Bartercard Blog: Maximising the use of Bartercard

By: Bartercard Australia 

Long before there was money, our ancestors acquired their necessities by means of negotiation and trade. This act of negotiation and trading is called “barter” and it is the system of exchanging goods and services without using cash.  

Today, the idiomatic expression “money makes the world go round” makes sense due to the fact that money has become a universally recognised fundamental commodity, whereas “barter” is less widely known.

Luckily, the barter system hasn’t completely faded. Because companies like Bartercard, the world’s leading company for trade exchanges, has revived the barter system with a modern twist which uses technology for accurate record keeping to fit the trends of the modern world. And guess what, it's been working for over 27 years now. 

Naomi Spies, head of 

Ruby Communications

One such person utilising Bartercard since her membership in 2013 is Naomi Spies, head of Ruby Communications. Ruby Communications is Queensland’s leading independent communications agency specialising in Public Relations and Digital, established in 2010. Ruby Communications services include brand communications, public relations, content creations, social media, influencer management,  and events. 

The company prides itself on delivering creative communication solutions for its clients both on and offline. They genuinely care about their clients’ and the success of their businesses which is why they approach their campaigns with passion, integrity, and solution-driven results. Currently, Ruby Communications multi-awarded agency has offices on the Gold Coast and Brisbane, servicing Northern New South Wales to the Sunshine Coast.

Naomi found out about Bartercard when she was approached by a Bartercard representative at a networking event. She admitted to being skeptical in the beginning as she had heard from her parents that Bartercard was for their generation and it does not work. But once Naomi was educated, she saw Bartercard as an opportunity to use the spare capacity in her business to offer PR services on trade and in return use her Bartercard trade dollars for cash conversion and spending on business expenses via this modern barter system. 

It was a method for her to market Ruby Communications to a wider range of potential clients outside of the cash economy. For this she worked closely with her trade coordinator who assisted her in using her trade dollars efficiently. Through Naomi's dedicated Account Manager, Renee of the Bartercard South Gold Coast office, she now administers PR services to a range of Bartercard member including a professional sports club and an online beauty retailer, all found on Bartercard. 

Also, through Bartercard, Naomi was able to send 22 of her PR team to a conference retreat twice. They checked out places on Bartercard that are available for accommodation and contacted their trade coordinator to arrange the retreat. They stayed at Couran Cove, one of the most in-demand places to relax or hold events which they found via the Bartercard network. 

Couran Cove, aerial shot

After some time of having enough experience of trading within the Bartercard network and maximizing her account, she also started using her trade dollars for staff gifts, client gifts, and holiday packages. 

We asked Naomi if she had done any "out of the box" type deals using Bartercard to help her with potential cash clients.

"Sometimes when we are pitching a new cash deal and the budget isn’t totally available, we ask for part cash and part contra (products or vouchers). We are then able to sell the contra and gift vouchers through the trade network for trade dollars, thus helping us win a new cash contract." 

Another astounding part about her use of her account is using it to purchase two real estate investment properties from Bartercard. She was assisted by a mortgage broker specializing in Bartercard finance and it made the process a lot easier when she applied for a mortgage in other components. The Bartercard properties she purchased were Naomi's second and third investment properties and she shared with us that she would not have had the cash deposit to purchase these properties without Bartercard. 

Normally, in the cash economy, only an extremely well-to-do person can afford multiple real estate properties that often cost millions. But Naomi also saw Bartercard as an opportunity for property investments without spending a hefty amount of cash and she grabbed this opportunity. Naomi maximized her Bartercard account to widen her investment which leads to an improvement in lifestyle. 

"Be active, be open to opportunities and when trading, make sure you trade dollar for dollar". This is her wise parting advice for the members and potential members of Bartercard. 

Bartercard’s principle is simple. If you learn to maximize your account by using your trade dollars efficiently, you could have the things that you never thought you would obtain through nonstop working. Like Naomi said, be open to opportunities because Bartercard extends to different areas of life such as business, entertainment, and lifestyle to name a few. It promises to reduce cash expenses while increasing your business and profit so you still have cash left for yourself and live the life that you imagine. 

To find out more about the award-winning independent agency founded by Naomi Spies, visit https://www.weareruby.com.au/.

To know more how to maximize your use of your trade dollars, contact your trade coordinator or go to https://www.bartercard.com.au/.