March 2, 2010 Written
by Bob Meyer, Editor of BarterNews
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From the desk of Bob Meyer... 03/02/2010
Mergers & Acquisitions Funded With Less Cash
A couple of decades ago in 1977, a big percentage (77%) of
U.S. mergers & acquisitions were funded solely with cash,
according to Dealogic. But beginning in 2009 and so far this
year, cash is being used in only 40% of the deals. Instead
paper, in the form of company stock, has taken over as the
major means of funding M&A�s.
The most recent example is Schlumberger�s $11 billion
takeover of Smith International, wherein Smith International
is being paid in stock.
Buffett�s Insights On Economy & Healthcare
Billionaire Warren Buffett sees the economy recovering at a
very low rate (his Berkshire Hathaway firm owns 80 different
businesses). He says healthcare costs are a major drain on
U.S. businesses, and needs fundamental reform because it�s
not practical to continue to devote 17% of the nation�s GDP
to health care. (Much of the world pays half that, or 9% of
their GDP on health care.)
Wine For Buses
Winery owners in Macedonia have proposed to the government
the desire to enter into a barter deal with the Ukraine.
They�d trade a large surplus of wine reserves (accumulated
due to the global recession) for the country�s needed
purchase of buses.
Need More Funding. . .Check With Your Vendor
Strong relationships are vital in landing financing. That�s
why more and more small business owners have been successful
with a group they already know well � their vendors.
According to semiannual surveys from the National Small
Business Association in Washington, between 22% and 29% of
business owners relied on vendor credit to meet their
capital needs between August 2008 and December 2009.
U.S. Corporate CEO�s Express Confidence On
Recovery
The Washington (DC) Business Council�s confidence gauge
climbed to 64.7 in February, the highest level in four
years. (Readings greater than 50 signal economic growth.)
The survey also found that 57% of executives had seen an
improvement in their industries in the last six months,
while about 61% expected gains to continue during the next
six months.
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Entertain Clients
Without Spending Big Bucks
You
can often really �wow� business clients without spending an arm and
a leg, if you just take a few minutes to do your homework up front.
Begin by getting to know your clients a little better. Find out what
their interests are. What do they enjoy doing with their spare time?
What types of foods do they enjoy? Don�t hesitate to directly ask
them these types of questions in advance.
Then, research the client. Befriend them on Facebook. Google them.
Find out what you can about them with just a few minutes of effort.
The goal of this research is to create a list of things you can
learn about your client. What do their Facebook status updates show
that they value and deeply enjoy? What groups are they a member of?
What about their Twitter feed?
Don�t worry if you don�t share the same interests as your client.
What truly matters is that you respect your clients� interests and
seek out something engaging, worthwhile, and memorable for each
client during their time with you. For example, if you discover that
your client is a wine connoisseur, take them to a local wine tasting
or present them with a bottle of their favorite varietal. You can
make a lasting impression at an inexpensive price.
Just like the basic rules of personal finance, you can spend in the
areas that truly matter, and save in other areas. If you take the
time to learn about your client, showing that you�re truly
interested in them, your small expenditure will have valuable
results. And if your spending incorporates a barter component, that
value is gained at an even lower cost to you.
Is Your Trade Exchange Missing Out On
Valuable New Business?
If
your barter company�s listing on BarterNews.com isn�t current, you
are definitely missing out on new business. The web site
BarterNews.com receives heavy traffic � with over 150,000 page-views
every month. Entrepreneurs and corporate executives check the
thousands of articles, the weekly �Tuesday
Report,� and the �Contacts
Section� of our site. They use the latter to find barter
companies with which to do business.
Is
your barter company�s listing up-to-date?
To
keep your listing current is very easy. See the links below to (A)
update any changes to your company�s listing, such as new location,
phone number, web site or other information, and (B) if your company
has not been listed.
Here�s how to get on board:
To
make changes to your listing
click here.
For
new listings
click here.
