From the desk of Bob Meyer...12/29/2009
NuBarter Finishes #2 In
Forbes Contest
NuBarter
trade exchange was named runner-up in the Forbes
�Boost Your Business� contest, just missing out on the grand
prize of $100,000 in cash and advertising. Finishing second
out of twenty finalists was quite an accomplishment for the
company.
For more
information on NuBarter click here. (www.nubarter.com)
The eBay Of Wine
Vinfolio.com, founded in 2003, provides a marketplace
for wine collectors to sell off their stock. The web site
takes a 15% commission from every sale. Vinfolio also offers
a free iPhone app that tells the average price of any
varietal you might see in the store.
Airlines Expect Less Losses In 2010
The
International Air Transport Association (IATA) expects
airline losses to drop from $11 billion in 2009 down to $5.6
billion in 2010. Airline revenue, worldwide, last year was
$478 billion. Wondering what their fuel costs were as a
percentage of airline costs? It�s 26%.
Cupcake Shops� Poised As Latest Craze
Futurists
are predicting that cupcake shops will rival coffee shops in
another decade. Thus forecasting the probability of cupcakes
available on every corner...as ubiquitous as today�s coffee
shops.
Top
From the desk of Bob Meyer...12/15/2009
Financial-Services Industry A Major Employer
In the USA
there is a total employment in the securities, commodities
and investment industries of 779,700 people, according to
the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
TBC Network Interviewed Scott Drudy Of
Pittsburgh Trade
The TBC
Global News Network (www.tbctoday.com)
featured Scott Drudy of the Pittsburgh Trade Alliance on its
hour-long TV show Sunday, December 13.
Online Food Channel Predicts More Barter
Online
food magazine, The Food Channel (www.foodchannel.com),
has released its �Top-Ten Food Trends for 2010.� One of
those predictions was that restaurants will increasingly
utilize trade exchanges, because the exposure and
connections through barter networks are a valuable conduit
for restaurants.
Big Dollar-Grossing Restaurant In Beverly
Hills
A new
Beverly Hills restaurant grossed more than $13 million in
its first year (its construction cost topped $12 million).
Only 50 restaurants in the country grossed more last year,
according to data from trade publication Restaurants &
Institutions.
Unusual Trade
A widow
who sued the IRS for $1 million, for allegedly driving her
husband to suicide, dropped her claim in exchange for the
agency forgiving her tax debt.
Top
From the desk of Bob Meyer...12/08/2009
$1 Billion Cash Loan To Be Paid Off In
Airline Miles
It there
was ever a question of whether the airlines have established
their own currency of frequent flier miles or not, it is no
longer. For years airlines have bolstered their balance
sheets by pre-selling billions of miles (for about 1� a
mile) to other merchants.
Citigroup
Inc., which gives away American AAdvantage miles to
credit-card customers, agreed in September to lend American
$1 billion. This loan will be repaid between 2012 and
2016�not in cash but in airline miles.
IRTA�s Suplizio Leads European Barter
Congress
The
re-establishment of Europe as a chapter of the International
Reciprocal Trade Association (IRTA) took place early
December in Istanbul, Turkey. It was sponsored by Turk
Barter and Paul Suplizio (the original executive director of
IRTA and present IRTA board member) led the conference for
the European exchanges.
Consumers � Key To Job Creation
The
largest impediment to new hiring is weak sales. Since
January 2008, more owners have reported lower sales (quarter
over quarter) in every month, mostly by double digit
margins. In November, a small 15% reported gains in sales,
while 43% reported sales were still declining.
In short,
consumers are the key to job creation. When businesses have
more customers, they will hire more workers.
WSJ Publishes Article On Restaurants Using
Trade Exchanges
Restaurant
owners are embracing barter (via trade exchanges) according
to an extensive article in the December 3 issue of The
Wall Street Journal. Bartering is especially useful for
independent restaurants that, unlike some chains, lack
access to corporate credit lines or cash. Trading food for
needed services from trade exchange members is especially
valuable in a tight economy.
Named and
quoted in the article were Rob Miller, president of the
Arizona Trade Exchange, and Ric Zampatti, CEO of The Barter
Company based in Atlanta.
Top
From the desk of Bob Meyer...12/01/2009
Mortgage Fraud Now Taken Seriously
Under the
Fraud Enforcement & Recovery Act, which was signed into law
in May 2008, a new day is here for dealing with mortgage
fraud (which was often glossed over just a few years ago).
Today, penalties for conviction of mortgage fraud can be a
maximum of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1
million. The statute of limitations has also been increased
to ten years from five years.
Internet Display Advertising Versus
Traditional Ad Spending
New
York-based advertising research firm TNS Media Intelligence
reports that spending on Internet display advertising rose
6.5% for the first half of 2009, compared to the year ago
period. Meanwhile, ad spending in the more traditional
television, magazines, newspapers, radio and outdoor
mediums, all declined anywhere from 10% to 24%.
Art4Barter In Philadelphia
On
December 4 at Philadelphia�s Ven & Vaida Gallery, ten
participating artists will be involved in the eighth art for
barter exhibit. The artists will show and barter their works
with attendees on a face to face basis, negotiating directly
for various services and products.
Financial Editor Offers Small Business Tips
Jean
Chatzky, the financial editor for NBC�s �Today� show, has
five tips for small businesses on her web site at
http://www.jeanchatzky.com.
