January 3,
2006
Written
by Bob Meyer, Editor of BarterNews
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Billionaires Creatively Barter For Use Of World?s Largest Dome
Structure!
Two Los Angeles companies, owned by billionaires
Philip Anschutz and Rupert Murdoch, have bartered their services for
use of famed dome in England, i.e. ?Give us the use of your property
and we?ll turn it into an income producer, which we?ll share with
you!?
The billion dollar monument, known as The Millennium
Dome, is located on the Thames river in London and covers almost 20
acres. It?s billed as the world?s largest single dome structure.
The two famed entrepreneurs have formed a joint
venture, the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) and its minority
investor Fox Entertainment Group. Their plan is to erect a glitzy
entertainment district with the centerpiece being a 23,000-seat
arena to be built inside the dome, slated to open in 2007. London?s
2013 Summer Games will showcase Olympic basketball and gymnastics
there.
The barter arrangement gives AEG leasing rights to
the Dome, at no cost, for 58 years with an option for an additional
55 years. In return the British government will receive a share of
the profits from the activities held in the Dome...which has been
sitting empty since 2000.
AEG has already signed a $15.5 million-a-year naming
rights deal with O2, the British cellular telephone giant. And
they?ve sold more than half of the arena?s 96 luxury suites at
$200,000 apiece.
Editor?s note:
While most people know about Rupert Murdoch?s many accomplishments,
less is known about Philip Anschutz, the other out-of-the-box
thinker. The 65-year-old longtime Denver resident, made his fortune
in oil and gas, railroads, telecommunications and real estate.
During the last decade, his holdings have expanded to include sports
franchises, Hollywood film-production studios, live entertainment,
movie theaters, and daily newspapers.
Internet Giants Utilize Value Of
Exchange Transactions
Google?s recent cash-barter deal with AOL revolves
around not only the sale of 5% of AOL to Google for $1 billion, but
additional advertising value through the ?exchanges? each company
received in the agreement.
AOL will now be able to sell non-search ads to
Google?s advertising partners and earn commissions, and Google will
begin to offer traditional Internet ads plus provide favored
placement to content from AOL...something it has never done before.
Additionally, AOL?s treasure trove of video clips will get placement
in Google?s fledgling video service.
(According to SEC
documents Google also has the right to demand an IPO by AOL in July
2008. If parent Time Warner doesn?t want to pursue an IPO then, it
could buy back Google?s stake based on a fair-market appraisal.)
Trade Exchange Owners...
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Restaurant Sales Growth & New Trends Ahead
A forecast
released by the National Restaurant Association projects U.S. sales
to grow 5.1% next year to $511 billion. California restaurant sales
will grow 6.2%, totaling $51.4 billion. Nevada will likely have the
highest sales growth in the country, followed by Florida, Colorado
and Texas.
Sales at U.S.
full-service restaurants are expected to grow 5.2%, compared with 5%
for fast-food eateries. Trends for 2006 include a heightened focus
on health and nutrition, increased interest in wireless Internet
service at restaurants and more consumer demand for convenience,
including drive-through windows, curbside service and takeout.
Competition
continues unabated. In Orange County, California, for example, major
upscale restaurants like Morton?s steak house are offering patrons
$100 gift certificates when they purchase a $500 gift card.
(For more
information on how restaurateurs can utilize barter
click here.)
Get
New Money-Making Ideas And Valuable Contacts!
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useful, informative ideas and contacts in every available back-issue
of BarterNews.
ITEX
Reports 48% Increased Revenue
ITEX Corporation
(OTCBB:ITEX) announced results for the first quarter of fiscal year
2006, ending October 31, 2005. It was the first period to report
fully combined operations for ITEX and BXI, which ITEX acquired at
the end of the 2005 fiscal year.
?Although we
incurred and expensed integration costs this quarter, we still
realized a respectable profit,? CEO Steven White pointed out. ?And
the integration of the BXI member database and broker network has
been completed.?
First Quarter
2006 Highlights:
?
Revenue was $3,721,000, compared to $2,507,000 for the first quarter
in fiscal year 2005, a 48% increase.
?
Operating income was $348,000, compared to $227,000 for the prior
year?s quarter, a 53% increase.
?
SG&A
was $681,000, compared to $604,000 in the 2005 first quarter. The
increase was due to integration costs, increased staffing, overhead,
and other office expenses needed to support the acquired BXI
members.
