Bartering Your Way Back Through the Economy

Bartering – A Way To Move Your Business Forward

Is cash tight these days with your business?  Maybe you work independently and it’s difficult to find any kind of lending for a small business or for an individual?  Or maybe your business needs to expand but there are simply no extra cash reserves. Well, bartering might be a great way to keep your business moving forward by trading your services or products in exchange for someone else’s goods or services.

If you find your business is lacking cash, then this might be a creative way to help obtain new opportunities, goods, or services for your business.  

Trading goods or services can be a terrific solution to acquire something in exchange to help improve or benefit your business without using any cash, especially these days when cash is so tight and banks are not lending too eagerly. This could be that out of the box solution to help push things ahead and keep your business and your life moving forward.

According to Wikipedia, there is an estimated of over 350,000 businesses in the United States which are involved in barter exchange activities.  And there are approximately 400 commercial and corporate barter companies serving all parts of the world. I even found quite a few websites that let you look up others online to exchange skills, services, and knowledge. So bartering is looking alive and well these days. These online services take a little off the top from a small commission…but that might be something to consider to help find what you are looking for and vice versa.


You might want to first just sit down and start brainstorming what types of jobs, services, or physical items you can trade with to another business or individual. Then start thinking what services and goods do you need? Who might need your product or service? Who might like to swap with you?

Maybe you are great with social media or computers? Do you have a special skill set to trade? Are you a handyman? Are you a hairstylist? Are you a plumber? Or maybe you are a dentist or an eye doctor? Maybe you are great at organizing things? Maybe you can help another business with accounting? Then barter your services or goods to acquire what you need for your business, in place of paying for cash.

Here are some ideas to get your business moving without any cash… And this doesn’t have to be just for your business… you might want to consider bartering for your personal life? I think we all have to do whatever it takes to get this economy rolling again and bartering might be one idea to help us do just that. I also listed some skill sets to think about trading with?  Why not? If you have a skill that someone else wants…find that someone who wants to make a trade.

~ Barter for marketing and promoting your business.

~ Barter to secure a business coach.

~ Barter to get your website built or online business going.

~ Barter to obtain some computer and office equipment.

~ To get your car tuned-up.

~ Hair Stylist

~ Math tutor, language tutor, or other educational subjects.

~ House Cleaning

~ Real Estate Agent

~ Home Stager

~ Pest Control

~ Catering Service

~ Photography

~ Plumbing, Handyman, Carpenter, Roofer, Electrician, etc.

~ Accounting

~ Website Designer

~ Landscape Specialist

~ Financial Planner

~ Soccer Coach, Martial Arts Instructor, Football Coach, etc.

~ Taxi or Shuttle Service

~ Make-up Artist

This list could go on forever but I hope this gives you some ideas to work with and I would encourage going online and researching for more ideas. Also, you can barter things like jet skis, pick-up trucks, tools, furniture, computers, and that list goes on forever as well.

So if cash is tight these days then make a trade and keep things moving forward. Again, we all need to do whatever it takes to make this economy and our lives strong again. So be creative, be persistent, and make it happen!

Do you have a bartering story to share? Please feel free to comment below. We would love to hear your thoughts and experiences with bartering.

Bouncing Back in The Great Recession

It might be quite some time before this economy picks back up and I really think it is going to take a movement of we the people to be “proactive” to start turning this economy around.  And I say “proactive” and not optimistic.  Because without “Action” then being optimistic is simply wishful thinking. Action is key!

Personally, I don't think the economy is going to pick up anytime soon and I certainly don't think the past or current government will make any kind of difference to our personal situations.  So don’t wait for your ship to come in...Swim out to it! It is going to be up to YOU to make your situation work. You can do this but it is not going to be easy. You are going to have to work more hours, work smarter, network, increase your skill sets, get some mentoring or coaching, and then…step it up another 5-10% each month on top of that. It will take persistence, persistence, and more persistence to make it happen!