Top
From the desk of Bob Meyer...11/24/2009
Sales Update On Restaurants
The
National Restaurant Association reports that sales at
full-service will hit $182.9 billion, up 1% over 2008. Fast
food restaurants such as McDonald�s will see sales of $163.8
billion this year, up 4% over 2008.
How Deep Is The Foreclosure Crisis?
Recently,
158 foreclosed condo units 6 miles from downtown Miami were
sold at $113,009 per unit. The sales price was $109 per
square-foot about 33% of construction costs, which
are estimated at $300 per square-foot. (Average condo prices
in the Miami area have fallen by 37% over the past year to
$137,900.)
Trader Takes Advantage Of Opportunities In
Depressed Real Estate Market
Joe
Stanley, located in the Denver area, saw an opportunity and
took advantage of it. As a previous buyer of the
BarterNews Fast-Start Barter Program, Stanley finalized
a trade for one year�s accommodation of a one-bedroom
furnished apartment complete with maid service.
Estate Of Barter Entrepreneur Taken Off The
Market
In Los
Angeles the $125 million Fleur de Lys estate (a 53,000
square-foot palatial compound) was taken off the market
after 940 days of being listed. The Versailles-flavored
estate is owned by Suzanne Saperstein, ex-wife of Texas
barter entrepreneur David Saperstein who built a fortune
supplying radio traffic reports.
Bartering Frequent Flier Miles For Face Lift
Finnair,
Finland�s largest airline, is now offering plastic surgery
as part of its loyalty rewards program. Have enough points
(miles) and one can get a hair replacement, breast
augmentation, or a facelift from Nordstroem Hospital in
Helsinki. (Millions of miles are needed for each procedure.)
Sony�s Change In Procurements Expected To
Save $5.6 Billion!
Sony�s CEO
Howard Stringer recently outlined the company�s turnaround
strategy at the electronics giant�s Tokyo headquarters. This
is the first time since its 1958 public listing that it has
incurred losses for two years running.
Sony has
been uniting its sprawling business, bringing together
purchasing for parts and other supplies that were previously
divided and less efficient. The restructuring is expected to
save the company $5.6 billion in procurement costs�a 20%
improvement from the previous fiscal year.
Top
From the desk of Bob Meyer...11/03/2009
White Delivers Corporate Overview At Growth
Stock Conference
ITEX
Chairman and CEO Steven White spoke at the Security Research
Associates Growth Stock Conference in New York City
recently. The conference was held at the Omni Hotel on
October 19. White discussed ITEX�s current operations and
the company�s web services strategy.
Don�t Forget To Redeem Your Frequent-Flier
Miles
There�s an
estimated 12 trillion unused frequent-flier miles in
circulation worth an estimated $200 billion. It�s estimated
20% or more of all miles will never be redeemed � in part
because of confusing airline policies and scant notice of
approaching expirations.
Airlines
have been tightening up expiration rules, partly in response
to an accounting change last year that made it more onerous
to carry these liabilities on their books.
USA A Nation Of Small Businesses
An
estimated 90% of U.S. businesses are family-owned or
controlled, from traditional small businesses to about 30%
of Fortune 500 firms, according to the Small Business
Administration.
While it�s
difficult to be precise on the number of small businesses
that have closed in this recession, experts say the
prolonged slump has hurt a significant number. About 4.3
million businesses with 19 or fewer employees closed between
the fourth-quarter of 2007 and the fourth-quarter of 2008,
according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
International Monetary Systems Announces
Stock Buyback Effort
International Monetary Systems (OTCBB:ITNM) Board of
Directors has approved the repurchase of up to 4% of the
firm�s outstanding shares, effective November 9.
CEO Don
Mardak says the current stock price fails to reflect the
value of the company, as IMS shares at current prices are
trading at about one-half of book value and one-third of net
revenue.
ITEX Annual Shareholders Meeting Planned
The ITEX
Corporation (OTCBB:ITEX) Annual Stockholders Meeting will be
held on Friday December 11, 2009 at 10 a.m. at the company�s
offices in Bellevue (WA).
Top
From the desk of Bob Meyer...10/27/2009
TIME Magazine Features Bartercard�s Operations
Bartercard founder and CEO Wayne Sharpe was quoted
extensively in a lengthy TIME magazine (Europe edition)
story about barter. Pointed out in the story, �Bartering:
Have Hotel, Need Haircut,� were the advantages of trading
through a trade exchange versus that of trading directly
with another party.
Realtors Income Dropping
The National Association of Realtors report that median
income for realtors and brokers fell to $36,700 last year
from a high of $49,300 in 2004. Membership in the group
dropped from 1.35 million to 1.14 million from September
2008 to September 2009.
BarterQuest A PayPal Silver Sponsor
BarterQuest, a platform that supports the cashless exchange
of goods and services will be a Silver Sponsor at Innovate X
2009 � PayPal�s first dedicated developer conference. The
conference will be held in San Francisco, November 3 and 4.
Best Time To Start A Business � Today
According to Ariane de Bonvoisin, founder and CEO of The
First 30 Days, it�s time to get moving! �We live in a time
where everything is up for discussion,� she asserted.
�Barter, trade exchange services, do whatever it takes to
get started or to maintain. It�s cheaper to start a business
now than ever before.
