Have you seen our new look?

Dibspacer Brandi Pierce of aShadow Design created it for us to make the site more user-friendly and to enable us to feature the latest and greatest offers.

Without going into too much detail, let me just say, Brandi is brilliant – both at design and user experience. She has also done great work for other members such as Handy Admin and 5-Star Horsemanship.

And she has some new offers up so if you’re in need of outstanding design, I highly recommend you contact her immediately.

Have a look at the new design and let me know what you think.

Update: Dibspace is back up!

Now that was exciting. I’ve never been at the center of a collapsing cloud.

Amazon seems to have fixed most of the core problems but it seems they’re still on shaky ground.

Amazon’s cloud collapse looks better in day 2, but problems continue

Uh OH! Dibspace is currently down

Amazon Web Services – our internet host – is experiencing a major outage which has websites down across the country: Amazon EC2 outage downs Reddit, Quora

It’s likely the problem will be fixed by the end of the day but so far there are no concrete estimates.

Sorry for the inconvenience!

Dibspace Top 10: Tami Aidlin – Rasterize.Us

Next up in the Dibspace Top 10 is Tami Aidlin, owner of web design company Rasterize.us.

Tami specializes in websites for small businesses and when you see her portfolio you’ll see exactly why she’s at the top. Simply put, she’s exceptionally good at what she does.

Over the years I’ve worked with many, many hundreds of small businesses and seen many hundreds of small business websites, and I can tell you that her work is some of the best I’ve seen.

If you’re not in thoroughly in love with your current website, you really should just call Tami this very instant and get yourself a website that can take your business to the next level.

You may have a bit of a wait though because, partly due to Dibspace but mostly due to her own talent, her business is in high demand:

“Dibspace has helped my business grow so much that I sometimes have clients lining up to hire me! I have had the pleasure of doing some great projects with some very talented people, while expanding my clientele and portfolio.

“My experience with Dibspace has been awesome!  It’s so fun to spend Dibits on things I have a hard time spending cash on, like, housecleaning, massage and acupuncture.  My favorite experiences were finding an electrician, someone to repair my furnace and a GREAT face-painter for my daughter’s birthday party. While I didn’t know anyone that could provide these services, having a resource like Dibspace allowed me to take care of projects at a reduced cost.”

- Tami Aidlin, Rasterize.us

Dibspace Top 10: Susan Cook, LMP

Congratulations to Susan Cook, LMP for reaching the heights of the Dibspace Top 10.

To recap, that means she’s earned more 5-Star reviews than just about anybody in the history of Dibspace -  33 perfect 5-Star reviews, to be precise.

Finding the massage therapist who’s right for you can be challenging, but given how her clients rave about her, you can probably just end your search right now.

See for yourself what her clients say:

“Wonderful”
“This woman is magic!”
“I melted into the table.”
“I felt so good after my massage, and for the next few days.”
“Her technique is superb and she is a really fine human being”
“Susan is wonderfully gifted.”
“I’ve been to several massage therapists over the years, and she is definitely one of the best I’ve been to.”

And here’s what Susan has to say about the site that helped connect her with all those clients:

Dibspace has been great for my business. I am a small sole-proprietor with a business that works best with one-on-one referrals. Dibspace has been like a neighborhood or village fair for me.  Posting offers and dibbing the services that others have posted has enabled me get to know other small businesses and business owners in my area. Dibspace helps me meet their needs, and helps me receive services I need, while helping me market myself without impacting my cash budget.

Susan seems pretty busy these days so don’t delay in booking that appointment – and pretty soon you’ll be one happy customer.

Dibspace Top 10: Maria the Retoucher

Maria Esztergalyos – AKA Maria the Retoucher – has been with Dibspace since we just a 2-month-old startup and in that time she’s earned a total of 20 5-Star reviews!

Mightily impressive.

But more impressive is her professional portfolio.

Currently she’s fine tuning photos for celebrity, fashion, beauty, jewelry, advertising, editorial and promotional projects and working with fantastic photographers such as Andrew Stiles, Wendy Hope, Ken Dolin, Adam Hendershott, Michelle Moore Jose Mandojana and Chris Fortuna.

Here’s what she had to say about her work through Dibspace:

My experience on Dibspace has been fantastic! I’ve been able to work with and meet some incredibly talented people. Dibspace has also allowed me to work on many fun, creative projects not only using my photo retouching skills, but also my graphic design skills.

It’s great earning Dibits and using them for very important business purchases, such as my gorgeous website and also for fun purchases, such as housecleaning, food, haircuts, office organization, clothing and massage.
Maria Esztergalyos, Maria the Retoucher

Way to build a business!

Having worked with Maria on a Dibspace project, I can tell you that not only is she exceptionally talented but she’s also great to work with. The project went off perfectly and came out beautifully.

Who are the Top 10 Dibspace members of all time?

A couple of weeks ago I decided to find out who are the Top 10 Highest Rated Dibspace Members of all Time.

That is, in our two years of existence and of the thousands of transactions conducted on the site, who has consistently, time and time again, made their customers very, very happy and earned the very most full 5-Star reviews?

The results are in and to kick things off, I’m starting with Kay Rynerson of Crow’s Wing Spa.

Kay has certainly been one of our most active members, and it shows. With 26 5-Star reviews, Kay is the solidly in the top ranks.

And that’s just the reviewed transactions. Just imagine how many more happy customers there are out there. So if you’re looking for a truly wonderful spa experience, you know exactly where to go.

And what is she spending all those Dibits on? According to Kay:

“I’ve saved thousands of dollars by using Dibits to have events catered, organize my office, provide a wedding planner and flowers for my daughter’s nuptials, get massage and acupuncture, wear a Halloween costume created by a professional designer, computer expertise, graphic arts services, window cleaning and more.”

