mark Ferszt

The improvements are mobilecentric, with visible highlights including an updated interface to create a new look and feel for merchant business listings, products and services, as well as re-designed filter icons and search bars. Now, up to 50 listing images are loaded per search versus the previous 100 which has improved the load speed time. A lag-loading feature has also been enabled to assist with search speed. A new report button has proved to be an excellent tool for users within the community to let us know about business listings where the contact details or description needs updating or where a business may have closed or changed hands.

Qoin Alley The team at Q Shop is excited to be involved with the ‘Qoin Alley’ initiative being rolled out as part of seven small business expos to be held across Southeast Queensland from May until the end of the year.

Three mystery shoppers round out the team, each tasked with contacting those who listed last year to determine if they are still accepting Qoin.

These events are exciting as they represent some of the first occasions globally where multiple merchants will sell their goods and services for digital currency payments in an expo or trade show type environment.

Merchant Welcome In early 2021, the team introduced a merchant welcome call into the mix. This is a call to all merchants within the first 14 days of them reaching Stage 5 and allows them additional support to the validation calls being conducted under Qoin’s AFSL obligations.

The small business expos are currently held in Queensland with plans to move interstate later this year, with events in Moreton Bay, Redlands, Brisbane West, Toowoomba, Brisbane and two events on Gold Coast. You can find the dates and times of future event at the Small Business Expo website.

The welcome call replaced the initial 90-day foundation calls that were conducted in the second half

No hands, no feet, no excuses

ou’ve got 48 hours to get a funeral organised. Words like these would be enough to bring most of us to our knees, but such is the strength of the woman they were directed at and her battler of a husband, that today that distressing comment rates as just an unsubstantiated memory. “They thought I was going to die,” says Johaan Kaa. “They said I died on the way to the hospital, and that’s where I spent the next six months.” Kaa, who moved his family from New Zealand to Brisbane in 2009 after learning that his mother [who was based in Sydney] had been diagnosed with cancer, was a purchasing consultant at a beverage company, a loving husband, and father-of-three with a keen passion for golf. Five years later the ‘rug was pulled out from underneath them’. It was a Friday morning like most others, Johaan left for work as usual ... but he didn’t make it home for six months. He a very different man, a bilateral amputee. The ‘man flu’ he thought he’d been battling was in fact meningococcal, and while it didn’t claim his life as the medics expected it might, it claimed his hands and feet, along with the family home. “We didn’t have health insurance, so it was a huge strain financially, and we had to move into community housing. Phillipa and the kids did all of that while I was in hospital,” he says, paying tribute to the Queensland Government who he says really came to the fore for his young family during that period. As we chat, I watch in awe as this inspiring man uses his residual limbs to lift his mochaccino to his lips, then proceeds to search his mobile phone with his compromised upper limbs for some images he’s keen to share with me of that time. “There are lots of things that I can’t do now, and I have accepted that,” he adds, Phillipa right there by his side nodding in agreeance. Despite the challenges, Johaan was able to hold his kids’ (pictured bottom right) hands to walk them to school after raising enough funds for a bionic hand. He has had his van modified to allow him to drive himself around and drop and pick up the kids from school, but the freest Johaan has felt since being struck down by the nasty blood infection was on a trip to Sydney shortly after his release. “When I got out of hospital I just wanted to go and party and have fun [with my travel club]. Jumping inside a helicopter and flying around Sydney was an experience for both of us, yeah, just getting out of my wheelchair and just diving in.” Today, Johaan is so intent on using his experience to

He had only just got his Qoin wallet the week before I showed up, so we did quite a sizeable transaction through it - it was good for both of us assist others, and aside from his property and finance interest, he spends much of his time visiting schools, working with the PCYC and Blue Light, doing the motivational speaking rounds, and helping adults to overcome their struggles, big or small. “It is hard to make a business out of doing things for free though,” the Alexandria Hills resident notes. “Redcliffe High School have started to pay me though, which is awesome.” Prior to the family’s move across the ditch all those years ago, Johaan was the boss of his own cleaning business, but he always had an interest in finance and loved the property game, so when he was approached by a friend about the benefits of digital currency and how it might work for him, it didn’t take much convincing, the Kaa’s were sold on it, and quickly. “I love the digital space and thought ‘what have I got to lose?’,” says Johaan. “Since joining Qoin last May, as a family we have been able to take a holiday to Noosa on Qoin. We spent a weekend up there together, did a bit of shopping, and got a couple of computers for the business, all without using cash out of the pocket.” Now in his late-50s, Johaan also undertook a course at Roy McDonald’s OneLife, a company the self-made millionaire set-up to transform the lives of everyday Aussies. “He had only just got his Qoin wallet the week before I showed up, so we did quite a sizeable transaction through it – it was good for both of us,” Johaan admits proudly. With no plans to slow down when it comes to utilising Qoin and his sights firmly set on expanding his connections in the ever-expanding network that currently boasts more than 36,000 merchants, Johaan has a multi-pronged business focus – increase his online presence, look in to developing a charity and perhaps most importantly, provide people with a light at the end of the tunnel and help them love life and believe again. He lives by the motto, ‘No hands, no feet, no excuses’ and it is evident when you meet Johaan that nothing can get in the way of this inspirational man. “I give hope and share my strategies, techniques and products – this can potentially turn negative thinking on its head, inside out and into positive results quickly.”

