I was going to entitle this blog "Cash is King", in fact I was going to call it "Cash is King, President, Emperor..." such is the emphasis on liquidity now. Ask anyone who's been setting up a wedding list with Wrapit! Unless you're a bank, whereby it seems evident that you're not allowed to fail (Northern Rock) or you make up any shortfall in profits by increasing your fees to an extent bordering on usury, then it is tough times for the little guys. Again we're seeing evidence of duplicity - Government decrees that big business should pay it's creditors in a timely fashion and big business carries on not doing or even extending it's payment terms unilaterally.

I was approached by a chap recently trying to sell me membership to a business called Bartercard. Basically, for a one-off lifetime fee, you join a membership of companies whereby essentially you earn barter points for selling your services to member businesses or consume barter points by using the services on offer from them. I declined to take up this membership at that time but you do have to wonder that if you can't get paid in a reasonable time when you have delivered your services in accordance with the specified requirements that an ability to be 'paid in kind' has many attractions!