Bartering down the ages

Dictionary defines bartering as the ‘exchange of goods and services without monetary transaction'. It is simply an exchange of goods between two parties, who need something from each other. This mutual give and take has been practiced since antiquity, but has had its share of problems too. Picture this, a fishmonger wanting a new fishing net goes to a net maker with a handsome catch of fish. But the net maker isn't interested in his fish. So, the fishmonger has either to remain without a net or make one on his own. And he can't do either. So, he exchanges his fish with someone else for an item that the net maker would be interested in, and exchanges it to get his fishing net. This is what happened till money made its appearance.

But bartering continued to be practiced on a low key. Remember, you have done it too as kids, when you exchanged the center spreads of your favorite beauties for CDs of some really cool music. Well, this was bartering in its most basic form. Only recently has the world woken up to the immense business potential of this form of trade.

Resurgence of bartering

Bartering would have remained on the fringes had it not been for the invasion of the wonder chip called computer and the Internet. With its introduction, it became possible to barter in an easy and inexpensive way. This is because of computer's ability of tracking barter transactions and maintaining huge inventories conveniently and economically.

To facilitate the burgeoning barter trade, many online facilities were introduced. The most important being the barter exchange, whose spread has fueled an explosive growth of bartering by creating markets for traders and bringing the interested parties together.

Benefits of bartering

But how is bartering better than normal business transactions? There are a number of benefits that has made bartering a force to reckon with in the business world. Let us see what they are:

Conserves cash: Cash, the lifeblood of business, is always in short supply, whether for a corporate giant or a small-scale industry. Since bartering generally doesn't require financial transaction, such a deal becomes mutually advantageous, as neither party has to part with cash to obtain the desired goods or services.

Generates sales and profits: Not only does bartering conserve cash, it can actually generate sales and profits. This is because inventory turns over more quickly and service providers sell more of their time than they would otherwise, had they insisted on cash.

Creates new customers: Bartering brings together unlikely parties, which would never have me
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Name badges – Having a More Effective Business Event If you’re planning an event – then you need to be recognized.It's not an event without name badges or lapel stickers. Name badges and lapel stickers are usually available on rolls or sheets. Name labels on rolls are great when you need to hand write names. Name badges on sheets are printed with custom design - you can add names by hand on matte stock. Lapel stickers look great printed on gloss stock. Using name badges and lapel stickers can be a very cost effective method in getting the personal exposure you need to succeed at business events.A Few Suggested Uses for Name Badges:Trade Shows Business Networking MeetingsSeminarsPresentationsWorkshopsBusiness ConferencesChamber of Commerce MeetingsSales Meetings Name Badge / Lapel Sticker Formats: RectangleCircleRollsLaser or Ink JetCombo Badges for use in a plastic holderSticker to be PrintedSticker to
ies, who need something from each other. This mutual give and take has been practiced since antiquity, but has had its share of problems too. Picture this, a fishmonger wanting a new fishing net goes to a net maker with a handsome catch of fish. But the net maker isn't interested in his fish. So, the fishmonger has either to remain without a net or make one on his own. And he can't do either. So, he exchanges his fish with someone else for an item that the net maker would be interested in, and exchanges it to get his fishing net. This is what happened till money made its appearance.

But bartering continued to be practiced on a low key. Remember, you have done it too as kids, when you exchanged the center spreads of your favorite beauties for CDs of some really cool music. Well, this was bartering in its most basic form. Only recently has the world woken up to the immense business potential of this form of trade.

Resurgence of bartering

Bartering would have remained on the fringes had it not been for the invasion of the wonder chip called computer and the Internet. With its introduction, it became possible to barter in an easy and inexpensive way. This is because of computer's ability of tracking barter transactions and maintaining huge inventories conveniently and economically.

To facilitate the burgeoning barter trade, many online facilities were introduced. The most important being the barter exchange, whose spread has fueled an explosive growth of bartering by creating markets for traders and bringing the interested parties together.

Benefits of bartering

But how is bartering better than normal business transactions? There are a number of benefits that has made bartering a force to reckon with in the business world. Let us see what they are:

Conserves cash: Cash, the lifeblood of business, is always in short supply, whether for a corporate giant or a small-scale industry. Since bartering generally doesn't require financial transaction, such a deal becomes mutually advantageous, as neither party has to part with cash to obtain the desired goods or services.
Generates sales and profits: Not only does bartering conserve cash, it can actually generate sales and profits. This is because inventory turns over more quickly and service providers sell more of their time than they would otherwise, had they insisted on cash.
Creates new customers: Bartering brings together unlikely parties, which would never have m
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First Bank applies to raise N99.3bn from capital marketFirst Bank of Nigeria Plc on Tuesday began the process of raising fresh funds from the market with an application to the Nigerian Stock Exchange. The bank applied to offer 1.6billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each to be sold at N33 per share for public subscription and 1.5billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each at N31 per share as Rights Issue to existing shareholders.As a result of the application, the NSE has placed the share price of First Bank on technical suspension at N40.40 per share. This implies that throughout the period of the offer, trading in the shares on the floor of the exchange would be done at N40.40.Besides, prospective subscribers to the public offer at N33 would be enjoying a discount of N7.40, while investors that would be exercising their rights at N31 per share would be doing so at a discount of N9.40 since the current market price is N40.40.The bank is expected to realise gross proceeds of N99.3bn from the hybrid offer, the highest in the history of the Nigerian capital market.The managing directo
a low key. Remember, you have done it too as kids, when you exchanged the center spreads of your favorite beauties for CDs of some really cool music. Well, this was bartering in its most basic form. Only recently has the world woken up to the immense business potential of this form of trade.

