From the desk of Bob Meyer...
12/02/2014
NATE's 31st Annual Convention Scheduled For Las
Vegas The most popular venue for barter
conventions (for both of the commercial trade associations)
is Las Vegas; attendance figures over the years substantiate
this statement. The NATE Board of Directors has
announced that their 2015 annual convention will convene May
3 thru 5, the iconic Golden Nugget in Las Vegas. More
information will be forthcoming, but mark your calendars now
for these dates. Bartering On Craigslist
Like to trade direct locally? There's several
ways to generate and grow your list of potential trading
partners by consulting the Craigslist barter category.
Here's a link to quickly learn the six steps you'll want to
follow for exploring and engineering your deals:
www.BarterFanatic.com.
Top
From the desk of Bob Meyer...
11/11/2014
New Barter Exchange In Nashville
Grand Central Barter is a relatively new exchange in
Nashville (TN). According to one of the partners, Adam
Bowie, they have 150+ members and are adding 30 more every
month. Bowie reported that his organization is a member of
both NATE (National Association of Trade Exchanges) and IRTA
(International Reciprocal Trade Association). For
more information,
click here. Learn More About The
Hotel Barter Network On Saturday,
November 15, at 11a.m. EST, you can learn more about The
Hotel Barter Network — where trading among hoteliers
and vendors will be the objective. Creator Adam David Wagner
will be interviewed and aired via Bartertown Radio. You will
be able to call (347) 989-8557 and ask questions. (Their
site isn't active yet.) For more info on Bartertown
Radio e-mail Sandra Harshman at
sandra@educate4barter.com.
For-Profit Colleges Under The Gun The
Education Department guidelines are intended to weed out
programs that rely heavily on taxpayer subsidies but don't
follow through on promises of career training. Changes in
the rules will penalize companies that saddle students with
high debt relative to their incomes after graduation. For
example: 19% — The share of for-profit college
students who default on federal student loans after three
years. 44% — The share of student loan defaults
traced to for-profit colleges, which enroll only 11% of all
college students. 1,400 — College employment
programs that probably won't meet new debt-to-income rules.
840,000 — The estimated number of students
enrolled in programs that probably will violate
debt-to-income rules.
Top
From the desk of Bob Meyer...
10/28/2014
"Do Barter" Founder Passes
Paul Dragon, the founder of Do Barter software, service died
this week on Monday, October 27, after spending his last
couple of weeks under hospice care. Bobbie Vickers, who also
assisted Paul at the end, will be taking over the Do Barter
software business having been trained by Dragon over the
last several years. IRTA Executive Director Ron
Whitney Airs On Bartertown Radio Ron Whitney, IRTA's
Executive Director, will be the only guest on the Bartertown
radio (www.bartertownradio.com)
show Saturday, November 1, at 11a.m. EST.
(You can participate and asking questions by calling
1-347-989-8557.) Exchange Auction Board
Will Be In Tulsa December 3, 4 & 5
National Marketing Systems will hold its Exchange Auction
Board at the Tradewinds Central in Tulsa (OK) this December
3, 4 and 5. ITEX's White Attends
Money2020 Steve White, CEO of ITEX,
will be attending the Money2020 financial services event for
the third consecutive year since its inception in 2012.
Seven thousand attendees, including 675 CEOs, are registered
for the occasion this year, which will be held at the Aria
hotel in Las Vegas from November 2 thru 5. Money2020
is the world's largest event for payments and financial
services innovation. It's the catalyst that has enabled the
growth and development of the evolving ecosystem connecting
commerce. At last year's event NATE sent both Ric
Zampatti (The Barter Co.) and Gary Oshry (New England
Trade). BizX also had two representatives, including Bob
Bagga, in attendance. Thomas Greco
Appearing In San Francisco Bay Area
On
Thursday, October 30, Thomas Greco will present The
Evolution of Money & It's Potential To Improve Humanity at
the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) in Petaluma (CA)
from 6-9p.m.
