In recent months, I have begun to see the value of bartering in a whole new light. It is amazing how many people will trade their time and services for a massage but won't pay the cash to just get one and go home. Things I have seen traded for massage therapy: home-made bread, mechanical services, furniture, computer services, babysitting, house cleaning, salon services, retail products from an owner's store, rent, art lessons, voice lessons, moving services...and this list goes on!
Surprisingly, people are nervous about asking to barter with others for goods and services. If the person or business is small and locally owned, you can bet there's at LEAST a 50-50 chance they will barter with you if you can just identify what you have that they might need. Then you just write a short letter or make a quick call to the owner and see what happens. Sometimes they may say no but refer you to a colleague who WOULD like to consider the offer. Sometimes they say YES. Sometimes they just say NO. But it is worth the try.
Even if the business is not small or locally owned, the individual or team providing the service you normally pay for is a work-a-day fellow just like the rest of us. Like your stylist at the national chain hair salon, or the maintenance guy at Wal-mart you see every time you are there or the cashier at Denny's who always wears awesome jewelry that she makes herself. Make business cards for yourself (vistaprint.com people--really!) and hand them out with a note on the card about what they have that you want to trade for (i.e., "barter for hairctuts" or "trade for custom jewelry").
Consider this: you are a mechanic working at Jiffy Lube for $9 per hour (I have no idea if that is realistic...just bear with me) and the average Joe comes in a pays the company $30-50 for services that take you about an hour to perform for them. If you were bartering directly with the customer (Mr. Average Joe), you could probably make the equivalent of $30-50 per hour by bartering at that rate for whatever Mr. Joe has to offer you (like a massage or printing your business cards or cleaning your house). Wouldn't it be cool to do regular oil changes for someone's family and get your house cleaned weekly in exchange for it?
Bartering is smart business and an excellent budgeting tool.
copyright 2009 Lisa "Taj" McCellon
Friday, March 20, 2009
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More of How To Change Your Life ~ Taj's Advice For Fantastic Living
- Apply White Flower analgesic balm to sore muscles.
- Ask your herbalist about nutmeg to help you sleep.
- Ask your herbalist about nutmeg to overcome anxiety without feeling drugged.
- Count to 5 before ending hugs with people in pain.
- Count to 5 before ending hugs with people you know.
- Eat fresh fruits and vegetables with every meal.
- Educate yourself on your antibiotics BEFORE you take them, especially Avelox.
- Make sure your thighs are parallel to the floor when you sit in a chair for more than 20 minutes.
- Read a book called The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer
- Read or write for at least 20 minutes every single day.
- Remember to ask your doctor or pharmacist about the drugs you are prescribed BEFORE you take them. Then read up on it yourself. They frequently leave out details you may care about.
- To minimize pesky Ear, Nose and Throat symptoms (allergies, colds, etc), consider using a Neti Pot
- Try taking a brisk ten minute walk immediately upon awakening in the morning -- before your shower and before your coffee and breakfast. Do this for a week and then compare your energy and productivity levels.
- Try this easy "flush" that has helped people I know with gall stones, anger problems and right sided rib pain when eating and drinking.
- Work on decreasing the clutter in your home or car 20 minutes a day 3 days a week in addition to your regular householder yoga routine.
- Work with kids? Have young ones in school? Get sick a lot? Review this article on anti-viral therapy and email me for a referral to a Doctor of Oriental Medicine in your area. I rarely get sick anymore thanks to Gan Mao Ling.
How To Change Your Life ~ Taj's Advice For Starting A (R)evolution In Your Life
- 1. Take any 2 of these and apply them liberally for 7 days. Let me know how it goes!
- 2. Feelin' lazy? Take any ONE of these and apply it randomly for 3 days. Let me know how it goes!
- Before you sleep tonight, tithe 10% of the money you made today to an individual or family in need in your social circle.
- Breathe really deeply for ten minutes a day.
- Change your relationship to your experiences.
- Change your thinking to reflect your life purpose.
- Change your thinking.
- Drink enough water.
- Drink more than enough water.
- Eat this for dinner or lunch 3 times per week: steamed edamame, rice pasta covered in garlicy olive oil, pine nuts and feta cheese. Eat as much as you want!
- Get acupuncture at least every 2 months.
- Get checked for sleep apnea if you are always tired.
- Get enough sleep.
- Get massage therapy at least once per month.
- Laugh at least 20 different times today.
- Meditate regularly.
- Read a book called When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice For Difficult Times by Pema Chodron
- Smile at everyone you see today, looking them in the eye while you do it.
- Stop eating french fries and drinking soda and avoid wheat and dairy products.
- Stop eating french fries and drinking soda and keep the rest of your diet the same.
- Try this style of Tithing for a week: meditate &/or pray 10% of your day (2.4 hours) focusing on the causes you would normally donate cash to help.
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