Resurgence of bartering

Bartering would have remained on the fringes had it not been for the invasion of the wonder chip called computer and the Internet. With its introduction, it became possible to barter in an easy and inexpensive way. This is because of computer's ability of tracking barter transactions and maintaining huge inventories conveniently and economically.

To facilitate the burgeoning barter trade, many online facilities were introduced. The most important being the barter exchange, whose spread has fueled an explosive growth of bartering by creating markets for traders and bringing the interested parties together.

Benefits of bartering

But how is bartering better than normal business transactions? There are a number of benefits that has made bartering a force to reckon with in the business world. Let us see what they are:

Conserves cash: Cash, the lifeblood of business, is always in short supply, whether for a corporate giant or a small-scale industry. Since bartering generally doesn't require financial transaction, such a deal becomes mutually advantageous, as neither party has to part with cash to obtain the desired goods or services.
Generates sales and profits: Not only does bartering conserve cash, it can actually generate sales and profits. This is because inventory turns over more quickly and service providers sell more of their time than they would otherwise, had they insisted on cash.
Creates new customers: Bartering brings together unlikely parties, which would never have m
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huge inventories conveniently and economically.

To facilitate the burgeoning barter trade, many online facilities were introduced. The most important being the barter exchange, whose spread has fueled an explosive growth of bartering by creating markets for traders and bringing the interested parties together.

Benefits of bartering

But how is bartering better than normal business transactions? There are a number of benefits that has made bartering a force to reckon with in the business world. Let us see what they are:

Conserves cash: Cash, the lifeblood of business, is always in short supply, whether for a corporate giant or a small-scale industry. Since bartering generally doesn't require financial transaction, such a deal becomes mutually advantageous, as neither party has to part with cash to obtain the desired goods or services.
Generates sales and profits: Not only does bartering conserve cash, it can actually generate sales and profits. This is because inventory turns over more quickly and service providers sell more of their time than they would otherwise, had they insisted on cash.
Creates new customers: Bartering brings together unlikely parties, which would never have m
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ly, whether for a corporate giant or a small-scale industry. Since bartering generally doesn't require financial transaction, such a deal becomes mutually advantageous, as neither party has to part with cash to obtain the desired goods or services.
Generates sales and profits: Not only does bartering conserve cash, it can actually generate sales and profits. This is because inventory turns over more quickly and service providers sell more of their time than they would otherwise, had they insisted on cash.
Creates new customers: Bartering brings together unlikely parties, which would never have met in the normal course of business. If satisfied with the deal, these parties can refer many more customers to each other, including the ones who pay cash. Even the original barter customer may start paying cash in future transactions.
Moves surplus stock: Barter moves surplus stock, which otherwise would have remained in the storehouse. It also saves money that would have been lost in advertising and weighty discounts.
Utilizes downtime and unused capacity: If you are not utilizing the full capacity of your plant or service all the year round and can handle new customers, then bartering may pave the way for new business opportunities.
Lowers prices: With bartering the goods and services procured always turn out to be cheaper than they would have been with cash, since there are no overheads. This can give you an edge over competitors.

Types of bartering

The most common type of bartering online is one-on-one or direct bartering that you can indulge in quite successfully. Its shortcoming is the difficulty in searching for the right deal. For example, you may sell soft toys and may want printing services, but you may be hard put to find a printer who may want soft toys in return. The other type of bartering is called the third party bartering. It uses some form of currency to allow more dynamic exchange between the parties. Businesses generally use both types for best results.

Modern-day bartering

If you do business on the Internet, then bartering may be a golden opportunity knocking at your door. For those serious on bartering, the first step is to enroll in a barter exchange. This exchange will readily help you find what you need by actively searching for the product or service you desire. The advantage of a barter exchange is that it networks with other exchanges across the country and even overseas, thereby extending your area of influence.

How to find barter deals online?

There are various ways to find barter deals online. They are:

Message boards: You can set up a barter message board or chat room on your website to get barter offers.
Notices: You can place notices on your website that you are willing to barter for goods and services.
Newsgroups: You can join newsgroups or e-mail discussion groups that are about bartering.
Online barter club: Joining an online barter club may help you meet other businesses that barter.