In 2009, the Obama Administration changed everybody’s paradigm about money when they passed a multi-billion dollar bail-out bill and made the concept of ‘trillions’ of dollars a household term. Prior to this administration, the word trillion was only associated with the distance in miles between solar systems. Now, the concept of speaking in terms of trillions of dollars in relation to national debt, is almost laughably acceptable.
There is a silver lining to this story, though, and it is changing the future of commerce forever. Gone is the hay-day of affluent overspending (apart from our incumbent government, that is!) and consumer-driven markets funded by unregulated lenders. A more creative, frugal-minded American is emerging, seeking a little sanity amidst this bail-out madness. A sanity that actually brings the results that are needed: a more stable economy, growth, and more jobs. The global recession has been a financial wake-up call many years overdue and is fuelling a new breed of savvy businesses that are flocking to a more solid form of commerce that has stood the test of time for millennia: bartering.
Thousands of intelligent business owners are utilizing the simple economic power of barter to compensate for the lack ofbusiness the bail-out bill has still failed to generate. In an affluent economy with record profits, there is little need for the added hassle of bartering. Right now, however, it is a very different story: creative business owners have the time – and necessity – to reap the financial and marketing benefits. With national companies, like Merchants Barter Exchange (MBE), making it even easier to capitalize on the rewards of trading within their network, there is no longer any reason for a company to suffer the ill-effects of this recession.
The monetary paradigm has changed forever. Global interest and confidence in the American Dollar is at an all-time low, and millions of people are relearning about the art of barter. Craigslist reports a huge spike in postings in their ‘barter’ section on their website, and the media is filled with stories of the creative use of trading. Discouraged by the lack of responsibility and results from the current government, the American People are finally starting to take matters into their own hands to secure their future. The monetary paradigm is expanding (similar to the acceptance of credit cards many decades ago) to embrace the non-monetary commercial use of bartering.
Once upon a time, barter was merely a means to ‘clean the books’, but organized barter companies, like Merchants Barter, have helped bring the many advantages of trading – once a privilege of the ‘Fortune’ companies and the elite – to businesses of all sizes. Imagine not only being able to protect your existing cash-paying base, but gain brand new customers and boost profits, very cost-effectively and simply. Isn’t that what every business dreams of? And to think, it has been right there all along: the ugly red-headed cousin just waiting to be asked to the prom.
Just as witnessed in Argentina back in 2002, when their economy crashed, we are seeing our American economy being propped up not by outrageous bail-outs that help the fat-cats, but good, old-fashioned common sense finance. What’s more, Merchants Barter is not only helping high street businesses combat the slump in the economy, with their licensing program (similar to a franchise) smart entrepreneurs are noticing the huge potential the non-monetary marketplace has created. MBE is growing at a record pace, and popularity for their turn-key business model is the highest it’s ever been. The reason for this success? It’s simple, it’s effective, and the benefits are enormous. There couldn’t be a better time to be involved with bartering at any level, and one thing is for sure, no matter when – or if – our economy rebounds, just like the popularity of gold investments, barter has now become a solid pillar of the US economy and is definitely here to stay.