Top
From the desk of Bob Meyer...
10/07/2014
Expanding The World Of
Barter
The National Association of
Trade Exchanges (NATE) continues to provide an expanding
weekly list of items (products, services, and travel
opportunities) available for trade exchange owners who are
members of the BANC. For more information on this
program call Raye at 617-763-3311 or e-mail
Raye@NateBarter.com.
Radio Station Veteran Dave Wagenvoord
Passes BarterNews recently learned of
the passing of long-time radio station veteran Dave
Wagenvoord, a master of old school bartering — he
exchanged airtime on his radio stations for various products
and services, which he then used for promotions. Wagenvoord
passed away earlier this year in April of neuroendocrine
cancer, at the age of 81. He was living in Florida at the
time. ITEX Annual Holiday Fair Announced
ITEX, which has the largest West Coast attendance for
their barter holiday fairs, revealed that this year's trade
fair would take place Sunday, November 23, at the Fairplex
building #6, in Pomona (CA). For more information,
call 909-592-7727 or
click here. Bartertown Radio Show
Available A live radio talk-show is
now underway every Saturday morning at 11AM EST. You can
call in and ask questions (347-989-8557). For more details,
e-mail
Sandra@educate4barter.com or
click here.
Top
From the desk of Bob Meyer...
09/23/2014
Student Debt Curbs Housing Market
A new study reports that 414,000 houses will not be bought
this year by people under age 40, because of booming student
debt levels. That is equivalent to roughly 1 in 12 home
sales this year, denting the housing industry by $83
billion, according to John Burns Real Estate Consulting.
Not only is this considered a lowball estimate, but
there's a big chunk of households over 40 who have student
debt as well.
On-Board Extras Help Airlines' Profits Climb
The nation's airlines posted $3.6 billion in profits from
April through June this year, a 64% increase compared with
the $2.2 billion earned in the previous year's period.
About 25% of the $44.6 billion in revenues in the second
quarter came from bag and other passenger fees, according to
transportation statistics. Experts attribute the strong
numbers to high-seat fulfillment (87%) and collecting fees
for a long menu of on-board extras.
Insider Stock Selling Rises
A total of 7,181 insiders bought their own stock this year
through Sept. 12, and 23,323 sold shares. The ratio of buys
to sells is near the lowest since 2000, according to data
compiled by Bloomberg and Washington Service.
Corporate repurchases reached $275 billion at the same time,
the second busiest since S&P Dow Jones Indices began
tracking the data in 1998. "It doesn't say anything very
good about the growth prospect for the business," claims CIO
McMillan at Commonwealth Financial Network.
Top
From the desk of Bob Meyer...
09/02/2014
David Siegel, King of
Timeshares, Updated
Fifteen years ago
BarterNews interviewed the CFO of Central Florida
Investments (CFI), parent company of Westgate Resorts, the
largest privately held timeshare-company in the world, and a
company started in the garage of founder, CEO David Siegel.
The interview showed how CFI astutely used barter to cover
many of their on-going expenses. Now, some 15 years
later, a new film titled Queen of Versailles is in the movie
theatres. It graphically illustrates how the housing balloon
explosion of 2008 affected the Siegel family's fortune, and
the lives of some 7,000 Westgate Resort employees who were
subsequently laid off. The title of the movie
refers to the 90,000 square-foot home David and his wife
Jackie were building (modeled after the famous French
Versailles palace) prior to the real estate downturn. Hailed
as the largest private residence in the U.S., their
unfinished $100 million home is now in foreclosure.
Top
From the desk of Bob Meyer...