Training and education

Knowledge is everything

How to back up your wallet

Training is an important aspect of Qoin.

Remember to back up your wallet. It’s vitally important to keep your Qoin wallet secure so no-one else can access it and so you can recover your wallet if you lose your phone or upgrade to a new device.

We all know that people are at the heart of our community and over the past 12 months we have trained over 200 people from all areas across Australia and New Zealand. Our largest training group, in December 2020, resulted in 58 agents successfully completing the agent accreditation course.

To secure your wallet, make sure you are connected to the internet. You can simply go into settings on your wallet, select ‘Back up this Wallet’ and follow the prompt. Don’t forget to write down your Seed Phrase and have it ready for confirmation before finalising the back-up process. Select ‘Ok, I wrote this down’ and verify your seed phrase in the exact order you wrote it down and tap verify seed phrase. Select lock seed phrase to finalise and you have completed the back-up process and your wallet is now secure. But it is not only agents and masters being trained. As the Qoin community grows and more merchants join and more people download the Qoin Wallet, so too does the number of support roles grow. We currently have over 70 resources at Qoin HQ and an extra 100 plus in the BCQ team, located around Australia and New Zealand. We also have more than 200 masters and agents. Our team here at Qoin HQ are across Operations and Support, Technology, Sales, Q Shop, Marketing, Validation and Finance.

12 Word Seed Phrase: The Qoin Wallet has a three-stage secure back-up process. It is important to back up your Wallet and write down your unique 12-word Seed Phrase and store it offline in at least three different secure places. If you do not store your seed phrase safely and then change or lose your mobile device, you risk losing access to your Qoin. Qoin is not able to reset or transfer any funds if your Seed Phrase is lost. Your seed phrase is your ultimate security, and it is your responsibility to look after it. Your agent or Qoin Support can provide you with a ‘Seed Phrase Record Sheet’ to help you.

Everyone takes part in a comprehensive training process focusing on compliance, merchant registration process, wallet overview, administration process, brand guidelines, and company culture.

Scan the QR code to watch the how to videos

Q Tips to improve your business Our training is also intended to educate merchants on how to make the most of their Qoin experience. Peter Fenton is presenting a series of training videos specifically designed to teach merchants how to trade responsibly and master the world of Qoin. You can access the ‘How to Trade’ series through the help button in the Qoin Wallet. The series will continue to grow with episodes being added regularly to help everybody make the most of their Qoin experience. They will include how to best manage sales, ideas on spending Qoin, and Q Shop listing tips. Each episode will help strengthen your overall business and lifestyle with fundamentals and creative strategies to be used every day.

Scan the QR code to watch the How to Trade Series

oin is a digital currency designed for everyday payments. It enables some businesses to attract new customers who can spend their Qoin with you. Take the time to learn how to use Qoin in your business to its best ability.

and then sells for cash within the restaurant. A beauty salon buys skincare products and on-sells within the salon. A sporting club buys prizes using Qoin and then raffles them for cash.

Cost of Qoin and Purchasing Discount

We know that every time a Qoin merchant provides a service or product of great quality to other Qoin users, the satisfied customer is likely to recommend the business to other people they know in the cash economy. Make sure you give Qoin users the very best service. Ask other Qoin users if they know anyone that they could recommend as future customers. Think about offering something special to all Qoin customers for doing business with you. Therefore, by simply providing great service and products to the Qoin Community, you’ll be able to gain referrals to new cash customers.

Gain Cash Customer Referrals

The true essence and power of Qoin is the ‘purchasing power’ of your product. It is important to know what it costs you to earn Qoin in your business. When you purchase using Qoin, you are effectively spending with your idle capacity. Selling your goods and services to other Qoin users turns your idle capacity into a digital asset that can be spent with other participating Qoin merchants.

