Imagine if your salary came not in the form of cash or check, but in the form of goods and services. You would have absolute power to determine what your time and efforts are worth, while giving access to your services to people who might not be able to afford it otherwise.
Well that’s just what one Toronto-based financial planner did by quitting her well-paying day job and vowing to offer her financial planning services to women who needed it, in trade for absolutely anything. After a few years of working as a financial adviser, Shannon Simmons realized that those who needed financial planning advice the most where often the same people who could not afford it.
And so, she up and left her job to start The Barter Babes Project, giving out financial advice to women in the Toronto area, in exchange for anything but money. In the last year, Simmons was able to barter with 310 women, receiving a range of things, including trapeze lessons (how fun!), vegetables, and dance classes.
Although Simmons’ initial goal was to barter for year, she says she hopes to continue the project for as long as possible.
What do you think? Would you be happier working in exchange for goods and services?
Swap.com Mobile is a free iPhone is app that lets you scan items into your HAVE and WANT lists, manage your account, see what you can get for your stuff, and participate in swaps.