�Do not fall into the trap of thinking it costs money to get
going. Everything is going for cheap now. Make the most of
it. And if you don�t have money, look at what you do have
and what you can trade.�
Top
From the desk of Bob Meyer...10/20/2009
Rum Maker Barters With St. Croix (Virgin
Islands)
Spirits
maker Fortune Brands Inc. has cemented a barter deal with
the U.S. Virgin Islands to continue making rum on St. Croix
in exchange for marketing and other incentives. Thus
expanding the Cruzan Rum Distillery and building a
state-of-the-art wastewater-treatment facility with a value
projected to exceed $1 billion over 30 years.
Restaurant Industry Reports Declining Sales
The
National Restaurant Association reports continued declines
in sales for August, the most recent month for which it has
data. Only 17% of restaurant operators reported a same-store
sales gain between August 2008 and August 2009. Some 68% of
operators reported a same-store sales decline in August, up
from 58% who reported negative sales in July. Customer
traffic levels also dropped off in August.
TeleTrade International Earnings Update
Gary
Lasater, CEO of TeleTrade international, reports $44.4
million of trading volume for the trading platform�s first
nine months of 2009. (The eValues system posted $34.2
million of TTi�s totals.)
Barter Industry Convention Scheduled
The National Association of Trade Exchanges (NATE) 25th
Annual Convention will be held October 25-27 at the Golden
Nugget in Las Vegas, Nevada.
For more convention information
click
here.
Top
From the desk of Bob Meyer...10/06/2009
BizXchange Brokers $2.2 Million Media For Automobiles Deal
BizXchange�s International Division, BizX, has successfully
completed a brokered $2.2 million barter transaction between
the Arab Media Group and the Al Naboodah Group (Audi Middle
East).
New Radio Brand-Building Services Announced
A new service known as �The 360 Radio Brand-Building
Collection� has been introduced and is now available for
radio station management.
For more information see
www.360impactbranding.com.
Will Exchange Term-Life Insurance Policies
For Hard Assets
Logic Financial is looking to exchange term-life insurance
policies for any type of hard assets (not services). Minimum
exchange is one million dollars. We can provide life-policy
portfolios in the hundreds of millions, and can combine cash
with the policies if necessary. (Preferably assets are free
of debts.)
For more information call James Lehner at 323-939-0828 or
e-mail
james@logicfinancial.net.
Airlines Are Hurting
Business travel revenue is down around the world; for July
the figure was 35%! The International Air Transport
Association estimates that carriers globally will lose $11
billion in 2009.
Gallup Poll Shows Business Owners Are
Happiest
A new Gallup-Healthways �Well-Being Index� rates business
owners as the happiest workers in America, followed by
professionals and executives. Well-being is measured by how
respondents answered questions about how they feel about
their work environment, physical health, emotional
satisfaction and access to food, shelter and health care.
Barter Industry Convention Scheduled
The National Association of Trade Exchanges (NATE) 25th
Annual Convention will be held October 25-27 at the Golden
Nugget in Las Vegas, Nevada.
For more convention information
click
here.
Top
From the desk of Bob Meyer...09/22/2009
NuBarter Semi-Finalists Of Forbes Competition
Savannah barter company, NuBarter, is in the running for the
2009
Forbes.com �Boost Your Business Competition.� It is one
of twenty semi-finalists in which the winner will receive
$50,000 cash and $50,000 in advertising on
Forbes.com.
ITEX Opens Charlotte Office
Franchise owner Warren Stone has announced the launch of
ITEX in Charlotte, North Carolina.
For more information call (704) 749-3600 or
click here.
PriceDoc.com Goes National In November
Modeling
Priceline.com, a new web site called
PriceDoc.com will soon be providing patients with the
ability to negotiate prices (name their price) for medical,
dental, vision and other healthcare services.
Recap Of Barter Industry News Scheduled At
IRTA
IRTA�s upcoming International Convention in Dallas will be
highlighting the news coverage which the barter industry has
received over the past year. The news stories will be shown
at the convention on the morning of October 2.
Atlanta Braves Barter With Radio Stations
The Atlanta Braves baseball team has signed a new deal
wherein it will sell radio advertising, keeping most of the
ad revenue in lieu of the guaranteed rights fee that radio
stations heretofore paid to carry the games. The move
reflects a trend among other major league baseball teams
nationwide.
Barter Industry Conventions Scheduled
The International Reciprocal Trade Association�s (IRTA) 30th
Annual Convention will be held October 1-3 at the four-star
Magnolia Hotel in Dallas, Texas.
For more convention information
click here.
The National Association of Trade Exchanges (NATE) 25th
Annual Convention will be held October 25-27 at the Golden
Nugget in Las Vegas, Nevada.
For more convention information
click
here.
Top
From the desk of Bob Meyer...09/15/2009
Barter Industry
Conventions Scheduled
The International Reciprocal Trade Association�s (IRTA) 30th
Annual Convention will be held October 1-3 at the four-star
Magnolia Hotel in Dallas, Texas.
For more convention information
click here.
The National Association of Trade Exchanges (NATE) 25th
Annual Convention will be held October 25-27 at the Golden
Nugget in Las Vegas, Nevada.
For more convention information
click
here.
Top
From
the desk of Bob Meyer...09/08/2009
Matchbin Moves From Barter To Community Reporting
Several years ago the founders of Matchbin were sure they
would revolutionize the commercial barter industry with
their barter/auction technologies. But their online efforts
never materialized as envisioned. Today Matchbin has evolved
into a platform with a strong focus on community newspapers
� with a mission of helping create online communities and
engagements with readers alongside a newspaper�s daily news.
