Why NOT to Barter Your Services With Colleagues [PPP #112]

In this episode of the Profitable Practice Podcast, I discuss my experience of getting burned by a service trading arrangement with another practitioner. Since then, I believe to barter your services with colleagues as a healthcare professional is bad business.

Bartering services with colleagues is bad business, in my experience.

 

One of the reasons I create this podcast, is that I wish someone could have pulled me aside when I was just getting started in practice and guided me through some common mistakes.

In this episode, I answer a question asked by a MAXIMize Your Clinic student in our private Facebook group:

Hi Andrea, I have a question about exchanging services vs. getting paid. I met a physiotherapist who would like to see me for nutrition and I would like to see her for help to rehab my shoulder and I gave her the option of charging for services or doing an exchange. She is willing to do either and I am weighing the options. I am not sure how to arrange an exchange to make it equal (for example if it takes me 4 hours to work on a protocol for her vs one session with her is 30-45 minutes. Thanks in advance!

So, if her question resonates with you at all, you're going to want to listen to my answer in this episode:

 

[spp-player]

 

In This Episode:

• [0:45] Start/Introduce topic
• [1:31] What a time exchange proposal typically looks like... and why it's not in anyone's best interest.
• [2:32] Learn from Andrea’s experience trading services with a colleague that left her with a large and unexpected bill.
• [3:58] What about exchanging your time for referrals?
• [6:46] What about when it’s an exchange of time over coffee to “build your network”?

After you’ve listened to the episode, I would love to hear your thoughts:

 

• What experience have you had bartering services with a colleague?
• Do you have a personal policy that differs from the one I came up with?

One of the best parts of any episode is getting to discuss the topic with you. Everyone gets to learn so much from sharing.

Thank you for listening and learning with me on the podcast again this week. Your commitment to learning the business aspect of your practice matters... Not only to you, but to your future patients and practitioners who want to be working with you. You were meant to build something great, so let's get to work. 

PS. Wondering where to sign up for that free 30 Min Practice Strategy Call with me? Here is the link to my calendar - just sign yourself up!

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