Secrets Of The Trade Revealed To Interior Retailers By Jill Halper

Furniture World Magazine

Just because you're short on cash doesn't mean that you have to go without. More and more interior specialty businesses are turning to bartering--and finding that it can be good for business. Interior specialty retailers are now using barter to turn their past season or overstock items into a way not only to accumulate trade dollars, but to attract new business. In its simplest form, bartering involves an equal trade. One business swaps a good or service for another. A lawyer, for example, may swap a few hours of legal assistance for a stay at an out-of-town hotel. Through professional barter exchanges, where members pay a commission for goods or services traded, more complicated trades are possible. Here's how it works: A business lists a good or service for trade through the exchange. In return, the business receives a trade credit based on the dollar value of the good or service offered. The business can then use its trade credits to "purchase" goods or services offered by other members. The result is that the business is hooked up with a network of actively bartering businesses. The network of goods and services available through barter is growing. Today's barter exchange may have as many as a few thousand members nationwide. As bartering becomes more popular, some barter exchanges are starting to trade with each other, further expanding the bartering opportunities available to their members. By bartering, interior specialty businesses can acquire the goods or services they need without tapping into their cash flow. Bartering also bolsters the bottom line by enabling businesses to trade away excess inventory or resources. A hotel, for example, can fill empty rooms during its off season, a print shop can run jobs during what would normally be a slow time or a newspaper can fill up its advertising space. Bartering also provides another way of advertising. By bringing together buyers and sellers who may not have used each other's services before, bartering can introduce your company to new customers. These may be one-time customers or people who come back once they've become acquainted with the business. Interior specialty companies that actively barter may do as much as 5 to 10 percent of their business annually through trades. That adds up. Barter exchanges typically charge a one-time membership fee. Barter exchanges offer the advantage that they don't require an even trade. You can use credits accumulated for one item to trade for several different items that together add up to your total credits. Companies who want to get involved in trading should remember that there is no tax advantage to bartering. Barter and cash transactions are the same in the eyes of the Internal Revenue Service--both are taxed equally. In fact, bartering exchanges must report goods and services sold through barter to the IRS. Bartering also offers no guarantees. Some trades may happen quickly, others may take some time. An item a lot of people want, such as airline tickets, may be snapped up right away. And you can't always count on getting what you want when you want it through barter. The amount of certain goods and services available for trade may fluctuate during the year. For example, a computer technician trading his services may not be available to fix your computer on a moment's notice. He's going to be offering his services during his downtime, which might not coincide with your computer breakdown. And you'll probably be hard-pressed to find a Florida hotel room over the Easter holiday. But you have to weigh the disadvantages against the advantages. Bartering turns your merchandise into valuable commodities. It increases your sales while enabling you to purchase goods or services you need without dipping into your cash. And don't think that you have to limit bartering to business. Bartering may be a great way for a busy business owner to take a vacation. You can trade those credits in for an out-of-town hotel stay--just for the fun of it! Jill Halper is Director of National Accounts with the National Trade Association based in Niles, IL. www.ntatrade.com, 847-588-1818.