June 2011
Barter exchange opens in PT Sign up this month and enrollment fees will be waived
Luncheon Speakers Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce luncheon meetings are held at the Port Townsend Elks Lodge, 555 Otto St., at noon each Monday, federal holidays excluded. Everyone is welcome!
June 6 – Mark Bowman
Lending with a mission: What type of impact does your business make? Mark Bowman is the vice president for the North Olympic Peninsula region of Enterprise Cascadia and treasurer for Northwest Natural Resource Group, a small forest landowner management organization based in Port Townsend.
Bowman
June 13 – Lynn Longan
Longan is the small business liaison for the Washington State Department of Commerce. She will share information about the Small Business Liaison Group.
June 20 – W. Ron Allen
Longan
The tribal chairman/CEO, of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe is responsible for representing the tribe as the elected leader and for addressing political and policy issues and/or positions at the national, state and local levels. As the chief executive officer, he is responsible for the administration of all the tribe’s programs.
Allen
June 27 – Meisha Rouser and Jerry Kirschner
The Sound Runner passenger-only ferry story will be presented, focusing on current status, opportunities and future directions.
Rouser, Kirschner
It isn’t very often that a new company comes to town that can revolutionize the way our city does business, but here it is: Port Townsend Barter Exchange. Co-owners, Steve and Tracey Goldberg, who are experienced business owners with a flair for the unexpected, are passionate about giving back to the city they’ve decided to call their home. “We traveled to PT several times over the past few years to visit family who were living here; and finally decided to move here for good last October. We fell in love with this city and decided this is where we want to settle down, raise a family, and grow old together,” says Tracey. Steve ads, “When we moved, we knew we’d be opening up a business. I’ve pretty much been a serial entrepreneur my whole life. It was just important to us to do something that we felt the city really needed, that could also give something back to the community, especially in this down economic environment. I took my time and talked with as many people as I could to see what people wanted, needed, or could use in their daily life. Then it occurred to me…this city needs a barter exchange!” So, what is a barter exchange? Barter has obviously been around for centuries.
“When I first met Steve 16 years ago, I’d never, ever, even heard about barter exchange. Next thing I knew, Steve was helping me get prescription glasses that I needed, and printing done for his business. A little while later an accountant did the taxes for my business, and we went out to dinner at a great new restaurant all on trade! He even got his tux for our wedding on trade, and a chiropractor to help me with my sore back during pregnancy. You can literally get anything you could ever imagine Steve, Max and Tracey Goldberg are bringing a barter exchange to Port through bartering,” Tracey Townsend and Jefferson County. They say barter is the perfect way to says. The thing that makes this acquire goods and reduce expenses. so exciting is that the Port It’s the age-old exchange of this really benefits everyone, Townsend Barter Exchange goods or services with no Steve had an answer. is focusing on a small city cash changing hands. One-on“What are the goals of and local market. “Although one barter only works if each every business? To increase barter exchange companies business needs exactly what sales by driving more cushave been around for many another has to offer. A barter tomers to your business; and years, ALL of them concenexchange provides a marketdecrease costs involved in trate on large metropolitan place for businesses to buy doing business. And, what’s cities like Seattle, Los Angeand sell from each other with- the easiest way to increase les, Las Vegas, or Phoenix. out using cash. Instead, the revenue and decrease costs? They simply don’t view small members of a barter exchange Through bartering the goods cities and towns as viable do business with each other and services you currently markets. We disagree,” states using barter bucks. With a have. By bartering, you can Steve. “We love the spirit of barter exchange, members be- attract new customers and buy Port Townsend, the vibrant come part of an organization the goods and services you community, and the buy local where everyone has the ability need without spending cash.” mentality to help local busito trade with anyone else in Really? What goods and nesses flourish. We simply the organization. This sounds services can you get through want to be a part of it.” interesting and actually kind trade? The answer is, just To find out more about of cool… but when asked how about anything. Continued on Page 4