How do I join
Well, that's usually the second question! The first is, 'what will it cost me'What will it cost?
Joining Barter with Bart is free. That's probably what you wanted to hear. However, we can't run this system for nothing! So we make a small commission charge each time someone 'pays out' Barts in a transaction, in the same way that all the big sites, like eBay do. Only much smaller
All negotiation within the system is done in Barts. This is our local currency. 1 Bart is roughly worth 1 Euro, which makes life simpler
So let's see an example
Member A does a bit of gardening. Member B wants their large lawn cutting. They come to an arrangement that the price for the job will be 20 Barts. At this point, a commission charge of 2.5% is raised, assuming the value of 1 Bart=1 Euro. That's just 50 centimos, and isn't going to break the bank!
Once the price is agreed, Member B has their balance of Barts reduced. But the Barts are not transferred to Member A until both parties are agreed that the job is complete.
When the Barts are transferred, Member A is free to use their Barts to get someone to do something for them, or perhaps to buy something.
Bart Accounts and Commissions
The complication is when you are trying to get started. Let's assume that it was Member Bs first transaction. Where did the Barts come from, to pay Member A? Where did the 50 centimos come from to pay commission?
One of the reasons for the recession which began in late 2008, was the lack of credit, sometimes known as the credit crunch. If you don't have money in the first place, it's difficult to get started. So Barter with Bart will allow you to run an overdraft on your Bart account. Of course, Member B agreed to do something for someone else, in return for having their lawn mowed. So when they get around to doing something, they will get some Barts themselves, and reduce, or clear, their Bart Overdraft. If they clear their overdraft, they will be able to get employ someone else to do something for them.
And the commission? Well, we can't ask for 50 centimos every time you make a transaction, that would waste everyones time, and the bank charges would kill it. So, just like a Pay As You Go mobile phone, you pay your commission in advance. Pay whatever you want, minimum of just 5 Euros. On a mobile phone, when your credit is gone, you can't contact anyone, but they can contact you. Same here!
And, did you notice? Member A didn't even need to pay any commission in advance. They offered their skills, someone contacted them. They couldn't contact anyone, as they had no commission deposit, but others can contact them. So they joined, proved that it worked by offering their skills, for free. Of course, to spend their Barts, they would need to pay some commission, but by that time, they know that the system works!
In order to join Barter with Bart you must do the following things:
- Read, agree to and sign the Members Agreement. This is a legally binding agreement and is enforcable in law. Read it carefully.
- Offer at least one skill in the Members Directory to other members. Think about what you love doing, not just what you do to earn money. The local currency economies are far more varied, creative and stress-free than conventional money. Have fun.
Still have questions?