07/09/2014
Americans View Of Saving Sees Dramatic Change
The 2007-09 recession was the worst downturn since the
Great Depression in the 1930s, and has wrought a similar
effect on spending habits. In a recent Gallup poll,
Americans said they preferred saving to spending 62% to 34%,
the widest margin since Gallup began asking the question in
2001. New California Law Accepts
Alternative Currencies
A new law has
been signed by California Governor Jerry Brown that will
accommodate the growing use of alternative payment methods
such as Bitcoin. Prior to the new law people using digital
currencies, community currencies and reward points (Amazon's
Coins and Starbucks' Stars), were in violation of the law
but not penalized.
In March, the U.S. Internal
Revenue Service said it would treat Bitcoin as a form of
property for tax purposes, rather than currency, making it
subject to similar rules as stocks and barter transactions.
Student Loan Debt Now Tops Credit Card &
Auto Loan Debt
Topping a trillion
dollars with no end in sight, the Consumer Financial
Protection Bureau says student loans in the U.S. are now
greater then credit card debt and auto loan debt.
Middle-aged Americans — those aged 40 to 49 —
are struggling the most with their debt payments; their
delinquency rate (making no payments for 90 days) is 11.9%.
That compares with a rate of 8.7% for borrowers of all ages.
Top
From the desk of Bob Meyer...
06/24/2014
Active International
Platinum Sponsor For IRTA's 35th Annual Convention
The world's largest
corporate trading company, Active International, will be the
Platinum Sponsor for this year's 35th Annual International
Convention at the Grand Oasis Cancun Resort. The dates of
the International Reciprocal Trade Association's convention
are September 25 through September 27. Active
International is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
The company operates in 14 countries with a staff of 500+
experienced professionals. For complete
details on IRTA's convention
click here.
Expanding The World Of Barter
The National Association of Trade Exchanges (NATE) is doing
a fine job with their weekly e-mails to the NATE Banc
members. On successive days messages will provide inclusive
presentations of products and services, followed the next
day with exclusive travel offers. In both cases descriptive
copy and photo’s accompany the Banc offers.
Raye@NATEbarter.com is handling the program.
For further information on NATE,
click
here.
Top
From the desk of Bob Meyer...
05/20/2014
IRTA Convention Slated For
Cancun September 25-27
The International Reciprocal
Trade Association will hold its 35th Annual International
Convention at the beautiful, beachfront all-inclusive Grand
Oasis Cancun Resort & Spa this September 25 through 27.
For more information on
IRTA and the upcoming convention,
click here.
Active International Celebrates 30 Years Of Excellence
Active International, the
largest independent global corporate-trade company, has
announced the launch of its advertising and marketing
campaign. Titled "We Made the Trade," it's in honor of the
company's 30th anniversary.
For more information,
click here.
Groupon Introduces "Groupon
Bucks"
Groupon has a new service
called Basics that is now selling over 100 products (from
razors and vitamins to a myriad of consumer goods) in bulk,
in an effort to grab more of the e-commerce market. The
Basics service offers free shipping on orders of $24.99 or
more from its warehouse.
As an introductory promotion,
customers who place an order will receive a 5-percent rebate
in Groupon Bucks, an online credit that can be used towards
future Groupon purchases.
Top
From the desk of Bob Meyer...
04/15/2014
Internet Ad Revenue
Surpasses Broadcast TV
For the first time,
marketers spent more to advertise on the Internet than they
did for broadcast television in 2013. Investments in U.S.
interactive advertising reached $42.8 billion in Internet
advertising last year, up 17% from 2012, according to the
Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB).
Trading A Favor ...
For A Favor
At
www.OweYaa.com,
a web based skills exchange, users will be able to leverage
their expertise and conduct business by doing one another a
favor. The founder of this new site (now in beta) is a cadet
at the U.S. West Point Military Academy, currently studying
Engineering Management. (He's also a member of the Division
1 hockey team.)
Detwiler Says It's Time To
Expand Inter-Trading
Fred Detwiler, founder and president
of
www.TradeFirst.com,
says this year's focus at the NATE convention will be on how
to expand trading among individual exchanges. Among the
veterans in the industry, Detwiler will be remembered for
his strong views and assertions at the 2000 IRTA Convention
in Vancouver.
