According to 'American Express Magazine', "Trading can boost business...that's why some cash-poor companies are turning to trade as a way to expand." Trading, or bartering, is in fact the only business that has doubled every year for nearly the last 30 years.
As start-up costs for businesses continue to rise along with other business expenses such as marketing, bartering is returning more and more to the economic world. With bartering, you benefit from increased sales and profits without having to spend anything at all to promote your business. There's no need for marketing campaigns, no need to prospect, no time or money wasted. A barter exchange is a free advertising venue! Imagine 100% return on your advertising costs.
In a barter exchange, each member involved will earn the retail value of their product or their service in "trade dollars", which are credited to their member accounts. A trade dollar, in a reputable barter exchange, is equal to one U.S. Dollar. As trade dollars accumulate in their accounts, they can exchange their trade dollars with any other member for any of their products or services.
By trading members enjoy the benefit of getting the exact same products or services they would normally pay for in cash. In addition, the total cost outlay is just slightly over a business owner's wholesale cost of their product or service (including trade fees).
For example, if a member has a 30% costs of goods and joins an exchange with a 10% transaction fee, the member would save 60% cash by bartering. Essentially this business owner receives a 60% discount on every product or service that they purchase from bartering.
Since it is a professional network, business owners don’t have to trade with the member that purchases from them and the values of the products or services do not have to be equal. Each transaction is treated exactly as a cash transaction in terms of debits and credits, but without the hassles of accounts receivables. Funds are transferred immediately with no time delays.
Business owners with excess inventory find that it's far easier to move it through a barter exchange than trying to discount it to you customers. After all, you probably have excess inventory because you couldn't move it. The loyal atmosphere of a barter exchange lets you move excess product much more efficiently.
The list of products and services being offered through bartering services and trade dollar accounts is constantly expanding. Within the barter exchange network, the members enjoy the benefits of not having to depend on cash, patronizing each other instead of the competition, and being able to build strong relationships that result in repeat business.
Through bartering, you are building relationships with other members and patronizing each other. Those members will also send you referrals, sending more customers your way. This clearly gives you more cash customers, too. This "unfair advantage" over your competition will allow you to take more of the pie for yourself.
Additionally by bartering, members can improve their quality of life.. How so? Well, just about anything can be bartered--including vacation accommodations, entertainment, home improvements, etc... You can enjoy the richer side of life with steep discounts simply by working smarter, not harder.