The Department of Commerce says that barter in its various forms accounts for about thirty percent of the world’s total business. The International Reciprocal Trade Association (IRTA) recently announced that U.S. barter transacted through commercial barter brokers exceeds $14 billion annually. Over 450,000 U.S. businesses actively use organized barter.

There are many good reasons why more and more businesses worldwide are bartering their products and services, but underlying them all is one fundamental business motivation; businesses profit.

Airlines and restaurants can fill empty seats, hotels and resorts can fill empty rooms, printers can fill press downtime, professionals can fill empty time slots, health care professionals can treat new patients. Business owners and professionals can then take this newfound revenue and reduce cash expenses or expand their operations.

Businesses across America are taking a serious look at barter as a way to build their bottom line, and the rapid growth of the online barter industry can only mean that American business likes what today’s barter industry has to offer.