Mar

11

We Blog. We Barter. We’re Baaaaaaaaaack!

Filed Under Saving Money | 1 Comment

Miss us?  We’ve missed you!  So much to catch up on!

But for now,  let’s get back to business.

Lately I find myself surrounded by the concept and practice of bartering.  I helped out a friend at Bike Week in Daytona, Florida last weekend, selling stainless steel jewelry.  Great people, beautiful stuff.  (Check out www.buybluesteel.com; use code Robin10 at checkout for 10% off your purchase. )  But I digress.  There is an understanding between the vendors at this and really almost any show.  They support each other with very discounted prices and by bartering and trading their goods and services.  For instance, we got a break buying t-shirts, just by saying we were vendors.  We ate lots of half-price food too.  We gave away earrings in exchange for Facebook fanning, and traded rings for end-of-day beers.

On a grander scale, there are companies that do this stuff for a living, bringing together business people who want to attract new business and save cash by trading out their skills.  I have a cow, you have a pig.  You want my cow, but I don’t need a pig, I need a hotel room for two nights.  These companies, the newest being POIU Business Exchange, act as clearinghouses and third-party record keepers, and earn their fees as companies join and use the exchange, and as their currency changes hands.

The business owner gets to barter his goods (bought at wholesale) or services ( his time).  He attracts new customers from within the network, who pay with the network currency,  then start to spread the word beyond the exchange into their own networka.  The buzz begins, and new, cash-paying customers start to filter in.  The business owner now has credits to spend, on everything from printing new menus to having his carpet cleaned, from having his business finances analyzed to advertising his business in the local press, bringing in yet more new customers.  And, since he’s the business owner, he can also use his credits for vacations, personal trainers and massages.

A brilliant business, where everybody wins.  Creates jobs for membership salespeople, helps people support each other and gets the money flowing, starting on a local level before it goes global.

If you’re a business owner who would like to know more, please email me at rkd@ILoveAGoodBargain.com.

For more about trade and barter on a more personal level, click here.

It’s good to be back.