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SwapThing.com Launches SwapServices to Help Small Businesses and Services Save and Make Money

SB Informer
Tuesday, October 24, 2006; 03:32 AM

SwapThing.com, the leader in online swapping, announced the introduction of SwapServices, a new and unique way for service providers to advertise their business, swap services, and save money. The new subscription gives registered users the power to advertise their services to a wide audience of SwapThing users, along with the flexibility to swap or sell their service.

Every service provider faces the double issue of attracting new customers and filling unused downtime. Swapping with other service providers or users is a great way to obtain items and services for a business or for personal use, without spending any cash. Swapping with a potential new customer for any combination of items or cash is a great way to advertise. The customer will often return on a cash-only basis, making SwapThing an effective lead generation tool. SwapServices is completely flexible, and individual service providers and potential customers can negotiate the terms of the swap privately.

"In this age of rising prices and increased costs, online swapping simply makes sense for anyone in the services industry," SwapThing CEO Jessica Hardwick says. "I've been a service provider myself, and did a lot of swapping to get by. The biggest challenge I faced was to find people and other service providers I could swap with to get what I needed."

SwapServices is great for all types of service providers such hair stylists, accountants, business consultants, and plumbers. Any service provider can benefit by swapping for what they need for their business, their home, their children or themselves. Filling what would otherwise be unused downtime can lead to return customers.

The SwapServices functionality is subscription-based instead of item-based because it allows service providers to post their brochures, contact information and photographs online. SwapThing recognizes that users care quite a bit about identifying factors, such as location, reputation, and years in business. The SwapServices subscription allows service providers to fully advertise the service, locally and nationally. It's up to the provider to decide how often they want to sell and how often they want to swap for their services.

Based in Cupertino, California, SwapThing (www.swapthing.com) enables the swapping (trade and barter) of any combination of items and services between consumers and small businesses, as well as direct purchases. For exchanges that seem unequal, cash can be used to balance the transaction. SwapThing is swap-based, as opposed to auction-based, allowing completely private, one-on-one negotiations. SwapThing offers free registration and listing for items, with a low transaction fee of $1.00 for each exchange of goods, no matter how many items are involved in the swap. The service listings are similar to local and national classified ads with a subscription-based fee, which is determined by the length of time the listing will be on the site.

The SwapThing search engine matches items/services offered to items/services wanted – a unique system of direct exchange between users. User trustworthiness and reputations are formed by means of a rating system, which is provided through a partnership with RapLeaf. SwapThing also enables the creation of community and social networking through user tagging, a blog, and SwapCircles. A SwapCircle is a group of individuals who identify with a particular activity, locality or other commonality. Valued peer-to-peer connections are formed through the networking, making swap transactions amongst one another more dependable and honest.