Bartering down the ages

Dictionary defines bartering as the ‘exchange of goods and services without monetary transaction'. It is simply an exchange of goods between two parties, who need something from each other. This mutual give and take has been practiced since antiquity, but has had its share of problems too. Picture this, a fishmonger wanting a new fishing net goes to a net maker with a handsome catch of fish. But the net maker isn't interested in his fish. So, the fishmonger has either to remain without a net or make one on his own. And he can't do either. So, he exchanges his fish with someone else for an item that the net maker would be interested in, and exchanges it to get his fishing net. This is what happened till money made its appearance.

But bartering continued to be practiced on a low key. Remember, you have done it too as kids, when you exchanged the center spreads of your favorite beauties for CDs of some really cool music. Well, this was bartering in its most basic form. Only recently has the world woken up to the immense business potential of this form of trade.

Resurgence of bartering

Bartering would have remained on the fringes had it not been for the invasion of the wonder chip called computer and the Internet. With its introduction, it became possible to barter in an easy and inexpensive way. This is because of computer's ability of tracking barter transactions and maintaining huge inventories conveniently and economically.

To facilitate the burgeoning barter trade, many online facilities were introduced. The most important being the barter exchange, whose spread has fueled an explosive growth of bartering by creating markets for traders and bringing the interested parties together.

Benefits of bartering

But how is bartering better than normal business transactions? There are a number of benefits that has made bartering a force to reckon with in the business world. Let us see what they are:

Conserves cash: Cash, the lifeblood of business, is always in short supply, whether for a corporate giant or a small-scale industry. Since bartering generally doesn't require financial transaction, such a deal becomes mutually advantageous, as neither party has to part with cash to obtain the desired goods or services.

Generates sales and profits: Not only does bartering conserve cash, it can actually generate sales and profits. This is because inventory turns over more quickly and service providers sell more of their time than they would otherwise, had they insisted on cash.

Creates new customers: Bartering brings together unlikely parties, which would never have met in the normal course of business. If satisfied with the deal, these parties can refer many more customers to each other, including the ones who pay cash. Even the original barter customer may start paying cash in future transactions.

Moves surplus stock: Barter moves surplus stock, which otherwise would have remained in the storehouse. It also saves money that would have been lost in advertising and weighty discounts.

Utilizes downtime and unused capacity: If you are not utilizing the full capacity of your plant or service all the year round and can handle new customers, then bartering may pave the way for new business opportunities.

Lowers prices: With bartering the goods and services procured always turn out to be cheaper than they would
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hmonger wanting a new fishing net goes to a net maker with a handsome catch of fish. But the net maker isn't interested in his fish. So, the fishmonger has either to remain without a net or make one on his own. And he can't do either. So, he exchanges his fish with someone else for an item that the net maker would be interested in, and exchanges it to get his fishing net. This is what happened till money made its appearance.

But bartering continued to be practiced on a low key. Remember, you have done it too as kids, when you exchanged the center spreads of your favorite beauties for CDs of some really cool music. Well, this was bartering in its most basic form. Only recently has the world woken up to the immense business potential of this form of trade.

Resurgence of bartering

Bartering would have remained on the fringes had it not been for the invasion of the wonder chip called computer and the Internet. With its introduction, it became possible to barter in an easy and inexpensive way. This is because of computer's ability of tracking barter transactions and maintaining huge inventories conveniently and economically.

To facilitate the burgeoning barter trade, many online facilities were introduced. The most important being the barter exchange, whose spread has fueled an explosive growth of bartering by creating markets for traders and bringing the interested parties together.

