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March 7,
2006
Written
by Bob Meyer, Editor of BarterNews
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From the desk of Bob
Meyer...
3/07/06
These are exciting times, consider
that...
Historically, it used to take 1,000
years for civilization?s standard-of-living to
double. Yet in the last 80 years we?ve seen an
unbelievable quadrupling in our standard-of-living!
What?s the reason for this stunning occurrence?
I believe it?s shared ideas,
innnovations and technology. Almost every region of
the planet is simultaneously expanding, in addition
there?s a growing receptiveness to democratic
capitalism.
Millions now cooperate and gladly
provide goods and services to one another in an
incredibly complex web of commercial transactions.
Given today?s technology explosion and growing
global cooperativeness, the best is yet to come. A
bridge is rapidly being built to take us from an
industrial-based society to an informational-based
one.
This means that future trade success
(both in the cash and barter arenas) will depend on
having both access to information and the ability to
utilization that information.
As the commercial barter industry
continues growing and working cooperatively
together, we will see better and faster fulfillment
capability...enabling advancement toward achieving
the enormous potential for trading possibilities.
Hyping Global Barter Figures
However, we?re not there yet. Which
is why it?s disconcerting to see the absurd numbers
one barter company used recently when sending out a
press release. It claimed that the combined global
barter and community-currency systems are a $14
trillion market. Such a statement is simply
ludicrous, as that figure is one-third (33%) of the
world?s gross domestic product!
Changes Coming For Bartercard USA
Bartercard International
has sent a letter to all the Bartercard USA members,
informing them of current changes within the
company. The firm has taken certain legal steps
necessary for reorganizing, and are actively seeking
a new licensee to operate the Bartercard license for
the United States.
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Active International Names Advertising & Technology Veteran Eric
Larsen As COO
Active International, the world?s seventh largest
media-buying company, has announced that Eric Larsen will replace
Fredrick Fuest as Chief Operating Officer. Fuest has been appointed
to expand the firm?s global business in a new role as president of
its International Division.
Larsen will be charged with implementing an expanded
business solutions portfolio by developing a broader array of
innovative solutions for Active?s blue chip client roster.
He joins Active with more than 25 years of senior
leadership experience in sales, product marketing, marketing/brand
building, and general management. His credentials include work with
Apple Computer, Gateway, and the WPP Group as president of Wunderman,
the world?s largest global direct marketing agency and a subsidiary
of Young & Rubicam.
Active International was founded in 1984 and has
operations in 16 countries. For more information see
www.activeinternational.com.
The
Growth and Use of Secondary Capital (New Money) Creates
Unprecedented Wealth In Today?s New Age Of Possibility
There are many forms of secondary capital?which can
be defined as any financial instrument that measures and
communicates value in a common language. Would you like to see and
learn more about the many forms of secondary capital?
We have 75 free,
informative and inspiring, articles for you in our ?Secondary
Capital Section.? Check it out...
www.barternews.com/secondary_capital.htm.
Bartercard?s Global Expansion Continues With Frankfurt Stock
Exchange Listing
Bartercard International has entered into agreements
with European Entertainment Investments for the issuance and sale of
?4,140,000 in Bartercard?s convertible notes. The company has also
obtained listing of its shares on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
According to Wayne Sharpe, Chairman of Bartercard,
?This funding will enable Bartercard to expand its operations as we
continue to seek additional partnering opportunities in Europe,
Asia, and North America in our pursuit of global expansion. We
believe our listing on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange will attract
German investors and help establish a continental European
shareholder base.?
Bartercard UK Launches Real Estate
Bartercard Real Estate (BCRE), a new, wholly owned
subsidiary in the United Kingdom (UK) has been recently established,
and Tim Ashley-Sparks has been appointed Managing Director. Under
the BCRE system, a 25% to 50% deposit on a property can be paid in
trade. Thus enabling the buyer to purchase a large portion of the
property with goods and services rather than cash.