Gain More Customers As a merchant with Qoin you have an extra marketing arm for your business. Using Qoin you could gain more customers by promoting your business directly to the Qoin Community through Q Shop in your Wallet and on the official Qoin Facebook pages. Make sure you attend Qoin Webinars and Qoin Networking Events. This will increase your sales opportunities and enhance your business brand.

Improve Your Lifestyle Using Qoin You can choose to use Qoin to pay for a much-needed holiday, dining out, clothing, entertainment, gym memberships, massages, and many more lifestyle items. Consider setting up a second Qoin wallet for yourself so that you can draw Qoin from your main wallet. Set up wallets for your family members and have them spend Qoin.

Sell Excess Stock

Build Business Networks

To sell excess stock, a business will typically discount stock, run dealer promotions, or write it off. By using Qoin, you can sell excess stock at the normal selling price negating the need to reduce profit margins. You can promote your excess stock through Q Shop or hold an open day at your business for Qoin users and promote your goods at upcoming Qoin trade shows.

As Qoin is a community, there are many online, local, and national networking events that are designed to provide introductions for you. Through these new contacts trading is constantly being conducted, and additional new business is gained as a result of new connections. Attend Qoin events and open days at other businesses and contact businesses you can work with and introduce yourself by using the directory. Introduce other business owners customers and others you know to Qoin.

Cash Convert Your Qoin Buying goods and services using Qoin that can be on-sold within your business is a great way to turn Qoin into cash. A restaurant purchases wine through the Qoin Network

Photographer shoots her way into spotlight G

adopted digital currency as a trading stream, believing it is the way of the future.

race Shugg’s ‘snap’ decision to turn her attention to photography as a means of riding out the professional challenges she’s faced during the past 18 months is beginning to pay off. The self-made Gold Coast entrepreneur, a former model and Miss Australia Queensland State Finalist, and longtime fashion enthusiast may not have any formal training in photography, but her natural talent is obvious as she has already had her work featured in reputable glossy publications including Vogue Living Australia. “I didn’t study photography, I picked it up and played around with it, and learnt my skills by shooting friends and later, clients,” Grace admits.

“Qoin is another way for me to make money through my business, especially for recurring clients. I think they will be really interested in using Qoin. “I’m happy to accept Qoin and I’ve been using it to pay for everyday expenses, like groceries, instead of using cash. It’s been very useful for me.” Grace also loves the fact that she can go on holidays and take the currency with her to not only treat herself, but to go about discovering other businesses in the area accepting Qoin. “My hope is that I can bring in enough clients on Qoin to cover my living expenses and preserve my cash for necessities,” she adds.

It was the purchase online of a second-hand camera and some playing around with shooting her close friends that cemented her new direction. According to Grace if it weren’t for the global pandemic, she would not have picked up a camera, and that was the beginning of Grace Lily Visuals. Since launching her business last year, the photography enthusiast has already signed up an impressive number of clients in across the fashion and swimwear industries, including Currumbin company Lush Designs and Amara Swims, which is based in Tweed Heads. She also shoots interiors and weddings and has

With plenty of experience in front of the camera, her business goal is to eliminate the stereotypes the modelling industry so often portrays and to encourage everyone to give it a go in front of the camera – model or not, she says ‘everyone deserves to feel beautiful and express their individuality’. Her latest venture online is to offer a preset bundle that includes six professional Lightroom mobile offerings that she guarantees ‘will brighten up social media feeds and take your photos to the next-level’.

Swarming with Qoinbi potential I

t has been a hive of activity in the foothills of the Gold Coast Hinterland for a while now, and with a new passion project in full tilt Catarina Pereira’s home is well abuzz. Catarina and her husband run an Artisan Apiary/ Miuze Retreat in Mudgeeraba, and when they’re not caretaking their bees (below right) and extracting raw honey, they are making handmade wax candles. The pair also has a cute Airbnb cabin they let out as a secondary stream of income, and recently purchased an old Kombi on Qoin that they’re in the process of restoring to its former 1970’s style glory. “I’m from Portugal originally and I had a Kombi there … when I sold it, I was heartbroken,” Catarina admits. “I’ve been looking for another one, but it’s hard to take the money out of your household, especially with a mortgage and everything else we’ve got going on.” After a fruitful honey season and considering their growing interest in Qoin, Catarina convinced Jose to put some of their spare capacity into getting another Kombi and renovating it using full Qoin. The van they settled on was a 1978 pop-top, a relatively rare model, that they have aptly named ‘Qoinbi’ (top right). “It’s got a Porsche engine in it, so when we finish it will be a Porsche in a Kombi body,” a very proud Catarina tells us. The enterprising couple has already used Qoin to get keys cut, a tow truck, and they recently enlisted another merchant to quote on upholstery and roof work. Furniture and panel work are to come.

