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February 5, 2008 Written
by Bob Meyer, Editor of BarterNews
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From
the desk of Bob Meyer...02/05/2008
$41
Trillion To Be Spent On World’s Infrastructure
According to a report on CNBC’s financial TV channel, some
$41 trillion will be spent on the world’s infrastructure
(bridges, roads, tunnels, etc.) over the next 25 years. The
commentary revealed that both Egypt and Russia have more
infrastructure plans than India or China.
It was also noted that in Egypt labor costs are cheaper than
China.
Kudos To Campbell’s Soups
Over the last decade Campbell’s Soup has worked to raise the
awareness for the ongoing issue of hunger in America.
They’ve made direct donations of more than 35 million cans
of soup to food banks and various hunger charities.
What’s Ahead For U.S. Economy
By most accounts the American economy is about to enter the
12th recession since WWII. The last came in 2001 following
the attacks on 9/11 and roughly eighteen months after the
dot.com-fueled stock market reached its peak...before its
rapid decline through the bubble bursting.
Consumers are feeling less and less bullish about the
economy, as evidenced by their more judicious spending.
Globalization Moves Politics Into World Of
Continents
From Washington to Warsaw, policy makers are now taking into
account the views and actions of countries that, until
recently, held little sway on the international scene. The
rise of China, the renewed confidence of Russia and the
growing economic muscle of countries including India and
Brazil, are shifting the center of gravity within global
politics.
In Europe, the growing influence of China and Russia has
provided a new spur toward integration as European countries
come to appreciate the importance of scale in a globalized
world. Furthermore, Europe's attempt to weld 27 disparate
nations into one bloc is being imitated around the globe,
from Asia to Africa, as countries experiment with new ways
to maximize influence.
Global Assets Indicate New World Order Coming
A study by the McKinsey Global Institute shows that while
$56.1 trillion, or more than one-third, of the world’s
financial assets were held in the U.S. in 2006, the total
held by emerging markets reached $23.6 trillion. And their
assets are growing twice as fast as those in developed
countries.
For those living in the developed world, there are clear
benefits to this new world order. Capital from the emerging
markets will cushion the blow of the current financial
crisis on businesses and consumers. And continued growth in
emerging countries will soften the effects of a possible
recession elsewhere. Over time, the global economy is not a
zero-sum game. Americans, Europeans, and Japanese can all
prosper even as their share of the world economy declines.
Malaysian Government Seeks Self-Sufficiency Through Barter
Deputy Prime Minister Daruk Najib Razak has announced the
establishment of the Malaysian National Price Council to
create a national stockpile of commodities as a safeguard
against the impact of rising prices.
Half of the nation’s human carbohydrate consumption comes
from imported wheat, while all of the feed for the chicken,
egg, and pork industries comes from imported corn. With
producing countries banning exports of wheat and corn, there
is an urgent need for Malaysia to abandon the normal
monetary channels.
Instead they must resort to government-to-government barter
trading to secure our imports of corn and wheat, without
which the population of 27 million will face starvation.
Malaysia can barter its palm oil with countries like India
and China, in return for wheat and corn.
Bartering will allow Malaysia to undertake an immediate
science program, rapidly increasing agricultural production
with 21st century technology.
New Global Listing Information
BizEX Trade Network
Craddock Place, 10 Arnold Road
Rosebank
Johannesburg, Gauteng 2121
South Africa
Ph: 271 1880 5202
Fax: 271 1880 4629
www.bizex.co.za
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See you next week. . .) |
Barter Industry Fortunate To Have IRTA’s Whitney Working On Their
Behalf
IRTA Executive
Director Ron Whitney continued his efforts to alleviate the IRS
non-matching TIN problems many trade exchange owners are currently
suffering through. Meetings with IRPAC (Information Reporting
Program Advisory Committee) resumed on January 26 in Washington (DC)
where he continued to push for implementation of the recommendations
that were presented at the October 24, 2007, meeting.
Recommendations from last year’s meeting report stated that:
·
New language be
considered for the B-Notices that are specific to the barter
industry, and or;
·
Publication 1281 be
amended to reflect the issues unique to the barter industry.
Additionally,
Whitney met with Nina Olson, National Taxpayer Advocate, alerting
her to a systemic problem the barter industry is currently
experiencing. Many exchanges have reported that they have been hit
with civil penalties for non-matching TINs without ever receiving a
972CG Notice of Proposed Penalty Letter.
Rather, these
exchanges have received a CP-2100 notice that simply notifies
exchanges of the accounts that have non-matching TIN problems, but
does not assert a penalty will be forthcoming. Exchanges should
receive a 972CG Notice of Proposed Penalty letter after they receive
the CP-2100 letter, but in many cases this is not happening, and the
cases are going directly to penalty and collection.
Whitney
received assurances from Olson that this problem would be “looked
into” by the National Taxpayers Advocates office with the hope that
it will be corrected soon.
For an update
on third-party record-keeping for barter exchanges,
click here.
Bartercard Launches New Mobile
Text Service
Beginning in January 2008, Bartercard members
can now take advantage of instant transactions and access to their
Bartercard Account via SMSPOS text message. Not only can members
check their balances instantly, but they will also benefit from
instant confirmation of transactions.
As soon as they sign up for the exclusive
SMSPOS service, members can take advantage of this new benefit,
spending less time on paperwork and more time running and growing
their businesses.
