Updated Links: Barter & Trade: Bring it back.

A few days ago, I posted an entry about Bartering. Since, that time I have created a Facebook page to support that concept and looked into several websites that embody the concept of barter. Below, you will find the links, and also a short description about them.
  
BarterQuest is a cashless trading site. A trade occurs when a user makes an offer (or counter offer), another user accepts the offer, and the first user confirms the trade. (In the case of a MultiParty trade involving three or more users, the trade is automatically confirmed when all parties have accepted.) The following explains how to use our site.

You can also view more information about trading by visiting the help desk portion of their site. http://barterquest.zendesk.com/forums/29911/entries/93557

SwapTree.com is another barter trading site. I could not find a true "about me" other than the photo below, so I signed up and began experimenting. It is actually much like a dating site. You put up your wants and likes, and it will match you with someone who has the opposite. (Your want is their has, and theirs is yours etc.) This one appears to be the best. However, I cannot tell you a success rate of traded items at this point.

This site does seem to be a bit more limited than BarterQuest.com, yet much more user friendly.


Lastly, I will briefly mention http://www.paperbackswap.com which is a paperback book trading site. I never really enjoyed the idea of this site. I have been a member for some time and yet to make a trade. It has always been much easier to go to Half Price Books.

Powerful Speeches

Amazing speech. Examine how he empathizes with the team, exploits his weaknesses. Yet, he shows knowledge, and determination and pulls the team back in. Consider what you say - how you say it and realize in 2 mins. the team turned around and won the game.

Barter & Trade: Bring it back.

I have heard about it in a text book as a way of life "back when." I can only relate to trading my entire baseball card collection for a Dynamo bike. (That is a stunt bike). Yet, the idea does have promise... What would it be like to barter now, in today's world?

Well, consider the world as you know it. Everything requires cash. Even cash is not accepted in some areas - where electronic funds or plastic are required. You purchase a house, you must have the money - or have someone with money to pay for you. Then you pay them money for the money they paid you to pay someone else. Well - it's the truth. The same applies to most major purchases. So, in light of breaking it down to smaller level because no one that I know has $100,000 to toss around, what about going to the grocery (or grocery store, depending on what part of the country you are from)?  When you want to purchase meals for your family to eat, or foods to prepare the meal, cash is tendered to the store of choice. Now, try to follow me as I paint outside the box...

The item you purchased... Let us say that it is a can of soup. What ingredients are in the soup? What about the can? Label? As I break down each item below, I will take a look at it from a high view. Granted, I do not know the entire process per item, but am simply trying to paint a picture. Each portion of the process adds money, which will later lead to the topic sentence that I laid out to write this.

The Label: Pre printed from a supplier of materials to the company making the soup. The soup company buys from the material supplier and incorporates into the cost model, or cost to make the product. The material supplier creates fees or cost of making the label based on the inks and paper (more than likely two separate companies), which are purchased from another company who then pays his or her employees (X's 2 remember we are looking at paper and ink)

The Can:  Purchased from a supplier of materials to the company making the soup. The soup company buys from the material supplier and incorporates into the cost model, or cost to make the product. Let's just assume that that can material is purchased material and Jim Bob's Ore company makes some money and pays his/her employees.

Now look at each of the other items. The above two were merely to get you thinking. What about the meats? Further processed by the soup maker from the "ready to eat" company which may or may not be the slaughter facility... Each of these has employees. Many of the other companies involved have multiple materials - but look at the salt, corn syrup, hydrogenized... and every other word you cannot say. There are SEVERAL other material suppliers involved. Not one supplies all of them, but some many supply more than one. Each of these companies has to pay the bottom line. Which means that a cost is instituted, and passed on to the next person or company until it gets to you who pay for each part of the processes.

Now, where the heck am I going with all of this? I have had, for some time, a fetish for bartering. Most PC's that I work on have bartered fee's. The websites that I have done, are based on some form of barter. Barter is by definition, is to exchange goods or services in return for other goods or services. Many cultures still do this by trading handmade garments or livestock for other items. Some of the more civilized versions used currency or notes to indicate what was owed. Still, I do not think it has to be that complex. I think the simply beauty of having your own items to give in exchange for something else is amazing. Part of this thought process comes from a movie, a documentary, called Commune. Granted that I do not agree with many things in the movie - there are some great truths to the governance of life. The idea to farm and make your own produce. Why would you need to go to a store to purchase "organtic?" You would be aware of every additive to your process. You would not have to work to go to the store to purchase a can of soup which has hundreds to thousand of people involved. You would have made it. Not to mention that the time you spent away from home to get that money so the company you worked for could make profits... Or the sales tax on the money you worked for so that other people can perform their jobs... 


