What are good services that one can offer/barter?
June 9, 2011 11:41 PM   Subscribe

What are good skills to have for bartering for someone else's services?

'm studying to be a professional singer and I'm running low on income this summer/year, which makes voice lessons both necessary and difficult to afford. My voice teacher is fine with the concept of barter for lessons, but nothing sprang to mind that she thought she might need. (Her husband does most husbandy and cooking-related things around the house, so preferably ideas that he is less likely to do already for her)

What are useful skills to have that can be learned in about a month without significant investment of funds that another person might want, preferably on a regular basis?

Here's what I've got so far: website design, general computer tech support, document scanning, research, cooking, cleaning, general house repair. I'm good at learning how to do new things, but at a bit of a loss as to what 'new things' would be attractive, particularly on an ongoing basis.
posted by sdis to Work & Money (11 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Indian head massage
posted by Not Supplied at 12:14 AM on June 10, 2011 [1 favorite]


Things I would outsource if I could find someone trustworthy to do it: selling my unwanted but valuable possessions on eBay & Craigslist, organizing my closets, kitchen & bookshelves.
Also, I wish I had a friend with a sewing machine to hem all my pants & skirts without charging $35/piece. It's easy enough that I could do it myself, but I don't have the equipment in my current city.
posted by halogen at 12:14 AM on June 10, 2011 [2 favorites]


You mentioned web design, but knowing how to deal with a WordPress install in particular comes in handy a lot for me.
posted by auto-correct at 12:19 AM on June 10, 2011


Selling my unwanted stuff on craigslist -- PRICELESS.

You can generally get more per item than at garage sale, but it is such a pain to go through the process sometimes. Having someone do that would be like getting free money!

Caveat: you have to already have a pile of stuff you've been meaning to sell on craigslist to be valuable.

Bonus: who doesn't have stuff around they yused once or not at all and have been meaning to sell or giveaway?!!

Good luck!
posted by jbenben at 2:46 AM on June 10, 2011 [1 favorite]


For the future, get yourself to Home Depot for their free clinics. It won't help you with the voice lesson bartering, but it'll keep you from having to pay $200 to get a leaky faucet fixed.

For now, I second sewing
posted by bilabial at 5:35 AM on June 10, 2011


Organization stuff is key. Things like scanning old photos, organizing a CD or movie collection, cleaning out a closet or attic storage, etc? That does also fold into the selling stuff option as the final step.

Even if you like cooking and her husband likes cooking, you're unlikely to cook the same dishes (do you have a specialty?), or maybe he doesn't bake, or maybe you could present the idea as being about ease and simplicity: tupperwares of individual meals or a ready-to-bake lasagna.

Also, there's lots you can do in sewing even if you don't have a machine. I've got a basket of assorted "fix this" clothes: pants that need a button moved, sweaters with a small hole, a shirt with a damaged seam, a skirt with the hem falling out in one section... all needle and thread projects if I'd just sit down and do them!
posted by aimedwander at 7:35 AM on June 10, 2011 [1 favorite]


I'd recommend that instead of trying to figure out a way to barter, you put your existing skill set to use. Find a couple nightclubs or restaurants and book yourself some gigs. One or two shows a month--even weekday shows, which are quick and easy to get--could cover the cost of your lessons. Music is perfect for moonlighting.

You just need to be sure to pick a profitable niche; essentially this just means "no original songs".
posted by Nahum Tate at 9:15 AM on June 10, 2011 [2 favorites]


Dog-walking or pet-sitting.

You'd be amazed at how much people are willing to pay for those services, so I imagine bartering would be an easy score.
posted by HeyAllie at 9:21 AM on June 10, 2011


I've taught several people how to knit in exchange for lessons in other things! They see me knitting and they sigh and say, "I wish I knew how to knit," and I'm off and running.

You could definitely learn the basics (at least as much as you'd need to teach someone else the basics) in a month, with a book from the library and some cheap acrylic yarn. I guess this probably wouldn't get you much further than two or three lessons with any one person, though.
posted by adiabat at 12:14 PM on June 10, 2011


I barter for lots of things (Painting, cleaning, babysitting, cooking, proofreading, massage, moving, etc) but I want the person I am bartering with to already know how to do things without a lot of guidance from me and not to experiment with my stuff. So either ask her what she needs or please STICK WITHIN YOUR SKILL SET.

Also set up a clear system - 4 hours of unskilled labor equals 1 lesson or 1 full meal equals a lesson so that everyone is very clear on the system. And set up a feedback system- either a check in every couple barters or a way for her to make corrections.
posted by mutt.cyberspace at 2:34 PM on June 10, 2011 [1 favorite]


Could you put in and maintain a vegetable garden?
posted by Nickel Pickle at 6:29 PM on June 10, 2011


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