Using Value Card Alliance barter for everyday items

The more than 400,000 small businesses in Arizona today are looking to creative ways to hedge against the recession, and one way is looking into the buying power of barter trade.

And one of those creative ways is barter. Did you know that being part of the Value Card Alliance barter exchange allows you to pay for things that you would normally have to pay cash for?

VCA members can take advantage of using their barter dollars to obtain everyday items like specialty physician visits (dentists, chiropractors), meals out (restaurants, diners), services (dry cleaning, printing, car washes, etc), clothing, home improvements and more. Additionally, professional services, such as attorneys, accountants, and medical services, are also available on barter.

Barter has become a viable tool for small businesses unable to provide medical and dental insurance to their valued employees due to budget cuts. Using barter dollar allows businesses to offer quality medical and dental plans to key employees without having to spend precious cash.

"It amazes me how few people are even aware that this service is available," says Christie Acevedo of Value Card Alliance. "It solves so many problems that plague the small-business owner today. Once small business owners who have never used a professional bartering service understand the value of barter business, they learn how to incorporate it into their lifestyle permanently. It does require a tad bit of creativity and out of the box thinking, however."