News media increasingly highlights witty entrepreneurs who have discovered creative ways to “skin a cat” in business. Despite an uncertain economy, millions have found a unique way to keep their small businesses in the black, and it’s all about using a little creativity in turning barter into cash.
Here are a few easy steps to make it all happen… Continue reading
You may be like so many small businesses this month–staring at the end-of-year spreadsheet containing an itemization of your annual income and expenses. Perhaps you’re grateful you even made it in a down economy, but also a bit discouraged because there’s so little left over in the coffers. Maybe you’re like small business owner Sandy, whose husband needed dental work here at the year’s end, but who had little cash or insurance to cover it. Fortunately, Sandy found an unusual, creative answer – just in time!
The old adage of “survival of the fittest” has been replaced lately with a new slogan: “survival of the smartest”. The standard approach to advertising and the types of advertising that are most effective have been redefined. What worked in a flourishing economy is now being scrapped as new avenues of attracting buyers are being explored.
As our society has become more mobile, focus has turned to outdoor as the most effective advertising medium. The advent of new technology in the form of high definition LED billboards has turned the attention of the advertiser and consumer alike to a message that cannot be
avoided if you leave your home. Unlike other mediums, billboards are always on, not subject to being tuned out or tossed back on a coffee table, or turned off with the click of a mouse or remote. As such, they provide the most bang for your advertising buck, reaching the masses with your message usually at the moment a hunger pain strikes and an impulsive decision of “where do we eat?” is made.
Traditionally, advertising has been purchased with hard earned cash. After all, the media industry needs to make a profit too. But, smart media operators have realized that unsold advertising is very time sensitive and if not sold becomes perishable. Therefore, to capture value in some form rather than not at all, alternative methods of payment have been developed to capture an advertising market that otherwise wouldn’t exist.
This new method of payment, called barter, provides you with a unique opportunity. Before, you had to budget for your advertising with cash resulting from existing sales and from net profits. However, barter provides you with a better way of paying for advertising with new incremental sales, which you otherwise would never have.
According to the most recent Performance Perspective executive briefing released by Madison Performance Group (MPG), non-cash rewards (trade dollars and goods/services you can buy on trade), in the right circumstances and in the right combinations, can actually be more effective and therefore more efficient than money alone. MPG is the worldwide leader in developing employee engagement and incentive marketing programs for Fortune 1000 corporations The company implements customized strategies to motivate workers, applying sales and marketing techniques to maximize employees’ success.
Non-cash awards – merchandise, travel, gift certificates and gift cards, a simple thank you (anything that’s processed/delivered outside of the payroll practice) – are better investments and thus more affordable solutions for companies looking to “do more with less.”
Even in these recessionary times, non-cash enticements can be used to close performance gaps across a wide variety of enterprise-level metrics, or they can be used to encourage improved outcomes at the local level. Contact your SBC broker to see the wide variety of health care and dental services as well as personal goods and services that you can acquire for your employees, contractors and clients using your trade dollars and holding on to your cash. (exerpts from Barter news)
Here Comes the Bride, Not a stressed-out crank;
She’s really really happy ‘cuz she didn’t break the bank!
This weekend two of Southern Barter’s newest members are getting married, and they’re employing almost a dozen barter members to service their wedding on trade! How can this be done? With the clever planning of SBCs broker services for members.
On October 1st, Charle and Greg Sims will be married in a beautiful mansion in the mountains. And along with their eighty invited guests, they will be joined by a host of barter vendors who will serve the couple in multiple areas of expertise.
Construction for Matrimony
Charle and Greg have been barter members for only a few months, but they’re already busily engaged in the system. Greg owns a company called Construction Labor Services, which provides fire and water restoration services and construction labor services. Recently he did a large project for a local dental group (also an SBC member), and with the barter bucks he earned, Charle wasted no time looking at vendors for their upcoming wedding. “There were lots of people we could use in SBC,” says Charle, “and we had so much fun meeting with SBC to find out who could help us with the many pieces of our wedding.”
