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May 27, 2008

Written by Bob Meyer, Editor of BarterNews

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From the desk of Bob Meyer...05/27/2008

Globalization Isn�t The Driver For Today�s Accelerating Change

Many people (and companies) around the globe are struggling to adapt to change, which is accelerating. A McKinsey study suggests that today's leading companies�top performers in every industry�drop out of leadership at a rate that is four times greater than in the 1970s.

Years ago you could bust your tail to achieve success, then put your company or career on autopilot and face little risk of upset. That�s not true today. The paradox is that economic turbulence is increasing as the world prospers at levels unimaginable three decades ago.

Globalization gets the blame, especially in election years. But the real driver is technology: cheap processing power, cheap storage and cheap bandwidth. Cheap tech lets entrepreneurs around the world invade established industries for very little money.

If the first entrepreneur fails to storm the castle, a hundred more will follow. There is no shortage of capital ready to fund creative destruction, even with today's credit bottleneck. The only way to slow the rate of change and disruption is to repeal Moore's Law...and that will not happen.

I�ll Trade You My Drawing For Yours

No membership required at SketchSwap.com. Just draw something and once your masterpiece is finished submit your drawing, so you can receive a drawing that someone else has drawn. Personally, I think this is a neat little web site (http://www.sketchswap.com) even though there is not much to it. Sometimes simple is better.

Like Surprises? Swapping Files Might Be Your Bag!

FileSwap (http://www.FileSwap.com) enables visitors to swap computer files, photos, music, wallpapers, audio files, animated icons, videos or even PDF and text files, quickly and simply. Use the browse button to retrieve the file or files that you want to swap, then hit the swap button to continue.

After the file you have selected has been entered into the system, then you will receive a random file that someone else has submitted. Yes, it is kind of like playing the lottery, but your chance of winning something interesting is far better than the lottery.

Remarkable Achievement For Ambitious Chinese

Last week�s announcement on our www.barternewsblog.com, regarding the China Commercial Aircraft Co. being established in Shanghai with a capitalization of $2.7 billion, is stunning.

The Central Government and the Shanghai Government are among the major shareholders as are China�s two main aircraft manufacturing and servicing companies�China Aviation Industry Corp. I & II.

While it�s too early to say when a Chinese-developed jumbo jet will be taking off, it�s yet another remarkable achievement for the ambitious Chinese people.

TV Product Placements Soaring!

Advertisers are concerned about viewers �tivoing� (erasing) their ads. As a result we�re seeing dramatic growth in the use of product placements.

The Nielsen Company reported that product placements for the first quarter of 2008 rose 6% on primetime programming for the eleven measured networks on broadcast. Overall, broadcast television placements rose 39%, while cable television was essentially flat at 1%.

There were 117,976 brand occurrences on cable and broadcast networks in the first three months of the year, according to Nielsen. The most prevalent type on broadcast television was �foreground,� which represented 35% of all product placements. On cable television, �wardrobe� placements were most common, accounting for 32%.

The top 10 prime-time programs on broadcast networks featured 15,404 occurrences in the first three months of this year-compared to 8,893 occurrences in the same time period in 2007.

All back issues of "From the Desk...� can be accessed by clicking here.

(Please feel free to forward our newsletter to your friends and colleagues. We have a �box� at the end of the newsletter for your convenience. See you next week. . .)


* * ANNOUNCEMENT * *

25 Years Of BarterNews Issues Now In Digital Format

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.


IMS Posts First Quarter Expansion Results

International Monetary Systems (OTCBB:INLM) has filed its 2008 first quarter report on Form 10-Q (www.sec.gov). During this quarter, IMS continued expanding its sales staff and investing in other infrastructure enhancements. As a result, the company enrolled more than 900 new members in the quarter which management believes will provide strong organic growth in the future.

IMS also continued the conversion of its proprietary accounting and tracking system and added additional personnel to accelerate the finalization of its new interactive online marketplace. Both of these will be rolled out soon, with completion expected during May and June of this year.

For the three months ending on March 31, IMS generated gross revenue of $3,518,839 compared to $3,301,009 last year, an increase of 6.6%.

Total expenses increased from $3,349,666 in the first quarter of 2007 to $3,828,108 for the same period in 2008. This increase of 14% occurred primarily because of additional overhead costs from prior acquisitions, the expansion of their outside sales force, and the infrastructure expenses described above.

As a result, the net loss from operations was $309,269 for the first three months of 2008, compared to a loss of $48,657 for the same period last year. Of the 2008 loss, $96,676 resulted from the increase of non-cash items such as depreciation, amortization and a higher provision for bad debt. After including the income tax benefit, net loss for the current period was $230,907, compared to $63,272 last year.

Net cash provided by operating activities for the first quarter totaled $43,457, compared to $409,601 from last year�s first quarter, while operating profit or EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) totaled $92,674, a decrease of 68% from the $291,277 of the prior year.