SMSPOS offers Bartercard members:
-
The ability to process transactions immediately with funds being
transferred into their account at point of sale.
-
A time saving alternative, eliminating the need to wait for
vouchers to be posted and then processed.
-
A balance request to your mobile, via text message.
-
Freedom to
transact/trade whilst out and about...perfect for industry
members on the go.
“Almost all of our members use mobile phones
and are familiar with texting. Our members deserve and need instant
access to their Bartercard accounts, and this groundbreaking service
does just that,” stated Tim Sparks, Joint Managing Director,
Bartercard United Kingdom
For more information visit
www.bartercard.co.uk.
This Week’s BarterNews Blog Featured. . .
-
Do you know the NEW currency for the global
economy? (Click
here.)
-
What’s the #1 NEED by entrepreneurs and
small business owners? (Click
here.)
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Which way for real estate? You CAN’T have
it both ways! (Click
here.)
-
Western Sizzlin doesn’t give up in its
pursuit of ITEX. (Click
here.)
-
Who is responsible, who SHOULD get credit
for the IMMENSE creation of wealth? (Click
here.)
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People Disillusioned With State-Of-The-World
Doing well by
doing good is no longer just a smart strategy—it's becoming an
imperative for corporate survival, according to futurist Faith
Popcorn and her branding consultancy, BrainReserve.
But hyping
good works isn’t going to cut it. In fact, Popcorn maintains that
obvious hype of any kind is anathema—that success will increasingly
hinge on companies finding subtle, quiet ways to achieve trust and
intimacy with consumers.
Popcorn’s
premise is: The public’s deep disillusionment with the state of the
world, “the establishment,” and consumption is causing working women
and men to “cash out”—opting for simpler, less cluttered lifestyles
and fleeing from ubiquitous marketing messages.
At the same
time, heightened awareness of social responsibility and corporate
behavior means that people are recognizing that every purchase has
consequences beyond the transaction.
The transition
from a consumer to a citizen mentality in turn means that “bringing
on a dash of corporate social responsibility” is no longer good
enough, in Popcorn’s view. To compete, companies will have to go
beyond symbolic gestures and even beyond commitment of money to
causes, and weave “goodness” into their cultures as a fundamental
intent.
Furthermore,
they’ll need to “whisper,” rather than shout, their brands’ value to
customers and prospects. How? By helping to improve the community
and simplify life through their services.
Popcorn also
stresses that while disdain for hype, and a yearning for simplicity
and core values are pervasive, women are even more fed up than men,
according to BrainReserve’s studies.
All of which,
says the consultancy, underscores the “eight truths of marketing to
women” as laid out in Popcorn's 2000 book, EVEolution.
Here are some
of those points, with added comments from Popcorn:
·
Everything matters.
You can’t hide behind your logo.
“Trust happens
when you’re open about your actions and act with a conscience,”
asserts Popcorn. “Companies today need to add a fifth ‘P’ to the
marketing mix—policy. Marketing to women isn’t just about value.
It’s about values. There is enormous power in communicating your
ethical ingredients.”
·
Market to her
peripheral vision, and she will see you in a whole new light.
“Women don’t
bond with brands that market to them in an overly aggressive way,”
she reemphasizes. “Women tune into multiple channels...scanning,
hearing and seeing the world on all levels. A brand needs to appear
on the periphery, in the natural settings of her daily life—showing
up unexpectedly, helpfully.”
·
If she has to ask,
it’s too late.
"In this world
of prolific consumerism, if a product is disappointing, another,
more satisfying option is immediately available,” observes the trend
analyst. “If women have to go out of their way to track you down,
and your attitude is take-it-or-leave-it, they’ll leave it.”
·
Go to her, and secure
her loyalty forever.
“The watchword
is convenience,” Popcorn stresses. “Look not only at what your brand
offers to her, but in terms of how, where and when it’s offered to
her. Provide a service in going to her, not just a solicitation.”
Hotel
General Managers
Work With Audio/Visual
Vendor On Barter
Collect cash, as usual, from the guest accounts staying at
your facility that require the use of professional AV
services. And rather than shouldering your ongoing employee
costs, or your current vendor’s cash agreement for AV
services, here’s a much better alternative:
Work with a proven national vendor (a sterling 25-year track
record) who will provide all of the AV services for your
hotel on a 100% TRADE BASIS! (Payment to be in the form of
trade dollars.)
Your hotel’s annual AV billings must be a minimum of
$200,000, and this offer is available only in the
continental United States.
For a confidential introduction contact Bob Meyer via
e-mail:
bmeyer@barternews.com.
Attention Trade Exchange Owners:
If your member hotel(s) have a minimum of 10,000 sq. feet of
meeting space and annual billings of at least $200,000 for
AV services this is a great opportunity to earn substantial
cash service fees on the hundreds of thousands of trade
dollars your hotel member will be paying the vendor. Contact
Bob Meyer at the above e-mail. |
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The Growth and Use of Secondary Capital (New Money) Creates
Unprecedented Wealth In Today’s New Age Of Possibility
There are
many forms of secondary capital—which can be defined as any
financial instrument that measures and communicates value in a
common language. Would you like to see and learn more about the many
forms of secondary capital?
We have 70
free, informative and inspiring, articles for you in our “Secondary
Capital Section.” Check it out...
www.barternews.com/secondary_capital.htm.
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