If I sound crazy….maybe…but I sincerely think it will take this extra pushing to do well in this present state of The Great Recession.

The rules have changed. Above average effort will no longer bring above average results, it will only bring average results. And average effort will no longer give average results, it will bring little to no results.

If you want to see above average or pretty good results than you need to bring your “A game”.  And if you want to see awesome results, than you will need to be a super star! You will need to shine like you never shined in your life. You’ll need to be “obsessive” and “passionate” in your work that you do. You will need to dazzle, and go way beyond people’s expectations. You can do this! But prepared not only to go that extra mile but to go way past that point!

Personally I see a huge opportunity right now for anyone who is willing to take all of these challenges and obstacles and turn them into opportunities and success. 

There are a lot of wonderful networking groups out there to join and I would recommend to anyone to join a networking group in your local area. Get connected! It is a fantastic way to get group support, mentoring, and increase your business.

Or find a business coach to help you put together an action plan.  Make a map to where you are going. Stay the course. Stay strong. Keep faith and keep going! You will get there!

Don’t listen to the negative people out there! Negative minds only bring negative results!

Don’t let setbacks defeat you. Learn how to turn setbacks and obstacles into financial opportunities.  If you fall down seven times…stand up eight!  Turn your challenges into financial fuel. Take this time to become smarter, increase your skill sets, and become the person you were meant to be.

"A champion is someone who gets up when he can't." by Jack Dempsey

"Don't count the days...Make the days count!" by Muhammad Ali

Success is the sum of small efforts and action that we achieve each day. So take a few actions at a time but don’t quit!  Even if you only achieve a few parts of your goal today...that is OK. That means you are that much closer to your goal. Keep fighting and keep moving forward…Inch by inch if that is what it takes.

Some days it can be hard to find that "extra" energy to push yourself forward but that is when you need to dig deep! Move forward! Don't quit!

Challenges and obstacles are opportunities to create success! So let's start creating some success!  The difference between impossible and being possible is persistence and determination.

Don’t let The Great Recession be your recession. Let’ turn it into…The Great Opportunity!

If you have a story to share I would love to hear it.

Keep Moving Forward and Stay Proactive!

~ Brad Rhoades

Little White Elephants in the Room – Inconvenient Budgets Which Lead To Financial Debt

See List Below:  All of these “life’s occurrences” listed below can potentially have a huge impact on our finances because these situations in our daily lives tend to get ignored and pushed aside. These are the little white elephants that are ignored mainly because they are uncomfortable and inconvenient conversations, that for most of us, we simply do not want to talk about these topics.

We put off these conversations and these little white elephants quietly lay in the corner of the room, waiting for their future attacks.  These are the little “Financial Sleeper Agents” silently waiting for that right moment to spring their attack…waiting to grow into big elephants of financial pain…and…bam! We are suddenly surprised and cannot believe this has happened to us. And since we did not want to discuss it… we never considered to budget for it…and so we never set any money aside for this occurrence…and with that… we whip out our lovely credit cards and swipe those bad boys to cover the costs. This is “Where the Rubber Hits the Road!”  This is the moment where this little white elephant can grow into huge debt. This is that defining moment where our lack of planning for everything including these uncomfortable topics, can really get us into debt and start the avalanche of our finances.  

I mean…who wants to talk about buying new tires for their car? My wife certainly doesn’t. Or who wants to talk about saving up some extra money for a plane ticket for when one of our relatives dies? And now we will need to fly across the country to attend the funeral, plus we need to cover hotel and food costs, etc. No one wants to discuss this! And I don’t blame them. But these life occurrences will happen. There is no way getting around it. And who wants to discuss setting extra money aside for when the car needs to be replaced or it breaks down, or when you need to upgrade your cell phone, or what about when the plumbing “hits the fan?”  Or when you need to replace the fridge… Oh, the fun in that conversation. And so they are usually ignored and zero money is set aside for them. Not so fun but they are important.  

