We will announce this week the opening of 2 new Tradia ® operations in the USA based on the no upfront investment concept revealed on March 9, 2010.  This gives a qualified professional person the chance to develope a Tradia ® Franchise without an investment and buy it at a later date removing all risk to an entrepreneur.  The price is locked in for a 24 month period with the initial entity wanting to build and purchase later.  (Over time, depending on changing circumstances, the price for each Tradia ® franchise may vary.)  In the meantime, Tradia ® builds new offices increasing its membership of small business owners.  We encourage a home-based launch in most markets and especially in the smaller communities.

Tradia ® currently has 12 possible new office openings in progress due to this offering.  We are considering that all potential franchises in the future follow this format to increase training knowledge, customer service skills, profits and eliminate the risk to a potential franchise owner.  We get more time to grow together and guarantee the compatibility between us all.  In this difficult economic turn, we also see this as an appropriate offer considering so many talented people do not have the financial resources to purchase a franchise regardless of the opportunity at hand.   We believe this will be a record year for the growth of Tradia ®, our database and the Tradia ® Trade Exchange system.

Not often but occasionally I have a wishful thought; that every single business entrepreneur / small business could all get quiet for a moment to hear a message.  As a Tradia Member or a member of any barter exchange group that understands how to make charitable contributions using non-cash or barter/trade currency.  For 2009, you can join Tradia, trade some of your unsold inventory, bank the trade credits, pay them to a charity and take a charitable contribution dollar for dollar as if it was cash.

Additionally, why not open a trade account with a reputible barter exchange.  They send you new client immediately.  They start finding you the products and services you need so you can trade for them instead of using cash.  You can then trade for more advertising to drive more cash business in your doors.  Every time you use your barter exchange dollars to buy something, your money stays in your pocket.  These are some valid reasons that many people should have a Tradia or trade exchange account.

Aside from the obvious benefits of donating our time and money to a cause we believe in, there are tax benefits as well.  What most people don't realize is how to offer a larger contribution without using money at all.

Bartering your excess time or inventory and donating some of that credit is a great way to keep more of your money instead of giving it to Uncle Sam needlessly.  I'm not saying that taxes are all bad, I'm saying we get the chance to keep more of our money depending on how many expenses we have for that tax year.  We get the opportunity to write-off losses, list expenses and contributions and it's all legal.  This applies to all small business & entrepreneurs as well as large corporations.

Many Tradia® Members have taken advantage of this concept.  Some members donate large sums of Tradia® Dollars to various 501c3 corporations and the IRS allows a dollar-for-dollar contribution if you use barter dollars from a legitimate barter / trade exchange system.  This is one of the many advantages of maintaining a barter account with a trade exchange.

A small hotel chain could barter unsold rooms accumulating Tradia® Dollars into their Tradia® account.  As a separate transaction, that same hotel chain can make a charitable contribution and list the entire amount on their tax records.  The hotel fills several empty rooms, finds new clients and uses some of the barter currency to help a charity bringing more good media exposure to the hotel chain.  Everyone wins and it is all made possible due to the trade exchange and a hotel with more empty rooms than they would wish for.  Barter allows the hotel to fill empty rooms as they see fit.

George Wells, a veteran barter exchange owner has decided to ride off into the sunset.  At the young age of 78, George has sold his Tradia ® Franchise to newcomer; Ron Paul and his wife Katie.  Ron has a ton of sales and customer service experience and we're excited to see this transition.  It's always a little scary when we go through a change like this but it usually brings new energy and growth with the change-over.

We're always looking for a true entreprenuer and we are certain to have found it in Ron.  Tradia ® in Boise will be hard to beat with the addition of the Pauls as franchise owner / operators.

Ron & Katie Paul will be trained as a Tradia ® Franchise in the month of May 2008.  We'll see them in Portland and then schedule the first of 2 in-field trainings.  Tradia ® has recently increased the amount of training offered to a new Tradia Franchise.  The more a franchisee knows about Tradia ®, the faster and stronger they grow as a business.  This is a very positive step in the growth of Tradia ® in Idaho.