The BCRE concept has been operating in Australia for
almost a decade, with a $2.5 million of property deals signed last
month alone.
For more information
go to
www.bartercard.com.
Trade Exchange Owners...
Would You Like To Make 2006 Your Greatest Year Ever?
Then it?s time to
grab-a-hold of the most powerful marketing tool in the barter
industry! The Competitive Edge newsletter is a monthly, ready
to use, professional 4-page publication...no work is needed! (Click
here.)
BNI
Acquires Credible Competitor?American Barter Network
Ron Whitney, CEO of Barter Network Inc. in Chadds
Ford (PA), has informed BarterNews that his company recently
acquired the barter accounts of one-year old start-up American
Barter Network (ABN). BNI, with a membership of 1,300, ranks as the
largest trade exchange in the Philadelphia market.
The procurement of ABN in Bryn Mawr marks the second
time in two years that BNI has gained a credible competitor in its
region. ABN?s founder John McKenzie will stay on with BNI as a
sales/marketing representative in the Philadelphia region.
CEO Whitney
remarked, ?The acquisition of ABN?s accounts was a natural. We can
provide a vast array of purchasing options to the newly gained
members, and BNI members will benefit from the quality of those that
have joined the fold.?
Get
New Money-Making Ideas And Valuable Contacts!
You can obtain
useful, informative ideas and contacts in every available back-issue
of BarterNews.
Your
Questions...And Answers
Every week we receive e-mails from visitors to our
web site. As space allows, without redundancy, we will air your
pertinent questions. All answers will be from Bob Meyer unless
otherwise noted, and as space allows we?ll print letters responding
to questions appearing earlier in the Tuesday Barter Report.
(Minor editing of the letters will sometimes be made for the sake of
brevity.)
Question:
I am thinking about starting a very small-scale barter club for
local people. I would maybe take a commission or charge an entry
fee. Where can I find some information and software about barter on
this tiny scale?
Christopher
England, U.K.
Answer:
There is an excellent book by Thomas H. Greco, Jr., titled Money,
that covers community currency systems and includes an excellent
?Sources and Resources section.? It was published by Chelsea Green
Publishing Company in 2001. For software, one of our sponsors,
www.evalues.net,
offers online technology processing services.
Reply:
To the previous
question from Steve Singer of National Commerce Exchange, regarding
industry people or barter organizations who do not fulfill on their
agreements.
The following letter was received from IRTA Executive
Director Krista Vardabash:
Dear Bob,
I wanted to comment on Steve Singer?s letter to you
regarding publishing a list of people or organizations who renege on
debt repayment. IRTA views this as one of the most insidious threats
to the industry, not just a threat to individual exchanges. It?s a
growing problem too. Cheap technology, lack of education regarding
the proper administration of a trade credit system, and, yes?you
were correct?greed, are among the reasons. So, what to do about
it...
You were also correct in suggesting to Mr. Singer
that he become involved in an association that represents the
industry. Members build trust with each other through association
involvement and attendance at conferences. Additionally, each IRTA
member is required to adhere to the Code of Ethics. Should a
complaint be made against them, they also agree to address that
complaint to a group of their peers.
In the past, IRTA has discussed publishing a Hall of
Shame list of people or organizations of the kind that Mr. Singer
refers to, but there are always many versions of the same story and,
you were correct again, the litigious nature of our world today
prohibits our inclination to put in writing that which cannot be
proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. However there are other resources
to consider.
IRTA?s Universal Currency (UC) system was developed
in part to give trade exchanges an option to the risk of doing
business reciprocally with an unknown exchange. However UC is not
immune to the problem of unscrupulous operators. Over the past few
years, the UC has legally pursued trade exchanges that have not
honored their commitment to the UC membership. We are obliged to
tell the UC members who is being pursued, who has received judgments
against them, who has settled, etc.
These situations are
a matter of public record, so there is no reason not to share the
information. Especially if it can help a trade exchange owner make a
prudent decision. So, in addition to association involvement and
support, Mr. Singer should consider joining a currency network like
UC to hedge his bet and have access to information regarding who in
that system isn?t playing nice.
