PHOENIX — Cord Moorhead from Moorhead Creative is looking around the Town & Country Farmer’s Market in Phoenix to see what he wants to take home.

There’s a lot to choose from; everything from fresh fruits and veggies from Pinnacle Farms in Waddell to specialty items like kale chips and super powered honey.

Moorhead has his eyes on the Alaskan Pride Seafood booth where he is told the king salmon and halibut are great choices.

After all, he has $50 dollars to spend on salmon. And it’s not coming out of his pocket.

Moorhead just signed up for Edible Exchange. He’s trading his services as a graphic designer for food.

As he shows us his shopping bags filled with organic carrots and cabbage, Moorhead explains, “I had a gift certificate for five of the vendors. Each of them sells everything from $4 crème brulee to the fish market where I have $50 I can spend today.”

As we walked through the busy market, we asked Edible Exchange founder, Lori Baker, to share her thoughts.

Baker tells 3TV, “It feels like I’m a kid at Christmas right now. This has been a dream, a passion of mine for a long time”.

Back in 1978, Baker’s family started The Barter Group.

Recently, she came up with what she believes will be the next big thing: Edible Exchange.

Baker is trying to bring small business owners and local food vendors together.

“We approached growers, ranchers, the food trucks, the artisan food vendors and we asked if they would like to barter with, like 500 people.”

People like Cord Moorhead. His business, Moorhead Creative, will charge barter clients for graphic design services exactly the same as he would with cash, but he’s paid with barter credit. He can then use these Edible Exchange dollars to buy food.

The farmers and food vendors can then put that money back into the system to buy what they need.

Baker explains the owner of Pinnacle Farms needs a new garage door. So she will bank enough to buy that door on barter.

Baker hopes the concept will catch on nationwide.

She believes this will also introduce more people to fresh foods that they may otherwise not be able to afford or may not seek out at the grocery store.

“Not everybody has a passion for shopping at Farmer’s Markets,” Baker tells us, “but for those who do – or who would like to – now we’re giving you the opportunity.”

Original Article

Lori Baker of The Barter Group/Edible Exchange was interviewed by Ken Morgan on KFNN’s “Business for Breakfast” this morning. She talked about the Edible Exchange, a new, community driven barter concept exclusively for local farmers, ranchers, food trucks, artisans and restaurants that source locally in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

“The Business of Barter” is a new series designed to help business owner’s save cash in 2012.

The second webisode is packed with ideas on how you could spend your barter dollars on mobile apps, website design and copywriting and social media.

Bet you didn’t know you could hire a consultant to develop an online marketing strategy for you? Or a mobile app company to make sure your website is up with the latest technologies? Or a social media strategist to increase your presence on Facebook, LinkedIn, Foursquare, YouTube?

All of these services and more available on barter. Tune in to find out how you can start saving!

Please look for your 1099-B forms that will be included with your January statement and make sure that all of the information in current and accurate. You will have until February 28th, to make any corrections for the 2011 tax year.

Changes include a change in business name, move from LLC to Corporation or vice versa, etc.

There are several accounting firms in the group that would be happy to give you advice and take care of your books including payroll services. Please call your trade concierge at 480-443-0322 for more information.

“The Business of Barter” is a new series devoted to examining how you can re-think and re-direct your barter dollars to save cash in 2012. The first webisode is all about supporting local farmers and food artisans by purchasing dry-goods from The Barter Group showroom. We’re now offering honey, jams, jellies, coffee, biscotti, bread and more. Tune in to learn how you can start saving today!

[youtube width="640" height="360"]http://youtube.com/watch?v=tyH4CMt0SiQ[/youtube]

Bartering can help small business owners redirect spending and save cash in a number of ways.  It just takes a little bit of time and effort to examine your current budget and spending habits to see where you can make the biggest impact.

For us, we started with services around the house.  By switching to the pool service, carpet cleaners and exterminator on barter, we’re on track to save approximately $2,500 this year.  Plus, it makes you feel great to support other locally-owned small businesses.

We have also begun to take a look at our grocery and food bill.  Did you know The Barter Group now offers dry-goods on trade? Yes, you can get honey, jams, coffee, biscotti, breads and other food items on barter.  Taking the family out to dinner or entertaining clients also adds up, so I am using restaurant scrip whenever possible.  It’s a fun and easy way to enjoy a meal out and best of all you’re saving cash!

Barter can also be used on bigger projects at the home or office.  Maybe you need new built in storage cabinets, gates, garage doors, interior or exterior painting? All of these things can be done on trade.

The bottom line is you should get in the habit of thinking barter first.  If you’d spend a little bit of time networking with the 450 members or calling your trade concierge, you’d be amazed at how much cash you could free up for other areas of your business!

This week, 3TV interviewed Lori Baker, owner of The Barter Group and Julie Moreno of Jewel’s Cupcakes about bartering and the holidays. It’s a great story about what bartering is and how it can help small businesses grow and succeed. Tune in to learn more about how bartering can help your business in 2012 and don’t forget it’s free to join if you sign up by Dec. 31, 2011!

The January 2012 issue of Entrepreneur Magazine features The Barter Group in its “Start it up” section.  The article talks about how barter is helping one small business owner grow his business and save cash.  It gives readers a wonderful sense of how bartering works.

Click here to read the full story: Entrepreneur Magazine article: Barter Up

We’re just weeks away from a new year, which means a new start for many small businesses.  The Barter Group is offering an end-of-the-year special to any companies who join before Dec. 31, 2011.  That’s right, it’s FREE to join between now and the end of 2011.

Trading goods and services is the oldest method of conducting business. The Barter Group eliminates the limitations of one-on-one trading by simplifying the process to a dollar value that can be earned and spent with over 450 members in the exchange system.

Bartering improves cash flow, generates new customers, increases your profile in the community and allows small businesses to grow and hedge against downtrends in the economy.

Membership is quick and easy, just complete the application online or call us to learn more.  We’re looking forward to speaking with you and helping your business reach new heights in 2012!