This is the first of a two-part excerpt from Me, Myself & Inc.: A Synergized World, An Energized Business, Living Your Ultimate Life by Sherré DeMao.

The idea of capitalism has steered many of us into the wrong way of thinking. I'm not talking about free enterprise, as this is the exciting, sexy side of entrepreneurship. The reality is that we cannot do anything--or so we've been brought up to think--without money. Not a day goes by when money is not exchanging hands so we can acquire something we need, want or value. And money is a necessity for business to succeed. Of course it is. The problem lies in believing that money is the only resource you have at your disposal.

Where we have gone astray is in thinking that money is the end-all to achievement and success. As a result, we are too focused on making money because we equate it with the measure of our wealth. We have been lured into believing that it takes money to make money, so we get caught up in a cycle of making money to make more money. What it really takes is leveraging all of your resources. Savvy entrepreneurs recognize that wealth of resources is not just about money. Those who understand this concept end up creating their pot of gold and have fewer worries along the way. By thinking differently about your resources, you can stretch your money further, keep more money for yourself and give more money away.

So what are the other resources that are too often overlooked? In business and in life, you have a total of four resources at your disposal: time, people, technology and money. All should be considered and allocated to their best possible use and effectiveness. You should actually budget for each one of them at home and at work. The key to truly leveraging these resources is to consider how one can help you get more out of the other. Once you realize the powerful way you can put all of your resources to work, you will be witnessing the genius of synergy in motion.

First, let's look at creative ways to get more for your money. Money can pose a barrier when determining a need to finance or purchase something that is substantial. We know this investment will help take the business to the next level, and yet the thought of outlaying "that kind of money" seems beyond comprehension. But again, we are so focused on the fact that it costs money that we are not thinking of any other resources we may be able to tap. We also tend to get stuck in an all-or-nothing frame of mind; as a result, aspects of the business get put on hold. It is important to know what something may cost in dollars. Then you need to open your mind to all possible resources and support that could help you acquire this business purchase in a manageable way. What about identifying someone seeking the same investment? Then you share the expense. A client and I shared an administrative employee for nearly two years. We each needed part-time help, but all the applicants were interested in full-time work. My client and I agreed on the benefits and shared all these expenses. This, of course, took some open-mindedness from the employee, but it worked perfectly.

Another aspect I see all too often is businesses not marketing because "it costs too much money." So many aspects of marketing are about leveraging people, time and technology, not just money. How can you share the marketing expense with another business going after the same market? How can you build a strong network outside of your customer base touting your business throughout the marketplace? How can you utilize technology and schedule windows of time to make marketing an everyday, operational part of your business? Answer these questions and you have exponentially increased your ability to be successful in marketing your business.

There is one final aspect of money that could help your business cash flow--bartering. I have been a member of a bartering service for more than a decade. I have leveraged this in phenomenal ways to gain equipment at a fraction of the cost of paying cash or to improve cash flow by receiving cash from the client for goods or services that were bartered through my business.

At first I wasn't sold on bartering. Why? Because I was doing it the way most business owners do, by trading services in a client-vendor relationship--in other words, swapping services or products. The problem with this is that one party often needs the other's services more. As a result, the other party may feel slighted. I had two experiences where once my bartering partners got what they wanted, I was unable to receive my side of the deal. You can only imagine how soured I was on "doing it as a trade" after these instances.

A bartering service allows you to barter your services among an entire group. Therefore, you provide your services or products to one company and are able to choose from the entire network to gain what you need. As a result, my company has gained two copiers (including a high-resolution digital-quality printer), catering, party talent, computers, printing services, gift certificates--and the list goes on. One of my most valued barters was booking a resort where a conference I was attending took place. It was part of the national barter network, so I was able to save on something I had budgeted for my business, and only had to pay out-of-pocket for the taxes on the room.

Midnight Madness
Sitting in an all-night quick-print service awaiting a client's fliers, a marketing firm owner was feeling total frustration. The client was originally going to print the fliers on her own from the file the marketing firm had created, but then could not find anyone to do it in the short time frame she had allowed. The owner received a call at 10 at night with the fliers needing to be ready for the event by 10 the next morning. By the time the owner retrieved the file from her office and got to the vendor, it was midnight. As she sat there waiting for the printing to be completed, she said to herself, "There has to be a better way."

Looking at all possible resources, she wondered if a high-quality digital printer was a possibility through the barter exchange in which her company was a member. She had accumulated quite a bit of barter credits, and it seemed feasible. The next morning, the owner had her office manager inquire, and there was a company that could provide what the owner had in mind. A brand new digital printer could be purchased through the exchange for $12,500 worth of barter credit, plus out of pocket for barter fees and taxes at approximately $2,000. But what did it really cost the marketing firm owner? With the out-of-pocket for payroll for the design and creative services provided to various barter network members, the printer actually cost the owner around $7,600, including the fees and taxes that had to be paid separately according to barter rules. This also allowed the firm to serve clients with fast, short-run, high-quality printing and the ability to publish and produce its own materials entirely in-house, saving money and time. 

Next: How your resources can make money for you