Do you barter your services with other professionals? If so, you need to know that bartering is bad business. It may seem like a great idea, especially if you are uncertain or anxious about setting fees and asking for money. But you need to put on your big girl pants and stop giving your services away for free! 

Here are the top 3 ways bartering doesn’t work: 

You can’t compare apples to oranges. If you are an advisor who agrees to do your massage therapist’s financial plan in exchange for free bodywork, you are trying to compare apples to oranges. Your expertise and the time needed to create a plan usually cost a minimum of $2500. Most massage therapists charge $90-120 per treatment. Before you email me and tell me I am anti-massage, I love getting them and believe in holistic treatments. I just don’t think that if you sell apples you should take oranges for payment. 

Offering your services for free is a slippery slope. Many people that barter are new to business and just want to help. These women tend to be heart-centered with nurturer money archetypes. Truly caring about your clients is great, but offering your service for free is a slippery slope. You start with one barter, then another, and next thing you know your profits don’t support business growth. This can lead to resentment and frustration which is why many of these barter agreements ultimately blow up. 

You are perpetuating money silence. Professional women get a lot of mixed messages around asking for money. You need to be financially empowered, but be a team player that will volunteer your services. You should ask for a raise, but be careful how you do it so you aren’t called a “bitch”. Whatever message you are honoring by not charging for your services, know that bartering is perpetuating our society’s money silence and it is time to rethink your logic. Women need to practice paying other women for their expertise. It’s the only way we are going to bust through the money talk taboo and show the world that we deserve to earn what men do for our work. 

If you are bartering, stop. Yes, go cold turkey and see what thoughts and feelings come up. My guess is you will discover something important about your relationship with money and how you value your expertise. If so, that is the work you need to do to take your business to the next level and get compensated for your true value. 

Need help with your pricing structure and letting go of barter arrangements? Let’s talk. Click here to set up a free 30-minute discovery call.