I’m a strong believer in the barter system, and over the years, I’ve benefited by trading my professional services for goods and services I wanted, but couldn’t afford.

• I’ve literally “worked for food,” exchanging public relations services for freezer meals from a meal assembly business.

• I’ve given editing and proofreading services in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars worth of graphic design and printing services.

• I’ve done professional blogging and teaching in exchange for book promotion services and tuition at conferences.

• I’ve provided social media services in exchange for  needed household items.

• I’ve traded consulting, e-newsletter services, and Web site creation for luxury services, such as massages and hair cuts/coloring.

I’m hoping to negotiate a couple of new mattresses in trade for blogging and social media services. Any mattress companies out there that need a blog?

With a little creativity and a can-do attitude, most entrepreneurs can work out trade agreements that are beneficial to all. Last summer, I attended a CRAVEparty in Seattle.  When we registered, we were asked:

What (services) do you want? What do you have to give?”

We listed both on our name tags, and as we mingled, we had opportunities to negotiate on-the-spot trade agreements.

Our Twitter followers volunteered some of their favorite trade agreements:

• @GHCU (Shannon Perry) – Traded editing services in exchange for a computer when my former boss closed up his independent business to take a job. Woot!

• @karenrobbins -Traded writing articles for advertising for flower shop. Earned a column in the local paper.

• Here are a couple of articles from the Diva Toolbox blog, in which readers share all kinds of great ideas about ways to barter:
  • Successful bartering stories, part 1
  • More successful bartering stories

What about you? What’s the best trade you’ve ever made?