Articles
Read these important articles below. Download each one
and share them with everyone. These articles are key to your success at Bartering,
Trading and Swapping.
The Secrets you need to know about bartering
How to maximize your benefits in the barter world
Dear Reader:
What is Bartering?
To understand the secrets of bartering, you need to understand “what
bartering is”? Simply put, it is the exchange of one product or service for
another product or service. It’s that simple.
Why Barter, Instead of Auctions or Selling?
The difference between buying and bartering is that, with bartering, little to no
money exchange hands. The money you save can be put towards the other necessities
in life. Your life is better because now you have more money in your pockets.
Bartering has been around since man began to inhabit the earth. We have just put
a new twist on an age-old practice. Don’t get me wrong, auctioning and selling is
a good way of getting what you want. However, people are more apt to barter because
of the cash they save. You get what you want in exchange for something or a service
you have to offer. Plus, little to no money exchange hands. Auctioning costs money.
Usually the auctioneer will get a cut of the proceeds, and, more often than not,
the cut is substantial. Selling is also good, but with selling comes buying. And
that means cash. How will you save money by auctioning at a loss or buying with
cash? A good example follows.
Proper Planning Makes for a Smart Barter
Now that we understand what bartering is, we can start to plan our strategies to
conduct a good barter and get the things we want. Remember the old adage, “one man’s
junk is another man’s treasure”? The same goes for bartering. That’s not to say
that what you have to barter is junk. It just means it is the same concept. There
is always some person that wants what you have, regardless of whether it is an old
bumper of a 1968 mustang or a box of books. Somebody wants it.
With that in mind, do your research and find out what the “book value” is. Don’t
assume that the bumper is only worth $10.00. If you think that way, you might be
doing yourself a grave injustice. For example: if you think the bumper is only worth
$10.00, you might end up accepting a barter offer for a used TV. Not the best trade.
Now let’s conduct the same barter after finding out what the bumper is really worth
(by the way, the actual value might be closer to $170.00) With the knowledge of
what that bumper is worth, you can go after bigger and better things, perhaps even
a time share or even landscaping. The possibilities are endless! See the difference?
So, do your homework; find out the value of what you have. You will be better off.
Just remember, don’t sell yourself short. If the
bumper is worth $170.00, then go for something you feel is worth the same value.
Click here to see some
great resources on the value of things.
Making a Difference
As recently as one year ago, the economy was doing “fairly” well. People were traveling,
buying nice things, purchasing expensive homes. As time went on, stocks started
to tumble, world markets began to show signs of unease. This ripple affect began
to rear its ugly head in job losses, belt tightening, a crumbling housing market,
foreclosures and more…
Three men saw all of this happening and decide to do something about it. In early
2007, Robert Johnson, Mike Howson and Mike Lambert formed a corporation call MBM
Investment Group, Corp. Our vision in forming this group was to build a company
and reputation based around making the world a little better to live in.
Barterthing.com Arrives Just in Time
Barterthing.com is the solution to helping
you to conduct a “smart trade”. As described further in this article, Barterthing’s
philosophy is to help you help yourself while keeping the cost at the bare minimum.
This means that we provide all of the tools you need in a simple 3 step process
so you can find you are looking for. With over 700 Bartergories to choose from,
it is fair to say that you will be able to make that trade and get what you are
looking for.
A Terrific Solution to The Problem
In late 2007, we launched our first project called
Barterthing.com. Now the name alone should give you an indication of what
this web site is all about. Barterthing.com
is an online bartering web site designed for anyone who is affected by the down
turn of the economy. This, unless you are a billionaire, is everyone.
Our main focus in building this site was to keep the cost to our members as low
as possible while providing great savings in the form of bartering. This is why,
unlike other similar sites, we decided to make the
membership free. There are no monthly costs, percentage cuts or maintenance
fees. The process to become a member is very simple and takes less the two minutes
to complete. Members list just about anything they have to barter and other members
can search to see what is offered. In fact, you don’t even have to be a member to
search, but membership is a must if you want to actually barter with someone.
Right now, there are hundreds of listings to choose from. With over 700 available
“Bartergories”
(a clever term for our categories), ranging from furniture and antiques, to equestrian
and tennis lessons, to timeshares and services, Barterthing.com can accommodate anyone. We have had members contact us to
ask if we could add a new Bartergory, and we are more than happy to do so. The possibilities
are pretty much endless! Let’s face it; everybody has something that somebody wants.
There’s really no way of getting around it. Why not barter for it?
How Can This Save Money
If you make a comparison of what it would cost you to have a plumber come to your
house to do some work, you will find that the cost would probably be $1000 or more.
Now consider this same scenario using Barterthing.com.