Grow Your Company With
Brilliance Of A MENSA Marketer
In
2010 and beyond, the golden statuettes for marketing genius will be
handed out to entrepreneurs of another sort � those who realize the
smartest marketing move is to develop unbreakable relationships with
their current customers.
Because once you�re up and running, selling more goods to fewer
people is not only more efficient, but it�s also far more
profitable!
So,
staying in touch with your satisfied customers and making them
devotees costs you relatively little.
The
idea to keep in mind is that a happy customer can be likened to a
perennial in your garden...with proper care and feeding you can
usually count on it to bloom year after year. When a customer buys
from you the first time, he or she is saying �I like you, you have
my trust.� This is an invitation not just for a sale, but for a
relationship.
Martha Rogers, PhD and co-author of The One to One Future:
Building Relationships One Customer at a Time, is one of those
experts who believes your goal should not be to increase your
customer base. Rather, your goal should be to ensure that each
customer who buys your product or service buys more of your product
or service � and is happy always choosing your company over others.
In a word, loyalty. In four words, a customer for life.
In
the future, says Rogers, more businesses will focus on the �lifetime
value� of each customer, rather than the short-term profits they can
get from new customers. She says creating one-to-one relationships
is key and will be helped by evolving interactive technologies of
which small businesses can take advantage.
Today�s fax machines, cell phones, and e-mail technology are just
the tip of the interactive iceberg that you and your customers can
use to stay chummy. And interactive TV is just around the bend.
�
International visitors look for BARTER CONTACTS in our Global Barter
Section. If YOUR exchange isn�t listed see the forms on the lower
left of the page. (Click
here.)
�
Attention trade exchange owners...thousands of visitors every month
visit our BARTER CONTACTS section on our web site where we have
names & addresses of barter companies in the USA. If YOUR exchange
isn�t listed, or the information is incorrect, you can correct the
situation by using the forms to the lower left of the USA map. (Click
here.)
Click here
www.barternewsblog.com.
Internet Ranks Third
Most Popular News Platform
A
new study by Pew Research Center�s Pew Internet & American Life
Project reports that the Internet is now the third most popular news
platform, behind local television news (1) and national television
news (2).
A
full 75% of the online-news consumers get the stories delivered via
e-mail or social networking. And 52% of those people will share that
news with others online. Pew also points out that 72% of Americans
say they follow the news because they enjoy talking with others
about what is happening in the world.
Money-Making Reports Available From BarterNews
Vacations � A Vital Key To Your Business Success!
Want to succeed in business? Then call your trade exchange right now
to line-up a few relaxing, restful nights at a hotel, resort or bed
& breakfast! That�s the suggestion and conclusion of a Roper Starch
survey after interviewing 622 executives.
Nearly 70% of them said vacations were essential to optimum states
in their personal lives. And 63% felt time off kept their job
performance up and mental attitude positive at work.
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The Competitive Edge
Newsletter Begins 29th Year Of Publication
This month begins the 29th consecutive year that the 4-page monthly
CE newsletter has been published and provided for trade
exchanges across the United States. Some exchanges have been
subscribers for the entire 29 years, and others for a decade or so.
Beginning March 1, the cost of The Competitive Edge service
will be $200 a month. Any exchange that arranges to subscribe prior
to March will subscribe at the current lower price of $100 for this
specialized service � where they�ll receive a printed copy (for
their printer) as well as a PDF file for e-mailing to their client
base and prospects.
(All current subscribers are �grandfathered in� and will continue to
pay the same $100 per month as they�ve always paid.)
Interested exchanges should e-mail Bob Meyer ASAP if they are
interested in this newsletter service at
bmeyer@barternews.com.
To view a sample newsletter
click here.
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.
Get New Money-Making Ideas And
Valuable Contacts!
You can
obtain useful, informative ideas and contacts in every available
back-issue of BarterNews.
Every
barter company in the world is listed on our web site,
click through to our Global List
of Barter Companies.
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�
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