If you're convinced that bartering is the thing for you and you want join the party, be sure that you do it the right way. Companies that are used to cutting a check to pay for their purchases need to know that bartering is a different way of doing business, and doing it right means you need to keep these things in mind:

Consider joining a barter exchange. Sure, you can go it alone when it comes to lining up barter deals and this may be the way to go if you're a really big player and you already have a partner lined up but exchanges offer many advantages for companies that participate in them. Not only do you have a much greater variety of products and services to choose from, but you also have a much greater chance of finding a company that wants what you have to offer. Participants often earn "trade dollars" when they sell their products or services through a barter exchange, and they're free to use those trade dollars to purchase goods and services from other participants.

Pay your taxes. In the United States, a barter transaction is the same as a cash transaction as