The World of Barter

Welcome to Trade American
Card (TAC)
In this presentation we’ll cover our most
frequently asked questions and inform you of the
features and benefits of being a member of
America’s longest continually operating
professional trade exchange.
Presented by Will Robertson
Professional Speaker
Marketing Consultant
Barter Specialist
www.psistrategies.com
www.willrobertson.us
1About Trade American Card / Will Robertson 562-577-7000 / TACMS@Cox.net
© 2013 Trade American Card / www.tradeamericancard.com

What is TAC?
Trade American Card is a professional
trade exchange company.
Every major city has one and TAC is
the largest in the Western States in
operation for 43 years as of June
2013.

What is a Trade Exchange?
A trade exchange administrates trades
between business owners who are
members with TAC so they can trade
goods and services among our network
of professionals instead of just each
other. Let’s say you have a product or
service you’d be willing to trade for some
other product or service you could use.
We create a formal system of trade
credits and debits so you can do that.

How Does This Work?
Let’s say you paint houses and I trim trees.
We agree to trade services but we both have
to agree on the value and make good on our
promise of work. With a trade exchange you
can paint my house and I can give you a
barter credit (trade check) that can be used
with hundreds of other businesses locally
and hundreds of thousands nationally. This
makes the trade credit worth much more to
you.

How Do The Trade Checks
Work?
A trade check is a sales receipt that has 3
copies. One is for the seller, one for the buyer
and one goes to our office where the credits
and debits are settled each day. Every
member has a supply of trade checks and
knows how to use them. If a sale or purchase
is for more than $100 a toll-free call is placed
to get an authorization code that guarantees
the transaction will be honored. Your monthly
statement summarizes all such transactions.

Why Would I Trade Anything
Instead of Using Cash?
Because trading is just that, it is not selling or
buying. Still, cash is king and most business
operators want to conserve it if they can. A
lot of what you spend cash on can be
obtained with barter dollars, allowing you to
conserve cash for payments that require only
cash. With TAC barter checks you keep your
cash while you trade what you have for what
you need when it’s convenient for you.

What if I’m Swamped and Can’t
Take on Another Customer?
Few business operators are running at 100%
capacity. If during your year you have excess
or unsold inventory, empty tables, empty
seats, empty rooms or empty time slots then
barter makes a lot of sense. You can always
turn down new business TAC sends to you if
you are swamped, but our members tell us
trading makes a lot of sense for a lot of
reasons, including doctors, lawyers, CPAs
and business owners.

How Does it Make a Lot of Sense?
TAC does 95% of the work to bring you
NEW customers and NEW business and
NEW income. We promote you and your
business to our network and to most of
the major network events in the So Cal
region that create both barter and NEW
CASH customers for you, in addition to
trade. All you have to do is answer the
phone.

What Do You Mean by Major
Networks?
TAC has affiliates and members in our
network that produce some of the largest
network events in the So Cal region. We
sponsor most of these huge events that draw
thousands of CASH customers to your benefit
if you are a member with us. For example, The
Largest Mixer events and all the Orange
County Chambers of Commerce are
sponsored by TAC, as are many charities.

How Do I Get Cash Customers
From A Barter Club?
Not everyone who attends network
events is a member of TAC. If you are
a member and can’t attend such
events TAC will still promote you and
your company to the attendees. These
contacts are mostly cash customers
for you. We become your
advertising, marketing and
promotional partner.

How Much Does It Cost Me For
New Cash Customers?
Zero. Because TAC is a trade exchange
we only earn money when we send you
new trade
customers, clients, patients, etc. We do
not charge you a finder’s fee or a
commission for new cash business you
gain from your relationship with us. We
only charge for trade deals with our
other members. This is a HUGE benefit to
our members.

How Do I Know I Won’t Get
Slammed With Barter Deals?
You will set what is called a “reserve.” This is
a figure in barter dollars that you do not want
to exceed. Once you hit that number we stop
sending new referrals to you. Any cash
customers, clients or patients you get from
your relationship with us continue to bring
you new revenues you did not have to
advertise for. We do it for you. When you’re
ready to resume your trade activity we will
resume sending you new trade business. A
quick call to our offices handles the details.

What Can I Spend My Barter
Dollars On?
We have hundreds of service categories that you
can use your barter credits for including print
advertising, medical, law, accounting, constructi
on, repairs, cleaning, pet care, fitness and spa
treatments, home or office supplies and
maintenance, vehicle repairs, limo
services, photography and video, computer
repairs, web sites, graphics and
printing, entertainment and restaurant venues
and hundreds more. You can also gift trade
credits to friends or family or use them as a
bonus to your staff or loyal customers.