Activist CEO Makes Another Move Outside Of ITEX
In May, 2008 BarterNewsblog reported on publicly-traded
Western Sizzlin Corp�s (NASDAQ:WEST) efforts to get control
of ITEX (largest trade exchange in U.S.) through an offer to
ITEX shareholders. They did acquire 873,862 shares but fell
short of their hostile takeover objective.
Now Western Sizzlin�s young, 31-year-old, CEO Sardar Biglari
is on to other ventures. Biglari became chief executive of
Western Sizzlin in 2007 after buying shares and agitating
for change at the company. Today he�s making some
significant moves in another direction.
Following a similar �muscling in� strategy at
publicly-traded Steak n Shake (NYSE:SNS) he moved onto the
company�s board in 2008. Now the owner of 9.2% of the
company�s stock (recent stock price $10.85) he recently
disclosed plans that will see Steak n Shake purchasing
Western Sizzlin � the steak house he also heads and has a
33% stock ownership position in. Recent stock price of WEST
was $14.10.
IMS
Reports July Most Profitable In 2009
International Monetary Systems� (OTCBB:ITNM) CEO Don Mardak
says that the month of July was the company�s most
profitable month of 2009, with strong operating profits and
cash flow. The company�s travel department, led by Kim
Strabley, had record sales during the month.
For more information on the 20,000 member national barter
company
click
here.
Trisko
Authors Barter For Resort Developers
Dave Trisko, CEO of TriMarkTrade, has authored an excellent
article (on how & why resorts barter) in the August issue of
Developments magazine. The American Resort
Development Association is the publisher of the publication.
To read or download the article
click
here.
WSJ
Article Touts Barter As Way To Move Office Equipment
The Wall Street Journal�s Small Business Section
(online) published an article on the three best ways to get
rid of office equipment. One of the suggestions was �try
bartering.� Listed in the article were the following barter
companies:
NuBarter.com,
BizX.com,
FloridaBarter.com, and
BarterBrokers.com.
New
Trade Exchange Opens In Colorado
Bethanne Dressel and husband Bill Stein have started
Corporate Barter Solutions this summer in Colorado.
Currently they are in the process of renting office space in
Denver. Prior to launching CBS, Stein had 23 years of
experience running Trade Exchange Of The Rockies.
ITEX
Advances Into Calgary
ITEX Toronto broker Michael Mazzin has expanded operations
into Calgary, Alberta, Canada (http://www.BarterInAlberta.com).
ITEX will be the third barter company (trade exchange)
within the city.
Barter
Industry Conventions Scheduled
The International Reciprocal Trade Association�s (IRTA) 30th
Annual Convention will be held October 1-3 at the four-star
Magnolia Hotel in Dallas, Texas.
For more convention information
click here.
The National Association of Trade Exchanges (NATE) 25th
Annual Convention will be held October 25-27 at the Golden
Nugget in Las Vegas, Nevada.
For more convention information
click
here.
Top
From
the desk of Bob Meyer...09/01/2009
Defining The Entrepreneurial Drive
The Kauffman Foundation, a Kansas City think-tank that
studies entrepreneurship, says the whiz-kid business founder
as a norm is a myth. Instead of the dorm room genius as a
founder, the typical founder of a new business is middle
age, 40 on average, when launching a new business.
�
70% of
first-time founders are married,
�
60%
have at least one child,
�
59%
come from lower-middle-class or blue collar families, and
�
almost
50% hold advanced degrees.
What spurs the entrepreneurial spirit? People come to the
stage when they�re tired of working for others. They�re
thinking, �I�m 40 and haven�t made it big yet. This is my
last chance.�
What Do You Think?
According to a Zogby Poll, 75-percent of Americans don�t
believe CEOs and CFOs give a true picture of their firms�
financial outlook.
Barter Story On German Television
Reiner Husemann contacted BarterNews about a German
television station publishing a story on bartering. It�s now
online at Youtube at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd4Y4CGilac
U.S. Hotel Occupancy Lowest Since 1987
Smith Travel Research, which began tracking hotel occupancy
levels back in 1987, reports that occupancy figures for U.S.
hotels were at 64% in July � the lowest figure on record.
Reinforcing the dire problem is the real-estate research
company Real Capital Analytics report showing $18 billion in
hotel loans are distressed (delinquent, in foreclosure, in
bankruptcy or restructured by lenders), compared to just
$1.3 billion in distressed loans a year ago.
Barter Industry Conventions Scheduled
The International Reciprocal Trade Association�s (IRTA) 30th
Annual Convention will be held October 1-3 at the four-star
Magnolia Hotel in Dallas, Texas.
For more convention information
click here.
The National Association of Trade Exchanges (NATE) 25th
Annual Convention will be held October 25-27 at the Golden
Nugget in Las Vegas, Nevada.
For more convention information
click
here.
Top
From
the desk of Bob Meyer...08/25/2009
Allyson Ames Listed In
The
Richest Kids In America Book
A new book written by Mark Victor Hansen, co-creator of the
best-selling Chicken Soup For The Soul Series (144
million books sold worldwide), has authored his latest
effort titled The Richest Kids In America.
