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UKSG Barter system?
I don’t know if this could work or not, but I have recently been helped by signboard members, and in the past I have helped out one or two as well.
It is always difficult to get an urgent job done when you have been let down by a supplier, or your equipment breaks down etc. It is also difficult to set a fee for helping mates out.
Perhaps we could have a "please help" area for uksg and use some sort of a system whereby we all put in say 20 units of help, and could call upon this either in labour or goods in an emergency?Like I said, dont know if it could be made to work,
thoughts please.Peter
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20 Replies
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i think the quotes forum is best way of doing this peter…
best doing things we put a value on up front and be paid once complete…
i think the quotes forum is full of pitfalls too, if i’m honest… but until i can do more about it, it needs to be just that.
i have Strong beliefs in how something like this should work amongst our trade. i also have a method of putting it into action, but I’m only one person, and only so many hours in the day.
Do not get me wrong, i have folk at the highest level offer me help in various ways in the past 18 months. but that’s simply because they want a slice of the cake and would "try" heavily to manipulate it. which is one of the reasons our trade is how it is, it is governed by dinosaurs in each others back pockets. ide do it alone, or not at all, that being the case. -
I’ve always thought that the ‘quotes’ section for getting other members was OK for this.
Granted, it is limited for who can access it.On the subject of ‘help credits’ – I’ve always found these to be otherwise known as ‘beer tokens’ – whether virtual or actual.
If subbied by another member to do a job, manufacture, sell materials to them or resolve software issues it’s either been ‘favours’ or ‘trade prices’.I dislike the idea of a credit system for calling in favours as ‘to refuse may offend’ and there will always be an imbalance on the give & take.
In principal the idea of a help system is excellent, but maybe best to leave the payments/exchanges at return favours & mates rates.
Dave
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I think it could work really well for a few reasons. Computers can handle the logistics and it is a closed association/group.
Years ago we set up a ‘Green Pound’ barter system here in our town, in a community of 2 to 3 thousand. Problems emerged very soon though….keeping track of who had done what, who owed what, is a considerable problem (computers would solve that) but the main problem was the ‘perceived value’ of each trade, electricians thought that their work was more valuable than gardeners…etc etc. (so that’s why a sign version might work, because values are fairly well set)
I think when they work they are brilliant….but don’t rush into it…it can get very heated and people do get upset if it isn’t run well and fairly.
Great idea though…very practical for UKSB I would think. -
I am not talking about calling in favours as such, just that if one member does a favour for another, the recipient donates the token value be used by others and states what they offer, print, labour, materials or whatever in return.
it could only work if the participants donated a quantity of units to start with and could only ask for help if they were in credit.
dunno, maybe I am thinking to idealistic,Peter
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i think its a good idea as in these times of recession businesses look for other ways not just for making an income, but to get the essentials needed to keep the business running, like stationary etc, so yes bartering is the way to go, not sure of the laws here, but in america you have to account the transaction of the sale and purchase , meaning cause its cash-free doesnt mean its tax free? anyway im rattling on….and yes in theory it sounds good, but like many things…..would the ‘fed-up’ syndrome start to appear 😕
nik
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The ideal is that we all credit values at a fixed ‘exchange rate’ but the logistics and setting values could be a nightmare.
My ‘it’s only worth 5 credits’ may be somebody elses ’20’ as what we each consider valuable varies.
Say I do a logo vectorisation – takes my an hour…this is more valuable to a total novice who’d otherwise take a whole day but less so to another savvy member.
Or materials – id you own your own printer…print is cheap…10m2 is worth a lot less to an owner than to a non-owner – same product but values are different.
Still think dealing on an individual basis and charging or not is a way that’s works in a commercial, non-barter world.
NIK: – http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/vat/managing/spe … amples.htm
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I have always loved the idea of bartering goods, not sure how it work within the same trade but we barter many goods with our customers.
I think a point system here is complicated as everyone would charge a different hourly rate. I would think simply valuing anything before hand and swapping a similar value of the others work?
Not sure exactly how it would work but id be happy to give it a go.
Im sure we all have fingers in other pies too that we could barter?
Nigel
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I would swap a Government for a nice roast beef, yorkie puds, gravy, roast potato’s………we were poor, but we are happy!…lol
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quote Harry Cleary:I would swap a Government for a nice roast beef, yorkie puds, gravy, roast potato’s………we were poor, but we are happy!…lol
swap your government for ours Harry?
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quote Nigel Hindley:quote Harry Cleary:
swap your government for ours Harry?
sounds like a plan nigel 😀
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quote Nigel Hindley:quote Harry Cleary:I would swap a Government for a nice roast beef, yorkie puds, gravy, roast potato’s………we were poor, but we are happy!…lol
swap your government for ours Harry?
Cheapskate!!!! 😀
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What was it the Irish government have bartered in return for the 7 billion we are lending them? 😀
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make up your mind Harry! I think it best you have what you voted for and when the sht hits the fan, we can still bail you out!
:poke:
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quote Peter Normington:What was it the Irish government have bartered in return for the 7 billion we are lending them? 😀
Terry Wogan and Graham Norton! Please leave them back when you are finished with them, but don’t stack them.
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i think the quotes section pretty much covers it, still think the currency should be GBP
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quote Nigel Hindley:make up your mind Harry! I think it best you have what you voted for and when the sht hits the fan, we can still bail you out!
:poke:
this is why it is coming to a country near you Nigel!…..lol..I think UK comes after they attack Spain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOzR3UAyXao
..it’s been such an eyeopener to what finance is about for me. Fractional Mortgages ….jesus H ..have you looked at that?..how can that make sense? 😮
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you need a job done in scotland, its a car wrap.
i offer my services for the going BARTER rate on a car wrap.
You supply the 3M IJ printed media, laminate…i make a dogs dinner of it!
customer not happy.
job needs re-printed.
job needs re-fitted!where do you stand?
we are supposed to be professionals and we should barter for cash!
its difficult enough these days getting paid for a job, never mind anything else…if i hand a job to someone on the boards, even if for a product and not service. i want some sort of reassurance i am handing it to an able body. further more, i want to know if anything goes wrong that person will compensate me.
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Sounds like you guys are trying to reinvent bartercard without the fees.
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I thought that too Jason.
If you guys want to go down this route, just join Bartercard and let them handle the administration, you can get on with earning a living and forming allegiances with other sign shops..
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quote Robert Lambie:you need a job done in scotland, its a car wrap.
i offer my services for the going BARTER rate on a car wrap.
You supply the 3M IJ printed media, laminate…i make a dogs dinner of it!
customer not happy.
job needs re-printed.
job needs re-fitted!where do you stand?
we are supposed to be professionals and we should barter for cash!
its difficult enough these days getting paid for a job, never mind anything else…if i hand a job to someone on the boards, even if for a product and not service. i want some sort of reassurance i am handing it to an able body. further more, i want to know if anything goes wrong that person will compensate me.
I think folk are complicating the issue.
Rob the rules would the same with barter as cash or any other form of payment. Its a bonafide way of payment. Why would anyone or any service be less reliable or less likely to fix anything because its a barter not cash. Surely parting with say £500 of your service is better than giving away £500?
Bottom line anyway cash is just a universal barter system based on ‘confidence’ that some one will pay its value if ever asked (in gold)
I have a friend who barters with international companies as well as top national companies. If anyone reneges on him he simply sends a bill plus interest.
As said though some folk dont like it and its not for some. As I said i m not sure how it would work within the same industry but easy to see it working swapping signing a van for a few hundreds pounds worth of a tradesmnes services.
Nigel
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