Every
barter company in the world is listed on our web site,
click through to our Global List
of Barter Companies.
Don?t Cancel Vacation...Barter For It!
If there?s an economic slowdown in your life (you?re
just meeting the bills every month) don?t consider taking action
that you might regret later on?like canceling your vacation. That
practice should carry a Surgeon General?s warning: Canceling your
vacation is dangerous to your health.
If you are considering canceling a vacation, and if
you have a choice in the matter, don?t do it. A growing body of
research links long-term vacation habits and health.
A 14-year study of 13,000 men, published in the
journal Psychosomatic Medicine, found annual vacations
sharply reduced the risks of death among middle-aged men.
Similarly, a 20-year study of middle-aged women found
a link between a lack of vacations and higher risk of hearth attack
and death. Both studies conclude vacationing may be good for your
health.
So if you?re questioning your own vacation plans
because of the economic downturn, or money is a problem, it?s time
to place a call to your trade broker.
See what?s available locally and nationally through
your barter company, then make those plans that suit your desires.
Whatever you do, don?t cancel that vacation...it could be dangerous
to your health!
Editor?s note:
One place to look for accommodations from various barter companies,
is the Caribbean...because of excess inventory. The pace of tourist
growth last year was half that of the previous two years, according
to the Caribbean Tourism Organization.
Give
A Gift To A Friend Or Associate. If you know someone
who might benefit from this newsletter, feel free to forward it
to them! (See the “box” at the end of the newsletter
for the forwarding service.)
Real Estate Brokers Edgy About Online Competition
As if discount brokers aren?t causing enough angst
among real estate brokers these days...now the former head of
Expedia travel web site has offered a ?beta? test version of
internet tools designed to help people get home valuation estimates,
which ultimately will assist consumers in the search for homes. The
company (Zillow.com)
has raised $32 million from two venture-capital firms, Benchmark
Capital and Technology Crossover ventures.
Zillow chairman and CEO Richard N. Barton says the
new service will involve information tools that will enable people
to ?take control of the process? of buying and selling real estate.
There?s concern in the real estate industry because of Expedia?s
role in slashing the costs to consumers when booking online
reservations for hotels, cars and airplanes.
So far, real estate brokers have avoided the kind of
price war many people predicted in the early days of the Internet.
Even with the higher prices of homes, commissions still average more
than 5%.
Barton believes major change in home selling is
inevitable over the next five years or so, because ?there?s an
unsustainable disconnect? between the commissions charged by most
agents and the value of their services. He expects that agents will
become more productive and less numerous.
Editor?s note:
Further change is evidenced by Homestore Inc., operator of property
listing service
Realtor.com (owned by the National Assn. of Realtors and now the
top real estate Internet site), which has announced it?ll change its
name to Move.com
and revamp its primary web site to include more consumer-friendly
features.
Tougher online
competition ahead for real estate brokers will also come from
companies like Google and Craigslist as they add more information
about homes for sale, which will give consumers more ?ammo? in
negotiating with or even bypassing agents.
Here & There. . .
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The 2006 Carlson Wagonlit Travel Trends survey
shows Las Vegas remains the king of U.S. vacation destinations.
For international travelers, the most popular option continues
to be Caribbean cruising.
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corner) and sign up!
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Harry S. Dent Jr., a well-respected economic
forecaster, says the market is long overdue for a strong rally
in 2006. Dent believes major commodities like gold, oil, and
short-term interest rates have peaked. In addition, other
investment opportunities like real estate are showing signs of
weakness, all of which clear the way for a bull equity market in
his opinion.
(Dent is known for developing the Dent Forecasting Method, an
economic forecasting approach that incorporates demographic
trends into traditional forecasting models.)
- If you've
missed any of our weekly Tuesday Reports the past
seven
years we have an archive of issues for you at the bottom of
this letter...check it out!
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