Symbiotic Reciprocal Services on Simbi

As I was searching for a way to trade services or barter with those in my community, I found a site called Simbi.

The name is a reference to Symbiotic Relationships:

Symbiotic relationships are a special type of interaction between species. Sometimes beneficial, sometimes harmful, these relationships are essential to many organisms and ecosystems, and they provide a balance that can only be achieved by working together. – Sarah Friedl

Here is their video:

From the Simbi Website:

Choose from over 100,000 services
On Simbi, you can exchange services with other members or offer to “pay” them for their time using your credits

Offer what you love
By offering services that bring you joy, our community gives you the opportunity to share your hobbies, skills, and talents in a whole new way.

Find symbiosis!
Members get to start conversations and propose exchanges. Don’t want their service? Ask to be paid in simbi “” and choose another service you want later. Every deal is a win-win!

So I decided to search for my original need, guitar lessons in exchange for something I am good at. I chose the third listing on my screen because the user was in my time zone.

In the section where she is looking for services she lists, music & audio, and Art & Design. Because I can offer art and design help I would now be able to trade my time for her time and no money would exchange hands.

 

So what services could I trade for something in my area that would help out my wife?

After a quick search in my zip code, I find Chip who is a licensed massage therapist and lives not far from me.

Just like Tehila, Chip is also looking for Art and Design services. So in both cases, I could do something in my spare time to trade for something I want to have or learn.

A while back, I was a member of Paperbackswap.com where I would frequently get a rather nice book for about a dollar and a book I was done with. I liked this because paying full price for books doesn’t work well for me and borrowing books to read for leisure from the library almost always results in renewing twice and then paying fines when I don’t have it back on time.

Now there is a way to trade exactly what I am good at for exactly what another person is good at. Wish me luck. I will write another blog post as a follow up after I give it a try.

If you join with this link, I get some credit on Simbi.