I strongly urge all of us (including myself) to take a look at the list below and seriously think about setting money aside for these life occurrences. They will happen! Make no mistake they will happen! And if we don’t set money aside, plan for it, and budget for it…then most likely we will have to use a credit card to cover the expenses. And this can be the cause for many of us, the start of our financial decline with debt. The credit card companies charge you huge interest, you pay the minimum payment because you did not plan for this to happen, and then like clockwork… another small white elephant comes tromping into the room with another “life surprise”. And then the finances really start to turn south.

So just a suggestion (to myself included)… set aside an emergency debit credit card or a savings account that you automatically fund a certain small amount of money each week or month… and then start accumulating the emergency cash reserves.

Start funding for "life's little mishaps" on a weekly or monthly basis and then we will be ready for it! And let’s say goodbye to credit card debt!

Again…these things will happen in life…it is just a question of when?

Small White Elephants to Watch Out For!

Transportation ~ Auto repairs, maintenance, new tires, DMV renewals, car insurance, accidents, toll road assistance, car rentals, etc.

Holidays!  If you celebrate say Christmas, Hanukkah, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, etc.,
I would plan for setting money aside for these celebrations in life. 

Family Death ~ Sadly there is nothing to stop this but we can at least make this less painful by having the finances at hand when this unfortunate event does happen. Travel expenses, hotel expenses, funeral costs, can all add up in costs.

Medical ~ Dentist, doctor visits, unplanned accidents, maybe you will need to take work off due to an injury? etc.

Cars and transportation ~ New Car or pre-owned car – your car will break down someday. Better to start making payments to yourself than to the dealership, right? And don't forget car rental for when the cars break down or other reasons.

Tech Gadgets ~ New computer – the one you have will become outdated and be useless! New Cell phone – Whatever you use…Plan for those cool items to become outdated and will need to be replaced with the latest and greatest.

Home Appliances ~ Washing Machine and Dryer, Refrigerator– the machines will break down at some point in time and need to be replaced. AC and Heater.

Plumbing ~ water pipes break, toilet busts, mold behind the wall, shower head, bath tub, etc.

Other stuff ~ Bed mattress, new TV, living room couch, kitchen accessories, etc. And let’s not forget about replacing the carpet someday in the future or whatever flooring you have.

Do you have children???  New clothes, shoes, sporting equipment, team sports costs, school band, clubs, hobbies; this list can go on and on.

I am sure you can add to this list of NO FUN BUDGET ITEMS…

Please feel free to comment and add if you have some suggestions for anyone to help prepare, to plan, and fund these life’s surprises.

Keep safe, Stay healthy, and Keep Moving Forward!

Is The Middle Class Spending Themselves Into Poverty?

Do we really want to keep up with the Jones’ anymore? Do we really want to race and see who has a short sale first? Who can be first to have a foreclosure? Or let’s race to see whose family can split up after a huge financial wreck?  It seems our addiction to buying “stuff” is really starting to take its toll with all of the debt that follows with it.

The total number of U.S. bankruptcies filed during the first six months of 2010 increased 14 percent over the same six-month period in 2009, according to data released by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts on Aug. 17, 2010.

The typical family filing for bankruptcy in 1997 owed more than one and a half times its annual income in short-term, high-interest debt. A family earning $24,000 had an average of $36,000 in credit card and similar debt.  Source: Federal Reserve (1997)

According to one of my sources over 40% of US families spend more than they earn. That is extremely alarming. Perhaps it is time we started to restructure our spending habits and our core values, relearn how to budget, become better savers, and educate ourselves on money.  

At what point do we take “ownership” of our spending habits? We really need to start taking responsibility for our actions and change the way we view our values. Our addiction to spending money on “stuff” simply needs to stop!

Buying things on impulse will not bring you happiness tomorrow, only debt. And then even more debt. That “stuff” will never fill your heart up with love or joy. The only thing stuff will fill is your garage filled with crap!  