Can I See a List of Your Members So I
Can See Where I Can Use My Credits?
We no longer publish our member list
due to spamming issues. Instead we
publish our service categories that show
you the broad spectrum of products and
services you can enjoy as a result of
your membership with TAC. When you
join our network we issue you an ID code
that gives you full access to our online
database.

But I Want To See Your Online
Database Before I Join.
After 43 years in business we can offer
you as many references as you have the
time to call. We do not publish our
member data base nor does any
legitimate trade exchange. We are
professional and have decades-long
members to prove it. We can offer a list
of service categories and professional
references at your request.

This All Sounds Like Funny Money
to Me… is it Legal?
We are an IRS recognized legitimate
business just like your
banker, lawyer, doctor or accountant.
Your barter exchange activity is
recorded and all activity is reported in
your monthly statement showing
purchases or sales along with any fees
or dues. At the end of the year you are
given a 1099-B to cover your
bookkeeping requirements.

What About Taxes or Tips On My
Sales?
All taxes or tips are required to be
paid in cash. All our members know
this in advance. There is never a
problem with this consideration. Also
if a TAC member refers a CASH
customer to you that business is 100%
yours – no fees or commissions
required now or in the future.

What About My “Hard Costs” …
Am I Expected to Eat That?
Every business has hard costs. TAC does not ask
our members to give anything away. We are all
about trading one product or service for another.
We send you new customers and new revenue
you did not have to advertise for because we did
that for you. Barter revenue is the same as cash
revenue. When you take cash do you mention
your “hard costs?” It is important to remember
that barter dollars simply allow you to trade
products or services with other TAC members. It
is a second source of revenue for you. It does not
replace your cash business.

If I’m Going to Barter Why Not
Just Do it on My Own?
A lot of people trade. But there are dangers in
such dealings if the trades are not formally
recorded and credited. Would it be more valuable
if you could trade with hundreds of business
owners instead of just one? Then there are times
when you will trade with less than honest people
who will not deliver what you expected. TAC
eliminates all these considerations because we
give you a system of trades and credits and
gurantees. We protect your trades through our
professional operations.

Can I Charge One Price for Barter
and Another for Cash?
Not below a trade value of $1,500. Trading is not
a replacement for your cash business. There are
instances where you might take part cash and
mostly barter in transactions that exceed $1,500.
Remember that barter dollars are the same as
cash dollars so we do not encourage price
discounts for cash but not for barter. Business is
business and member prices should remain
constant no matter whether you are selling or
buying or trading. A call to the office will clear up
any questions on any trade.

What Do I Do With My Barter
Dollars if I Don’t Need Anything?
It is a very rare person who can say “I don’t
need anything.” How do you acquire what you
buy now? Why always pay cash if you can
trade for it? If you’re running a business just
office supplies, printers, faxes, copiers and
phone equipment are necessary. On the
personal side medical, eye
care, dental, dining, art, web
sites, printing, cleaning or repairs are needs.
You can even gift barter certificates to
employees, customers, friends or family. You
can also donate them to charities and take a
tax deduction.

I’m Running a Restaurant. How
Does Barter Benefit Me?
What benefits you the most is the trade
exchange, not just the barter currency. TAC
advertises you with online E Mail and every 90
days we will send out your flyers to our
membership. Tips and taxes are paid in cash
and you have less empty seats that currently
pay you nothing while your overhead remains
fixed. In addition you can use your barter
credits to buy ads in regional magazines that
drive new cash customers to your business.

I’m Running a Hotel / Motel. How
Does Barter Benefit Me?
Empty rooms are lost revenue for good if
they remain empty. Why sell such rooms
for large discounts when our barter
members will pay your full price for those
rooms? You will be far better off taking a
barter client paying you 100% of your
room charges instead of taking a cash
customer for half that amount or even
less.

I Run A Limo – Pro Transport
Business. How Do You Help Me?
Every hour your cars, vans or busses sit
parked you lose money. Your overhead never
stops ticking. With TAC we can send you new
clients to fill in the time slots you do not have
booked for cash customers. Since tips and
taxes are always paid in cash you gain
revenues, new customers and keep your
vehicles under contract and that’s good for
business overall. Plus you can use your
barter dollars to buy ads in our member
publications that drive new cash business to
you.

I’m Running A Fitness Center. Why
Would I Allow Barter?
If your facility can hold 200 and on any given
day you only have 100 using it what is your
real cost to put 50 more people in your facility
especially if those 50 came as referrals to
you from TAC and are paying you 100% of
your fees? The answer is practically zero. The
equipment, lights, AC and staff are there
anyway. Why not take the full price barter
business on top of the cash business and
max out your space? Barter is smart business
for smart business owners.