It was there the venture
capitalists (VCs) descended upon the commercial barter
industry, telling everyone they had the money and the
business model to take the industry to the next, higher
level. Detwiler was the brash one — the only outspoken
person who, confidently and defiantly said BS. He pointed
out that not only did they not understand the trade exchange
business, but their business model was flawed.
The VCs moved forward anyway,
operating on the golden rule: "We have the gold and we will
make the rules." Unfortunately, the exchange business is
more complex than the VCs first observations. And since they
were unwilling to listen to those with experience, they blew
tens-of-millions of dollars for naught — and vanished within
a decade.
Night Owls Take
Bigger Risks Than Early Birds
An extensive report
from researchers at the University of Chicago found that
there is a correlation between personal sleeping habits and
the propensity to take risks, with night owls being higher
risk takers than the early birds. Night owls have greater
cortisol levels and higher levels have been connected with
greater cognitive function.
Top
From the desk of Bob Meyer...
04/08/2014
Eat Your Veggies?
British researchers who
studied 65,000 people over seven years found that people who
ate 7 portions of fruits and vegetables every day have a 42%
lower death rate than those who ate 4 or fewer servings.
Eating farm fresh vegetables, freshly picked, have more
nutrition, too.
In the U.S. the time from
farm to your fork is 14 days and some 40% of all fruits and
vegetables we eat are imported from other countries. For
healthier food you can focus on sourcing local food
production when possible.
For additional information,
click here.
Business Travel Group Opposes
Calls On Planes
The Global Business Travel
Association is a trade group for the world's business
travelers, and represents 6,000 travel managers. It asserts
that onboard phone calls are "detrimental to business
travelers," and submitted its opposition to the use of
cell-phones on planes to the FCC (Federal Communications
Commission).
In 2012, business travel was
responsible for $491 billion in spending, or 3% of U.S.
gross domestic product.
NATE Programs Planned For 30th
Annual Convention
Here's a brief look at two of
this year's sessions for the National Association of Trade
Exchanges' 30th annual convention:
For
the owners,
there will be a focus on competing against the Internet.
Alternative Currencies: Competitors or Partners will
explore ways to use today's digital world to one's advantage
and better understand the new online currencies.
For
the brokers,
there will be coverage on the always-popular subject of
travel and how to improve it for your exchange. Learn how to
simplify the procedures and improve communications between
exchanges for travel, including the creation of a universal
travel request form.
The top Platinum
Sponsors for the upcoming NATE convention to be held in
Orlando may 15-18, are TradeFirst (www.TradeFirst.com)
and Trade Studio (www.TradeStudio.com).
For NATE convention details,
click
here.
One-Third Of Americans Only
Have $1,000 Saved For Retirement
A new study by the Employee
Benefit Research Institute reports that only 36% of American
workers have a measly $1,000 saved for their later years.
And 68% of these same workers, who say they've saved less
than $1,000 for retirement, reported annual earnings of
$35,000 or less.
Top
|
|
From the desk of Bob Meyer...
03/25/2014
NATE Names Platinum Sponsors
For 30th Annual Convention
The top Platinum sponsors for
the 30th Annual National Association of Trade
Exchanges (NATE) Convention, to be held in Orlando May 15 -
18, are Trade First and Trade Studio. (Such sponsorships are
an important part of a successful convention, according to
convention planners.)
IMS Continues Progress In
Building Infrastructure
The nationwide International
Monetary Systems, a publicly traded company, has reported
quarterly earnings recently and has made additional stock
repurchases in addition to reporting higher earnings.
For more info,
click
here.
ITEX Continues Virtual Barter
Focus With Coffee-Sleeves Purchase
Some 700,000 coffee sleeves
are in circulation in San Francisco, Seattle and Portland.