The AICPA (http://www.aicpa.org/) is the nation’s largest professional non-profit association representing more than 340,000 CPAs that specialize in the area of tax, accounting, and consulting services such as personal finance.

As one of small businesses’ most trusted advisors, CPA’s offer these eight steps to help entrepreneurs in tough economic times:

Step 1: Focus on your balance sheet.
Business owners love to talk about sales and tell you how many millions of sales they had this year, but as you get closer to the recession the focus should be on your balance sheet. Make sure you’re managing your cashflow well. It’s something you should be doing all the time but it’s even more critical in a recessionary environment, because there’s just that much less cash floating around. While the going is still good, try to put cash aside to build a war chest.

Step 2: Diversify and launch.
Economic downturns have a benefit for business. A recession gives you the opportunity to step back, rethink, and review all sectors of your operation. Consider launching a new product or service offering not currently offered in your market. Use the time for diversifying your products, services, or industries so you don’t have too many eggs in one sinking basket.

Step 3: Start looking at your credit and debt.
You should begin looking at increasing your debt. Negotiating with a bank from a position of power and good financial resources in a good economy is a lot easier to do than trying to negotiate in a recessionary environment. Don’t think of that extra credit simply in terms of reserves to get you through cash-trickling times.

Step 4: Review your accounts receivables.
When things are starting to turn down, you want to keep a sharp eye out for someone who is in to you for quite a bit, because if they go under and cash is tight that could have a huge impact on your small business. Similarly, review your agreements with suppliers. Maybe you don’t have to pay in 30 days; maybe you can pay in 45. Again, it’s easier to negotiate in a good economy than in a downturn.

Step 5: Review your company discretionary spending items.
Although small businesses are typically very lean, recession survivors often still manage to trim some fat. Think of all the discretionary items. Take whatever steps you can to reduce your debt. The less you have to pay out on a regular basis during an economic slowdown, the less painful it will be. Employ labor and time-saving technology to reduce business costs. More effective use of the Internet can save on travel, training, administration, and operations costs.

Step 6: Review your customers.
Start reviewing about how a recession will impact your customers. If your customer base is involved, for example, in the home-building industry, and home building is down, then you know these customers are not going to be demanding as much product, so you better get ready for that. One way to do that is to search out alternatives. Somebody’s always making money, even in a recession, so if you can find out where those pockets are and if you have services you can provide to them, maybe you want to expand those services.

Now is also the time to take customer service to a new level. Get in touch and stay in touch with your active customers. Take nothing for granted. Make sure your pricing is competitive, your service exceptional and your attitude reflects how much you value their business. Revisit dormant customers and see what you can do to bring them back into the fold.

Sometimes it takes as little as just asking to restart a relationship. Other times it can take some imagination, but resurrecting a past customer can still be easier and less expensive than finding and breaking in a new one. Ask your customers for referrals. While this is a good practice at any time, it is particularly important in a down economy.

Step 7: Keep up marketing.
Many companies cannot afford to stop marketing, regardless of economic conditions. New products are always sure revenue generators if marketed properly. Determine what sets your business apart from the competition and market it like crazy. Attend networking functions, spruce up your Web site, send out post cards, put out a new sign in front of your office.

New business, however, doesn’t have to come from new customers. Many small-business owners can find that their best prospects for new revenue are their existing customers and clients—established relationships mean an owner doesn’t have to spend time, energy and money trying to make a good impression and knowledge of customers’ needs makes it easier to come up with new products or services they’ll want to buy.

Whether prospecting for new business or working with a long-standing customer, success can turn on making a valid case that your product or service will benefit the buyer, even if the economic times are uncertain.

Step 8: Do additional research.
The CPA profession in the United States has created free resources and tools to help small business owners with personal finance issues.

To learn more check out the CPA profession’s 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy visit http://www.360financialliteracy.org/ and check out the “Entrepreneurs” tab.