You may recall that back in January of 2011 I posted a wish list of all the things I would like to see in a barter exchange’s smart phone app.  I’m pleased to announce that IMS now has a beta smart phone app for BOTH iphone and android that you can download from the App Store (for iphone folks) or Google Play (formerly Android Marketplace).   The app has a lot of the functions that I asked for.  The folks over at IMS were kind enough to give me a heads up about the new app that you should be able to find for download by simply searching for “IMS barter” where you normally download phone apps.  Please note that this is a beta version so you should not expect perfection yet.

Overall I’m quite pleased with IMS’s first attempt.   It’s a little slow to start when you first click on the application, but other than than the functionality seems flawless.   I’m an Android man so I was able to test it on an Android phone and tablet.  I did not conduct any iphone testing.  I should also mention that it is a FREE application.  The main functions are:

• Restaurant Search (complete with interactive map)
• Authorization Request (like the website it is for a seller only)
• Account info
• Transactions
• Contact IMS (makes it easy to contact your broker)

Anyone who has bartered for very long is aware that occasionally you can run into a vendor that treats you like a second class citizen because you are paying for a product or service in trade. It goes without saying that this is to be avoided and that we should all do our best to service our barter clients just as well as folks that pay with cash on the barrel-head. That being said, it’s also possible to treat your seller poorly when you are buying something on trade.

Let me put it this way: It’s a lot easier to blow off your personal training session if you are paying for it in trade than if you are paying in cash. Doing so however is not fair to your barter partner or yourself. The vendors that you buy services from on trade, like personal trainers, massage therapists, doctors, chiropractors, CPA’s and yes even lowly web developers deserve to be treated like the professionals that they are even when you are paying them in trade. This means you need to show up for appointments, follow through with “homework” they assign, and even take the advice that you are paying them to give.

Additionally I should point out that it is totally self defeating to hire a professional then not follow through.  In order for consultive work to have the desired effect you have to actually act on the advice you are given. When you get that advice at a discount through barter it may be tempting to discount the actual advice. To do so however would be a mistake.

I once read a report that said that the success of any given smoking cessation program is directly proportional to the cost of the program. Simply put, the more expensive the program, the more the participants were emotionally invested in quiting so they had more sucess. So…with that said I think it’s very important to understand how much of a blessing it is to be able to take advantage of services through trade at a substantial cash savings and for you to NOT use this as an excuse that undermines the whole point of the service.

Over the years it has come to my attention there there are a couple things that us barter fanatics can do when we trade that will gain us a little “float” with our transactions and help with cash flow.    Here’s my current list:

1. If given the option when setting up your exchange account always opt to pay as much of  your commissions as possible when you are making a purchase.  That way you don’t have to pay commissions immediately when you make a sale.  It may even be worth while to pay a slightly higher commission if you can pay it all on your purchases.
2. Put your “commisionable” transactions through your exchange after the first of the month.  Most exchanges bill on the first of each month.  If you wait until after the first you won’t be billed the commission for an extra 30 days.
3. Assuming you are paying part of your commissions on your “sell” transactions, then it doesn’t make any sense to build your account up to a high balance.  Not only does this incur barter commissions, but you will also be taxed on this income that is sitting in your barter exchange account.   It is more to your advantage to earn at roughly the same rate as you spend.
4. Once you have proven to your exchange that you are a good member that can and will earn barter credits on an ongoing basis, they may extend you a line of credit.  By using this line of credit you can purchase products and services without paying any “sell-side” commissions at all up front.  You will of course need to earn those credits back eventually and the commissions will be due at that time.  Also if your exchange is charging you interest on the line of credit that probably more than wipes out any cash flow advantages.