Look... this subject could go on and on. I could break it down to taxes, the complex part of the processes such as companies involved, lack of family togetherness (working outside the home) or simply enjoyment of working a good days work, making your own living and being rewarded from that. The simplicity of life without the media selling you things or even being a part of your life. The community being a large "farmer's market" where you trade goods for goods or services. Simply put we've made things way too difficult. 


Bring barter back. Visit the FaceBook Fan Page here.

Soup Image retrieved from http://www.thesneeze.com/art/loose_art/hobo.jpg, on 02.16.10
Labor Certificate retrieved from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/LaborNote.JPG on 02.16.10
Circle of Trade retrieved from http://www.artistsurvivalskills.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/barter-thumb.gif on 02.16.10

5 - S Your Life

5-S - you may ask? What is that? More than likely it is something that you do - in many instances of your life. Clean out the clutter and put things away. 5-S stands for Sort, Straighten, Sanitize, Standardize, and Sustain. It is a part of a lean journey where the waste is removed. Directly, you may remove waste by the discarding of unused items. Indirectly, you may gain time, or make your task more efficient.

Consider the following: Imagine a day that you were late for work. The alarm clock "did not" go off and you are frantically running around your house. The "Flight of the Bumble Bee" is playing in the background. Thing about your clothes. Now, knowing that you are late - find what you need in the pictured room.

The very thought is a logistical nightmare! Yes, I will admit that my room does look like this, but this is not my room. However, I never claimed to be efficient in the process of keeping my room clean. Regardless, it is a point that relates from the largest of manufacturing plants down to something you do everyday.

The idea of lean, which is what 5-S is a part of, is waste reduction. In this case it is time by removing all the items that you are not using. If you find that you are using all the items - great - except we must now organize. It is an art as well as a discipline. When you begin this journey in your home it will take some time to establish. Consider small things first. Go through your sock drawer and remove all the unmatched socks. Match all the socks while you are there. Make sure your socks have a certain spot, your shirts, your jeans, your shoes, etc. Everything has a SPECIFIC place. This is not the hard part by the way. The use of the system is the easy part and you will be very thankful for it when you get accustomed to it. I must warn you, the hard part, will be to put everything back the SAME WAY, EVERY TIME. Everything has a place, and everything in its place.Once you have the standard set - label it. Place a label that can work for everyone. Make it kid friendly too! If you set up a standard process - and find yourself deviating take a moment and revisit the process. If you place your socks in drawer 4 and your map says the socks belong in the other room - should you adjust your map? Your standard process should also be realistic, and adaptable. I caution the adaption portion - only if your plan changes the standard. If your plan does not change, and you just start adapting here and there based on "time" or "laziness" then you have broken your process and the 5-S will crumble. However, you may get to play the "Flight of the Bumble Bee" song. If you just want to hear the song, go to this site.

One last visual to help you understand the effects of 5-S. Consider a word search puzzle. Consider the length of time that you spend looking for the words. The diagonal, vertical, and horizontal words that cross or share letters - even the really tricky ones that go backwards. Now if the words were already circled, or listed out in the same order or manner so they were easy to pick out - how long would that puzzle actually take?

Once you have this down, consider all of the other things that you could do? The garage, your tool box, the cupboards, etc. Other examples can be found by visiting this site of "before and after" pictures of 5-S.


Pictures found at:
http://lizette.i.ph/photo/d/760-1
http://webscripts.softpedia.com/screenshots/Word-Search-Game-24400.png/DSC02131.JPG?g2_GALLERYSID=TMP_SESSION_ID_DI_NOISSES_PMT

Plastic and Modeled

On a recent business trip I stayed at a very fancy hotel. Of course it was not like the MGM or anything comparable in Vegas – but for my meek salary any tiny spot of positional latitude, it was nice. Now that I have stated how far down on the totem I am, I must admit the trip was paid for by the company. That which is not already paid for will be when I submit the receipts.