Prominent in the book is the daughter of TradeAmericanCard
founder Mike Ames, who is located in Orange (CA). Allyson
Ames is one of 14 �kids� featured in this most interesting
and helpful book. Included as a Bonus Section are Allyson�s
business strategies, along with a section titled Resources
to Riches.
Cardiologist Services On Trade
Larry Usner, 54, who runs Louisiana Barter in Lafayette,
says �I haven�t paid a penny to my cardiologist in four
years.� As an independent trade exchange owner, he�s covered
the cost of insurance co-pays for six angioplasty surgeries
(not to mention his dentist�s bill for $8,000 in veneers) by
bartering services from the radio and television advertising
business he also operates.
Stock Market Investing Hits New Level Of
Complexity
The game of investing in stocks has changed dramatically
from those of decades ago, when the small investor was
investing in a company for the long haul. Today, huge firms
on Wall Street have sophisticated computer-trading
platforms. And these firms have become dominant players in
high-frequency trading, wherein computers use complex
formulas to conduct rapid-fire trades in markets around the
world.
Such high-frequency trading has become one of the
fastest-expanding strategies on Wall Street, accounting for
more than 73% of stock-trading volume in the U.S. this year,
up from 59% in 2008, according to the Tabb Group, a New York
research firm.
What Is Syndication?
Most TV shows on the �off-networks� are offered on a barter
basis, i.e., the stations pay a lower licensing fee for the
show in exchange for sharing their in-house ad revenues with
the syndicator.
Barter Industry Conventions Scheduled
The International Reciprocal Trade Association�s (IRTA) 30th
Annual Convention will be held October 1-3 at the four-star
Magnolia Hotel in Dallas, Texas.
For more convention information
click here.
The National Association of Trade Exchanges (NATE) 25th
Annual Convention will be held October 25-27 at the Golden
Nugget in Las Vegas, Nevada.
For more convention information
click
here.
Top
From
the desk of Bob Meyer...08/18/2009
NATE Has New Web Site
The
National Association of Trade Exchanges has changed its web
site to
http://www.natebarter.com
NATE�s
currency, BANC dollars, web site remains
http://www.barterbanc.ws
Tourism Drop Hurts Mediterranean Countries
Holiday
destinations in Greece, Portugal and Spain are staggering
through one of the worst tourist seasons (May-to-September)
in years. Roughly 10 million fewer visitors/tourists and $20
billion in lost revenue/income is forecast by the World
Travel & Tourism Council.
ITEX Registrants Growing Dramatically
ITEX, the
largest trade exchange (membership) in the U.S., added 934
new members in July. Michael Muzzin, from the Toronto office
registered 99 new members in the month.
Billionaire Says We�ve Hit Bottom
Billionaire financier George Soros, in an interview with
Reuters Television in New York on Tuesday (August 11), said
that the U.S. economy has hit the bottom and the current
quarter will see positive growth due to the government
stimulus spending.
Bob Bagga Writing On Barter
The
President and CEO of BizXchange
http://www.bizx.com
is
now writing about barter on his new blog at
http://www.BaggaOnBarter.com
Barter Industry Conventions Scheduled
The
International Reciprocal Trade Association�s (IRTA) 30th
annual convention will be held October 1-3 at the four-star
Magnolia Hotel in Dallas, Texas.
For more
convention information see
http://www.irta.com
The
National Association of Trade Exchanges (NATE) 25 annual
convention will be held October 25-27 at the Golden Nugget
in Las Vegas, Nevada.
For more convention information go to
http://www.natebarter.com
Top
From
the desk of Bob Meyer...08/11/2009
Direct Barter Internet Sites
Here are
two sites for consumers interested in direct barter...
Do favors,
get favors from anyone in the world. (Click
here.)
Founder
Douglas Dagenais began his barter experience as a small
business owner in the early �70s, trading his goods (a men�s
clothing store) for other needed services. Over the last 25
years he�s been involved with the largest barter companies
in the U.S. He now shares his vast barter experience with
individuals. (Click
here.)
Google Exits Radio Business
Three
years ago Google purchased dMarc Broadcasting (for $102
million) with the intent of selling radio ads through an
automated online system. Google recently announced that it
is exiting the radio business by selling the radio-ad
placement technology to WideOrbit Inc., a small San
Francisco company that makes software for the broadcast TV
and radio industry. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Grandparenting A New Image
A blog by
Samantha Palans has a post titled, �Grandparenting A New
Image.� See
http://www.theboomerblog.com
Also
checkout
http://www.maturemarketing.com for marketing
insights to the boomers and mature consumer.
Twenty-Four Percent (24%) Of Homeowners Are Underwater
According
to data from Equifax and Moody�s
Economy.com,
24% of owner-occupied single-family homes have mortgage debt
that exceeds the value of their homes � about 16 million
homeowners. The hardest hit state is Nevada, where 40% of
owner-occupied homes are underwater, followed by Arizona
(37%) and California (33%).
For more
convention information see:
http://www.IRTA.com
�
The
National Association of Trade Exchanges (NATE) 25th annual
convention will be held October 25-27 at the Golden Nugget
in Las Vegas.
For more
convention information see:
http://www.NATE.org
Top
From
the desk of Bob Meyer...08/04/2009
Client�s View Of Barter Worth Another Look
Peter Comrie, keynote speaker at the 1996 NATE convention
held in Toronto, recently contacted me. His talk that year
titled, �A Client�s View of Barter,� was excellent and worth
another read.
http://barternews.com/clientsview.htm.
