How do you feel about bartering for your services?

peacefulbabydoula · 01-07-2010, 10:49 AM

Lately I've done quite a bit of bartering.Where I live,in a predominately minority area this exchange is very accepted.Plus,its better than doing a birth for someone free,though occasionally I'll do those as well.

I feel like this is a valuable way to expand your services to mommas who may not have the money to have you attend their birth,but may have something that you want,or they can offer services wise.What do you think of this?Especially with the way the economy is right now.Honestly,if I wasn't open to this,im sure I wouldn't have as many births here lately as I've had.

alicethedoula · 01-07-2010, 11:01 AM

I think it is a great idea, but haven't done it myself. Do you suggest a barter or the clients? I don't bring it up as an option so maybe that is why I haven't done it.

What types of things have been bartered for your services?

Kayla · 01-07-2010, 11:18 AM

I was curious too, what types of things are you bartering? I had thought of this, but really had no idea what types of things were commonly used, or offered.

DoulaWendy · 01-07-2010, 12:32 PM

I don't mind bartering but I wouldn't be able to do it all the time because I have to be able to cover my expenses. The most I have bartered so far is for a gift card.

If you do barter make sure you are clear on what each party is supposed to do and when. Don't say "$300 worth of cleaning services," say "8 hours worth of cleaning services to be done by xyz date."

peacefulbabydoula · 01-07-2010, 01:24 PM

Well,
Alot of mama's make things-purses,diaper bags,ect.I've bartered for housecleaning,furniture,gift cards,kids clothes,and even got offered small breed puppies.But like wendy said,you have to be clear on whats being offered and what your going to get in return.I usually bring it up to moms who tell me they can't afford a doula.Just by saying"have you ever considered bartering?,Is there anything you know how to do you could teach me?ect" For instance,if I want to learn how to sew on a sewing machine,or need help doing scrapbooks.

WestsideDoula · 01-07-2010, 01:47 PM

I LOVE bartering. I strongly believe that women need buy in for their doula. Yes, a probono birth is good, but then there is no balance in power. In a sense, she owes a kind of karmic debt. But with bartering, everyone wins and everyone kind of thinks that she is getting the better deal. Case in point, I got to attend a beautiful birth this morning and received three beautiful handmade necklaces (which I gave two out for xmas). She (and her husband) had a (fabulous) doula throughout her pregnancy and birth.

I still feel like she did me a favor by letting me be at her birth. She is on the moon after her fabulous birth. She looked at me after her unmedicated birth and said, "I rock. After this, I can do anything."

My contract was the same for anyother birth but instead of the fee it was a detail of what she was making for me.

Brie+3 · 01-07-2010, 01:51 PM

I barter frequently. I let my clients know I can't barter away my full service fee, I do need some $$ as it costs me some money to attend their births. I work with them before the contract is signed to be a mutually agreeable trade. Example, I have a placenta client in 3 weeks, she's a physical therapist and I have an awful shoulder injury, so I am doing her placenta for cost of materials and her husband will work on my shoulder (also a PT) for 3 sessions. In December I turned away a potential client because we couldn't come to an agreement; she wanted to do a logo for $400 worth of discounts, but only give me like $150 in cash; I felt she was over charging for a logo. I didn't think it was fair to me; I didn't feel like she valued me or my service.

These are the things I am willing to trade for, but I'd consider anything not on the list they could offer:
**My barter wish list includes: Graphic (logo) design, web design, hard drive recovery (Mac), pregnancy & birth photography (for website & marketing use), tattoo’s, auto maintenance & cleaning, chiropractic & acupuncture care, hair care (cut & color), massage, dental work, child & pet care, home maintenance & cleaning and some misc. sewing projects.

raeben · 01-07-2010, 03:41 PM

because i work for a group practice, i can't barter for my doula services but i very frequently slide my fee down. if i could find somebody good wanting to barter for $700 worth of tattoo work then i might have to make some under the table deals...

my placenta practice is my own though and i love to barter for work. i tell them in several places that my fee is open to sliding scale, barter or partial trade. i've had some pretty cool trades in the past but also a couple offers that i really had no need for or felt undermined the value of my services -then we just revert back to plain ole monetary compensation.

doulafava · 01-07-2010, 04:02 PM

Yeah, why don't I eve get tattoo artist clients?!!

