Exclusive: Meet Barter Smarter’s Justine Kiska, Introducing a Platform for Local Businesses
- Justine Kiska is an ambitious woman whose team has just launched a platform for local businesses as they opened a platform for trading
- Kiska exclusively spoke to Briefly News and says because of Covid-19, she spotted an opportunity to help locals
- The businesswoman has also shared a message to the South African government on aiding local entrepreneurs
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A South African woman, Justine Kiska recently reached out to Briefly News with the aim of introducing one of the smartest ideas in helping small businesses. The stunning lady is part of a team that is behind Barter Smarter.
The online platform seeks to help small businesses and local entrepreneurs to trade online and swap as well as advertise their goods. According to the young and ambitious woman, Barter Smarter is a safe and free website for South Africans to utilise because the aim is to promote economic growth.
Speaking exclusively to Briefly News, Justine mentioned that features integrated onto their platform, meaning one can friend and be able to follow other users.
Source: UGC
Justine Kiska introduces the Barter Smarter platform to local business people
The Mzansi lady has shared a moment of her busy schedule and says the Barter Smarter platform is also able to allow traders to list more than trades. She said:
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“Barter Smarter is an Online Listing Community platform which allows individuals and businesses to barter, trade, swap, and advertises goods and services. The Platform is a safe and free website for South Africans to use as we want to promote growth within our economy. Barter Smarter allows you to list up to five trades on your profile. Barter Smarter has social features integrated onto our platform which means you can “friend and follow” other users and look out for when they post new trades, you are able to private message users on the platform if you would not like to give out your contact details."
She added that their model is all about helping small businesses who are severely affected by Covid-19 and there are so many ways to improve their income. She added that she started her own accounting firm:
“Small Businesses have largely been impacted by Covid-19 ( Here are a few ways we believe we are assisting small businesses ) 1. Trading - Small businesses often need funds for resources and growth - This is where we come in, if your small business needs a service or product and cannot afford it, why not trade for it? - eg. I just started my accounting consulting firm I am willing to Trade 10 free sessions with a web developer/agency to make my website."
"2. Advertising - Listing your Business on Barter Smarter can increase awareness. Engagement and Leads of your product/service. 3. Growing your network - Barter Smarter is a community Listing platform which means we want the community to get behind us and enjoy the platform - Small businesses can take advantage of this, by getting in contact with other listed businesses and individuals - to grow their network.”
On why she opted to open a platform such as this one, the beautiful lady continued to make it clear that she saw the need for people to find a community platform. She continued:
“I saw there was a need for people to find a community that they can swap and trade goods within a safe space but couldn't find a platform that catered for South Africans or Africans in general. Therefore this led to the birth of Barter Smarter. I feel there isn't enough education around the Bartering Space, each person sees value differently. What may be valuable to you, may not be valuable to someone else - which is why Bartering has so much potential in being an option in today's economy. The platform has been growing for a year now and we have managed to gather some people to join this community and they have seen the benefits of this idea."
As a businesswoman herself, Justine stated that her establishment struggled and that si why she opted to come up with such a brilliant idea. She explained:
“The influence was Covid - 19 2020 and my business was struggling during that period, I stumbled across a Youtube Video about Kyle McDonald paper and how he took a paperclip and made a series of Trades until he got himself a house, I looked into taking some of my Items and I wanted to Try out Trading but when I looked for a place to Trade in South Africa - I could not find a viable website - most that came up were international, and then Barter Smarter was born.
“I am an entrepreneur at heart and a businesswoman. My team are all female. I am constantly striving to see how we can create solutions for the South African Economy, my passion is driven by solutions to Problems. I have sacrificed my own funds, I had to sell my business during Covid-19 and since I have made many monetary sacrifices for Barter Smarter all from the work of my hands - we have not received funds before. “
As a final message to the government, Kiska urged the government to keep aiding local businesses. She wrapped it up:
“We as South Africans are the economy, we have the power to drive ourselves where we want to go. It's so very easy to think you need outside help or funding from big companies but I think if we open our minds to how we can grow together, we will get further than we thought was possible.
"The business journey can often be challenging. You have to know why you're doing it, so when things get tough you do not give up. For the government, I think to keep supporting businesses and to promote internal growth within South Africa.”
Exclusive: Meet Tshepo Monama and Kgothatso Sibeko, Mzansi’s young app developers
In a related story, Briefly News posted that Tshepo Monama and Kgothatso Sibeko are two young minds behind one of the fastest-growing applications in Mzansi.
The two recently had an opportunity to chat with Briefly News to give more about their ambitions and background.
The two young Mzansi entrepreneurs also have a message to South African youth regarding their dreams and why following them is fulfilling.
Monama grew up in the dusty streets of Mokopane village in Limpopo while Sibeko was born bred in Soweto.
Source: Briefly News
