Category: Barter Exchange
Prospecting for New Members
Written by BarterPro
Tuesday, 10 November 2009 09:45
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Visit with new potential clients face to face when possible… Ask a prospective member what they need. Ask them if you get it for them on trade, will they agree to join, and then go and get a member that provides what they need. You get two new members, two new account set-up fees and a trade that generates immediate cash fees from the buyer and the seller. Total cash in your pocket – $500 to $1000 or more. Do this twice a week and the cash crunch is reduced for lots of people (both members, you and your families) and the world will be a better place.
Did you know that in 3-4 hours per day, you can visit with three business owners and sign up at least one of them (if you ask for the sale). I know this to be a fact, because I did it! That’s four new members per week (doing sales 4 days a week), which gets you 200 members in one year. That will generate about $2,400/month cash to start, ramping up to about $5,000/month in six months, $10,000/month in one year and $15,000/month in 18 to 24 months.
So what are you waiting for? Go sign up a new member!
 
Barter Software to Start a Trade Exchange
Written by BarterPro
Thursday, 20 November 2008 21:01
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Following is the abridged version of Barter Software. Click Here to read the complete article.

Today, you have several options for online barter software to manage your barter exchange… Making the best choice not only depends on your specific needs and desires, but also choosing the right business partner to provide and host your software.

You want the software to be bullet proof and hosted at a top tier hosting facility to assure reliability and zero downtime. And, you want to be able to make your own rules and business decision about your barter exchange, rather than being told by your software provider what you can and cannot do.

Here are several considerations to look for and other considerations that should be a warning sign to look elsewhere…

Does the software provide you with a platform where you can control your member’s trading experience and run a world class business to business barter exchange where you, not your software provider or licensor, sets the rules?

Does the software feature a huge marketplace filled with yard sale merchandise, overpriced off brand products, used household items and trade listing offers that often never get shipped, where you are locked in to sharing your members and offers with other exchanges?

Does the software automate your administrative tasks so that one or two people can manage a 300 to 500 member exchange, so you can spend most of your time acquiring new members and generating trade velocity?

Make sure the software is totally intuitive, simple to use, easy to navigate and doesn’t require a college degree in computer technology or you will be spending your time showing members how to use it or actually doing everything for them.

Can the software provider enable you to facilitate large corporate barter transactions without the need to build the infrastructure, when a transaction doesn’t fit into the retail barter model, so that you can earn tens of thousands of dollars at three times the percentage you would earn from a retail barter transaction?

Does the software provider charge a percentage of your revenue because they think that they should be your partner and the more you earn, the more they should get, or do they just charge a monthly subscription fee?

Does the software provider focus their efforts on on running their own barter exchange, and actually designed the software for their own use, but is now licensing it to other exchanges?

Perhaps you are exploring a franchise in a regional or national barter system. They often keep 25% to 40% of your revenues for accounting, collection and administrative services that you can actually do yourself for less than 5%!

Explore all of your options and do your due diligence as many barter exchange owners make the wrong choice and then find themselves with the daunting task of switching software and perhaps, even loosing their members to an unscrupulous software vendor who won’t release their member and transaction data.

Click Here to read the complete article detailing all of the features and functionality you will need when considering Barter Software…

 
Barter Exchanges: Grow or Go!
Written by BarterPro
Wednesday, 19 November 2008 10:46
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From Bob Meyer, Publisher of Barter News Magazine…

The magic bullet for growth is sales, always has been and always will be…yet the industry’s overall growth is anemic. Why? Maybe it’s because we’re not providing on-going education about our unique way of doing business. Knowledge is always a pre-requisite to taking sustained action.

And for those newcomers, the lifeblood of an exchange, awareness of and understanding about the value of trading is even more important.

If you expect prospects to come aboard and your members to be more active traders, but you are perplexed when the results are less than you desire…there’s a good reason. You must continually educate and motivate every month–month after month after month!

Such action is necessary because, let’s face it, more cash business, not trade, is of paramount importance to your members. You must break through this “cash only” focus and redirect their thinking toward barter. Although most exchanges don’t see the importance of doing so, many industry leaders are taking action and so can you.

As the owner of your own operation, there is an easy and inexpensive solution for moving forward…look into using The Competitive Edge newsletter. It’s a camera-ready, 4-page, professionally written, informational marketing tool…available in PDF format as well as print. So regardless of how you reach your prospects and clients, you will have the necessary vehicle.

Written especially for you, the busy trade exchange owner, I am certain it will be the best investment you ever make.

For more information about The Competitive Edge, and how it can benefit you click here.