Barter - A Safety Cushion for Unexpected Times

Here at SBC, we love to share the great experiences that our members have with barter. The following is a guest post by Rob Gates of Gates Marketing.

“I’ve been involved in barter for about 28 years now. Sometimes heavily, sometimes forgetting all about it for months at a time.

About three years ago I had the joy of meeting Satan's oldest daughter. She was the attorney representing my wife who had decided that she no longer desired the pleasure of my company and did a remarkable job of finding and freezing every bank account and credit card I had. The one and only thing she missed was my barter account.

Prior to that I had always used my barter funds for nifty self indulgences. Diving trips to the Caribbean, expensive dinners, jewelry for Christmas gifts, things like that. Suddenly I found myself in the rather awkward position of living on my barter. Amazingly enough it not only worked but it worked surprisingly well.

They found me a hotel to stay at, loaded me down with gift cards and coupons for food and laundry services and basically provided everything I needed to live in reasonable comfort for the thirty days it took to get a court hearing to be granted a small allowance to live on.

Once I got my allowance I was able to rent a small house in the ghetto. It would have been a miserable place to stay but once I bartered an electrician, plumber, exterminator and alarm company it was reasonably nice. After that I bartered for furniture and dishes and I was good to go.

Today my life has stabilized and I'm back to living well but I learned two very important things. The first is that you can barter anything; the second is who comes through when the chips are down and who doesn't. Key members of SBC were a part of the organization that came through for me when I needed them. Now that they've opened their own exchange I expect great things from them. Of course the fact that they found a motorcycle on barter for me about 10 minutes after they opened the doors probably has something to do with those expectations!”

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Use Barter to Get Your Home in Top Shape This Spring

Re-attach toilet holder? Check. Re-grout kitchen tiles? Check. Fix gap in back door? Check. Insulate water heater? Check. Yes, there are probably lots of things on your to do list this season. But what if you don’t have the time to do it yourself or you don’t have the money to pay someone else to do it?

Preventative maintenance on your home is a proactive way of saving yourself money in the long run. Barter is a way to get it all done in a way that is friendly to your wallet.

First, make a detailed list of all the work you need performed. For example, walk around the interior and exterior of your home and note down all the repairs that need to be made or preventative measures you need to take. Then, get specific. If you need to hire a painter, establish how many rooms you’d like painted, the size of the rooms, whether any repairs will need to be made, if there is wallpaper that needs to be removed, if you need the ceiling and trim to be painted, etc. Then, obtain detailed estimates from two local companies who are not affiliated with Southern Barter Club – companies that accept cash only. This will help you establish the current market rate of your project. Once you have written estimates in hand, log on to the Member Area at Southern Barter Club and peruse the Service List (if you’re not a member, you can join here). You can then contact a tradesperson directly to get an estimate (you might also find gift certificates in the Barter Store for the types of services you need).

Good to Know - If the service or item you need isn’t in the directory or barter store, you can add it to your “wanted items” list and SBC will send you an automated e-mail when the service or product becomes available. Also, don’t hesitate to call your broker and they’ll do their best to help you find what you need!

Be sure that you get detailed estimates in writing as most contractors perform labor on trade, but charge cash for materials. Know what amount is due in cash and what amount is due on trade and when payment is expected. For large projects, draw up a contract and have it signed by both parties.

Be sure that the tradesperson is qualified to provide the services they are bartering and that they have adequate experience. Bartering doesn’t mean cheap or unprofessional, so check references just like you would any other contractor. If the job requires liability insurance, be sure that the vendor provides the appropriate documentation.

The key to working successfully with a tradesperson on trade is to be flexible and realize that their availability increases during off-peak times. So take advantage of the cooler weather and get the work done now, before the weather heats up!

Free Barter Networking Event - 4/16/09

Join us for a free barter networking event on Thursday, 4/16/09 7:30pm at Get This! Gallery,662 11th Street, Atlanta, GA, 30318. Bring your business cards and marketing materials. Have a good time meeting and mingling with other business members. It's a great way to find new resources that you can utilize on trade, as opposed to paying with cash. We hope to see you there!