Peter Comrie is staging a big 3-day seminar in Vancouver
this fall. If you�ve never visited Vancouver, this would be
an excellent time to do so. It�s one of the most beautiful
cities in the world and the seminar promises to be
first-class as well.
For more on Comrie�s efforts see:
http://www.TheWealthyAttitude.com
Co-Working Rentals Growing In Popularity
Rental arrangements for small business office space, wherein
tenants will share telephone and Internet charges, a
receptionist (who works for all the businesses), office
equipment as well as the office space on a month-to-month
lease, are growing in popularity.
A co-working environment also presents an opportunity to tap
into the collective expertise of the group and create
business deals with other business owners, who are just a
cubicle away. There are more barter deals taking place as
well, in which the bartering of various services (needed by
the owner) is exchanged for space.
Brand Loyalty Dropping
Catalina Marketing reports that loyalty to specific brands
is down. Some 30 percent of consumers today, with a choice
of 30,000 products in grocery stores, are no longer buying
their once-favored brands.
Allyson & Sondra Ames Appear On The TODAY
Show
Sondra Ames and her daughter Allyson were barter stalwarts
for years with Orange County-based TradeAmericanCard,
founded by Mike Ames. Yesterday, August 3, they appeared on
the TODAY Show in New York City. They�re the
highly-successful founders and operators of Wonderland
Bakery, located in Newport Beach (CA). We understand that
basketball superstar Kobe Bryant is a frequent visitor to
their store.
For more see: http://www.WonderlandBakery.com.
Barter Industry Conventions Scheduled
�
The
International Reciprocal Trade Association�s (IRTA) 30th
annual convention will be held October 1-3 at the four-star
Magnolia Hotel, in Dallas.
For more convention
information see:
http://www.IRTA.com
�
The
National Association of Trade Exchanges (NATE) 25th annual
convention will be held October 25-27 at the Golden Nugget
in Las Vegas.
For more convention
information see:
http://www.NATE.org
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From
the desk of Bob Meyer...07/28/2009
Ad Agency Clients Insisting On More For Less
Big
marketers have cut back on the fees they pay ad firms for
their services, such as creating TV commercials.
Additionally, they�ve slashed what they spend on ad time and
space.
Marketers
have, over the past few years, begun to get their
procurement departments involved in efforts to cut the costs
on a wide range of marketing activities, including ad
production.
To cope
with the changing environment and lesser profits, the ad
industry has reacted to the downturn by paring jobs as
salaries typically represent about 55% to 65% of an agency�s
expenses.
PayPal Will Surpass eBay�s Revenue
CEO John
Donahoe of eBay, speaking at the �Fortune Brainstorm Tech
Conference� in Pasadena last week, says eBay�s PayPal will
become a bigger business than eBay. Donahoe expects PayPal
will double in size in the next four or five years. He also
noted that fees generated from its transactions appear to be
the future of revenue for the online commerce Internet
site.
Although
now in beta testing, PayPal is opening an API to developers
to allow them to embed its payment system into their own
applications and platforms. PayPal says this is the first
global payment platform to open to third-party developers.
Bleak Outlook For Restaurants� Next 18 Months
Moody�s
Investors Services have issued a report saying the
restaurant industry is likely to remain weak for the next 12
to 18 months, as declines in restaurant traffic coincides
with greater affordability of eating at home.
Ad Slump Expected To Lessen In 2010
A unit of
the Interpublic Group of companies, Magna, says that ad
revenue is on track to decline by 14.5% this year to $161.4
billion. Ad revenue will pick up next year with the Olympics
and political advertising, but still fall, at 2%. Magna
foresees ad growth resuming in the second half of 201l, with
strength in TV, online media, outdoor and direct mail.
Barter Industry Conventions Scheduled
The
International Reciprocal Trade Association (IRTA) is holding
its 30th annual convention October 1-3 at the four-star
Magnolia Hotel in Dallas, Texas.
For more
convention information
click here.
The
National Association of Trade Exchanges� (NATE) 25th annual
convention will be held October 25-27 at the Golden Nugget
in Las Vegas, Nevada.
For more convention information
click here.
Top
From
the desk of Bob Meyer...07/21/2009
Barter Industry Conventions Scheduled
The International Reciprocal Trade Association�s (IRTA) 30th
Annual Convention will be held October 1-3 at the four-star
Magnolia Hotel, in Dallas, Texas. (For more information see
http://www.irta.com.)
The National Association of Trade Exchanges (NATE) 25th
Annual Convention will be held October 25-27 at the Golden
Nugget in Las Vegas, Nevada. (For more information see
http://www.nate.org.)
IRTA�s Wallach Appears
On Fox TV
David Wallach, President of the International Reciprocal
Trade Association,
www.irta.com, was a spokesperson
on the Fox TV News Channel Saturday July 18 (the segment was
repeated several times on Sunday, July 19).
In the interview Wallach explained how the �modern trade and
barter industry� can play an important, positive role in
re-energizing the economy as well as significantly
increasing gainful employment, not to mention a valuable
non-cash funding resource for the small business sector.
New Barter Sites Launched
Www.swapster.com
provides users the place to trade music, movies, video games
and books, through an easy-to-use points system.
In Ireland, Finnella Naughton has launched
www.barter-it.ie.
