Let’s Swap

I bartered with a customer whose husband was a sign maker when I was moving to a new location. He made a great sign and installed it. It was a total win-win as far as I was concerned. – MINDY BORREGO, Mindy fingers, Granby, Conn.

I have bartered for patio furniture, a starter for my car, air conditioning work, attorney’s fees, and hair services. I even bartered for bush hogging [a large lawnmower attached to a tractor] my yard after my riding lawn mower broke! – GENIE WEBBER, The Nail Room in Hair Therapy & Spa, Wetumpka, Ala.

I met a woman who goes to your house to do private yoga sessions, so I traded her manis and pedis to come to the shop once a week. I would close the shop for an hour and we’d all do yoga. It was great! – MICHELLE PHOENIX, Wet Paint Nail Spa, Cambridge, Mass.

I have bartered with my dentist’s wife for dental procedures. I’ve also bartered for personal training, massages, facials, pedicures, laser procedures, haircuts, and photographs. – RITA HORVATH, Nailcare by Rita, Boca Raton, Fla.

I barter with a client who is an artist. She creates wonderful welded sculptures. She had made me five 6-ft.-tall sun flowers.  –MARSHA RUBINO, Gimme Nails, Kalispell, Mont.

I’ve bartered with a client for an appraisal on my house, for wall treatments for my home, and for bookkeeping services.  – DEBRA WATTERS, Styles, Lodi, Calif.

I’ve cleaned the salon when I didn’t make enough to pay my booth rent.   – KATIE GRIMMETT, A Grand Illusion Salon and Spa, Everett, Wash.

I’ve bartered for many things from hair services to clothes, but the most unusual so far was carpet for my house. I got a great deal and my client helped me out in the delivery as well. I’m currently trying to barter for some French lessons.  – MELISSA QUINTON, Creative Ends, Victoria, B.C, Canada

I had all the wiring in my tanning salon done by an electrician in exchange for free tanning. In exchange for nail services I’ve had my house and salon cleaned, got a new fax machine, had my grass cut, got tune-ups for my car, had my SUV detailed, had three horses’ hooves done, and got tickets for George Strait. I even got an EKG. I’ve bartered services for travel as well. I got a one-week stay in Orlando and Hilton Head, and a weekend at a ski resort. – BARBARA LAURENCE, A Place For Nails, Summerville S.C.

My CPA is a client and we barter my annual tax reporting services for nail services. Every year in March, I start keeping track of her services until I work off her fees. When bartering, I post my usual work ticket to my accounting program, but rather than the offset being a payment of cash, check, or credit card, I post to an account called “professional courtesy.” My accountant is able to decide if I can write off all the items or not, and I stay square with the IRS! – KAREN HODGES, Morning Glory Nails & Skin Therapy, Key West, Fla.

I have bartered for a canopy for my deck, a twin sleigh bed for my daughter, and a dining room set. – BONNIE BRENNAN, New Look Salon, Swoyersville, Pa.