Remember when cars use to be parked in garages? Now we use them to store our crap we don’t want but for some reason we won’t let it go. And if we do finally decide to part with our stuff…we hold a garage/yard sale only to sell our things for pennies on the dollar.

I am not suggesting never buy anything ever again. But let’s save up for something and pay for it in cash! Let’s save up for something that is made well, high quality, it will last long, and is something we truly need and not some crappy item we use for 15 seconds and then toss away…or ….we pile it into our garage. Let’s stop purchasing items with our credit cards for something that falls apart in a few months. Oh, and what is even sadder is when the broken item is still not paid for since we only were paying the minimum balance on the cards. That is true insanity!

I really admire my grandparents’ era on the values of things that they had. Yes, they bought items but they seemed to “think” before they purchased any of their items. And those items were made really well!  For example, the best furniture was from their generation. Even though it is really old it is still ten times better than anything made from today. The older furniture was handcrafted, made flawlessly, made of fine materials and it was built solid and built completely. No assembly required! Now the furniture of today is not only crappy but the stores expect us to put the darn thing together. They say “assemble” but it really means we need to finish “building” it.  Now we need not only pay for it but we also are expected to “build” the crap after we take it home. If I pay for it…I want them to build it. That is why I am paying them, right?

We need to teach our youngsters better habits…let’s not teach them our poor habits we were taught as kids. When I was kid I had this huge Coca-Cola collection.  I would work hard doing chores around the house to earn extra money to keep buying more stuff to add to my collection. Now I have a pile of “stuff” that is basically worthless!  Now imagine if my parents had me purchase stocks and shares of Coco-Cola? Then my collection would be paying dividends instead of collecting dust!  What if we taught our youth (and ourselves for that matter) to buy stocks, assets, and invest our money wisely, instead of buying things we really don’t need?  Just imagine if your children bought company shares from when they were say 9 year old and up.  They might even be able to help out with their own college fees!  Maybe if we could focus “just a little less” on buying baseball cards, dolls, tons of toys, and instant gratification things?  I know…you think I am the Grinch that stole fun. Then perhaps a compromise? Maybe if we had some sort of balance on spending???  

I am writing this because I am deeply concerned for our country as a whole if we keep heading down this path. Poor habits will bring poor results. It is my hope that we can start teaching our younger generation to be smarter investors, take ownership of their actions, and become truly empowered.  We don’t need more impulse shoppers of “stuff.” We need to break this poor cycle of spending habits. We need to change our values back to my grandparents’ era.

Not only did my grandparents on both sides of my family own their homes out right but on my mother’s side….my grandfather built his own home!  And on my father’s side…my grandmother made all of her clothes. And they were beautiful dresses and well made!  Both sides had big gardens too… with fruit trees and lots of vegetables. The times might have been a little simpler back then, but they were not up to their eyeballs in debt and a garage filled with “stuff” that no one wants.

Seriously…Is buying all of this stuff really worth going into huge credit card debt, putting a second mortgage on your home, and then ultimately losing everything?

My mind keeps going back to my grandparents’ era. Pay for things in cash. No credit card debt. If you don’t have the cash to pay for it…put it down and save up for it. Don’t buy stuff just because you had a bad day. Instead work through our problems and not buy things to avoid them. Demand higher quality of ourselves and the things we purchase. Save up for things we want to buy and be grateful for the things we do have. We need to be owners and not debtors.

And we need to stop trying to keep up with our neighbors!

Besides….if your neighbors are short selling their home…do you really want to keep competing with them? Spending yourself into poverty is NOT a retirement plan. It is a death sentence.

My point of this discussion is simply to get us thinking more on what we spend our hard earned money on.  I would love to hear your thoughts. Please feel free to comment.

Spend wisely, Keep learning, Keep growing, and Keep Moving Forward.

The Email That Cried Wolf!

I know this might not deal directly with "getting your credit back" per say... but I still wanted to bring this topic up because there are quite a few of us out there trying our best to get business, increase our income, and make sure we don't fall behind the bills... otherwise that would result in our credit being effected.

