Pamela Beers writes:

I wrote five daily columns for a friend to market her business and received a tuition waiver for three SEO courses at local college. Barter and trade works out well providing both parties feel they are getting their fair share of the deal. And that needs to be discussed openly up front.

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Rascal writes:

Hey Chris :)

WOW! You continue to come up with ways to assist us ~your authors & blog readers ~ with more ways to assist us. Thanks!

As I was recently ~ this last week in fact ~ “Cured” of MS (Multiple Sclerosis), I’ve decided to put in a garden. Now, I think that I will find a gardener or landscaper with a website who would enjoy exchanging their services for mine :) LOL

Rascal:))

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Rascal writes:

I only realized after submittng my previous comment, Chris, that I should have mentioned that I have only just changed my name and http://MilesBooks.com website to relect my new name, Rascal, also this last week.

EzineArticles readers can find my EzineArticles by looking for them as written by author Russ Miles. By now, I should have a new one published about HOW and WHY my “Real” name was revealed to me.

Another article is in progress as to HOW I Was “Cured” of MS. I was working on it ~ in “The wee hours” ~ when I decided to take a refreshing break to enjoy reading your blog.

Glad that I did :)

Rascal :))

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Lance Winslow writes:

Great idea but also be careful because that is considered “Buzz Marketing” and the FTC Federal Trade Commission has a big problem with it you will recall last year sometime when a couple of companies had to pay a big fine. So, you may wish to review those cases and also be upfront in your writing about the bartering transaction. Similar laws exist at the SEC to prevent people from using the media to hype stocks that they own so they go up and the people can sell them at a profit. I think you may need to be careful about this stuff. There are so many laws often people inadvertantly break them unknowingly doing something that seems like a perfectly honest idea. The Federal Government way over regulates business in this country and it is really too bad, because they hurt all the good people while those who really break the law do not care anyway

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Christopher M. Knight writes:

Rascal,

I would never have the patience to grow crops in a garden, but if I did… I would plant Raspberries, Rhubarb and Radishes.

For those who want to read the Russ to Rascal article:
http://ezinearticles.com/?A-Rainbow-Reminder-Series-Article:-God-Revealed-My-Real-Name—Rascal&id=196149

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Ed Howes writes:

Long Live Fair Trade! So many great ideas have escaped my attention I NEED this blog. Thanks for provoding it. “Give us this day our daily bread and helpful information. Amen.” I look forward to Rascal’s article on his MS cure. I have always found the medical establishment’s discounting the value of anecdotal evidence as ignorant and counter productive and imagine someone has already created a website or more about How I Beat (fill in the blank). The future is all about collecting and organizing all this scattered information. Google will never do it all. :-)

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Matthew C. Keegan writes:

A great idea! However, as previously mentioned in one of the comments, bartering can bring the wrath of tax officials if you are not careful.

On the other hand, you could offer each other a huge discount. Sure, this is cutting close to the edge, but it basically means that you are giving to them your cut rate price as they are for you.

Innovative thinking, all of this!

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doreen gayer writes:

I never thought about bartering articlea for goods or services. What a fantastic idea! I will try it.

Thanks

http://www.earthlydreamcandles.com

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Lance Winslow writes:

To further clarify my comments about being careful about bartering. There are ways to disclose that you have a relationship with the company.

I wrote this article on the subject; http://www.EzineArticles.com/?Bartering-for-Writing-Articles&id=199533

The best way to disclose your bartering in article writing, would be to disclose in your Byline; Professional Writer or Public Relations or “likes to write about the companies she does business with” or such.

Or somewhere in the article describe that you simply loved the sample that the company had provided for the article and “I am keeping it too” or something of this nature. Or, you might disclose the company gave me some coupons, I went there and feel in love with the service and products. You can either work this into the article or allow it to be understood in your byline that you are in the business of public relations some how. Since Ezine allows for mulitple bylines, create a new one carefully worded for you bartering and then the sky is the limit. Just stay away from “BUZZ Marketing” tactics as the FTC considers them to be deceptive and in a way they really are. The person who reads the article has the right to know of your motives. Indeed you will see many of the Home Improvement TV Shows will use products donated for the show and they always disclose it. You can do the same thing without taking away from the article and you really should be thinking here. Stay above board as it is the best for all concerned. There is a write way and a wrong way. Consider this in 2006.

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Rascal writes:

I was delighted how different this comment was from your published article, Lance :) You know not only WHAT to say, but WHERE to say it…LOL

~Rubit “Where it Rings Right”~

Rascal:))

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Jeanette Fisher writes:

I don’t know why I never saw all this response until today!

Thank you Lance for your gentle warnings.

I should have made it clear to Chris that I was not writing about the stone sinks. I write about bathroom and kitchen remodeling for content. The articles the company uses cover only interior design and home makeover ideas. They wanted more on their website than just ads for their products.

Back to writing about bamboo flooring. You won’t believe what we found out AFTER half of the installation.

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Tamara writes:

Jeanette,

We would like to speak to you about products we have for your kitchen remodel, and are interested in working out something similar. Thank you.

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