* * ANNOUNCEMENT * *

Welcome to the largest repository of barter contacts, strategies, and barter techniques in the world. All 64 issues of BarterNews now available in digital format at http://www.barternews-ezine.com.

TTi Announces Ever-Increasing Online Barter Activity

TeleTrade international reports the total on all worldwide platforms servicing the independent barter industry has reached $15,941,251 this year. Total of all online activity since 1999, when TTi took its technology online, now exceeds $578,749,885. 

The eValues system for independent trade exchanges reflects nearly $12 million in transaction volume during this period. EValues online totals reached almost $318 million in activity since coming online in 2000. The system offers members, their exchange owners and staff, many options such as:

�         expanded opportunities for trading with 24/7 online access,

�         e-mail broadcasting for new and hot trade opportunities,

�         a comprehensive inventory control system for available goods and services,

�         an extensive customer service module,

�         real-time currency conversion,

�         an unequaled accounting system that handles blended (part-cash, part-trade) to full trade activity, and

�         automated credit-card and direct debit processing of monthly cash fees. 

TTi has its proprietary swipe card terminal technology program available to all USA based exchanges, and can create a system for local exchanges worldwide to have this capability. It has secured a relationship with America�s fourth largest private merchant service provider, giving participating merchants the guaranteed lowest credit and debit processing rates in the United States.

From further information contact CEO Gary Lasater at 303.840.7172 ext.1, or e-mail gary@teletrade.net.

$9 Billion Barter Deal

The Democratic Republic of Congo is trading with a massive state-owned firm based in Beijing, the China Railway Engineering Corporation (CREC). They�re planning a new road which will be the first endeavor of the biggest single deal China�s ever done in Africa, worth $9 billion.

Due to be signed in Beijing shortly, it gives DR Congo $6 billion of desperately needed infrastructure � about 2,400 miles of road, 2,000 miles of railway, 32 hospitals, 145 health centers, and two universities.

In return, China gets a slice of DR Congo�s precious natural resources to feed its booming industries � 10 million tons of copper and 400,000 tons of cobalt. It�s a barter deal, what the Chinese side loves to call �win-win.� Not aid with strings attached, like Western powers have given DR Congo over the years, but pure business.

Decades of kleptocratic dictatorship and brutal civil war have brought DR Congo to its knees. Most of its infrastructure barely functions. �We�ve been mining for two centuries but people only see minerals going out,� says deputy Mining Minister Victor Kasongo. �People talk about roads, schools, water; yet they hardly see anything from the huge assets.�

The Chinese ambassador to DR Congo, Wu Zexian, is equally frank about his country's agenda: �China needs many things. In this world China cannot live closed off which is why we have adopted a politics of openness towards the outside world. We must come to a co-operation that benefits everyone.�

The deal was clinched by finding a mine in Kolwezi that had enough proven reserves to persuade the Chinese that it was financially safe for them to begin disbursing about $3 billion, right away.

China�s state-owned Exim Bank, which is financing this deal and many others in Africa, is taking on a level of risk that few Western banks would consider. It�ll take about three years, and another $3 billion or so of investment, before the disused mine (formerly owned by the Belgian Forrest Group) is up and running.

When production begins, the Chinese companies signing the deal, CREC and Sinohydro, will disburse a final $3 billion on roads, railways and hospitals.

The idea is that China will recoup its total investment within 10 years.

Thereafter the joint venture (one third Congolese, two-thirds Chinese) continues to exploit the mine. And yet, despite China�s pledge of openness, the deal has still not been published...to the fury of human rights groups.

PR Agency Pursuing Specific Barter Relationships

CameronWeeks Public Relations has announced that it is currently evaluating technology companies for equity barters. Instead of being paid fully in cash for its public relations services, CameronWeeks is willing to take some of its fees in the form of equity. The agency is interested in companies in the life sciences, which include biotech and medical devices, health tech, software, IT, and green technology industries.

In today�s market, early-stage companies, whether bootstrapped or venture funded, are challenged to bring their complex technologies to market quickly and cost-effectively. Bartering for essential services allows them to become more efficient with limited resources while planning for long-term success. For those organizations seeking funding, public relations services can also be utilized to develop communications strategies for reaching potential investors.

�Public relations should not be considered an afterthought for new companies and technologies,� stressed Patti D. Hill, CEO/founder of CameronWeeks Public Relations. �PR initiatives should be engaged when a product reaches advanced alpha (stages), in order to build strategic visibility without losing precious time. Companies that don�t proactively tell their story will find themselves under radar, and with many burgeoning technologies, first to market is critical.�

Continued Hill, �Bartering for these essential services is an excellent way to preserve capital and enable small or start-up companies to focus on perfecting their technologies and growing their businesses.�

Bartering is not only a complement to sophisticated marketplace economies but also a means of survival in declining economies. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, bartering accounts for nearly 30% of the world�s total business. In the United States alone, over 250,000 businesses actively use organized barter to supplement their monetary transactions.

CameronWeeks will utilize a strategic evaluation framework when selecting barter companies that includes vetting the management team, market opportunity, and the product/value proposition to its intended audiences. The agency will also heavily consider the technology differentiation or business model differentiation.

Art Business Is Important Even Though 97% Of Artists Have Other Jobs

Although most artists do not consider themselves entrepreneurs, art is still a business. And while most painters, photographers, or sculptors will not see Picasso-size deals in their lifetime, they can still find ways to boost sales of their work.

A main problem is that most artists learn art, but not how to make a career out of it. A young artist will have no idea about the business side of art. None of the students at art school are encouraged to ask questions about how to sell art. It isn�t even discussed. So although most artists aren�t wired for accounting, they should take some business classes.

Visibility has always been crucial for artists to get their work out to buyers. Today, with the Internet, resourceful artists can get their work noticed by creating web sites or establishing a presence in online communities. These serve as a virtual portfolio.

Off-line matters, too. Keep abreast of the galleries and stores that might carry your work and try to forge a relationship with those gatekeepers. At the same time, experts suggest, do your homework.

Many dealers say that artists walk in and say: �Will you show my art?� (And the dealer only deals in abstraction while the artist is a realist painter.)

Artists should also know those they are dealing with, and keep rigorous records of any transactions. Use Ronald Reagan�s thinking, �Trust, but verify.� This includes never leaving artwork on consignment without getting something in writing.

It's essential to be professional and prepared at all times. In other words, always have your r�sum�, artist statement, and bio updated and ready. Make postcards for your shows, keep your work in prospective buyers� or exhibitors� minds. Have business cards, a web site, and anticipate what works and what does not.

Although it may seem obvious, artists should be able to explain their work. Writing about your art is very important, because it lets people know what you do, who you are, and why you do it. A good impression will go a long way.

Barter Is Just As Important As Your Art