Cash is tight and prices are soaring and finding bartering for better deals is on the rise.
It allows you to get products or services without spending a dollar or using a credit card.
On Eyewitness News, Saturday morning with more on how it's done was Susan Wilson Solovic, author of Girl's Guide to Building a Million Dollar Business and CEO of www.sbtv.com.
How does bartering work?
Bartering is growing as consumers faced with higher prices, conserve their cash and trade to get the goods and services they need. It is estimated that more than 18 billion dollars in goods and services were bartered in the United States last year. There are barter clubs or barter exchanges in cities across the country, and around the world, that allow individuals and companies to exchange goods & services for barter credits that can be cashed in on an item or service. These exchanges usually charge a fee of between 10% to 15% to operate as the middleman on trades in addition to a yearly membership fee. Some barter organizations have brick and mortar showrooms where members use barter credits like they would cash. Many have websites and allow cross-country or international trades.
What about barter options without joining a group or going to a local showroom?
Bartering has gone high tech. There are a number of online sites dedicated just to barter deals. One of the most popular online barter options is www.SwapTree.com that works much like eBay, except no money exchanges hands. Consumers can use SwapTree to bargain and trade for something they want, even allowing for three or four-way trades between users who want different things. Another online barter option is www.tradeaway.com. Tradeaway charges a small fee, less than ten dollars for unlimited trade or barter listings for 180 days. I checked online before I came down and they have everything from real estate to livestock online.
What are some of the most popular categories?
It varies regionally and even seasonally, however, nationally there are some top barter categories. The top five areas for business bartering are: advertising, hospitality, support services such as landscaping or maintenance, equipment and retail purchases. Almost everyone has something they can trade- from small home-based businesses to giant manufacturing companies.
Are there some specifics to keep in mind when bartering rather than buying?
You have to be flexible when bartering for purchases…some brands of equipment might not be available and barter purchases might take a bit longer than traditional ordering processes. Don't forget all barter transactions are recorded as cash transactions for tax purposes. You can find more tips about bartering and some of the tax ramifications on www.sbtv.com.
Refreshing Summer
Keeping cool, while looking hot this summer.
Joining us on Eyewitness News, Saturday morning with some of the best ice cream pops on the market and the best products to keep the oily face away, is Claudia Bloom", Associate Research Editor of Real Simple Magazine.
Ice Cream Pops
In our ice cream pop road test Real Simple gathered a group of junior kids ages five through 12 and their parents to rate their favorite brand of sicles. On a scale of "gross" to "awesome" these frosty treats remained and scored the highest on the taste-o-meter.
TO BUY: $4.20 for three 3.67-ounce bars.
Best take on classic- Hailed by one tester for its "rich, thick, and buttery" filling, this winner got points for how the "nice, chunky chocolate coating crackled in my mouth and melted into the vanilla."
TO BUY: $3.30 for 12 1.65-ounce bars in two flavors.
Best citrus blast- "Very refreshing," praised a panelist of this old-school icon. Said an eight-year-old: "Tastes like frozen orange juice, but smooth because of the vanilla ice cream."
TO BUY: $4 for six 3-ounce bars.
Most decadent-"Crunchy and yumful" is how one grade-schooler rated this treat. "The thin coating gets me to the ice cream fast." Adults praised the pop's "pleasing but not too rich" interior.
TO BUY: $5 for 12 1.5-ounce bars.
Most virtuous- From the intense flavor-"It tastes super chocolaty," raved an aficionado-you'd never guess this pop packs only 50 calories. "Icy and rich" was the general consensus.
Cooling off never tasted so good but now that we satisfied the heat in our bodies, how about keeping the gloss from the heat off of your face?
Oil-Control Products
Especially on these hot days your skin seems to give off more shine than the sun! Real Simple staffers tested over 80 absorbent products and these are the shine stoppers that came to the rescue by leaving the face looking cool, calm, and oil free!
Best overall- Apply under or over makeup, this gel morphs into an oil-trapping powder. "It's smooth and light," said a tester.
TO BUY: www.tartecosmetics.com.
Best for sweltering days- When the heat index climbs, this dual compact is double trouble for oil. Use the colorless powder in the morning, then blot any afternoon shine with the papers.
TO BUY: www.urbandecay.com
Best for makeup-phobes- If you want to stay out the sun and but looked liked you've been playing on the beach use with a bronzer to give off a little glow. Testers who prefer to wear little on their faces favored this featherweight powder. Its translucent formula cuts shine without caking up on the skin.
TO BUY: 800-950-4695
Best for on-the-go control- Alas, all blotting papers are not created equal. These excelled at giving skin a matte finish that wasn't too powdery, and they didn't disturb makeup. Bonus: the slim size.
TO BUY: www.beccacosmetics.com.
Best for foundation fans-The primer keeps foundation in place and soaks up oil before it shines through makeup. "It made my base last longer," reported one tester.
Authentic Brand
With the job market on the decline, some people are choosing to start their own companies, deciding to be their own boss.
Joining us on Eyewitness News, Sunday morning with tips for success was Christopher Rosica, CEO of Rosica Strategic Public Relations and author of The Authentic Brand.
Tips from Christopher Rosica and Lessons from his book - The Authentic Brand www.TheAuthenticBrand.com
The founder of Cliff Bars, Gary Erickson, started the company in the middle of a recession -- and didn't even realize it. By the time the product hit store shelves, the recession was over.
David Neeleman, founder of Jet Blue, started his airline when the industry was saturated with discount carriers, many of which went out of business in the months leading up to Jet Blue's launch.
So, how can a company succeed in this market and how can it stand apart from the competition? Chris Rosica's new book - The Authentic Brand - reveals insights into how this can be accomplished…
Jeff Taylor of www.monster.com has done crop circles outside of O'Hare airport, put blimps in the sky, and when they were corporate sponsors of the winter Olympics, they built the world's largest snowman in the Olympic Village.
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