The following is a story about using Simbi to its fullest, written by Ashley Reed, a member based in Fort Wayne, IN. A writer and artist, Ashley has her own blog called Warrior Goddess Shenanigans. She hopes to one day be a published author. Ashley joined Simbi because she believes Simbi lets us access services that would “otherwise be unaffordable.”
I first discovered Simbi from a Facebook post. I must admit, I was a bit skeptical at first – it seemed too good to be true. But after doing some research and reading the comments, I joined shortly after. I was inspired to become a member because it fits so well with the lifestyle I want facilitated in this world. Bartering is one of those things that I feel ‘homesick’ for, even though I have never experienced it myself. I belong to a group of people who want to create a community based on this type of system – living ‘green’ and all natural, etc. However, I see now that I don’t need to confine myself to a small community that only exists between my friends and I. With this new, modern avenue of exchanging, we have the power to change the economy, and in turn, the world. Surely, we can’t eliminate our electric or gas bills, but we can eliminate spending money that we don’t have on things that our souls don’t need. Together, we can create communities based on trust and comradery. We can make our communities more ‘close knit’, no matter how big our areas are.
For example, I have been very surprised to find how friendly people are here. The people that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting on Simbi have all been very helpful and kind. Here, it’s easy to find people with big hearts who just want to help make the world a better place. I’ve even formed one or two real friendships on Simbi! It’s a way to bring individuals together and form lasting bonds. When I posted a request asking to learn about the world views of America, I had several people message me within the first hour of my posting. I had many eye-opening conversations with a lot of wonderful people. Unfortunately, Simbi is still very new in my area, so I’m still waiting for more people to join near me. But even though my local group is rather small, I do believe this will change soon. A lot of my friends spend so much time at work desperately trying to make sure that their bills are all paid on time that they don’t really have time for anything else. Personally, I think Simbi can help fix a lot of our financial struggles. It won’t make our bills disappear, but it can improve your quality of life. Overall, I think most of my friends would join if they actually had the time.
My goal is to make Simbi even more personal—something like a widespread farmers market. I understand that there are already many people meeting face-to-face, but I’d like for this to happen more often. As stated previously, Simbi has the power to help create a whole new economy, but it can’t do that without its current members and more members coming together. I think potential members are sometimes thrown off—how can something this good be free? I know there are tons of talented people out there who can’t afford to explore and sharpen those talents. With Simbi, you can find someone who can help you achieve this. All you have to do is be willing to offer some services that you *are* good at, even if it’s being a listening ear or offering gaming advice! Simbi can change your life if you give it the chance!
Tips for new Simbi members!
Don’t Combine Services
Please pay close attention when offering your services! Post each one separately! I’ve seen quite a few combined services, and it makes it really confusing. I’ll use my own services as an example here. My services are as follows: Oracle Card Reading, Dream Interpretation, Story Sounding Board, Someone to Talk to, and Date Attire Advice. If I put more than one of those on a single service listing, they would get jumbled and confusing. I probably wouldn’t get many deals because it would be confusing to see something like ‘Date Attire Advice, Dream Interpretation’. Which one am I offering? Is it all one service? Separate the two and explain them both thoroughly.
Leave Reviews
Always, always, ALWAYS leave reviews, even you were the one who PROVIDED the service! People look at the reviews of the person offering a service, and if you provided them a service, your name and service show in that review. That gives you more publicity. More eyes will see you, and you will get more deals!
Reply prompty
Always be prompt when replying to people. If your response rate is low, less people will want to make deals with you. Always be polite in your dealings. People will leave you reviews and you want them to be good.
Help Simbi Grow
Invite your friends to join, even if that means posting on Facebook. Post your referral link wherever you can! Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit, wherever! The more the merrier. Let’s make this a worldwide movement for economic change!
Simbi’s future is a bright one. We have the potential to make people feel passionate about their lives again. Being able to connect with people willing to teach and pull each other up – make each other better – it’s empowering! Hope is very much needed in today’s world filled will doom and gloom on the news. Together, we can make this a better place for all of us! Let’s not just focus on the past. Let’s embrace our differences and learn from each other, understand each other. Together, we can bring about peace, love, harmony, and hope.
I am in love with the idea of Simbi! It’s always been my dream to bring people together, and it’s finally happening! This is a true gift, and we should definitely utilize it to its fullest! The future is bright for all of us! There is hope for all of us! And Simbi is the trailblazer to show us that this can be done! Thank you so much, Simbi Team! I believe the potential of this community is far greater than we can even comprehend!
Simbiotic Stories are real anecdotes told by you and other Simbi community members. Tell us about your Simbi deals and experiences with other members. If your story is published, we’ll credit your account with 150 simbi. Submit your entries by starting a conversation with us via this link.
Great post Ashley! I love how inspiring it is and the great tips you have for new (and even longer active) members! It’s great to see that you’re loving Simbi as much as I do! 🙂