Seattle Restaurant Owner Gains Competitive
Advantage In Marketplace
Seattle�s Seastar restaurant, a member of the BizXchange
trade exchange, recently acquired $30,000 in decorative
granite. Payment for the material was with trade dollars �
earned via BizXchange members dining at the restaurant.
Needless to say, acquiring needed materials in such a manner
provides Seastar with a competitive advantage in the
marketplace.
For more info on BizXchange visit
www.bizxchange.com.
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From
the desk of Bob Meyer...07/14/2009
Sharpe Appears On United Kingdom�s Sky News
Wayne Sharpe, founder and CEO of Bartercard, the world�s
largest trade exchange, was interviewed June 25 on Sky News.
Sharpe discussed how Bartercard (trade exchanges) helps the
U.K. economy by providing assistance and support, outside of
the banking industry, to the small business sector of the
economy.
The SME market (small and medium business enterprises)
constitutes over 60% of the British economy.
For more information on Bartercard see
http://www.Bartercard.com.
Time-Share Industry Under Pressure
Major time-share developers, led by Wyndham Worldwide,
Marriott International and Starwood Hotels & Resorts, are
scaling back their time-share business for a variety of
reasons: (1) investors in time-share loans demand higher
interest rates, (2) buyers have become more scarce, and (3)
resales of time-shares have caused downward pressure on
prices and demand for new units.
Investment Manager Suggests New Perspective
For Next Generation
According to Bill Gross, manager of the world�s biggest bond
fund at Newport Beach-based Pacific Investment Management
Co., investors should favor bonds and dividend-paying
equities as the U.S. heads into a �new normal� of higher
savings and lower-consumption. Gross also predicts an annual
economic growth of about 2%, as opposed to 3.5%, for a
generation or more. Thus indicating that investors should
stress secure income.
Feeling Poorer?
Americans lost one-fifth of the value of their 401(K)
retirement accounts � some $603 billion � in 2008, according
to the Employee Benefits Research Institute in Washington,
DC.
Top
From
the desk of Bob Meyer...06/30/2009
Bartercard�s Incredible Sales Staff
The world�s largest trade exchange, with 65,000 members, is
Bartercard. Launched 18 years ago by Australia�s
entrepreneurial Wayne Sharpe, the company focused on setting
up a superior barter training and operational system. The
diligence has paid off.
In an industry that sees a turnover of sales people,
Bartercard can boast of their top seven sales people. They
have sold 8,000 new members between them, all paid. The
record for a single month of personal sales is 43 members.
And eleven other sales people have signed up 35 in a month.
Bartercard�s best are: Rod Bryan 1,259 sign-ups; Kevin
Dienoff 1,165; Steve Mills 1,248; Paul Marcello 1,023;
Michael Tynne 1,157; Mac Mackie 1,129; Rose Lawlar 1,022.
Value of World�s Millionaires Assets Slid 20%
The ranks of the world�s millionaires shrank at the fastest
rate in 2008, with North America suffering the biggest
wealth loss worldwide, according to a survey by Capgemini
and Merrill Lynch & Co.
The global slump in property and equity markets last year
cut the number of millionaires by 15% to 8.6 million, wiping
out two years of increases, the firms said in their 13th
annual World Wealth Report. (The value of the world�s
millionaires� assets slid 20% to $32.8 trillion, after a
9.4% increase the previous year, the survey said.)
Surprisingly, the U.S. wealthy fared better than many of
their overseas counterparts. While the nation�s millionaire
population fell 19%, the U.K. had a 26% drop, Russia fell
29%, India dropped 32%, and Australia and Canada both topped
23%. (Those least affected included Brazil with a 9% drop,
and China with a 12% drop.)
Vancouver�s Commercial Real Estate Booming
Having had the good fortune to spend time in one of the most
beautiful cities in the world, it�s good to see Vancouver
(BC) is doing so well with its commercial real estate
(office buildings, shopping centers and other properties).
Because of the low vacancy rates (4.2%), prices are holding
up in Vancouver, versus most cities in the U.S. where
average prices are down 25% to 35% in most locations.
Companies Plan To Operate With Less Employees
Consulting firm Watson Wyatt Worldwide conducted a new
survey of 179 companies and reports that 52% of those
surveyed expect to employ fewer people three to five years
from now than they did before the recession began. And 73%
expect employees to shoulder more of the cost of health care
than prior to the recession.
Top
From
the desk of Bob Meyer...06/23/2009
National Association Of Trade Exchanges Names
New Board
On May 18,
2009, the majority of the NATE membership voted to elect a
new board:
Gary Oshry as President,
Rachel Taylor as Treasurer,
Karen Welch as Secretary,
Ric Zampatti, Director,
Mary Nove, Director
the registered agent is Harold Rice.
The new
NATE office is located at 10151 IH 35 North, San Antonio,
Texas 78233.
A Bridge To Better Times
Some 18%
of entrepreneurial small-business owners are working in a
second job to keep their businesses afloat. That�s according
to the latest findings from the American Express Open Small
Business Monitor. Many have sacrificed their personal
finances and have stopped paying themselves a salary to deal
with the current economic reality.
U.S. Ad Spending Fell 14% In First Quarter
TNS Media
Intelligence reports that U.S. ad spending on media such as
TV, print and online display ads fell 14% to $30.18 billion
in the first quarter from a year earlier. The ad downturn
(figures) was worse than anticipated.
