KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - It's the oldest form of business, but a new concept these days: business bartering.
Over 700 companies in the Knoxville area are trading goods and services and finding that it's helping them get by during these tough economic times.

You've seen "Junk Bee Gone" advertisements all over Knoxville.

"We've been growing very nicely over the last 4 years," says Junk Bee Gone owner, Mike Such.

Such has put graphics on their trucks and signs outside their office by trading. But that's not all he trades. "We get everything from the carpeting in our office to oil changes for our trucks, we've gotten tires for our trucks, repairs to our trucks to paintings on the wall."

They do it through Tradebank International. A global company that helps businesses swap goods and services with "trade dollars".

"We have to promote the company and their goods and services and we facilitate that trade through a trade broker who sends business to them upon the amount of dollars they want to do per year," says Regional Director of Tradebank, Marc Davis.

More than 700 companies in Knoxville are associated with Tradebank.
Companies pay a one time set up fee and attend a two hour course. Trade brokers find out what companies need and how much they want to make available for trade.

"When they receive dollars they can use those with any other company in the organization, they never have to trade directly from the person who purchased from them," says Davis.

It's the first place Such goes to look for goods and services for his company. "We do, wow, the jobs we get on Tradebank every year are impressive. The nice part about it is that you not only get the tradebank but the referrals after that come in from every walk of life."

He says the membership has actually helped him in this tough economy. "They'll call us up a little bit more they'll look to Tradebank first before they go out and spend their own cash on it."

Tradebank has seen an upward trend as well. In 2008, 141 new companies joined Tradebank. In 2009, 40 companies have started trading. For more information on Tradebank International, click on the link below.