You need the same work done on your house but this time you find your plumber through
Barterthing.com. Say that you are a computer
expert or a housekeeper or you even have a timeshare in Aruba. You contact the plumber
to see if he’s interested. It turns out the plumber would love to do your timeshare.
The pictures and detailed description you posted on Barterthing.com helped show what a great place it was. The 1, 2, 3 step process
helps you to contact each other and complete the barter. It’s that simple! The difference
is you AND the plumber saved a $1000. You’ve got your plumbing done, and the plumber
has a sweet timeshare in Aruba. That $1000 EACH of you saved can now be used to
pay bills, by gas, food and more…
How Much Does This Really Cost
As I mentioned, MBM Investment Group, Corp decided to make the membership free.
There is a nominal fee of $2.99 to actually get the other member information so
you can contact each other. But I think you’ll agree that’s a lot less than the
$1000 plumbing job scenario we just went through.
Bartering is for Everyone
Some people might say that bartering might not be for them. We tend to disagree
with that type of thinking. In building our site, we kept this exact thought in
mind. Our thought was this: “If our members knew nothing of bartering or how to
run a computer, how could we build this site where they would totally understand
how to use it?” So, we sat down in many late night meetings and drudged through
countless stacks of conceptual designs to come up with what we have today. We found
our answer in Barterthing.com. Our simple
3 step process makes it so easy to barter, even a (you know) can do it.
Peace of Mind
It’s no secret that everyone is cutting back on the luxuries. When people start
cutting back on necessities, there is a problem. Using Barterthing.com gives you
peace of mind in knowing that you are doing something for someone in need, helping
your family by saving money for the thing you need and creating a relationship with
the members of Barterthing.com. Who knows, the neighbor down the street, for whom
you have never met, might be that computer expert the plumber is looking for. A
new friendship is born.
Begin to See the Benefits of Barerthing.com Today!
The proof is in the Barter! Go to Barterthing.com
and browse through all of the listings. You will be amazed at what our members have
to offer. Click on the “Sign
up for FREE!” link and simply complete the online form and become a member
of the fastest growing online bartering websites. Remember, it’s free to join. What
have you got to lose?
Invest in your future
The money you save when you barter will be money that stays in your pocket. Use
that money to invest in your family. Barterthing.com
is here to help you. See it! Use it! Enjoy it! Be part of a fast growing community
of smart, savvy investors.
Are you doing the Barter thing?
Sincerely,
Robert Johnson
President
MBM Investment Group, Corp.
Back to Top
Dear Reader:
What Can Bartering Do for Me?
As discuss in “The
Secrets You Need to Know About Bartering”, the key to a successful barter
is to do your due diligence. Meaning, do your homework and find out what your goods
or services are really worth. There are many ways to find out what the value of
something is. You can start by looking in the classified section of your local newspaper,
or check sites like EBay, Amazon. You could even ask your friends what they think
it is worth. Once you have that in hand, you can set your sights on what you want
in exchange.
If you have not yet downloaded your copy of
The Secrets You Need to Know About Bartering”, This is must reading. Click
on the link above to get your copy.
Plan Your Strategies Well?
Now that you have the knowledge of what you are worth, get a pen and paper and write
down what you want. Be realistic… Don’t think you are going to trade a box of books
for a riding lawn mower; it’s just not going to happen. Click
here to go to Barterthing.com and browse the bartergories to see what’s listed.
Figure out what you want or need. Look at ads in the paper for the stuff you want.
Get the going price. Check the classifieds to see what people are asking to get
for the good or service. Now that you have all of that in hand, you can begin to
plan accordingly.
Years ago, I traded my services of drawing up a set of house plans and got my basement
finished in return. The system really works. I’m proof of that.
How to Maximize Your Exposure on Barterthing.com
Now that you know what your stuff is worth,
log into Barterthing.com and post it into you bartergory listings. (Not a
member yet? Don’t worry, membership
is free.) It’s very simple to add a listing to you bartergories. To really
be successful, add up to 20 different listings to your bartergories. The more things
you have listed, the better off you will be.
The keys to a successful barter and make it stand out amongst the rest are to;
-
Be very descriptive when posting a new listing. Give specific details on condition,
color, size, quantity, etc…
-
Add photos. You can add up to three photos per listing. Be sure the quality of the
photo is good. Just remember, quality does not mean high resolution. Your photo
should be in focus and with good lighting but it must be saved and posted in LOW
resolution. We built the site this way so pages would load faster.
-
Consider traveling just a little further from your zip code. Instead of 10 miles,
choose 25. This could make a big difference in finding a match. Our search criteria
are based on your zip code and distance you are willing to travel (Time shares excluded).
