When Pilgrims landed at America’s shores, they bartered pelts for corn they needed to survive their first winter.
Some business owners are now returning to this non-cash system of exchange in an attempt to soldier through an economic winter.
Sophisticated electronic trade exchanges and business-to-business — or B2B — barter networks serve as the centerpiece of modern-day bartering.
Publicly traded International Monetary Systems, which claims nearly 450 Chattanooga members, operates the largest barter exchange in the U.S., according to CEO Don Mardak.
“It doesn’t often happen that two parties have the exact need at the exact same time, so we’ve created a virtual currency called trade dollars,” said Mr. Mardak. “We’ve created a secondary economy within the economy.”