WINTER/SPRING 2021
TBJ T h e
T r a d e b a n k
j o u r n a l
BRIGHT IDEAS Exclusive Tips & More Inside
CONTACT US TR ADEB ANK 225 Reformation Pkwy Suite 200, Canton, GA 30114
WELCOME
(678) 533-7100 www.tradebank.com
It Is Good To Have TBJ Back
EDITORIAL We would like to welcome you to The Tradebank Journal. In this issue, there will be various helpful tips, highlights of our year, updates to Tradebank technology, and much more information on how our members can maximize the benefits of barter. To allow for more useful content, The Tradebank Journal will be published biannually in a digital format. Through this allows the Tradebank team to continuously highlight the many accomplishments and changes within the company.
We hope you enjoy this issue.
2 | THE TRADEBANK JOURNAL
THO MAS W EA VE R Executive Editor
JULI A D AV I S Editor
CONTRIBUTORS Jessica Jones, Sara Cherif, Valerie Hale
04
07
CONTENTS
04 Regional Spotlight
07 New Directions
10 Bright Ideas
12 Inside Tech
10 14 Available Franchises
12
14
REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT BY JULIA DAVIS
4 | THE TRADEBANK JOURNAL
W
hen 2020 began, we could have never expected the year that followed. ith a global pandemic looming over us, we had two choices - to face this crisis head-on or run in fear. Instead of the latter, our Tradebank franchise owners rose to the occasion and continued to bring barter to the forefront. In fact, our Tradebank of Knoxville office did this exceptionally well. This office has exceeded expectations in years past and has continued to do so in one of the most unpredictable years yet.
THE TRADE STREET JOURNAL
6
KNOXVILLE STARS For over 15 years, Tradebank of Knoxville has consistently been the topperforming franchise in the exchange. While other offices have also been incredibly successful, sometimes giving them a run for their money, Tradebank of Knoxville has continued to dominate by ranking highest in total trade volume created. It is a pleasure to highlight their dedication and hard work, especially in a year that was oftentimes unstable. We cannot wait to see the number of ways they will continue to thrive through barter in 2021.
Tyke Hillmer Regional Owner - Knoxville
6 | THE TRADEBANK JOURNAL
Tyke Hillmer joined the Tradebank family when he purchased the Tradebank of Knoxville franchise in early 2019. After hearing about the opportunity from his brother-in-law, who had been associated with Tradebank for some time, he decided to pull the trigger and dive into the deep end of the barter world. With his dazzling Broker team by his side to help him navigate this new venture, he has had an amazing start these first few years. A true character, Tyke is an integral part of the Tradebank family and we are excited to see what his team will do next!
SUPERSTAR BROKERS The secret weapon to building and maintaining a prosperous region lies in the hands of the Broker Team. Our Tradebank of Knoxville office has two superb Brokers on their side, both generating incredible numbers in volume each year. I caught up with Connie and Beth to discuss their time with Tradebank, the best ways to generate volume, and advice for new Brokers on the block.
Beth Anderson
Connie Caple Beth Anderson
Connie Caple
Broker - Knoxville Broker - Knoxville
CTB - Knoxville
Beth has been with Tradebank of Knoxville since February of 2012. A veteran Trade Broker, Beth has succeeded in generating exceptional Trade volume both in her office and amongst fellow Brokers. While Beth loves building relationships with her clients to help them spend their Trade Dollars, she also says that going outside the box to maximize spending opportunities for clients is paramount to creating Trade volume.
Connie has been with Tradebank of Knoxville since August of 2005. A seasoned Trade Broker, Connie has generated an impressive amount of Trade Volume each year she has been with us. When asked how she generates high volume, she says that although large transactions are important, you need to keep in mind recurring trades. Connie also emphasizes the importance of putting yourself in the client’s shoes and a positive attitude in being a successful Broker.
NEW DIRECTIONS Highlighting Our New Regional Owners
By Julia Davis
8 | THE TRADEBANK JOURNAL
While many can be resistant to change, we have learned to embrace it with enthusiasm and gusto in a year that has been anything but predictable. With that being said, it has been our pleasure to welcome four new franchisees to the Tradebank family in 2020. Utilizing their unparalleled leadership, sales, and barter expertise, each region has grown to incredible new heights. We are thrilled to see all of the ways they will thrive, both personally and professionally, in the years to come.
