| In one of my office buildings, I now use an | | | | exchange for you promising them exclusive rights |
| accountant from our building to do all my returns, | | | | to business. Let's take that idea to the next level. |
| the title company to do all my settlements, a | | | | What about calling a cleaning company that is local |
| Web site designer who does our Web sites as | | | | to my building and offering them 50 percent of |
| well as my business cards, a marketing guy who | | | | the rent back in cleaning services? What if a |
| does brochures for me and also helps me make | | | | stockbroker comes in my building to look at |
| wise business decisions, an insurance broker who | | | | renting office space, and I promise to do a certain |
| handles my liability policies, an attorney who helps | | | | amount of investing with him that I'm probably |
| me with evictions, my real estate broker where I | | | | going to do somewhere else anyway? What if a |
| hang my license, and a staffing company that | | | | dress designer was to rent an office from me to |
| helps fill my temporary needs. I think you get the | | | | do her design work, and I promised to purchase a |
| idea about doing business with the people who do | | | | beautiful gown from her that fit me perfectly? I |
| business with your business. Not only does it | | | | just put that in a see if you were paying |
| make your life very efficient when the people | | | | attention. Sounds like an interesting concept to |
| you need to talk to every day are only forty | | | | me. Let's take a dress designer as an example. |
| feet down the hallway, but it also solidifies the | | | | Her rent is $9000 a year, and I promise to give |
| business relationship on both sides of the table. | | | | back one third in dress designing services. What |
| After doing this for several years, I decided to | | | | the hell would I do with $3000 worth of dress |
| take it to the next level. | | | | designs? I have no idea what I would do with |
| I got the idea when a computer company who | | | | them, but maybe my wife could think of a few |
| did repairs and replacements of computer | | | | things. After the first year is up and she's paid |
| equipment in our building decided to move into | | | | $9000, I would then give her a $3000 credit |
| retail operation. He owed me $2500 when he left | | | | toward the first third of the second year. That |
| Executec Suites, but we decided just to work it | | | | means this dress designer will have been in my |
| off since I was spending about $4000 a year for | | | | building for sixteen months before this deal runs |
| them to maintain my computers. I started thinking | | | | out. I'd like to think there's a good chance that |
| about offering a deal to vendors who did business | | | | she has become comfortable in my building and |
| with me when I would answer their phones, for | | | | has decided to stay for year to come. |
| example, in exchange for some of their services | | | | "Do business with the businesses that do business |
| or allow them to use conference room time in | | | | with your business." |
| exchange for their services. Today I have barter | | | | I realize these ideas are outside the box, but |
| deals with my HVAC guy, a sign designer, and my | | | | when you have vacancies it takes a crazy idea or |
| roofer. None of these gentlemen are tenants in | | | | two to fill the joint. Even if your building was 100 |
| my building, but by them using some of the | | | | percent filled, with so many offices you're always |
| services in my building, I guarantee them all the | | | | going to have people leaving, so to keep it 100 |
| work that comes up in their industry. I often kid | | | | percent filled is almost impossible. With my barter |
| around with my roofer that if he did not use my | | | | idea of offering a credit for services from the |
| answering service may be one of his competitors | | | | individual, you have a system that may help you |
| would. So the point being, you can get some of | | | | close more deals and keep warm bodies coming in |
| the contractors you are already doing business | | | | the building. |
| with to do additional business with you in | | | | |