Now as I prop my feet up and listen to “Bama Breeze,” by Jimmy Buffet I am pondering over the day – thoughts – and events. The song really has nothing to do with the story here – other than its significance to simplicity.

What started this train wreck of my imagination and slight frustration? Well, upon check in to the hotel, I was asked for my name and photo ID. I handed over the requested materials. The gentleman asked me for confirmation of my stay and I nodded in affirmation. The next statement was the stray bullet. “Can I have your credit card?”

The hotel has been pre-paid by the company for which I work so I just asked him to look at the file and see that all is in good order. However, he still persisted that a credit card was due. I let the man know that I do not have one (as nice as I could without making it obvious that I was a little embarrassed/irritated). His next comment sealed the deal.”So you are not going to take any refreshments out of the room?” My reply was “No.”

“Well Sir, I will send someone to your room to take all the refreshments out of the room.” He commented back.

My rebuttal, “Would you like me to go now and open the door for them?” (I have something more on this later...)

This event was not the end of my day but consider the impact of the situation. We live in a society that demands we are culturally sound with amenities for every situation. I must admit that if my own personal finance was in order I would have a small credit card. However, I do not have a credit card or even a cellular phone. Thinking about this event I began to illuminate all the advertisements that I have seen recently. Many of them require a credit card for the discount, or a cellular phone so that you can be “texted” a code. Heck, even the Salvation Army (in many bigger cities) has credit card swiping capability. 

I wonder what happened. It is almost like we are reverting to the beginning of the credit card, or “Diner’s Card.” It makes you exclusive. The very fact that the Salvation Army has the ability to accept credit cards is an oxymoron. Understand that the purpose is to collect more money – that many people do not carry cash today. So, to keep up to the culture they have adapted. Basic business is to adapt with the culture, however, I struggle with the other side of the coin. There will be some people who give when they cannot afford it, creating more debt for themselves, or sharing their debt.  I am sure that it is the middle man being cut out. The rich get richer and the poor live rich getting more into debt with the middle man taking sides with the previous.

In a world where bigger is better and faster is more – I wonder what wall we will slam up against to realize that “hey – it is ok to just be average.” Materialism is an addiction that we must come to terms with. The prices continue to rise and the customers will continue to justify the needs.  Basic Business: Supply and Demand. The price will continue to rise to find the equilibrium or ideal quantity for the store to have on hand that the customers will buy. Then, in many cases, the stores will offer a sale when their inventories are high to turn product. Guess what – it’s a deal only to move product. The price between sale and retail is the extra profit the store makes. Most of the items at full retail have a nice sticker on them. The splendid word that feeds the addiction is “New!” Now how is all of this rant tied in to the above?

We are expected to have money available at all times based on society. If you do not have the funds available now, then simply charge it – this will help us be culturally savvy. But, before I finish my little topic - I wanted to share a small tidbit of information. In the event that you do fall behind in your credit cards and you need to settle to get out of the compound interest rates you do have options. Before you go to bankruptcy there are options. You do have options to negotiate. I have successfully cut credit card bills up to 50% off of the collected rate. According to CreditCard.com, the profits are very large. Which means they have room to cut fees - and still make a profit. That is the beauty of compound interest.

Profitability 

Profits or Losses at Top 10 U.S. Credit Card Issuers in 2008
1. Chase: $780 million profit
2. Bank of America: $520 million profit
3. Citi: $530 million loss
4. American Express: $850 million profit
5. Capital One: $1.00 billion profit
6. Discover: $710 million profit
7. Wells Fargo: $990 million profit
8. HSBC: $520 million profit
9. US Bank: $1.07 billion profit
10. USAA: Not listed

Ok - I have grossly got off topic but wanted to throw several ideas at you about this subject. The point is, we should avoid a cultural view of ourselves when looking at material items. It is ok - to not be what is expected by the worldly view or status quo. And just to cap off the blog - remember when I mentioned "more of this later" about the hotel stay. They never did remove the refreshments. He was "calling my bluff." 

Images of credit card trap as viewed: http://www.fairloanrate.com