Service Swapping

I don't really like that term - bartering. It conjures up all kinds of weird images of shouting out offers for a sheep and negotiating the potential merits of a sheep versus a goat.

However, bartering is the friend of the start-up business and can really make the difference between success and the breadline. 

Lots of people I know, including myself, have made wonderful 'swaps' of their time to gain things that they would never normally be able to afford at this stage in their quitting the 9 to 5 journey. I know a friend who swaps aromatherapy treatments for gardening. The gardener gets a bad back from all the manual work he does so the massage really helps, in return she gets an hour of gardening work which means she does not have to take time out to do the weeding and mow the lawn which she hates doing anyway. This is an ideal swap. It serves both parties in an equal way and gives both of them a worthwhile service that they might otherwise be reluctant to pay for because it would be considered a luxury they could do without.

I myself have benefited from giving my accountant good quality referrals that have resulted in big business for them - in return I have had expert tax returns done for free. Another friend swapped piano lessons with another mum who does riding lessons, both their children wanted to start a new hobby that was relatively expensive but they were able to provide these lessons for them through bartering.

There are any number of ways that this can be done and sometimes they can be really big swaps - a holiday away in someones holiday home in return for training them in some area of expertise, a marketing plan for a venue in return for a massive discount on your wedding if you hold it there.

Think creatively about what you are able to offer. Think about your personal skills as well as your professional ones. Could you get your hair done for free if you bake them a cake because you are an amazing baker? Could you help someone organise their paperwork if they were able to take you to their next event where lots of contacts will be made?

What are the basic rules of bartering?

• Make sure that the swap is equal (in either time or value or preferably both).

• Make sure that you have got to know the person a little first (you both need to be able to trust each other and have faith in your abilities to do what you have promised).

• Make sure that you are both clear on exactly what you are offering (if you are swapping time, you can both offer an hour for example, if you want them to design you a business card are you sure that you will be getting what you want from the card and not just any old thing?)

• Make sure that you don't end up always offering to barter your services (your business needs cash flow as well).

• Make sure you invest in the relationship and do a good job (do your very best work for them, you cannot afford to be slapdash unless you want a bad review of what you have done).

So what do you need and what can you offer in order to get it? Be creative and get bartering!!

What is the best bartering deal you have done?

Love Nova xxx