On the sleeve ITEX asks the question: Virtual currency or
barter — who wins?
Meanwhile, CEO Steve White is
attending the Coin Summit conference in San Francisco — a
two-day event connecting virtual-currency entrepreneurs,
angels, VC investors, and others.
IRS Will Tax Bitcoin As
Property
The IRS says it will treat
and tax bitcoins as property, a decision that s part of
wider efforts to bring more oversight to the digital
currency. In its first major ruling related to virtual
currencies, the agency noted that bitcoin "does not have
legal tender status" and will be taxed under codes that
apply to property transactions.
That means wages paid to
workers in bitcoins will be subject to federal income and
payroll taxes. Those who 'mine' virtual currencies — or
create new bitcoins by solving complex math problems — will
have to report their earnings as taxable income.
Bitcoins can also be treated
as capital assets, regulated under the same rules that
govern stocks and bonds, the IRS said.
Consumer Confidence Highest
Since January 2008
Consumers are more optimistic
about the economy than they've been in years, and that could
help heat up the recovery after a deep winter chill. And
when people are feeling confident, they spend more in
supermarkets, restaurants and shopping malls and are more
willing to buy new cars and homes.
(Consumer spending accounts
for about 70% of all economic activity.)
Buffett Not A Fan Of Bitcoin
Warren Buffett, CEO of
Berkshire Hathaway and one of the world's most astute
investors, says, "I wouldn't be surprised if Bitcoin is not
around in 10 or 20 years." Buffett called the virtual
currency very speculative, a Buck Rodgers kind of thing —
like the Dutch tulip mania in 1637.
Top
From the desk of Bob Meyer...
03/11/2014
'Lone Eagle' (One Person)
Businesses On The Rise
More Americans are taking
matters into their own hands by going to work for themselves
out of their homes. Much of the growth we are seeing is in
"lone eagle" service-type businesses. It is a reversal of
the trend seen from 1960-1980, when there were steady
reductions in the number of people who worked at home.
Service Veterans Desire
Business Ownership
According to BizBuySell's
recent study, both older and younger veterans are emerging
as major players in the buying of small companies. And,
thus, are shaping the business-for-sale market.
For the complete story
on young veterans showing strong interest in business
ownership go to:
blog.bizbuysell.com.
ITEX Announces Quarterly Cash
Dividend
The ITEX Board of Directors
declared a quarterly cash dividend of $.05 per share on
February 28. The dividend will be paid on March 20 to
stockholders of record as of the close of business on March
10, 2014.
Prices Will Lower When
Patients Start To Behave Like Consumers
We have a long way to go and
there will have to be many changes, but here's a story about
a beginning: With no health insurance, Vicki Burns, 62, of
Mesilla Park (NM) needed a total hip replacement but balked
at a local hospital's $45,000 quote for a two-day stay —
which didn't include the surgeon's fee and other ancillary
charges.
Then Burns found out
about
www.MediBid.com,
an online service where doctors and facilities can bid for a
patient?s business. Using the website, Burns accepted a bid
of $13,400 from Jaron Anderson, M.D., of Glendale (CA) that
included the surgery center, anesthesiologist, lab tests,
X-rays — even house calls as she
recuperated nearby.
(It should be noted that on
its website MediBid encourages patients to do their homework
and research doctors' credentials.)
Diners Are Tipping Less These
Days
VoucherCloud.net's recent survey on spending habits
shows that Americans' tipping on restaurant bills has
declined compared with five years ago. The reason? They
explained that they "couldn't afford to tip the customary
20% on top of the cost of a meal."
The survey revealed that only
23% of Americans tip their food servers 20% or more.
Small Talk Is An Extremely
Important Skill
Nicholas Boothman, author of
both How To Make People Like You In 90 Seconds Or Less
and How To Connect In Business In 90 Seconds Or Less,
says that small talk is an extremely and often undervalued
and overlooked communicative skill.
Top
From the desk of Bob Meyer...
