Concepts

I.C.R.E. teaches eight concepts to make your business more successful. These concepts are the backbone of ICRE.  Understanding and implementing these concepts will help you to maximize the benefits of your ICRE membership.

1. Purchase discounted credit dollars before you spend cash.

A. Never pay full cash because you don't have credit dollars in your account or you have reached your credit limit. Credit dollars can be bought from ICRE at a 50% discount.  Example: A $1000 purchase from an ICRE member for 50% trade would only cost you $750 if you bought the credit dollars. Call ICRE to buy credits.

B. You are more likely to spend credit dollars if they are in your account ahead of time.

1a. WHY SHOULD YOU SPEND CREDIT DOLLARS BEFORE YOU SPEND CASH EVEN, IF YOU DO NOT HAVE CREDIT DOLLARS IN YOUR ACCOUNT?

A. If you spend your credit dollars first on things you were going to pay cash for, you free up cash which would allow you to raise your trade percentage making is easier for ICRE to send you more customers.

B. You can earn credit dollars a zero cash cost.  Since ICRE credits are earned thru incremental extra business, its not enough to increase your fixed costs.  Therefore, by collecting you variable cost (costs of goods sold) in cash and trading out the profit, your credit dollars have no cash tied up in them saving you 100% net cash when spent.

C. ICRE does not charge interest on credit dollar loans so borrow what you need!

2. Use credit dollars for business expenses.

A. Realize you are the one who decides who your company will buy from.

B. Find other vendors who can provide you with the quality and service you need at a competitive price.  These vendors will also find you.  Let them.

C. These vendors would be glad to join your trade exchange and accept credit dollars than see you continue to do business with their competitor.  This is why you joined.

D. ICRE representatives would gladly talk to your vendors or potential vendors about accepting credit dollars rather than losing your business to a competitor. Credit dollars are accounted as cash.  Example, if you spend $50 cash and 50 credits for a cash register repair, its a $100 business expense.

3. Use credit dollars for personal expenses.

A. Do not avoid spending credit dollars personally!

B. You can legally use trade for personal expenses and save cash.
Example:  If you have a personal item which you have priced at a cash cost of $1000 and ICRE has a member who can provide you with the product or service at a cost of 500 cash and 500 credits,  you can obtain this need at a significant savings.  If you were to pay all cash for this expense, you would pay $1000 plus the withholding tax estimated at 30%.  So, it would cost you $1300 to spend $1000 without the trade exchange.  If you where to use your credit dollars for this personal expense you would save approximately $500, spending $800 cash rather than the $1300 cash. Since, you earned your credit dollars a zero cost, you save approximately 88% net cash when using them.  
C. If you have to buy the credits at 50% off, you still save 38% net cash.  

4. Use credit dollars for investment expenses.

A. The same rules apply as for business and personal expenses.

B. You can purchase and maintain real estate with credit dollars.

5. Convert your credit dollars into 100% cash.
Members can convert excess credit dollars into cash by referring another member cash business.  If you refer a $1000 cash customer to an ICRE member who sells carpeting, the ICRE carpet seller will give cash back to you for this referral.   This is called "cash conversion".  This amount of cash back to you is determined to be the same as the trade amount is the same as the trade percentage.  Example:  If the carpet sellers trade percentage was 40%, you would receive $400 cash for a $1000 referral.  You then would give the carpet seller 400 of your ICRE credits.  You have now completed a cash conversion.  All parties benefit.  The carpet seller received a new cash customer and some extra credit dollar profit.  You convert 400 credits into $400 cash.  Members and ICRE must know in advance of cash referrals.

6. Broaden your advertising budget using credit dollars.

A. Since most earned credit dollars have no cash tied up in them, you should spend excess credit dollars on advertising.  It's a business expense so deduct it.  The chance of return is much greater when you have no cash at risk on advertising.

B. Anything available to you through your ICRE membership is available for you to use in negotiation with an advertiser such as trading gift certificates to a restaurant to an advertiser.

7. Double your sales closing ratio without discounting.
 

A. When trying to close prospects try accepting partial barter for their product or service.  This strategy helps eliminate price objections and the competition.  Even if you do not need their barter, ICRE can sell the barter to ICRE members for part cash and part ICRE credits.  ICRE can credit your account or send you the money. * ICRE OFFERS THIS AS A SERVICE TO ITS MEMBERS AT NO CHARGE.

8. Using credit dollars for employee benefits.

A. Offer credit dollar use to your key employees.  You can sell these credits to employees at a 40 to 50% discount.  Tell them to come to you for their needs.  Some of the benefits you can offer to your employees include:

Restaurants, car repair, auto detailing, hair salons, dental, chiropractor, optical, attorney, vacations, etc. Click here to print out a Products and Services Sheet for employees.

B. You can order  ICRE gift certificates for specified amounts.

C. You can offer these services to employees free to boost morale.  Employees will stay around when fringe benefits are good. You can pay increased salaries and overtime in credit dollars.  The tax withholdings have to be paid in cash.