Thomas Daley had been helping friends swap sports tickets for golf course green fees and concert tickets as a sideline.
But on the advice of a friend, he set up an online trading site, Joe Barter L.L.C., two years ago where college students could trade textbooks, small companies could trade equipment and accountants, and plumbers, business consultants and others could advertise their services.
“I was told our site should be for the average Joe, so Joe Barter, get it?” said Daley, 36.
The company is still struggling to make its mark, he acknowledged in an interview, though he said he hoped an upgrade for the Web site, scheduled for August, along with a stepped-up marketing effort would significantly expand the membership.
The site has 2,500 individual members, who pay nothing to join the network, and 400 business-to-business members who pay fees for consultations and referrals in connection with transactions. Last year, the company’s revenue totaled about $80,000.
Whatever its prospects for success, Joe Barter is tapping into one of the largest “little” industries of small companies in America, the barter or trade exchange business. It is a business for “the little guys,” said Robert Meyer, who since 1979 has published Barter News, a magazine and online site that reports on more than 500 trade exchanges in the United States.
Photo by Joe Barter L.L.C..
cassy on August 8th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
Its nice to know that he takes the advice of his friend to expand his service in the net. People can easily barters if its in the net.