Barter in Northeast Wisconsin

Will increased bartering in northeast Wisconsin make the region a better place to live? For some people, the answer is a resounding yes!

My research on the topic of barter is just beginning. From the small amount of reading done so far, it appears some people make barter a regular way of life. They even use barter for things such as travel, hotel rooms and meals at restaurants.

One reason increased bartering will make northeast Wisconsin a better place to live is it allows people to get more value for their time and money. Another reason is it can help you build strong new personal relationships throughout the region. An improvement in the quality of life is at least as important as the money you can save.

There are large, international, commercialized barter systems available to people living in northeast Wisconsin, such as International Monetary Systems (IMS), which recently changed its name from Continental Trade Exchange. They are headquartered in New Berlin, Wisconsin, and I'm considering taking a trip down to the Milwaukee area to talk with some people at the company.

However, another barter system seems like it might have benefits not available through a large organization such as IMS. Those benefits are strong relationships and a widespread regional network that could be come from a smaller barter system designed primarily to connect people and businesses in northeast Wisconsin.

There may already be significant opportunities to be involved in barter in northeast Wisconsin. I will continue to talk with people to locate barter opportunities that are already established. But if there is no regional barter system, it could be fun working with other like-minded folks to establish one.

The main problem I see with barter is making sure everyone involved in the barter deals gets fair value for their contribution to the system. The main benefit to finding an established barter system you like is that those problems will (if you're lucky) already be solved or at least minimized.

If you are interested in or active in regional barter, or know of people and businesses interested in barter in northeast Wisconsin, please contact me.

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