Benefits of bartering

But how is bartering better than normal business transactions? There are a number of benefits that has made bartering a force to reckon with in the business world. Let us see what they are:

Conserves cash: Cash, the lifeblood of business, is always in short supply, whether for a corporate giant or a small-scale industry. Since bartering generally doesn't require financial transaction, such a deal becomes mutually advantageous, as neither party has to part with cash to obtain the desired goods or services.
Generates sales and profits: Not only does bartering conserve cash, it can actually generate sales and profits. This is because inventory turns over more quickly and service providers sell more of their time than they would otherwise, had they insisted on cash.
Creates new customers: Bartering brings together unlikely parties, which would never have met in the normal course of business. If satisfied with the deal, these parties can refer many more customers to each other, including the ones who pay cash. Even the original barter customer may start paying cash in future transactions.
Moves surplus stock: Barter moves surplus stock, which otherwise would have remained in the storehouse. It also saves money that would have been lost in advertising and weighty discounts.
Utilizes downtime and unused capacity: If you are not utilizing the full capacity of your plant or service all the year round and can handle new customers, then bartering may pave the way for new business opportunities.
Lowers prices: With bartering the goods and services procured always turn out to be cheaper than they woul
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ring

Bartering would have remained on the fringes had it not been for the invasion of the wonder chip called computer and the Internet. With its introduction, it became possible to barter in an easy and inexpensive way. This is because of computer's ability of tracking barter transactions and maintaining huge inventories conveniently and economically.

To facilitate the burgeoning barter trade, many online facilities were introduced. The most important being the barter exchange, whose spread has fueled an explosive growth of bartering by creating markets for traders and bringing the interested parties together.

Benefits of bartering

But how is bartering better than normal business transactions? There are a number of benefits that has made bartering a force to reckon with in the business world. Let us see what they are:

Conserves cash: Cash, the lifeblood of business, is always in short supply, whether for a corporate giant or a small-scale industry. Since bartering generally doesn't require financial transaction, such a deal becomes mutually advantageous, as neither party has to part with cash to obtain the desired goods or services.
Generates sales and profits: Not only does bartering conserve cash, it can actually generate sales and profits. This is because inventory turns over more quickly and service providers sell more of their time than they would otherwise, had they insisted on cash.
Creates new customers: Bartering brings together unlikely parties, which would never have met in the normal course of business. If satisfied with the deal, these parties can refer many more customers to each other, including the ones who pay cash. Even the original barter customer may start paying cash in future transactions.
Moves surplus stock: Barter moves surplus stock, which otherwise would have remained in the storehouse. It also saves money that would have been lost in advertising and weighty discounts.
Utilizes downtime and unused capacity: If you are not utilizing the full capacity of your plant or service all the year round and can handle new customers, then bartering may pave the way for new business opportunities.
Lowers prices: With bartering the goods and services procured always turn out to be cheaper than they woul
Embracing the Feminine in the Workplace
Bang! Bang! My shiny metal cap gun sounded as I fired at the imaginary tribe of Indians invading my suburban Atlanta backyard. Two houses down the street, my childhood friend Shelly cuddled her brand new "Chatty Cathy" baby doll.Growing up in the 50s, our roles were clear: women gather and nest, and men hunt and fight. I was sure that one day I would go into business, and Shelly would be a stay-at-home mom. Twenty years later, Shelly and I were both in business; I was working in a public relations agency, and Shelly had landed a terrific job in a large accounting firm.It was the 80s, and to succeed in business, Shelly had to dress and act like a man. Shelly did well in business, but at a cost. She had to mask much of her femininity.When Shelly's daughter enters the business world three years from now, she will find a much different working environment than her mother. Business is increasingly embracing those attributes historically attributed to women. Hierarchy is being slowly replaced by teamwork, goals are balanced with process, and relationships are being valued as much as transitions.
e to reckon with in the business world. Let us see what they are:
Conserves cash: Cash, the lifeblood of business, is always in short supply, whether for a corporate giant or a small-scale industry. Since bartering generally doesn't require financial transaction, such a deal becomes mutually advantageous, as neither party has to part with cash to obtain the desired goods or services.
Generates sales and profits: Not only does bartering conserve cash, it can actually generate sales and profits. This is because inventory turns over more quickly and service providers sell more of their time than they would otherwise, had they insisted on cash.
Creates new customers: Bartering brings together unlikely parties, which would never have met in the normal course of business. If satisfied with the deal, these parties can refer many more customers to each other, including the ones who pay cash. Even the original barter customer may start paying cash in future transactions.
Moves surplus stock: Barter moves surplus stock, which otherwise would have remained in the storehouse. It also saves money that would have been lost in advertising and weighty discounts.
Utilizes downtime and unused capacity: If you are not utilizing the full capacity of your plant or service all the year round and can handle new customers, then bartering may pave the way for new business opportunities.
Lowers prices: With bartering the goods and services procured always turn out to be cheaper than they woul
Advance Fee Fraud, Does it Take a Fool?
International Scams and the new MethodologySo you've heard about the Nigeria 419 scam, and about the Russian and Philippine brides-to-be scamming American and European men out of thousands. You're street smart, and you're not going to fall for some foolish game. You won't be sending money off to Africa. You wonder, how can anyone be so foolish, to send thousands of dollars off to Ghana, Nigeria, Russia, the Philippines, Colombia or South Africa, to someone they've never even met? All you need is a little common sense, you say. But, is it really that simple to prevent? Does it really take a fool?There are approximately 2 billion Internet users worldwide. Many have just recently discovered the world wide web. Many are senior citizens, many are honest, hard working and trusting folks who expect the same of others. The truth is, advance fee fraud has come along way since the early days of emails claiming the individual has won big, or has been selected to participate in an amazing business opportunity, with the only catch being the advance fee to release the winnings, the cash, etc. Sure, the p
the normal course of business. If satisfied with the deal, these parties can refer many more customers to each other, including the ones who pay cash. Even the original barter customer may start paying cash in future transactions.
Moves surplus stock: Barter moves surplus stock, which otherwise would have remained in the storehouse. It also saves money that would have been lost in advertising and weighty discounts.
Utilizes downtime and unused capacity: If you are not utilizing the full capacity of your plant or service all the year round and can handle new customers, then bartering may pave the way for new business opportunities.
Lowers prices: With bartering the goods and services procured always turn out to be cheaper than they would have been with cash, since there are no overheads. This can give you an edge over competitors.