?
The company expended $112,000 for BXI integration costs.
?
Assets increased to $9,471,000, from the fiscal year ending balance
of $9,125,000 on July 31, 2005.
?
Business members participating in the ITEX Marketplace increased to
more than 22,000 from 13,400 in the prior year?s quarter.
ITEX
Corporation?s report on Form 10-SQB can be found at
www.sec.gov. Every
barter company in the world is listed on our web site,
click through to our Global List
of Barter Companies.
Americans Ditching Overheated Housing Markets
Editor?s Note:
In our December 6 issue we reported on the observations and research
of Jack Lessinger, suggesting that many Americans will opt for a
lifestyle that is calmer, less densely populated and much cheaper.
He claimed the next big wave in housing will be Penturbia?urban
developments in rural regions. Herein are some additional comments
about the housing market.
MassINC, a
non-profit public policy think tank, reports that 25% of
Massachusetts residents say they would leave the state if the
opportunity arose. The No.1 reason cited was the high cost of living
coupled with housing?s lack of affordability.
Economy.com
says California suffers a net loss of 100,000 residents a year, as
homeowners cash out of appreciated houses and move to Arizona,
Washington, and Oregon. And as prices have climbed in these three
states, the latest trend for Californians? search is the Midwest
where spacious houses are available for half the cost of similar
space in Los Angeles.
The once bucolic
suburb of Long Island, now a heavily developed region next to New
York City, sees a similar trend, with 45% of the residents
indicating they might move out during the next five years. Younger
Long Islanders (ages 18 to 34) are spending more than half of their
income on housing.
(The American
Homebuilders Association reported that a comparable home in the
Deltona-Daytona Beach area, for example, costs about $194,000 versus
$434,000 in Long Island?s Nassau County.)
There are signs
too that Las Vegas is no longer the draw, as the median house there
has leaped to $283,000. Las Vegans, in fact, are starting to pull up
stakes for cheaper markets in Arizona...such as Phoenix, Tucson and
Chandler.
The Office of
Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, which regulates Fannie Mae and
Freddie Mac, reports that Phoenix is now the hottest market in the
country. Home values have surged 55% over the last 12 months. Give
A Gift To A Friend Or Associate. If you know someone
who might benefit from this newsletter, feel free to forward it
to them! (See the “box” at the end of the newsletter
for the forwarding service.) Here
& There...
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In
California, most gift cards (and gift certificates) cannot
contain an expiration date or a service fee. That policy does
not apply, however, to multi-use cards like mall or bank-issued
cards which can charge ?a dormancy and/or maintenance fee? as
long as it is disclosed. The Simon Property Group, an
Indianapolis-based real estate giant that owns malls across the
U.S., has a gift card that charges a $2.50 rolling monthly
administrative fee after 13 months of issuance.
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Have you
signed up to receive a summary via e-mail of the Tuesday
Report every week? If not, go to the top of this issue
(right hand corner) and sign up!
-
Recently
came across an old friend, Jim Straw, the author of a course
that provides excellent information on earning finder?s fees for
bringing buyers and sellers together. In 1978 Jim wrote his
first study on the subject. For more information on the subject
check out
www.businesslyceum.com.
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International Monetary Systems (OTCBB:INLM) reported record
revenue for the month of November, processing more than $6
million worth of trades which produced gross revenue of
$696,000, a 39% increase. The company has also re-enrolled for
Investrend Research Institutional coverage.
According to
CEO Don Mardak, enrollment in standards-based research is an
important measure of a company?s commitment to transparency and
good governance. Analysts are paid in advance and no one
associated with Investrend Research may own or trade in the
equities of companies under coverage.
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At the WTO
talks in Hong Kong, Tom Donohue, president of U.S. Chamber of
Commerce, announced, ?For 50 years we?ve been telling people (of
the poorer nations) how to run their lives and their economies,
and now they?re doing it. We?ve got to deal with it.?
Evidence of
greater empowerment among such countries was the alliance of 110
developing nations, which immediately set a list of
trade-agreement goals and a manifesto. Both of which raised
pressure on the U.S. and the EU to compromise. The last day of
the event an agreement of historic proportions was met by all
149 member nations. The wealthy nations agreed to end farm
support subsidies by 2013. Additionally, duty free and quota
free privileges (of at least 97%) will be granted to poorer
nations by 2008.
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