What are offerings?
Offerings are what you can provide to the community of traders in the North Coast Community Exchange (NCCE) so that you can receive what others are providing.
What are Wants?
Wants are the other side of Offerings. You may advertise your Wants or requirements in the same way as you advertise your Offerings.
What services or goods are available?
It’s whatever people in the area wish to offer, some examples could be dog walking, pet sitting, sewing/ knitting, maintenance, gardening, writing, home made bread, home grown vegetables, help with IT, lifts. Take a look at a sample of recent Offerings on the North Coast Community Exchange.
Can I offer both goods and services?
Yes, you can offer goods as well as services. You can offer anything that other traders will accept, the same as if you were trading in the conventional economy. You have even more scope in the NCCE because you can offer the kinds of services that wouldn’t be viable in the regular economy. Examples are companionship, personal assistance, advice, support, training etc.
What if I have nothing to offer?
This is a very common first reaction! Registering with the NCCE will help you realise that you do have things to offer and that you can be useful to others. Whether you are skilled or not, your time, energy or resources will be of value to someone. A few examples are shopping, answering the phone, dog walking, cooking, cleaning, gardening, child care, car lifts, home equipment or tool hire, to name a few. Start by asking yourself what you really enjoy doing, or sit down with a friend and tell each other what you are good at. Take a look at the Inspiration List below to get ideas. You will probably surprise yourself when you begin to think about it!
Can I offer a service and still get paid in Pound Sterling money?
Yes, you can advertise ‘mixed’ offerings, where you quote part Waves and part Pound Sterling, as long as the Waves part is at least 50% waves (e.g massage: £15 + W25). Traders can quote Waves for the labour and Sterling for parts or materials.
How do I price my offerings?
Before even considering the question of pricing, remember that the Talent Exchange is primarily a platform designed to facilitate exchange. It does not specify which methods of exchange you should use. You may price your offerings in Waves but you can also offer them for barter, for swapping or as a gift, or any combination of the available exchange options.
What if I’ve have received a request that I don’t want to accept?
You don’t have to accept a request for whatever reason. There is no requirement to accept requests.
What if someone doesn’t pay me for work I have done for them?
That is impossible. You – the seller – are responsible for entering or getting entered the transaction information and you will be immediately credited for it.
What if someone takes more from the system than they give back?
Before agreeing to trade with someone you can check their balance. If you see they have made a lot of purchases and are running a large debit, then refuse to trade until their standing has improved.
How can I begin trading without any money in my account?
The Community Exchange does not require that you have anything in your account to begin trading. You can begin by going into debit (not debt). This means your account has a negative balance but unlike with conventional money you do not have to pay interest on it and there is no stigma attached to it (unless it gets large and is never reduced). Your debit simply means that you owe the community goods and services to the value of the debit.
How do I barter, swap or gift my offerings?
Bartering differs from swapping in that offerings for barter are usually non-specific or less specific than those offered for swapping. You might have a 100 bricks left over from a building job, which you could offer by requesting “what offers?” or food. Your barter offering must make it clear that it is open ended and that you are prepared to negotiate with anyone who has something you might want.
A swap is more like an arrangement you have with someone to swap or exchange something specific. You could offer bookkeeping services for medical treatment, for example, or massage for computer lessons. Your swap offering must state explicitly what you wish to swap it for.
A gift offering is something you are offering to anyone who wants it (i.e. it is ‘free’ and you are not expecting anything in return). Your gift offering should specify who would benefit most from receiving your gift. The idea behind gifting is that if there are many gift offerings then eventually there will be something for you. Gifting is a great way to recycle things you no longer want or use. There will always be someone who can make use of your gift offering.
Barter, swap and gift exchanges are not recorded like Talent exchanges. They are ‘outside the system’, so to speak. The NCCE just provides you with a platform for advertising your offerings and requirements.
Can I change my existing offerings and delete old ones?
Yes. Your offerings are fully editable. You can change the title, the description, the price and keywords that help others search for your offerings. You can also hide your offerings if they are not relevant at the present time. Offerings can be deleted if they are no longer relevant.
How long do my offerings last for?
You can determine how long your offerings will display for. You can select anything from one week to one year, which is the longest an offering will remain on the Offerings List without updating. You can also continuously update your offerings so that they remain on the list forever. Updating also ‘refreshes’ your offerings, bringing them to the top of the list where most people will see them.
Can I have pictures of my offerings?
Yes. When you access your account you can add additional offerings and upload pictures at the same time. Pictures can replace many words and draw attention to your offerings.
Use the list below to get some idea of what you can offer. This is not a complete list; it is just meant to provide some inspiration. Also, have a look at what others are offering once you have access to your account.
| Services | Assistance | Goods |
| Painting Handyman services Plastering, tiling Electrical repairs Car washing & cleaning Car repairs Bicycle repairs Photocopying Photography Printing Carpentry Heating, cooling Information searching Secretarial services Plumbing Gardening House sitting Writing, editing, proofreading Disc jockey Event organising Window cleaning Laundry Sewing Knitting Cooking, baking General labour Graphic design Web sites Programming Health care Therapies Medical services |
Answering the phone Shopping for others Child care/babysitting Frail care Dog walking Pet feeding/sitting Fetching/posting mail Delivering/collecting parcels/letters Writing letters Reading stories, storytelling Car lifts Fetching/taking children to school |
Bicycles Clothing Shoes Tools Furniture Curtains, carpets, cushions Magazines Books Toys, dolls etc. Bedding Electrical appliances Computers and peripherals Paintings Garage junk! Jewellery Electronic gadgets CDs Software Kitchen utensils |
| Hiring/renting | Food | Advice & Tuition |
| Workshop tools Garden tools & equipment Your computer Camping equipment Sports equipment Swimming/diving gear Musical equipment Event venues Accommodation Video equipment Garage Marquee Bed/bedding Truck, car Bicycle |
Breads Cakes, buscuits, buns etc. Cooked meals Frozen meals Preserves, pickles, jams Pies, quiches, tarts Garden vegetables Drinks Herbs & spices Fruit Snacks Salads Eggs Meat Cereals |
Parental advice Relationship advice Bicycle riding Surfing Singing Musical instruments Gardening advice Colour and style advice Legal advice Energy saving Extra lessons Dancing Public speaking Art, drawing Crafts |