Types of bartering

The most common type of bartering online is one-on-one or direct bartering that you can indulge in quite successfully. Its shortcoming is the difficulty in searching for the right deal. For example, you may sell soft toys and may want printing services, but you may be hard put to find a printer who may want soft toys in return. The other type of bartering is called the third party bartering. It uses some form of currency to allow more dynamic exchange between the parties. Businesses generally use both types for best results.

Modern-day bartering

If you do business on the Internet, then bartering may be a golden opportunity knocking at your door. For those serious on bartering, the first step is to enroll in a barter exchange. This exchange will readily help you find what you need by actively searching for the product or service you desire. The advantage of a barter exchange is that it networks with other exchanges across the country and even overseas, thereby extending your area of influence.

How to find barter deals online?

There are various ways to find barter deals online. They are:

Message boards: You can set up a barter message board or chat room on your website to get barter offers.
Notices: You can place notices on your website that you are willing to barter for goods and services.
Newsgroups: You can join newsgroups or e-mail discussion groups that are about bartering.
Online barter club: Joining an online barter club may help you meet other businesses that barter.
Search engines: By looking up the keywords like ‘barter', ‘trade', ‘swap' and the like in search engines, you can get a wide choice of bartering portals to choose from.

Is bartering suited for your business?

Before you take another step forward, remember some businesses don't lend themselves to bartering. Obviously barter won't work for you if the product or service requires only cash. For example, car payments, mortgage payments or child's education fee and the like. So, find out when bartering won't work. Some points are given below:

Don't bother about bartering if your profit margins are low. Your gross profit margin must be fifty percent or more, as payments to barter exchanges and others may make bartering uneconomical.
Don't go in for bartering if you are operating at full capacity and have nothing to spare for your bartering customers.
Don't barter if you are unable to generate sufficient trading volume for your product or service.

Steps to successful bartering

Before you launch yourself into bartering, it will be prudent to prepare well for it. First and foremost, analyze your products and services, and your buying and spending methods and see if they fit into the bartering scenario. The local barter exchange can provide you with a list of members along with products and services. This will facilitate you to find out what