Money isn’t all you’ve got, and trading can be wildly successful.

Did you know that the great novelist Charles Dickens traded his first story for a handful of marbles? It may seem ludicrous, but it’s actually not such a bad idea to barter with what you’ve got – although you’d probably want something more than just marbles.

In fact, bartering your products or services can help you secure some pretty great deals and make your business thrive. Normally, when a business is strapped for cash, they might think they’re nearing the end of the road. But even if you’re short on cash, you can exchange something else that another person is interested in.

For instance, a small radio station in Florida was going through such a difficult period that they didn’t even have enough money to pay their employees. Instead of looking for a way to get money directly, say, by taking out a loan, they reached out to a local hardware store and offered to advertise for them.

The store accepted the offer and paid for the ad with 1,400 can openers. The station sold the can openers on air with such success that they eventually expanded to television. Maybe you’ve heard of the station; it’s called the Home Shopping Network.

So, trading can work wonders, but what if the person or business you want to barter with isn’t interested in what you have to offer? Just bring in a third, or even fourth, party who is interested.

Imagine you’re a butcher who wants to trade his meat to a radio station in exchange for advertising. The only problem is that the owner of the station is a vegetarian.

What do you do?

Just look around and find a meat-lover, perhaps a carpenter who’ll exchange your meat for a few wooden boxes. Now you can return to the radio station owner, wooden boxes in hand. Chances are he’ll be overjoyed by the new offer, since he can grow vegetables at home in the boxes.

Be creative and consider what assets you have that don’t come in the form of money – it might just lead to an unexpected miracle.