I have bartered graphic design, vegetables, wool sweaters, house cleaning and just recently, more vegetables. I bartered by entire MW assistant fee for a CSA membership and am going to give a MW client a deep discount for more veggies. But usually its a partial barter. I am having to scale back my own personal farming and gardening activities to focus on birth work and then wouldn't you know? Farmers fall in my lap.

My barter wishlist: tattoos, web design/updating/maintenance, (I want a MW website ready to go the moment I get my CPM.) housecleaning, flooring installation, qualified childcare, painting, and any number of other household projects. DP and I are very busy and never get around to things....

eta: we often get massage therapists and chiros wanting to barter. I say no.

Brie+3 · 01-08-2010, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doulafava

eta: we often get massage therapists and chiros wanting to barter. I say no.

I'd love to hear your reasoning for saying no? To me I say yes because it could turn into referrals later on.

AngelsMum · 01-08-2010, 05:02 PM

Quote:

we often get massage therapists and chiros wanting to barter. I say no.

I've recently bartered a part of my fee for a massage therapist to teach me massage techniques for relaxation. It's not a strength of mine and I learn through visual & hands- on. I'm hoping to learn enough that I might be able to offer a relaxation session for clients consisting of massage & reiki.

On the other hand, I'm not sure if I'd feel comfortable with her offering me a massage. That is I feel I'm that's supposed to be supporting her through her pregnany & birth. It sort of shifts the dynamics for me. Maybe that's just my hang-up.

IslandDoula · 01-08-2010, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doulafava

Yeah, why don't I eve get tattoo artist clients?!!

Yup, I would happily barter for this as well!

doulafava · 01-08-2010, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brie+3

I'd love to hear your reasoning for saying no? To me I say yes because it could turn into referrals later on.

Well, I'm not into chiropractic and actually don't like to get massages either. I know that makes me the weirdest person in the world, but the idea of disrobing and lying still while an acquaintance rubs my body is, uh, horrifying. I get referrals from referring people to other professionals, ime, not by going to them myself.

I like the idea of asking for instruction though! I will do that the next time we get a barter request from a massage therapist.

-L

doulajamie · 01-08-2010, 05:59 PM

I am going to put in my two cents worth. While working on my degree in Human Services the priniciple of bartering was discussed in several classes, including the ethics course. It is strongly discouraged for Human Service Professionals to barter and here's why:

1. Any discrepany in what is owed to who is going to create a conflict. Even clearly spelled out contracts can fall apart or be misinterpreted.

2. If you do not like or think that the services you bartered for were quality, would you provide a lower quality of service or just no services? We would all like to think we are bigger than this BUT it is a normal reaction to not feeling you were valued or you didn't get what you expected.

3. It is not normally accepted in our current economy to barter for services. It can create challenges for taxes.

While I see the value of bartering,especially in a downturned economy, and the lure of providing services for those who can not pay cash, I can see the cautions that are given above. One example given in the course was that you bartered for housekeeping services. While providing the services, the other party breaks an expensive vase and fails to dust to your standards. If this is not his/her primary profession, he/she may not have insurance to cover the vase and is now indebted to you unless you release the debt. If you release the debt, you may feel that you lost money in the deal and now may not provide the highest quality of services you can. Now think about this in terms of exchanged services and you can see the potential problems. I know that doula standards of practice and code of ethics do not discourage or prohibit the practice of bartering so each doula must make her own best decision. Just thought I'd provide food for thought!

doulafava · 01-08-2010, 06:29 PM

I have had excellent experiences with barter in many areas of my life. For many people it is a normal practice. I say no to things I wouldn't value (like a chiro) and don't have expensive vases

. I love doing anything I can to participate in alternative economies.... do people really report barter as income?