I like the idea of bartering in concept. It can work nicely in small, tight-knit communities, and between solopreneurs who already know and trust each other. I once bartered my skills at writing and circulating a health and safety newsletter for a independent day care center for a reduced fee for my child's tuition there. On the woo-woo side of life, I've traded astrology readings for lucid dreaming readings. But I've also given services to others then had them postpone their return on the deal to the point where it was no longer useful to me.
As a sole proprietor business for many years, I learned that it is NEVER advantageous to provide free service when the "barter" is supposedly free advertising in exchange. In this realm, you really do get what you pay for!
But there are other downsides, as have already been mentioned. The barter needs to be mutually beneficial, and should be provided within a specified time period. Claiming a bartered service months or years later is a fast route to resentment and conflict. Bartering services for products is usually problematic for the product provider in terms of inventory replacement cost. There's the potential for an accounting nightmare for sole proprietor businesses.
And it's my understanding that the government considers bartering as income, expecting you to pay taxes on the value of the barter. If you usually get $100 an hour for some service and you give 4 hours of service in exchange for a service or product from someone else, you are technically liable for tax on that $400 equivalent.
My 2 cents 😉
