My friend Rebecca is a remarkable teacher. She’s taught me a lot in the short time we’ve known each other; the power of vulnerability, of empathy, of compassion.
Rebecca also taught me to be creative about using all the assets we have.
She’s not afraid to trade some of her time for accommodations in a strange city, feeding the cats in exchange for an apartment to stay in. Offering to speak in exchange for attending a conference. Or even trading services to get what she and her trading partner needs.
When we’re bootstrapping a business or starting something new, money is often a constraint. More money will help us do more, faster. With out it, we feel stuck.
We have more assets than money, however. Often, we just need to be creative. Can you trade your services for that venue you need for the perfect event? For the coffee and muffins? For the guest speaker?
This can work in reverse as well. Got a compelling project with a great client, but the client can’t afford your standard rate? Before discounting, consider trading. Can you use what your client makes?
AirBnb and Uber built massive platforms based on helping people trade spare rooms and spare car seats, but you don’t need a platform to trade things. It’s as easy as getting creative the next time you think you need to double check that empty wallet.
And the bonus? More connection. Passing dollar bills is a transaction. Trading can be much more personal, if you want it to be.
What say you? What assets do you have beyond cold hard cash? What do you need? Let’s work up a trade in the comments.