On March 31, current assets were $3,192,720 and total assets were $17,788,650. Current liabilities were $4,119,992 and total liabilities were $8,954,338, resulting in total shareholder equity of $8,834,312.

At the end of the first quarter of 2008, IMS�s unrestricted cash balance was $695,184 compared to $812,365 on December 31, 2007.

For more information visit http://www.internationalmonetary.com.

Former Barter-Pro Sondra Ames Teams With Daughter Allison To Create National Footprint For Their Wonderland Bakery

Sandra Ames was a driving force with husband Mike Ames in building TradeAmericanCard back in the early �90s. After going out on her own, and subsequently selling her trade exchange to ITEX, she left the barter industry. Then in 2005, joining forces with her culinary award-winning daughter Allison Ames, they launched Wonderland Bakery.

Wonderland is a high-end bakery and gift concierge business, offering an array of highly customizable gourmet cookies, cupcakes, cakes, chocolate-dipped treats and whimsical gifts, which are available at the flagship Newport Beach location, or via nationwide shipping.

The firm is on its way to becoming a national brand through its strategic partnership with Errand Solutions, a Chicago-based company providing on-site concierge services to more than 300 corporate and hospital sites nationwide. (Wonderland launched the partnership in February 2008, leading with a successful beta site at Irvine-based Allergan, Inc.)

In just over two years, Wonderland has earned such titles as �Bakery to the Stars� and �Official Sweet Ambassador of Newport Beach.�  In 2007 the company celebrated its second anniversary with partnerships with the giant toy-company GUND and Department 56.

For more information on Wonderland see http://www.WonderlandBakery.com.


IMS Schedules Annual Shareholder Meeting

International Monetary Systems (OTCBB:INLM), a worldwide leader in business-to-business barter services, has scheduled its annual shareholder meeting for the afternoon of Tuesday, June 17, at the Sheraton Milwaukee Brookfield Hotel.

Shareholders of record on May 1, 2008, will be eligible to re-elect three directors, to ratify Webb & Company as the company�s auditors of its 2008 financial statements, and to vote on any other business that may be presented.

Don Mardak, CEO of IMS, stated: �This meeting, although routine in many ways, will also include a segment that highlights the team and tools that IMS has invested in over recent months. We are proud to present the people and the work they�ve accomplished on behalf of IMS.

�I am confident that shareholders will benefit from learning directly from our team members about significant infrastructure upgrades recently released and other strategic initiatives.�

For more information see www.imsbarter.com.


Money-Making Reports Available From BarterNews


Barter Is Good Business

Barter is more than just a fair exchange of goods and services between two businesses. It often provides financial and marketing bonuses for both sides as well.

It�s best to work through a trade exchange network, which acts as a broker for its clients� goods and services.

Such networks have thousands of clients, making them a viable source for many business needs, such as office equipment and supplies, printing, advertising, cleaning and maintenance services, professional services, and travel and entertainment.

All barter income is on the cash basis, and the IRS treats barter transactions as income received for both accrual-basis and cash-basis clients.

The value of trade dollars received must be included in gross income for the tax year in which they are credited to the client�s account.

Some of the goals barter can achieve are marketing advantage, debt collection, cash conservation and lines of credit�particularly when a business needs to borrow money to relocate, expand, or launch a marketing program.


Barter Is Not An IRS Target!

Perhaps the most entrenched myth about barter�one that many CPAs themselves perpetuate out of lack of current information�is that it flags a company for an IRS audit.

Source of the myth: Between 1979 and 1983, the IRS put considerable resources into a project to examine the barter business. During that period, all trade exchange networks were audited, along with a sample of their clients� returns. The study disclosed that businesses that used barter had a better than average record of tax compliance.

Today, a company that barters has the same chance of being audited as any other organization.


Hotel General Managers

Work With Audio/Visual Vendor On Barter

Collect cash, as usual, from the guest accounts staying at your facility that require the use of professional AV services. And rather than shouldering your ongoing employee costs, or your current vendor�s cash agreement for AV services, here�s a much better alternative:

Work with a proven national vendor (a sterling 25-year track record) who will provide all of the AV services for your hotel on a 100% TRADE BASIS! (Payment to be in the form of trade dollars.)

Your hotel�s annual AV billings must be a minimum of $200,000, and this offer is available only in the continental United States.

For a confidential introduction contact Bob Meyer via e-mail: bmeyer@barternews.com.

Attention Trade Exchange Owners:

If your member hotel(s) have a minimum of 10,000 sq. feet of meeting space and annual billings of at least $200,000 for AV services this is a great opportunity to earn substantial cash service fees on the hundreds of thousands of trade dollars your hotel member will be paying the vendor. Contact Bob Meyer at the above e-mail.


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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 70 free, informative and inspiring, articles for you in our �Secondary Capital Section.� Check it out... www.barternews.com/secondary_capital.htm.

Get New Money-Making Ideas And Valuable Contacts!

You can obtain useful, informative ideas and contacts in every available back-issue of BarterNews.


Every barter company in the world is listed on our web site, click through to our Global List of Barter Companies.


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