Although many financial experts think barter increases during an economic downturn, the opposite is true for business-to-business (B2B) trades. Now, as the economy has improved, we’ve seen more active trading from existing clients. Here’s why: during a recession, companies don’t have as much capacity to use their trade dollars and they “leave it in the barter bank” until the economy picks up again. Once business owners have more confidence in the economy, they’re eager to spend their barter dollars to grow and expand.
With an improved economy, not only are more small businesses thriving but more people are taking that leap in opening their own business. This presents more opportunities to join a trade exchange and manage cash flow which can be tight for start-ups. New business owners also crave interaction with other like-minded entrepreneurs which a good barter network can provide.
Technology has also positively impacted B2B trade exchanges. As technology evolves, we have embraced the latest applications to benefit our clients. For example, new mobile location apps can help a client find a restaurant that accepts their barter card whether in their hometown or when traveling. This simplifies the barter experience, as most mobile technology has done, literally placing it in the palm of your hand.
Most active members of a barter exchange will tell you it’s one of the best things they’ve ever done to improve their business – especially in a good economy. B2B barter helps owners save cash for operational expenses by using barter dollars instead which is an effective way to manage cash flow and grow a business with exposure to new customers.
The future looks bright for B2B barter and The Barter Company is committed to staying at the forefront of the industry.