02/25/2014
Marketing Changes To Expect This Year
An excellent article on
programmatic buying and other changes in the marketplace can
be found at Active International's website,
www.activeinternational.com
the world's largest corporate barter company. The article,
published by CEO Magazine and authored by Active's
Jim Porcarelli, is titled
The Big Marketing
Changes To Expect In 2014. Check it out on Active's
website under "News."
Guaranteed Financing For Independent Hoteliers
Last
week we ran this announcement. Unfortunately, the You Tube
video didn't pick up.
So, if you are interested in learning more about
"worry free FF&E, revenue guaranteed financing," contact
Peter at
prkt@ctex.com
NATE's 30th Annual Convention Coming In May
The National Association of Trade Exchanges (NATE) will be
convening at the Double Tree Hotel in Orlando for its 30th
annual convention, May 15-18.
The convention will include a CTB (certified trade broker)
training program, availabilities for sponsorship, and vendor
opportunities for displaying your merchandise.
For
more information, contact Raye at 617-763-3311 or e-mail
raye@natebarter.com
Top
From the desk of Bob Meyer...
02/18/2014
Guaranteed Financing For Independent Hoteliers
Worry free FF&E,
revenue guaranteed financing. To learn more,
click
here.
NATE's 30th Annual Convention Coming In May
The National Association of Trade Exchanges (NATE) will be convening at
the Double Tree Hotel in Orlando for its 30th
annual convention, May 15-18.
The convention will include a CTB (certified trade broker) training
program, availabilities for sponsorship, and vendor
opportunities for displaying your merchandise.
For more information, contact Raye at
617-763-3311 or e-mail
raye@natebarter.com
Do Words Equal Wealth?
Every person who has attained wealth, regardless of how they did so, had
to speak to someone. And whether your aspiration is to start
a company, acquire a promotion or seal a multimillion-dollar
deal, it's skillful communication that will set you apart
from the crowd.
A new book (Universal Talk Laws: How To Increase Your Net Worth With
Words) covers the power of persuasion, the art and
science of verbal communication — both personally and
professionally —— and how to talk to yourself in
a way that creates opportunity and going out on top.
More Women Are "Marrying Down"
Tying the knot with men less educated than they are is a growing trend
for women, reports the Pew Research Center. Nearly 21% of
married women in 2012 were better educated than their
spouses, a threefold (300%) jump from 1960. In the 50 years
of tracking this issue, it's the first time that a higher
percentage of women than men have married down.
Talent Retention Now Top Priority For Business Leaders
PayScale Inc, a provider of cloud compensation data and software, reports
that businesses of all sizes are concerned about their
ability to retain top-performing employees as a result of
the increasingly competitive talent market. (Retention was
listed as a top business concern by nearly 60% of the
companies surveyed, up from just 28% in 2009.)
The study was based on surveys of more than 4,700 human resources
practitioners and business line and executive managers from
small, medium and large companies in the U.S., Canada,
Australia, India, New Zealand, South Africa and the United
Kingdom.
Top
From the desk of Bob Meyer...
02/11/2014
"The
world is better than it has ever been."
– Bill Gates
According to the world's richest man and renowned
philanthropist, "By almost any measure the world is better
than it's ever been. People are living longer, healthier
lives. Many nations that were aid recipients are now
self-sufficient. You might think that such striking progress
would be widely celebrated, but in fact, many people think
the world is getting worse."
To read Bill Gates interesting and informative take on
today's world,
click
here.
Facebook Forms Small Business Council
The world's largest social network has won over 1 million of
the smallest companies, which are regularly using Facebook
in their marketing efforts. In March, a dozen small - and
medium-size business representatives will attend Facebook's
Menlo Park headquarters for its first Small and Medium
Business Council meeting.
Facebook sees this market of small businesses as a potential
moneymaker, given that some 25 million active businesses are
on its site. Yet the lion's share of the business community
is not yet spending ad dollars on Facebook.
