BarterNews.com � World�s Largest Depository Of Barter Information

Hundreds of valuable articles, techniques, and strategies are found in the following various barter categories:

�  Entrepreneur�s Corner,

�  Travel,

�  Media,

�  Trade Exchange,

�  Corporate Barter,

�  Offset & Countertrade,

�  Secondary Capital,

�  Real Estate,

�  Community Barter, and

�  Restaurant & Entertainment

(The Barter Categories are found on the horizontal bar at the top � 3^rd button from right.)

Equitrade International, launched by Jim West a year ago, has completed its merger with Barter Consultants International (BCI), launched by Lee Anne Busman in 1999, creating one of the largest barter exchanges in the Southeast. The principal partners head up the new Georgia-based company, Equitrade Atlanta, headquartered in Alpharetta off Windward Parkway.

Together, they have more than 50 years of combined experience in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, barter, real estate and accounting. The merger also brings the client list for Equitrade Atlanta to more than 3,500 members.

�In a down economy, bartering makes good sense,� West said. �It is an excellent alternative for businesses that have excess capacity, surplus inventory or downtime.� West launched Equitrade International, a barter exchange for the commercial real estate industry, a year ago with the focus on bartering leases for office, restaurant, retail, and warehouse space.

�Our approach to commercial barter is unique in that we accept barter deposits, giving clients total control over their account balance,� West explained. �We are also the only barter exchange in the area with a commercial leasing program. Empty space is a perishable commodity for commercial landlords. Every month it stands empty is a loss.

�But if you can fill that space with a tenant who has something you need or can barter with other clients, it�s a win-win. It can get a new business up and running, and provide a landlord with traffic in an otherwise empty commercial property.

�Our entire business model is banking related, rather than club membership related,� West affirmed. Their office is in a banking building formerly used by a credit union, and they rent it through barter.

Busman said barter allows businesses to use their products like currency. �The liquidity comes from the large number of members who could use their product. And every new client, adds to that liquidity,� she pointed out. �Although sales are taxable, your bartered item is tax deductible. In addition, the exchange acts as record keeper for the IRS � similar to what any bank does.�

Members in the barter exchange use gift certificates that provide liquidity for those who qualify for the program. Those certificates are �banked� as credits, which deposits them in a larger pool of goods and services from other exchange members.

Equitrade Atlanta receives a fee of 10% from only the �seller� in a transaction, while the �buyer�s� gain is the gross margin of the product being traded. Members can buy and sell online using Equitrade.com, like eBay or Craig's List, by using their barter certificates.

�That,� revealed West, �is the power of Equitrade � turning idle assets around to work for clients.�

Is Your Trade Exchange Missing Out On Valuable New Business?

If your barter company�s listing on BarterNews.com isn�t current, you are definitely missing out on new business. The web site BarterNews.com receives heavy traffic � with over 150,000 page-views every month. Entrepreneurs and corporate executives check the thousands of articles, the weekly �Tuesday Report,� and the �Contacts Section� of our site. They use the latter to find barter companies with which to do business.

Is your barter company�s listing up-to-date?

To keep your listing current is very easy. See the links below to (A) update any changes to your company�s listing, such as new location, phone number, web site or other information, and (B) if your company has not been listed.

Here�s how to get on board:

To make changes to your listing click here.

For new listings click here.

There are basically five qualities of highly productive work groups that you need to foster throughout the stages of team development.

The first quality of highly productive groups is the existence of shared values.

You can foster this quality by asking the question, �What are our values?� or, �What do we stand for?� Examples of shared values would be: integrity, excellence, quality, caring about people, profitability, and harmony.

The second quality is shared objectives.

It is essential that everyone take the time to discuss the actual reason for forming the team, and the chief results that are expected of them. The more thorough the discussion on goals and objectives, the more effective the team will be when it begins working.

The third quality is shared activities.

Each person knows what they are supposed to contribute to the achievement of the overall goals and objectives of the team.

The fourth quality is that the head of the team leads the action.

As the leader, you become the role model for all of the others, accepting complete responsibility for the achievement of the overall goal.

The fifth quality is that individually, and as a group, team members continually evaluate their progress toward their goals and values.

They are always asking themselves, �How are we doing, and how can we do better?� Whenever there are problems, misunderstandings, or difficulties within the team, they are more concerned with what�s right than with who�s right. All members know that their ability to work together in harmony and cooperation is the key to the success of every one of them.

The wonderful thing about becoming a leader in your work and personal life is that you can practice the skills of influencing and persuading others toward a common objective. And you can improve yourself by continually evaluating your performance against your standards.

One of the marks of excellent people is that they never compare themselves with others. They only compare themselves with themselves, with their past accomplishments and their future potential.