CHARLESTON With Catherine Howard’s unparalleled leadership, Charleston has continued to thrive. Boasting many restaurants and fun activities for all ages, Charleston is a destination city for many of our members.
HUNTSVILLE Under the strong and steady hand of Lisa Smith, Huntsville has grown leaps and bounds in 2020. In fact, since taking over the franchise at the tail end of 2019, Lisa and her team in Huntsville have helped the region grow by 30%!
10 | THE TRADEBANK JOURNAL
MEMPHIS An expert communicator and true character, Jay Hoffman has been a wonderful addition to Memphis this year. Under his leadership, Memphis is expected to continue a period of rapid growth in the years to come.
ORLANDO Since taking the reins of Orlando, Tony Boni has lit up Tradebank with his enormous enthusiasm for building relationships with barter. Orlando is on its way to becoming a major market in the exchange under his leadership.
12 | THE TRADEBANK JOURNAL
NEWEST OWNERS
What Makes A Great Regional Owner? Tenacity. Tenacity is one of the many characteristics that will help you thrive in barter. The drive to succeed, despite challenges, is a defining factor in owners.
Each of our new franchisees have been exceptional additions to the Tradebank family. Not only have they produced incredible volume in their respective regions, but they have also successfully built upon existing relationships with their clients. We are more than optimistic about
Enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is the cornerstone of true effort. When an owner is enthusiastic, they will always attract new clients. Strategy. Strategies will always evolve and
the bright future of these four regions and cannot wait to see what they will accomplish in 2021.
change over time, especially in barter. Owners should always have the ability to adapt.
Lisa Smith
Jay Hoffman
Cathie Howard
Tony Boni
Lara Brumback
Robert Howard
Huntsville, AL
Orlando, FL
Memphis, TN
Memphis, TN
Charleston, SC
Charleston, SC
BY THOMAS WEAVER 14 | THE TRADEBANK JOURNAL
AND JULIA DAVIS
IMPROVING YOUR TRADE
W
hen it comes to barter, there are always ways to
improve how one trades. Regardless of how an individual uses their trade, every member should know how to fully use the resources they are given. For years, Tradebank has created a multitude of helpful documents with a wide array of tips and tricks to improve their trade practice. With that in mind, here are some of the brightest ideas on how every Tradebank Member can improve the art of their trade. Marketing and barter go hand-inhand. Use your Trade Dollars to acquire advertising services, websites, SEO, or create a social media platform and sell banner ads. Partnering with other Tradebank clients is another way to capitalize on expanding products and services. Using your Trade Dollars, both businesses benefit, while expanding your network and product base.
16 | THE TRADEBANK JOURNAL
Targeting customers by using incentives is another way to capitalize. In doing so, you can create loyalty programs that greatly benefit your clientele. An added bonus is that there is a wide variety of incentives that can be purchased through trade. Giving is also an option with trade. Provide home improvements to a family in need, purchasing wedding gifts or services for a family or friend’s wedding, or simply donate to a charity in need. All these donation options are available with your trade dollars. These are just some of the many ways you can improve your trade. Regardless of any changes that may come, trade can be maximized to better suit all of your personal needs.
YOUR TRADE DOLLARS CAN DO A LOT MORE THAN YOU THINK Advertising & Marketing
Travel
Using your Trade Dollars to purchase an advertising package is a great way to offset your cash budget for your business. This allows you to pay for any other last-minute expenditures that come your way.
Do you need a break? You’re in luck. Trade Dollars are oftentimes used towards travel. Whether you’re thinking of a beach condo or a weekend in the mountains, let us assist in creating your dream vacation on trade.
Business Needs
Home Improvement Projects
From printing to website development and everything in between, Trade Dollars can help you spend less of your valuable cash. Tradebank is first and foremost here to help business owners, like you, succeed.
No matter the project, Trade Dollars are here to help alleviate the costs and pressures of being a homeowner. Carpet cleaning, pressure washing, and roofing are just a few of the services that Trade can take care of.
INSIDE TECH What Is, And To Come
By Thomas Weaver
Throughout the year, there have been a wide variety of technological changes within Tradebank. Many of these changes have significantly improved overall efficiency for all users, within or external to Tradebank. Many technical changes focus on web improvements to our mobile apps, myTradebank.com, and tradebank.com. In addition, Tradebank Mobile and MobilePAY apps have had exclusive changes to better enhance the user experience. To begin, here are the highlights of this year’s technological changes.
