The more things change, the more things stay the same. We’ve all heard this popular cliché but lately I’ve been thinking about something related; namely the barter system. Social Media, networking, and news-at-our-fingertips are all the buzz, yet some of the old traditions are becoming more prevalent due to our global financial uncertainty. Our economy seems stuck on indecision, and recently I engaged with @detroitvoice (Larry Henry) and @a2Karen (Karen Moorhead) about the topic of barter systems and communities. It appears the barter system is alive and well.

Karen was kind enough to forward The Dexter-Miller Community -North West Ann Arbor. As it turns out a small community in Ann Arbor, MI has created a non-profit neighborhood services cooperative. Their mission is for members to exchange services among themselves to simplify and enhance their quality of life and sense of community. Members agree that every service exchanged in the community has equal value based solely on the time spent providing it.

Larry also passed along an article titled: Honing your bartering skills. I think the concept of exchanging services to one another is a good idea. Need a computer fixed? I bet the tech repair man could use some coaching, or the plumber could use some pr advice. Yes, there has to be paying clients for business’ to thrive but sharing resources, knowledge, and learning more about the talented professionals in your community is a step in the right direction.

Please share your bartering stories or experiences. I would love to hear them and so would my two followers. Thanks Mom and Dad :)