If you are someone who values efficiency and practicality but also human connection and community, then you should consider joining or creating a bartering community. Bartering communities are groups of people that operate outside of the traditional economic system, defining value on their own terms. Although bartering is currently an alternative to our monetary system, it has the potential to be more efficient and rewarding when executed correctly. This post is a step-by-step guide for creating a compassionate, efficient bartering community.
Step 1 - Define your vision and values
Take time to reflect on what aspects of community are most important to you. It’s a good idea to have clearly defined values and missions to keep your community focused and intentional. In the context of creating a bartering community, it is important that you consider the needs of individuals and how these needs can be met by the larger community. Although each bartering community will look a little different, here are some common values that can help form a foundation for your vision…
Efficiency & Sustainability
Compassion & Respect
Trust & Integrity
Inclusivity & CollaborationÂ
Fairness & Transparency
Adaptability & Practicality
These are just a few concepts that can help guide a community during its foundational stages as well as much later on. Once you have a clear idea of what you want your community to look like, you’ll need to find people to join you.
Step 2 - Identify potential community members
Find people who have similar goals and values to join your bartering community. Make contact with them to open a simple dialogue about what it is that you are both looking for. Of course, not everyone will be a good fit, but everyone has the potential to be an asset so remember to stay open minded and perceptive when meeting new people.
Step 3 - Set up methods of communication
Once you are in contact with some people who are interested in being part of your community, you’ll need to set up methods of communication in order to organize and optimize your community. Consider using a platform like Alset to interact with your local community. Easy, safe communication is key to building a confident community.
Step 4 - Establish guidelines
Although bartering communities typically exist away from most regulations, it is a good idea to explicitly state any rules or guidelines for community members. If an issue arises, it can be helpful to have the established guidelines to reference when determining how to handle the situation. Use your values and goals to help shape your community guidelines.
Step 5 - Host events and facilitate collaborations
Once you have some community members and a reliable method of communication, you can start working on optimizing your community. Look for ways that your community can help itself grow. Connect new community members with experienced ones, host networking or bartering events where people can interact in a group setting and collaborate with other organizations when it is relevant. Remember to be perceptive to the wants and needs of the community as a whole, as well as the individuals.
Step 6 - Promote and Educate
As you start to feel confident in the direction of your community, you will want to promote it so that it can grow. Having substantial numbers of community members is an important aspect of creating a sustainable community. Educate people about the values of your community so that they don’t only join themselves but encourage others to join as well.Â
Step 7 - Evaluate and Adapt
Your community will change as time goes by. This is normal and if you want your community to be sustainable, you will have to embrace these changes. Always consider new ways that your community might be able to become more efficient or better embody compassion. If your community is founded on strong, righteous principles, it will not only be able to survive the changes but also be able to grow from them.
As human beings, it is important that we connect with the people around us. Being part of a bartering community is one way that people can have close interactions with their community members while also engaging in practical transactions. If you are looking to cultivate this type of community around you, join the Alset Community and learn about bartering!
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This post was written by Rc Diedrich. You can contact him at rcdiedrich@gmail.com.