Investment World Ever-Changing
Decades
ago the bulk of investors in the stock market was the
�individual investor.� Now, some 70% of the trading volume
on the NYSE and other exchanges is done by large
institutional investors. And the �buy and hold� theory of
yesteryear has changed as well.
Today
major firms employ dozens of PhD�s to develop
computer-driven models to identify when to buy and sell
stocks, bonds and other securities. The latest discoveries
by the brilliant math whizzes revolve around discovery of
hidden stock-pricing patterns similar to speech recognition
technologies.
In other
words, the underlying mathematics of predicting markets is
not millions of miles away from the mathematics of speech
recognition. Welcome to today�s ever-changing world.
Murphy Joins Novus Media Network
David P.
Murphy has been named President of Sales for the Novus Media
Network. Novus is a top ten U.S. media agency as ranked by
Advertising Age Magazine. They are a part of the
Omnicom Media Group, the media division of Omnicom Group
Inc.�a leading global marketing and corporate communications
company.
Top
From
the desk of Bob Meyer...06/09/2009
IMS Announces Online Bill-Pay & Statement Delivery For
Members
International Monetary Systems (OTCBB:INLM) has launched an
electronic monthly statement-notification service with an
online bill-payment option. Additionally, the new service
gives members the opportunity to link to desired features
(of their membership) such as the online barter marketplace
and travel center.
Facebook Introduces �Credits� Currency To Increase Income
Facebook will be tapping a new revenue stream by introducing
a new payment system where visitors to their site may
purchase Facebook �credits.� Said �credits� can be used to
buy virtual goods from the third-party applications that run
on the site. Facebook will capture a percentage of every
transaction. (Developers working on Facebook�s platform are
expected to earn more than $500 million this year.)
Favorpals Offers Service For Securing Mutual Benefit Through
Collective Cooperation
Craftsmen, artists, laborers and professionals, can exchange
their services at
http://www.favorpals.com.
Travel
Updates
�
An
online travel service (http://www.sidestep.com)
offers travelers the ability to check a location and gauge
the distance of a hotel from an address or a popular
attraction such as a beach, zoo, shopping mall or ballpark.
�
Virgin
Airlines, the new upstart based in Burlingame (CA), has
become the first airline to offer in-flight Internet service
on every plane.
�
Southwest Airlines has begun letting small cats and dogs fly
with their owners, for $75 each way.
Top
From
the desk of Bob Meyer...06/02/2009
25% Early Sign-Up Discount For IRTA
Convention
The
International Reciprocal Trade Association�s Annual
Convention is scheduled for October 1 thru October 3 at the
four-star Magnolia Hotel in Dallas, Texas.
To sign-up
now go to
http://www.IRTA.com.
Hotel Occupancy In The Bahamas Falls To 48.9%
A tourist
drought is creating havoc for hoteliers in the Bahamas. The
most recent casualty is the Four Seasons Resort Great Exuma,
as the 500-acre resort has closed down. Opened in 2003 at a
cost of $350 million, they have been unable to move the
property.
According
to a report in The Wall Street Journal, the receiver(PricewaterhouseCoopers) expects the property to sell for
less than $100 million. The hotel�s occupancy had slipped
into the 50% range, as reported by the Bahamas Ministry of
Tourism.
Millionaire Population Dropping
The wealth
of American families has dropped nearly 18% from last year.
The Spectrem Group statistics showed that the number of U.S.
millionaires fell 27% last year, the biggest drop since the
wealth-research firm started collecting data about a decade
ago.
The number
of U.S. households with a net worth of at least a million
(not including primary residences) sank to 6.7 million from
9.2 million in 2007. The population of millionaires is now
at 2003-2004 levels, meaning the economic crisis has all but
erased the millionaire boom of the past five years.
New Book: The Art of Abundance
John
O�Keefe, the founder/owner of The Center For Peak
Performance has published his second book, The Art Of
Abundance.
For more
information see
http://www.nostressforyou.com.
Top
From
the desk of Bob Meyer...05/26/2009
Karen Hoffman Authoring Barter Book
Karen
Hoffman, a former trade exchange owner who has served two
years as the executive director of the International
Reciprocal Trade Association, has signed a contract for a
new barter book. It is expected to be published in the
spring of 2010.
Hedge Funds Post Better Record Than S&P�s 500
Index
While the
hedge fund industry experienced a 19% drop in 2008,
according to the Chicago-based Hedge Fund Research, it was
only the second year since 1990 that the industry lost money
as a whole. (The Standard & Poor�s 500-stock index dropped
39%.)
Facts About Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief
Act Of 2007
Owners of
a personal residence will benefit from a short sale, in that
the short fall will not be taxable under the Mortgage
Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007. However, the act
excludes second homes, rental properties, business property,
credit cards and car loans.
For more
information visit http://www.irs.gov and read Form
982, �Reduction of Tax Attributes Due to Discharge of
Indebtedness.�
Businesses Will Be More Accountable In Days
Ahead
According
to Ram Charan, a consultant to CEOs of many Fortune 500
companies, the executives he works with are very sensitive
to the societal pressure, and change will occur. Charan
foresees a shift in the compensation of executive pay. And,
he believes corporate boards will try to ease the grip of
Wall Street by adopting pay structures that consider all
stakeholders...including employees and customers.
Top