-
Be sure to abide by the rules of bartergory listings. Phone numbers, email addresses,
site URL's are not permitted in any listing or description. If any of these are
found, your listing will be removed, drastically reducing your barter success rate.
What’s the Next Steps
There two things you could do at this point, you could browse the bartergories to
see what is being offered or you can do nothing and wait for someone to request
to barter with you. My preference would be to initiate the barter. Look around in
the bartergories. Once you find something you like, do your homework, as described
above.
Check your email frequently. You will be automatically notified when someone is
making an offer.
You have your listing. Your photos look good. Your description is very detailed.
Suddenly, your first request to barter comes in. The first thing you should do is
check out the profile of the person wanting to barter with you. Click on the link
in your email to login to you
Barterthing.com account. Next, click on the “Offers Coming In” link in your control
panel and you will be able to see what they are offering. If you are interested
in barterthing with that member, you will want to respond as soon as possible. Remember,
your listing might not be the only one of its kind on Barterthing.com. So, as the
old saying goes, the early bird gets the worm. Respond quickly and the chances are
your barter will be successful.
If you are not interested in what they have to offer, you can also decline to barter
with then and the transaction will be cancelled.
Time to Make the Barter
Barterthing.com has found a
match for you. You agreed to barter with the other interested member. Both you and
the other members contact information has been sent to each other. The first thing
you want to do is to contact the other member and introduce yourself. Get a feel
for what the other person is like. Now you can start talking about what each of
you has to offer. Sell yourself. If you have a service to offer, don’t sell yourself
short. Be confident in what you have to offer. You will get more in return. If you
are offering a good or even a time share, tell it like it is. Don’t fabricate any
story of something it’s not. Be honest about the condition and shape it’s in. If
you are offering a time share for instance, be a sales person. Describe all of the
nice amenities. Describe the view. Again, you might get more in return.
After the Barter
You made your connection. You conducted your barter. Now what? Now you rate your
experience. Log into you Barterthing.com
account and rate it. This is a very crucial step in bartering on Barterthing.com.
How you conduct yourself during the barter will dictate any future barters. If you
maintain a good rating, other members will be more likely to want to barter with
you. A negative rate will hurt you chances of being successful. Nobody likes to
deal with a dishonest person.
What Can I Do to Continue to Have Good Success
Spread the word about Barterthing.com.
Tell your friends. Tell them to tell their friends. The more members you bring in
and the more they bring in, the larger and faster our member base grows and better
chance for everyone to barter.
Begin to See the Benefits of Barerthing.com Today!
The proof is in the Barter! Go to Barterthing.com
and browse through all of the listings. You will be amazed at what our members have
to offer. Click on the “Sign
up for FREE!” link and simply complete the online form and become a member
of the fastest growing online bartering websites. Remember, it’s free to join. What
have you got to lose?
Invest in your future
The money you save when you barter will be money that stays in your pocket. Use
that money to invest in your family. Barterthing.com
is here to help you. See it! Use it! Enjoy it! Be part of a fast growing community
of smart, savvy investors.
Are you doing the Barter thing?
Sincerely,
Robert Johnson
President
MBM Investment Group, Corp.
Back to Top
What are your next steps?
- Create:
Set up your account. Pick a fun Bartername for yourself.
We’ll also need some contact information for you. But don’t worry, nobody can see
this information until you agree that you want to barter with them. And even then,
all we provide is an e-mail and first name. But that doesn't’t happen until the
very end of the 3 step process listed below.
- List: When
you set up your account, list all the things you have to offer. We call these Bartergories.
You should be able to find something in our extensive list of Destinations, Goods,
and Services. We’ll let you list up to 20 things, and you can make them active or
inactive whenever you want.
Now that you are a member and have things to offer, start looking for your match.
Just follow our simple 3 step process:
- 1. Request:
Use one of our Search functions to find someone that has what you want and see if
they want to trade.
- 2. Accept:
Your request to trade gets sent to the other member. If that person shows an interest,
they will accept your request. You are then notified that they are interested too.
- 3. Confirm:
Now the ball is back in your court. Do you want to move forward? Maybe you already
got a better offer. Or you changed your mind. It’s not too late to cancel. But if
you are interested, then confirm it. At that point we will route you through the
confirmation and connection process.
$0
Once connected you will have each other’s contact information permanently. You can
now take the details of the barter offline. Go take that car for a drive. Check
out how good of a haircut the person gives. Conduct the details of the barter person
to person. That’s what doing the barter thing is all about. People helping people
help themselves.
You can also search our site without being a member. So feel
free to look around and see what you can find. Just remember that you will need
to become a member – for free – in order to contact someone you want to barter with.
Are you ready to start doing the Barter Thing?