With that being said... this is something you might want to watch out for and that is sending an email blast everyday or let's say....way too often!  I have a few friends who send emails out now twice a day, three times a day...and it is getting out of hand. It has come to the point where I do a quick scan... (only because I know them... otherwise I would delete it immediately)... But then I do end up deleting their emails after my quick check.

It has come to that point... If I see this person's email....I already want to delete it because it is the same "crap" that just keeps giving.... "Ouch! Right?" 

I am not trying to be harsh but if you keep sending an email blast out every day with the same "stuff" .....blah, blah, blah, blah....then it will become "The Email That Cried Wolf!"  You need to provide some kind of value to the email otherwise it will get deleted as soon as it arrives.

A fair warning if you will... when you are email blasting... try and perhaps send one out once a week and have some value to the message. I would suggest perhaps creating a blog (hopefully with some value to the readers) and then try and get your readers to that blog via LinkedIn or Facebook as an alternate substitute. Try and mix it up some so your messages have a chance of being read and instead of being shot on site.

Again... I think this might be something for all of us to consider...I am just as guilty as the next to try and exploit one's business and get our names out there. By all means don't give up on trying to spread your message, business, etc. Persistence, persistence, persistence! It is a fine balance we all need to watch out for.

We all want to increase our business but we do need to be careful of doing too much especially when it comes to emails.  You don't want people to automatically delete you when they see your name and become the "The Email That Cried Wolf!"
Cheers,

Brad Rhoades

A New Resume for the Information Age ~ Your "Social Media Thumbprint"

As social media continues to take center stage I believe the “traditional” resume will start to fade off into the sunset. The traditional one-two page format will simply not give us the entire picture of the candidates for tomorrow’s future.

For example, I might like to know how many people are in your LinkedIn? Have you started any groups on LinkedIn? How many followers are in your Twitter? What other social networks do you belong to? Are you on Tumblr? How many people are in your data base? Are you on StumbleUpon? What about Reddit? Or Hubspot?  And let’s not forget the all powerful Facebook and You Tube.

Do you have any published articles on EzineArticles.com? What about ArticlesBase.com? Any other sites that you have a presence on? Do you own any URL sites?

If some or most of these sites seem foreign… then I suggest you read Crush It! – by Gary Vay*ner*chuk.  *Gary Vaynerchuck’s book "Crush It" really got me started on blogging and thinking about Personal Branding and Social Media. Thank you Gary!  I have a list of other suggested books to read as well on this blog.

Personal branding I believe will have a huge weight for tomorrow’s workforce. Your personal brand can draw employers because they know by bringing you on board that you will add value to their company.

Example, “How much traffic can you drive to our company’s website if we hire you?” If I had two candidates of about the same skill level but one of them could drive traffic to my company’s products in a huge way…guess who I am going to hire? That right! The one that is bringing me customers on day one! So if you are not building up your network online…you might want to start thinking about it. 

How do you fit into the picture?

A quick warning!!!  To all of you college students, office workers, and alike! Interviewers are more and more looking you up online!!!  Personal Branding can be positive or negative…that depends on you!  And if it is public information…oh…it’s public!  Whatever you put on the internet…stays...on the internet.

We are living in a time where no one is safe from others viewing your personal information about you just by going online and typing your name.  

So be very careful of what you do in public moving forward. No matter if you like it or not if your photos become public….oh it is out there for the taking! You don’t want to have a future employer type in your name and they get…well….not such a hot photo of you passed out on the lawn in front of the frat house. Google does NOT discriminate what is good or bad. It puts whatever the most clicks are first, front and center. That simple! So I bring this warning actually for anyone out there.  

I was watching a CNBC show on Facebook and a lady was terminated from her position as a teacher because she slammed the parents and the students online. She thought her messages were private. Apparently not! The school fired her. Once the information is out there…it’s out there. So be careful! 

I wanted to bring up this topic because I do sincerely believe the Social Media will be something that most companies will eventually come to look at the most. Of course this may not be for all jobs…but you might want to start at least considering to add this to your tool box if you have not already done so. 

