Sixty-five percent of Fortune 500 companies and almost a third of all small businesses in the U.S. are involved in some form of bartering says BarterNews Weekly. Barter can feel very "behind the curtain" for a lot of small business owners who don't know the ropes. A popular misconception is that you are doing business on a buy-and-sell basis with the same company — in other words, "You give me this, and I'll give you that."
While that can happen, most barter is conducted through a barter exchange, where you receive barter credits for what you are selling, which can be applied toward acquiring anything from catering and golf balls to dental benefits and advertising.