Barter is Beautiful - 10 Tips to Get StartedAmanda Warren Birds were swooping down to stick twigs and cigarette butts in my tangled bouffant. One biz that doesnt seem to suffer during a depression is hair styling even if more people are taking shears to their heads. But, even barbers need the cutting edge during an undeniable downturn. Im pretty geeked to have used barter for something I dont like to spend money on beauty stuffs. Hair in particular. Guys you can use this example to barter for things that you like. Why spend money on any extras if you can offer something great in return and everyone wins? I drove by this retro Floyds Barbershop-looking place and did more research. It took the skills of a private-I to hunt down their pages. The local online listings went to a completely different Facebook page and, it turns out, they have three separate pages done by three separate people. None of which are easily found or active. The prominent one has only nine Likes. The owner is a guy out of King of the Hill and a master hair technician with 20 years experience. He blew me away, except I had to dig for his mastery too. He spent so much time working that he didnt have time to dedicate to online promotion. Ive worked with about 200 small business owners and this is the most common issue no time for extra help (and little cash flow). Think of what that could mean for you Simultaneously he said . . . while I said . . . something along the lines of, The social media needs help. But, remember, this is only a template you dont have to only exchange online skills. First, there was a lot of talk leading up to that. In the chair, it was a great opportunity to tell him what I do, what I enjoy doing. It was like a breezy, informal interview but also a chance to get to know each other as people and get a vibe. Finally, I simply asked if hed like the idea of trading services or discounts for help in promoting his business. After a lot of friendly back and forth, he tells me a girl came in and offered her services for money, but that hes more interested in my offer. Possible drawbacks that would prevent this trade: So there are pros and cons, as there are when you spend hard-earned money for a new product or service, but that decision rests with each party. And it might be easier to start with people who do not have business fronts. But even New York shops barter with each other. Here are 10 bartering points to help get started: Barter is exciting for the endless possibilities. A friend is having an entire wedding for under $1,000. The bride and groom are only asking for help instead of gifts and money, but not help that is entirely one-sided. The photographer, for example, can use his wedding gift in his portfolio regardless. Ive practiced this type of exchange myself, first by doing my friends resumes for free and watching them get the job! Later, when I thought about doing it for a living, they gave me stellar testimonials. Purely by coincidence, a salon was the example used in a difficult bartering question I posed to you last week. You all had wonderful ways to look at the problem and helped me understand bartering more deeply. Simply put, the balance scales of bartering are in the hands of the traders. Thats traders, not traitors I imagine an unfair trader in a bartering system would be held accountable and shunned by the community, and would lose out on important trades. Its amazing how much transparency there is when not dealing with giant corporations that lobby and collude with centralized, governmental power. Just people: one to one, making offers and agreements without force. And still getting the job done while rewarding each other fairly for their input. Imagine that! When I think of all Ive learned and done over the years, it makes me want to get back out there to hit the pavement not for a job, but to barter! Thats why I need my hair done. Read Other Articles By Amanda Warren 