Digital Currencies Usage Will Grow In Poor Countries
Digital money (Bitcoin) has been getting a lot of ink in the
press for a variety of reasons. But the practical reason why
digital money usage will grow is because of low transaction
fees. In Kenya, for example, M-pesa is being used for almost
half of all transactions. Their low transaction costs are
great for the poor because they need to do financial
transactions with small amounts of money. Over the next few
years digital money will play a significant role in India
and Africa.
Earning Are Widest In 48 Years
The growing value of a college education (despite tuition
costs) is growing according to the latest findings. The Pew
Research Center says those without a bachelor’s degree in
today's economy are more likely to live in poverty and be
dissatisfied with their job, if not unemployed. Young adults
with just a high school diploma earned 62% of the typical
salary of a college graduate. This earnings gap between
young adults with and without college degrees is at the
widest level in 48 years.
Simple Ways To Show Your Customers You Care
Showing appreciation for your loyal customers can go a long
way toward cementing a positive relationship with them. A
couple of low cost ideas might include: making phone calls
to show your gratitude; forming a VIP club where you offer
incentives and discounts; acknowledging their contributions
on your website.
Top
From the desk of Bob Meyer...
02/04/2014
Major Weapons Makers Cut $400 Million Barter Deal With U.S. Government
Boeing and General Dynamics have agreed to
provide the U.S. Government an in-kind payment (a barter
arrangement) of $400 million. The consideration will close
out a 23-year-long litigation. The payment concerned the
A-12 bomber that was cancelled in 1991 because of massive
cost overruns.
Worldwide, Millionaire Households Are Growing
According to the Deloitte Center for Financial
Services, the number of millionaire households in major
countries around the world will top 65 million by 2020, up
from 38 million in 2011. Their wealth is expected to more
than double in that period, to $202 trillion from $92
trillion.
Australian Barter Sales Phenom Tops 1,700 Signups
Stephen Mills, now a Bartercard franchisee in
North Sydney, has passed the 1,700 number in new member
signups (sales) over his noteworthy 13 year career with the
world's largest trade exchange.
Mills is the top salesman in the company's
storied history. Kudo's to Mills for his considerable
accomplishments.
National Union Membership Holding at 11.3%
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports
that 14.5 million U.S. workers now belong to unions. While
less than 7% of private sector workers belong to unions,
unionization for public-sector workers is 35.3%. According
to statistics, union workers earn $950 a week compared with
$750 a week for those who don't belong to labor groups.
Top
From the desk of Bob Meyer...
01/28/2014
A
Look Back (from 2005) ... The Rich & Famous Used Barter To
Get Started
Barter Was Start For International Deal-Maker
Leslie
Gonda, 85-year old founder of International Lease Finance of
Beverly Hills, started his business career after spending a
part of World War II in a labor camp in Nazi-occupied
Hungary. From there he
immigrated to
Venezuela
where he scored his first business success trading costume
jewelry with Indians in the jungle.
He used
the profits to invest in Venezuelan real estate and launch
his own construction firm before expanding into the
U.S.
There he built International Lease Finance and now places
orders in the billions for the latest in passenger jets,
which are then leased to major international and domestic
carriers.
* * *
Superstar Actor Used What He Had To Get What He Wanted
Decades
ago when Hollywood superstar actor and producer Sidney Poitier
first arrived in
New York City, it was by bus with $3
in this pocket. He slept on the roof of the Brill
Building
and got a job washing dishes.
Then,
with the help of a long-time waiter at the restaurant where
he worked, he made a trade with the American Negro Theatre.
They took him on as a student when he agreed to become their
janitor.
* * *
Noted Analyst Bartered For Luxurious $500,000 Bus
The
nation’s best-known "non-flier" is football analyst John
Madden. Back in 1986, on a national TV program he discussed
his aversion to flying, saying he was "thinking about
getting a bus."