18 | THE TRADEBANK JOURNAL
LATEST UPDATES Many updates have been made so far, including updates to Tradebank Mobile. With small changes to the interface, users can find what they need with ease. And, with features such as posting to the Marketplace, you can add your title, price, quantity, details, images, and much more all from a phone. And not to worry, no features were removed between the web version and the mobile version. Simple changes to mobile have greatly enhanced the user's ability. By giving mobile more and more options from myTradebank.com, members will have the power to manage all of their needs on the go. With more changes to come, Tradebank Mobile is becoming even more practical for our members. The addition of EZ Pay management also gives users much more flexibility. The ability to add, remove, or update users is a simple addition that makes a big difference. Also, a buyer can now push payments to the seller anywhere, anytime. No more waiting to get home to manage your users.
COMING SOON Now for the really exciting part, what’s to come? This year, we are focusing big on layout changes. These changes encapsulate both myTradebank.com and tradebank.com. Further changes include updates to Tradebank Mobile and MobilePay. With so many changes to come, here is a brief breakdown of what to expect this year. Changes to myTradebank.com include a change in the overall layout, as well as the addition of the Travel Page. This page specifically focuses on all things pertaining
20 | THE TRADEBANK JOURNAL
to travel, including vacation rentals, transportation, and much more. In regards to layout, the site will have a new layout in the header, footer, menu navigation, listings, and much more. Be on the lookout for its release in the near future. Similar to myTradebank.com, tradebank.com and all franchise pages will follow soon after. Similar updates from myTradebank will be applied here as well. New layouts sitewide will allow for easier navigation for all users. The reorganization of information such as articles, news, and subpages, will make for a more concise yet informative site. Expect a roll out in the near future as well.
Changes to Mobile are soon to follow after web changes have been made. The focus is to create a new interface for an overall easier experience. With these changes to the interface also comes quicker navigation for all users. These changes are crucial in order to make conducting trades and other general functions easier to reach. These new changes are both exciting and useful for Tradebank as a whole. Ease of access and the influx of information are all useful tools to make our member’s experience the simplest it can be. Beyond that, efficiency will increase as new layouts make it much easier to navigate.
A Summary Of Changes Web: Tradebank/myTradebank.com Layout Changes New Pages Consolidate Information More Trade Articles Mobile: Updated Interface New layouts & functions Quick navigation
AVAILABLE FRANCHISES BY THOMAS WEAVER
22 | THE TRADEBANK JOURNAL
PRIME REAL ESTATE With the beginning of the new year comes the beginning of new opportunities. The opportunity to expand not only the name of Tradebank nationwide but our business is a favorable option for the company. Currently, Tradebank has a wide variety of locations available for new ownership. With these locations already having pre-existing clientele, filling these locations with new regional owners would boost these markets significantly. And with the efforts of previous regional owners, these markets can continue to thrive when new owners come in. The ideal Tradebank franchise owner is someone with previous business ownership experience, deep community roots, and the desire to build their own business and control their destiny. With these characteristics in mind, the process of finding an owner is very selective. So where are these available locations currently?
24 | THE TRADEBANK JOURNAL
THE TRADE STREET JOURNAL
6
WHAT IS AVAILABLE With so many franchise locations available, our goal is to find new regional owners for them all. However, we are concentrating on these locations for the time being. In the southeast, we have North Carolina with Charlotte, South Carolina with Greenville, Columbia, and Myrtle Beach, Florida with Tampa Bay, Georgia with Athens, and Alabama with the Gulf Shores. In the midwest, Nebraska with Omaha, and Colorado with Colorado Springs and Denver are currently available. With some of our regional owners starting out as clients, our next owners may be current clients. This can become a reality through our Referral program, which also benefits you with rewards. We look forward to welcoming new owners into the Tradebank family, whenever that may be.
Gulf Shores, AL | Colorado Springs, CO | Denver, CO | Tampa, FL | Athens, GA Charlotte, NC | Omaha, NE | Columbia, SC | Greenville, SC | Myrtle Beach, SC
(678) 533-7100 info@tradebank.com www.tradebank.com