But I Can’t Pay My Staff With
Barter Currency.
Do not confuse trade transactions as a
replacement for your cash business.
You have to pay your staff in most cases with
cash even if there are no customers for them to
care for. Barter is a second source of income for
your business, not a replacement for cash
business. Barter allows you to conserve cash so
you can pay obligations that require only cash
such as salaries, phone bills, utilities, rent, etc.
And you can bonus your staff with barter credits
for a job well done.

Where Do I Draw The Line On
Barter Income?
TAC allows you to set up a trade reserve.
This is an amount of barter currency on
your account that triggers NO MORE
BARTER REFERRALS until you tell us
otherwise. Reserves can be set at $5,000
up to $10,000 and higher. When you
spend down your barter dollars we can
start sending you new referrals once
again.

What About Part Barter and Part
Cash Deals?
TAC has strict rules about trade. With rare
exception you will be expected to take 100%
barter up to $1,500 just as you would cash when
you accept a barter customer. Remember, you
are trading, not replacing your cash business.
Trading partners who want part of the sale in
cash hurt the purpose of trade in the first place.
You should be prepared to sell at 100% barter
and purchase at 100% barter up to $1,500. Call
the office for exceptions. 949-225-6000 or call
Will Robertson at 562-577-7000.

What Are The Costs To Be A
Member With TAC?
Corporations pay a one-time set up fee of
$995 while non-corporations pay $495. You
then pay $15 per month in cash and $15
barter dollars per month for the admin fee.
The only other cash cost is 6% of any barter
transaction, either sale or purchase. We
require a credit or debit card for monthly fees
and we send you a monthly statement
showing all purchases or sales so there are
no surprises. The annual renewal fee is 100
barter dollars, no cash required.

This Sounds A Little Expensive
Over Time.
TAC has a full time headquarters in Irvine near
the JW Airport with a professional staff on duty 9
to 5 five days a week to support you and your
business. We also assume all costs of our
membership promotion and advertising of you
and your business. Thus barter clients are found
money to you. If someone offers you $1000 would
you reward them $120 to keep the rest? Very few
people would say NO to the $880 in found money.
Just the annual postage alone to send your flyers
to our membership every 90 days far exceeds
your sign on and admin fees. Trading is not a
replacement for your cash business.

How Big Is TAC?
TAC was started in 1970 in Orange, CA. We have
had thousands of card holders over the years.
We have about a thousand card holders in the So
Cal region now with about 55,000 in our extended
online data base through our affiliates. Nationally
there are over 500,000 businesses in the trade
networks. We average about ten million barter
dollars in new business per year for our
membership just here in Orange County. Thus we
can create new profits for you as well.

Why Do I Have To Apply For
Membership?
Not everyone who wants to be a member
with TAC will qualify. We maintain the
highest standards of professional and
ethical business conduct for the benefit
of all our members. New applicants must
have been in business for two years and
have both banking and residency
credentials with references. You pay
nothing if TAC does not accept your
application.

Once I’m Approved How Soon
Can I Start Trading?
On average your application requires 2
to 4 days to process. Mr. Robertson will
then call you to deliver a 3 ring binder
with your materials, ID number, access
to our online data base and instructions.
You can start trading right away. About
10 days later you’ll receive your plastic
ID card with your unique membership
number on it.

What If I Travel? Can I Use My
Barter Credits Anywhere?
Every major city in the USA has a
trade exchange and most belong to
the National Association of Trade
Exchanges (NATE). If you are planning
travel just call the office for details on
using your trade credits in other cities
in the U.S. or even other countries
outside the U.S.

What If I Want To Quit TAC?
Every year on your sign up
anniversary you have the option to
quit. You must notify the office of your
intention and of course your account
must be in good standing. If you have
trade credits the staff will explain your
options.

How Many Businesses Like Mine
Will Be In The Membership?
We only allow as many similar
business types as our membership
can support. In many cases your
business may qualify for an exclusive
in your business category. There is no
extra charge for this unique position.
Remember… we don’t earn a dime
until you do.

In Summary…
Trade American Card brought our members over
$10,000,000 in new business last year. We are a
network of over 1000 local card holders and 500,000
national businesses that want to do business with you. If
you own or manage a restaurant, retail store, fitness
gym, spa, salon, hotel, theater, service
business, professional practice, manufacturing
company, magazine or newspaper, or any other type of
business that could use more sales, we have customers
ready and waiting to buy from your
overstock, downtime, unsold seats, empty tables, non-
peak rentals, excess inventory, unused services or any
other goods or services of value. We help you turn
otherwise lost business into profitable sales!

Okay – I’m Ready To Give It A Try.
What’s The Next Step?
You’ll need to fill out an application and for
that you’ll need to call Will Robertson at 562-
577-7000. He will meet you for this purpose
and get you started enjoying new
business, new revenues and new profits.
www.tradeamericancard.com
Mr. Robertson is in charge of New Member
Benefits. His EM is Willr@Cox.net

The World of Barter

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