Is your business suffering as a result of the current COVID-19 lockdowns? You may have been forced to close your doors temporarily or be operating at a greatly reduced capacity. It’s a struggle for many business owners, in every region regardless of the alert levels. Whether you’re located in an affected area, or your business has taken a hit due to border closures, the COVID-19 lockdowns have not left many untouched.
More than ever before, business owners in the Bartercard community are supporting one another by continuing to keep their trading channels open. Some have even reported an increase in sales by expanding their reach into new markets. Nobody knows when the COVID-19 tide will turn, and conditions will improve so it’s important to do what you can now to keep your business afloat.
Here are a few of the many strategies business owners in the Bartercard community have implemented to keep trading during these challenging times.
Opening your door to new business
What would a ten to fifteen per cent increase in customers do for your business right now? Would you welcome that extra income?
Bartercard gives you the means to fill your empty seats or bookings during quiet times. By utilising the Bartercard community of business owners, you can keep your business running at a higher capacity during quiet trading periods. Opening your doors to new Bartercard customers enables you to convert your downtime and spare capacity into revenue.
With a community of tens of thousands of cardholders throughout New Zealand (and internationally), Bartercard provides a platform that guarantees extra sales for your business – on top of your cash customers. As a member, you tap into a whole new market of business customers, keen to spend their trade dollars and offset their cash expenses.
By offering your products or services through Bartercard, you also expand your network and open up a whole new world of trading opportunities. Members like to support one another. They would rather buy from a business in the Bartercard network as it equates to more savings for their business. Bartercard customers also bring cash customers which is a welcome bonus at any time.
Reduce your cash expenses
Saving money in your business is as important as making it during these periods of uncertainty. To increase profits, you need to either increase sales or reduce your cash expenses. With Bartercard, you can do both! As well as bringing in new customers, Bartercard provides a great opportunity for you to conserve your cash to keep more of it in your business.
Businesses in the Bartercard community sell their products and services using trade dollars instead of cash. Payments are processed easily online, even if your doors are closed and you’re working from home or a mobile office!
The products and services available through the Bartercard network and online marketplace cover almost every category of business. In fact, the most successful members will turn to the community first to find what they are looking for, after all, it makes sense to spend trade dollars instead of cash.
Shifting idle stock in your business
Do you have excess or slow-moving stock or stock that will soon become outdated? It doesn’t matter whether your doors are open or closed, having idle stock is costing your business money.
Instead of reducing the price to move your surplus stock, or writing it off at a loss, Bartercard offers an alternative, a way for you to sell your excess stock at full price to keen buyers in the Bartercard business community.
Another benefit of moving your stock through Bartercard is that each time you do, you gain a new customer! Remember, Bartercard members also bring in cash-paying members which is icing on the cake.
Bartercard gives you the tools to advertise your stock to a keen audience through its online marketplace allowing you to maintain control of how much stock you release for sale. It’s a tool used by many in the community to successfully manage their stock levels through the peaks and troughs of the year and has proven especially useful through periods of lockdown.
Bartercard can bring new opportunities
Moving your stock through Bartercard enables you to avoid dramatic losses and may prove the difference between surviving and thriving during these uncertain times.
Bartercard is here to help – get in touch to find out how.