George
Gravley, Greyhound Lines' public relations man, heard
Madden's comments and spotted an opening to bring his
company some valuable P.R. The result: Greyhound seized the
opportunity, received millions of dollars worth of press
coverage (at no cost), and secured Madden's services for the
next three years in exchange for one of Greyhound's products
— a bus.
Greyhound
traded Madden the plush bus with special modifications for
his cross-country travel, worth about $500,000 at the time.
In exchange Madden agreed to give motivational talks to
Greyhound employees in the major cities he passed through
during the football season. Madden had to make 30 talks per
year for three years ... and the luxurious bus was his free
and clear.
* * *
Minnesota
Man Became Billionaire With Barter Assist
In 1989
Forbes magazine estimated Marvin Schwan's net worth at $1
billion. Operating in almost total obscurity in Marshall
(MN), Sales Enterprises was totally owned by the 60-year-old
Schwan. He had built a national door-to-door frozen food
delivery company, serving mostly rural households in 49
states.
He
additionally owned three frozen pizza companies that sold to
supermarkets, convenience stores, school lunch programs,
hospitals, military bases, and the like. (A list of his many
other enterprises would take several more paragraphs.)
It was
during the 1980s that Schwan attacked the $500 million
school lunch frozen pizza market in a very creative way. At
the time, to work off huge stockpiles of cheese, the
Department of Agriculture gave the nation's public schools
the stuff ... free of charge. To Schwan, the cheese looked
like an opportunity.
In 1984
he won hundreds of school lunch pizza contracts by offering
discounts in exchange for their government cheese
allotments. But by 1989 the federal cheese stocks were
nearly exhausted. No problem. There was a flour surplus. So
Schwan set up a pasta company and contracted to sell
discounted pasta entrees to schools in exchange for the
government flour credits.
Top
From the desk of Bob Meyer...
01/21/2014
Global
Inequality Staggering
The
combined wealth of the 85-richest people in the world is
equal to that of all the poorest (3.5 billion), or half of
the world's entire population. This incredible figure comes
from a report titled "Working For The Few" by Oxfam, the
development charity. Oxfam says the growing inequality has
been driven by a "power grab" by wealthy elites who have
co-opted the political process to rig the rules of the
economic system in their favor. The topic of global
inequality and its possible consequences is a major focus at
this year's World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland,
January 21 thru 25.
Surprising
FDA Study On Billboards
A new
study by the Federal Highway Administration says that
drivers actually avoid looking at billboards in order to
concentrate on the driving task. Their research found that
drivers looked at both digital and static billboards for an
average of less than four-tenths of a second. However, the
billboard industry's design guidelines suggest a driver's
reading time is five to eight seconds.
Top
From the desk of Bob Meyer...
01/07/2014Billionaire Barters For Pipeline
Business
Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffett
will trade some 19 million shares of Phillips 66 stock his
company owns, for full ownership of the energy firm's
pipeline-services business. It's Buffett's latest move
in expanding his bet on the oil transportation business.
Foreign Real Estate
Investors Love U.S.A.
Although London now ranks as the
tope city for a foreign real estate investment opportunity
(according to the Foreign Investors in Real Estate
Association) the next four top cities are all located in the
United States. New York was second (down from last year's #1
rating), San Francisco ranked third favorite city, with
Houston and Los Angeles coming in at fourth and fifth,
respectively.
The U.S, remains the most "stable
and secure" country for investment by a wide margin of more
than 50 percentage-points over second-place country Germany.
This is the widest margin since 2006.
Canada's Revenue Agency
Deems BitCoin Transactions Akin to Barter
The
CRE (Canada Revenue Agency) considers a BitCoin transaction
the same as a barter transaction, as opposed to a monetary
transaction. Therefore, BitCoins either as barter (virtual
payments) or as an investment commodity are subject to tax,
according to the Canadian tax authorities.
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