Success Stories

No hard cash is not a hard problem
The crisis hit Sergey Melnikov really hard. His printing shop’s revenues were falling down, customers weren’t paying, receivables hanging, no money, and to top of all his girlfriend’s birthday was approaching.

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New, loyal, everlasting customers
Vika Nadezhdina never had problems with new customers. They came to her fitness center called “Deeper, Wider, Stronger” near Skhodnenskaya in crowds thanks to ads in the Internet and over the radio.

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Get rid of surplus goods non-liquid assets
Like most entrepreneurs, Viktor Rogov often fell in love with some idea, thought over it daily and nightly, purchased equipment, started production, but then abandoned it equally as quickly due to circumstances or of boredom.

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Cut the costs and save the cash
Arkady Lifshitz has been a tightwad from the childhood! Wouldn’t give you snow in winter. Following his parents’ instructions to save every kopeck he’s made a pile by 30 years.

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Raise the profit!
“10% for framework, 10% for mechanism, 20 – 30% for fabrics, the rest is the premium of the sellers,” for the thousandth time thought Nadezhda Anatolyevna to herself.

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No hard cash is not a hard problem

 

The crisis hit Sergey Melnikov really hard. His printing shop’s revenues were falling down, customers weren’t paying, receivables hanging, no money, and to top of all his girlfriend’s birthday was approaching. As any normal “new Russian,” he was used to indulging her with good gifts and surprises, and now every ruble counted, and the employees were waiting for their salaries as well. 
What do you do when you have no cash for the most important things? To tell your girl you’re a loser and things are really bad is not an option, the relationships are not yet at a stage when she can understand and sympathize, and besides her friends would tease her, like, show us the gift. The options are few: to borrow from Lyoshka, an old friend from the school – nah, will have to give it back someday anyway. To go to the bank for a credit – doubtful as well, for the same reason, plus they are reluctant to lend money these days. Parents? Casino?.. Where to get money, he was asking the same question again and again.


One day, surfing through the web, Sergey googled for “where to get money?”, and below a load of rubbish and dubious advertisements on “how to make money in the Internet” he saw a link to the open barter page, which claimed to provide an alternative financial instrument. This seemed to be interesting, he thoroughly read further information, dialed the number and – bingo – found what he was looking for! Having signed up and paid the minimal membership fee, Sergey entered all the data on its business and his company’s services. A polite girl Sveta, who presented herself as the manager of the first Russian open barter system, promised Sergey to find him customers. The following was like in a perfect dream. 
Being a skeptic by nature, Sergey did not usually believe in new things, but this time he was clearly wrong. The following day, he received a phone call from another member of the open barter system, who told that his company needed to print out booklets and business cards. They have a budget of $2500, but pay with B2B Money only. Come hell or high water! He decided to take the risk. Sergey asked for a 50% prepayment and received it the same day. “The guys are quick,” he thought to himself. He met the customer, who turned out to be a rather steady-looking man making souvenirs from gold, which he said are selling with a bang.


Chatting with the customer, Sergey mentally calculates his costs. Given the buy prices for consumables, the rental and the salaries of his sluggards spending most of their work time in the “Classmates,” the costs are mere 30 to 40 per cent, which means $1400 of net profit! Not bad for the first time, but how to turn this funny money to cash? The answer is evident: “Buy something for Katya!” 
Sergey buys his girlfriend a half-year ticket to a fitness club for $600, books a dinner at Minu-Maki for $150 and sends a bouquet of flowers to her office for $100 (her friends will burst with envy). 850 dollars in total at no cash, all through the open barter system!

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