Cash-strapped businesses increasingly are trading goods and services for everything from newspaper ads to exterminators to lobster dinners.Well beyond the days of swapping one goat for 30 chickens, business-to-business barter has gained fresh cachet during a recession marked by dried-up credit markets and slumping sales across most industries.

Barter has become a popular option for companies looking to unload inventory, boost the customer base and conserve cash.

“If a business understands the basics of barter, it is a means to have a competitive edge,” said Ken Meharg, CEO of business-to-business barter company New England Trade Inc. in Malden. “Barter can move excess inventory, generate sales and increase cash flow.”

Full Story: Tough times are ushering in the bartering economy