Barter Meets the Need
It turns out that almost every wedding need could be met through barter. The couple secured Oakwood Occasions as their caterer and event-planner, Joy Gardens as their florist, Jerry Morris of On Time Photos as the photographer, 44 Films.TV as their videographers, Atlanta Special Events as their entertainment and DJ service, Ace for Printing to create a photograph banner for the guard gate, directional signs for guests & customized labels for the boxed favors (specialty fudge by Oakwood Occasions), which the couple is giving as favours to their wedding guests and more…
Guest lodging will be provided by another popular barter member, Black Forest Resorts, who is housing many of the out-of-town guests. To account for all weather possibilities, the couple secured a tent-rental company on barter – “just in case!” SBC also has available tuxedo rental, makeup artists, hair stylists, jewelry, limousine and golf cart services to carry guests, and even a caricature artist–just for fun! The list of event-related barter services with SBC goes on and on….Remember that when planning your next event!
If the Bride is Happy, Everyone’s Happy
“I don’t know what I’m most excited about,” says Charle. “I’m thrilled to have Lori O’Brien of Atlanta Special Events singing at our wedding. Lori is a nationally-recognized singer, who easily adapts to the non-traditional music choices we’ve made, and her husband, Frank, will be providing DJ services. I’m also excited to have Eric and 44 Films.TV videotape the wedding, and really all these vendors who are providing their unique services for our special day.”
At first the couple looked into Las Vegas as a destination wedding and could rent out a mansion there that was available on barter available through the barter network, but Charle and Greg decided they will wed at the house where they had their first date–a mountainous estate in a private community where the homes have an old-world, stacked-stone look. Charle’s dress will reflect a 1950s “retro glam” flair, and the whole event will have a sophisticated, yet mountain-quant flavor.
“We couldn’t be happier or more excited,” says Charle. “And having all these wonderful barter vendors has helped out our wedding budget and kept me from becoming a Bride-zilla!”
Helping with Your Special Day
Why spend ridiculous sums of cash on your next big event? Let the expert brokers at SBC help you plan your big day through the wonderful world of cashless trading. All of these services Charle and Greg used are at 100% trade — the same way they earned their currency. These businesses are recognized professionals who give barter members the same high quality they would give to their cash customers. And they’re happy to be trading!
So here’s to the happy couple… Congratulations and best wishes from your Southern Barter family!
For more information on how you can plan a wedding or other event on barter, please contact Southern Barter Club at 678.546-0900, or visit SBCs website at www.southernbarterclub.com.
Have you ever wanted to start another business or expand an existing business–but the thought of paying tens of thousands scared you away? Well, tremble no more because the world of barter just might have your answer.
Last year a multi-specialty medical clinic in Norcross joined the Southern Barter Club, and its skeptical Director sat across from SBC President Laurie Sossa to figure out how to make barter work for him. Dr. Mel Colon of International Medical Clinics had a stack of invoices in one pile, and a list of needed services in the other. Within minutes, Laurie sorted through the piles and quickly demonstrated how the clinic could save over $25,000 of their hard-earned cash–simply by switching to barter-friendly vendors for projects. Continue reading
Written by Lisa A. Rice
One of my favorite hobbies is the barter club I belong to (where I do a service and receive ‘virtual’ dollars, which I can then spend on products and services I need from other barter members). This club is one of the most excellent I’ve seen at getting their messages out in relevant ways.
For example, on one day, I’ll get an email about the latest Scuba Diving trip to a Caribbean resort, and on another day I’ll get a Face book message about an event they’re throwing. Continue reading
They say that people become most efficient with their scarcest resource, and in these uncertain economic times, Georgians have proven this old adage to be true. With few individuals, businesses and non-profits having extra cash lying around lately, entities have been forced to become more clever and efficient with their buying habits. Fortunately, the world of bartering has proven to be a unique and timely solution to this dilemma. Barter has become their expense account and emergency fund. Continue reading