The WNC Merchant Playbook

A complete guide to launching, managing, and growing your community token economy in Western North Carolina.

1

Create Your Tokens

Your token is the currency of your WNC community. When you create a token, you define its rules and value.

  • Name & Symbol: Choose something recognizable (e.g., "Haywood Road Coffee" → $BREW, or "South Slope Bikes" → $PEDAL).
  • Value: Decide how much value worth of tokens you want to create (e.g., $10,000 worth of tokens). This will cost you roughly $10.
  • Supply: You can issue tokens as needed (inflationary) or set a fixed cap (deflationary).
2

Issue to Customers

Get tokens into your customers' hands to start the WNC economy.

Rewards

Give tokens as cash-back on purchases (e.g., "Spend $50 at your Haywood Road shop, get $5 back in tokens").

Pre-sale

Sell tokens at a discount for upfront cash (e.g., "Buy $100 worth of tokens for $80"). Great for seasonal cash flow.

Vouchers

Give them out at WNC events, festivals, or farmers markets (e.g., "Here are $10 worth of tokens for your next visit").

3

Accept & Redeem

Closing the loop is key. Customers need places to spend their tokens across WNC.

When a customer pays with tokens, you simply scan their QR code app. The transaction acts just like a gift card redemption or a discount application in your POS.

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Advanced: WNC Network Effects

Accept Each Other's Tokens

The real power of Coupling WNC unlocks when merchants across neighborhoods accept tokens from other local businesses. This creates a circular economy that keeps money in Western North Carolina.

Example: Haywood Road to South Slope

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Mountain Roast Coffee

Haywood Road, West Asheville

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Slope Side Brewing

South Slope, Asheville

Mountain Roast runs a coffee shop on Haywood Road. Slope Side is a brewery on South Slope.

Their customers overlap — morning coffee regulars who become evening brewery visitors. Mountain Roast already orders kegs from Slope Side for events.

The Opportunity:

Mountain Roast accepts $200 worth of Slope Side's $HOPS tokens. Customers earn $HOPS at the brewery and spend them on morning coffee across town.

Mountain Roast redeems those $HOPS tokens for kegs and event supplies. Value stays in WNC, and both businesses grow.

"This keeps value in Western North Carolina. As more WNC merchants accept and spend each other's tokens, the local economy grows stronger and more resilient."