What will your “Social Media Thumbprint” look like? Will it be “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly?”

My intent for this article is not to advise you on the interview per say but to get you thinking about all of the possibilities and bring this topic for discussion.

Good luck out there and stay proactive no matter what you do. It is with action that results will appear.

 

*Looking for business social networking websites? Here are a few of my favorites...

LinkedIn

OC Metro – ocmetrobusiness.com

Biznik

Ryze

Merchant Circle

Partner up

Referral Key.com

There are more to add here! So keep on the hunt and keep searching for more opportunities! We are at the beginning of this and so we need to keep adding to our tool box.

Keep Moving Forward!!!

Gas Prices Are Rising - fuel saving tips

Gas Prices Are Rising! Gas “may” go up to $5.00 a gallon! So this might be something to bookmark for the near future.
Here are some wonderful tips on getting the lowest prices at the pump in your local area and other great tips on saving fuel.

Hey…every bit helps!




***Find the Cheapest Place in Your Area to Fuel Up!
Here are a few websites you can visit that will show you where the cheapest place to pump your gas…- GasBuddy.com
- FuelMeUp.com
- Automotive.com
And here are a couple of apps for the smart phones – same thing, you can check where to fuel up for the cheapest amount.
- TripTik
- Cheap Gas!
(Source: CNBC)

Some Driving Tips to Save Gas and Money ~

***Drive within Reason

“Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town. Sensible driving is also safer for you and others, so you may save more than gas money.” (Source: US Dept. of Energy)Equivalent Gasoline Savings: $0.15–$1.01/gallon

***Observe the Speed Limit “While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph.

You can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.24 per gallon for gas.

Observing the speed limit is also safer.” (Source: US Dept. of Energy)

Fuel Economy Benefit: 7–23%  Equivalent Gasoline Savings: $0.21–$0.71/gallon

***Remove Excess Weight“Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your MPG by up to 2 percent. The reduction is based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle's weight and affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones. An extra 100 lbs in the trunk reduces a typical car's fuel economy by 1-2 percent.” (Source: US Dept. of Energy)  Fuel Economy Benefit: 1–2%/100 lbsEquivalent Gasoline Savings: $0.03–$0.06/gallon

***Avoid Excessive Idling“Idling gets 0 miles per gallon. Cars with larger engines typically waste more gas at idle than do cars with smaller engines.” (Source: US Dept. of Energy)

***Use Cruise Control“Using cruise control on the highway helps you maintain a constant speed and, in most cases, will save gas.” (Source: US Dept. of Energy)

***Use Overdrive Gears“When you use overdrive gearing, your car's engine speed goes down. This saves gas and reduces engine wear.

***Car Pooling!Don’t forget we can share rides with our colleagues and friends. And also consider telecommuting if your work allows for it. (working from home). Take advantage of the internet and let the power of social media “do the driving!” I myself have been doing less driving and more networking via internet. Great way to save on fuel.

 

***Choosing A More Efficient Car “Selecting which vehicle to purchase is the most important fuel economy decision you'll make.

The difference between a car that gets 20 MPG and one that gets 30 MPG amounts to $768 per year (assuming 15,000 miles of driving annually and a fuel cost of $3.07)."

That's $3,840 extra in fuel costs over five years!  (Source: US Dept. of Energy)

Note: Cost savings are based on an assumed fuel price of $3.07/gallon.” (Source: US Dept. of Energy)

 Note: Gas Prices Are Expected to Rise (maybe to $5.00) so these tips may be worth noting and bookmarking!

Wow! When you see the saving translated into dollars….. It does make “cents”!

If you have some saving tips please feel free to share your ideas and comment below.

Also, please click the “follow” if you liked this article or others.

Thanks so much for reading my blog.

Each small step forward is a measurement of success. We can do this!

And as always…Keep Moving Forward!

Email: GettingBackMyCredit@gmail.com