Not only has their ‘Qoinbi’ benefited from the digital currency, so too has the house, with the enterprising pair installing solar panels and getting the roof painted using it, but it was almost certainly a family holiday to Noosa that their two children, Melissa and Kai would have appreciated the most.

“I love the Qoin community, it feels like a real community,” says Catarina, noting that it has become a trading of information as much as goods and services. “We’ve met so many people and sold to so many people that we wouldn’t have met had we not been on Qoin.

Scan the QR code to watch the Qoinbi video

“So, we’ve got our normal business and work and then we’ve got this added layer that has just added to our lifestyle.”

Set sail for the future We are looking forward to having our new 160-metre MegaYacht berth open, where the public can also come down to visit and see these magnificent ocean racing yachts up close.

t is a Gold Coast event that has had the wind in its sails for 12 years and Sail Paradise is showing no signs of slowing down. Staged by the Southport Yacht Club and considered the region’s largest offshore regatta, it has just been announced that the 2022 instalment is to be sponsored by Qoin.

“The support from Qoin and our community has been exceptional, and I also applaud the Gold Coast City Council for sharing and supporting our vision for our City. “It is going to be an even bigger spectacular festival of bright coloured sails off our beaches this coming January, and we are all excited.”

The exciting partnership between these two forwardthinking organisations will bring together some of Australia’s top sailing yachts and crews over a four-day spectacle that will see skippers, crews, and interested spectators enjoy a good dose of coastal buzz.

Southport Yacht Club will host several celebratory off-water events throughout the regatta, including live entertainment, skippers’ and sponsors VIP events, and plenty more.

“We are excited about the regatta’s next chapter,” says Qoin’s National Sponsorship Executive, Michael Blackburn.

Qoin Sail Paradise 2022 is scheduled to run from January 3-6. Early bird registrations are now open at www.sailparadise.com.au.

“It has already proven to be a massive success over the last 12 years for the City of Gold Coast. And we are thrilled to continue our partnership with Southport Yacht Club and to take this major event to the next level.”

Scan the QR code to see the yachts in action

Southport Yacht Club’s GM, Brett James, agrees. “Qoin Sail Paradise 2022 is going to our biggest yet.

Currumbin Wildlife Hospital gets Qoin support I

“Just like an emergency room for people, wildlife come to us after a traumatic experience has happened. Our goal is to treat them as quickly as possible, stabilise them, rehabilitate them and return them to the wild,” notes Dr Pyne.

t may seem like a wild idea, but we are talking about a foundation that is expressly focussed on providing vital life-saving treatment to tens of thousands of animals every year. The Currumbin Wildlife Hospital Foundation has had a firm presence onsite at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary for more than 30 years and recently began accepting donations in Qoin.

“The work our team does here is extraordinary. They’ll do anything within their power to save animals from as small as five grams to as large as 100 kilograms.”

“Being less than 30 per cent government funded, we largely rely on public donations. Our goal this year is to raise $1.5 million to fund the hospital,” Dr Michael Pyne, Senior Vet Currumbin Wildlife Hospital Through Qoin, the told us. community can “We’ve partnered with Qoin to assist us in raising these vital funds.” The hospital provides all diagnosis and treatment services on-site, including X-rays, blood work, ultrasounds, other diagnostic tests, and of course, surgery as required.

support the work that we do and it’s kudos to Qoin that their business community is getting behind us

In addition to accepting digital currency for donations, the foundation is also offering behind-the-scenes tours, payable on Qoin. “Our behind-the-scenes tours cost $500 for four guests and include tickets to the sanctuary for the day and a onehour escorted tour of the hospital with a medical staff member … it’s truly a money-can’t-buy experience.” Since becoming a Qoin merchant the foundation has praised its success.

“We’ve always considered ourselves the community’s hospital. Through Qoin, the community can support the work that we do and it’s kudos to Qoin that their business community is getting behind us.”

Native wildlife can be dropped off to the facility seven days a week to the hospital by the public or the collaborative network of 200 wildlife carers. “In 2020, we saw just under 14,000 wildlife patients from 274 different species, making us one of the busiest wildlife hospitals in the world,” Dr Pyne adds.

To learn more about the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital Foundation, follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

“One-hundred percent of funds raised by the foundation goes directly to care for wildlife that come through the front doors and are returned to the wild.”

Scan the QR code to watch the video

The hospital also has two working ambulances and one full-time responder and vehicle.

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