But beyond making customers happy and getting lots of great stuff, what has been the impact on her business beyond Dibspace…

“My Dibspace videographer’s YouTube production and my Dibspace social media specialist’s efforts made our spa so popular that we are now booked out for weeks, some days with waiting lists!“

That’s a common story among the most active members: Dibspace helps you build your business and referral base and pretty soon customers are coming at you from all corners.

Now we can’t take all the credit for their success, but we’re happy we could help.

For updates and features on the complete Top 10 check back with the Dibspace Blog or follow us on Facebook.

Dibspace – The Private Currency for Small Businesses

I just finished creating a short presentation about how Dibspace works.  I’d love your feedback – especially on the main theme of Dibspace as a private currency.

Since we first launched we’ve talked about the site as a form of barter which really isn’t technically accurate since our members aren’t doing one-to-one trades.

In fact, I created Dibspace because, as a small business owner myself, I found old-timey barter to be so inefficient that it often just wasn’t worth doing. And pretty much every other business owner I knew felt the same.

I wanted to create something better; to give small businesses a way to trade with each other that was as easy as cash – thus the private currency, the Dibit.

As a private currency for small businesses, Dibspace makes it possible for us to come together as a mutually-supportive community, trade valuable resources and help each others’ businesses grow.

Thoughts? Feel free to post a comment or email me at dominic@dibspace.com.

Member Interview: Jessica Breznau – Southside Booty Camp

Dominic: Southside Booty Camp seems like it’s doing really well. Congratulations! Could you say a little bit on what it’s about and how it works?

Jessica: Southside Booty Camp is an outdoor fitness program for women in the Seattle Parks (with 3 months indoors during the winter season). We are community based and holistic in our approach,  incorporating many modalities and catering to a range of fitness levels.  We build strength and cardiovascular health, increase balance and flexibility, in a very supportive setting. 

It runs 4 days a week, Mondays-Thursdays, in 4 locations in the mornings:  Ravenna (our brand new location), Seward, Lincoln and Volunteer Parks.  Every day is different and we focus on different muscle groups on certain days of the week.  We also organize yoga classes, free nutrition classes and monthly “extracurricular” community outings for campers and guests such as hikes, trail runs and learning the Thriller dance!

Dominic: You’ve been with Dibspace for quite a while. How have you used it to help your business grow?
Jessica: I have had several great clients come in to camp through Dibspace.  Recently, Naomi Bishop, owner of Socialize Me,  wound up doing my new website which is live now!  I also like to reserve some time for a few personal training sessions on the side and it has been fun to have a few kettlebell clients come in through Dibspace (training with kettlebells is one of my loves and something I don’t get to really utilize much in the camp setting).

Dominic: What are some of your favorite things you’ve spent your Dibits on?
Jessica: Dentistry!  I had $2000 of dental work completed this fall. It was amazing!

Also, I found a SOMA practitioner, Amanda Coleman, who I have been with for over a year now who has changed my life – as in I am an inch taller and have greater mobility now than I have had in 10 years.

Dominic: What advice would you offer to other business owners to help them use Dibspace to the fullest?
Jessica: Get out there and make connections. Attending some of the Dibspace functions is a great way to get your business out there.  This is a community thing so it is just like any other networking in that you need to be persistent, put in some effort, have something people want and a good presentation and make sure to post new offers whenever you’re looking for new clients.

Barter Networking Happy Hour – January 18th!

Join us for Seattle’s BIGGEST and best barter networking event of the year.  Small businesses will be coming from all over the region to talk trade, make new connections and get more business.

Space is limited so RSVP while you can.

 

How to get lots of Dibits Right Now

With nearly 300 great new offers in the last week – almost entirely from Seattle small businesses – I bet you’re wondering how to get enough Dibits to pay for things like that luxurious massage you so deserve, that beautiful new website you need or that professional electrician who can fix that weird and possibly dangerous thing your lights are doing.

Despair not. Immediate gratification is at hand.

Right now, you’ll get 30 Dibits for every business-owning friend you bring to the Dibspace community.

That a whopping 1,000 Dibits for just 34 friends.

And it only takes 10 Minutes to invite your entire network:

Step 1: Go to the Invite Page and copy your personal invite code there on the left side.

Step 2: Paste your link into Facebook and Twitter posts, messages to your Biznik network, blog posts or emails to your professional network.

Step 3: Watch the Dibits pile up as you imagine how much fun it will be to spend it all.

(As an optional step 4 you can browbeat them into signing up, but that’s up to you.)

It’s a beautiful thing

Can I just tell you, I am so happy about the whole offer clearing/renewal thing we just did.  And evidently so is everybody else. In just two days we’ve had over 200 new offers!  And transactions way up too.

Thank you all!

Old offers are outta here!

Last night we successfully scrubbed all offers over 90 days old.

Now when you go to the Offers Board, you can be confident that every offer is fresh and new and good to go.

We also sent out renewal notifications to let members re-up their offer with a click or two.  AND even better, we added a “Reactivate” feature on your My Offers page so you can instantly bring an expired offer back to life.

Have a look –
http://dibspace.com/me/offers
(members only, of course).

Small Business Marketing – The most difficult part made easy

As a small business owner, the biggest challenge you face is just getting new customers to try you out.  Because once they do, you’ll have them hooked and buzzing to their friends, right? (if not then you may have bigger problems.)

Solving this very problem is actually why I created Dibspace in the first place.

As a marketing consultant specializing in small businesses, I saw many hundreds of small/independent businesses struggling to be heard above all the marketing noise and grab attention just long enough to convey how great they are and why someone should give them a shot.

It’s terribly inefficient and takes time away from doing what you love. After all, only marketing consultants go into business to do marketing. Everyone else does it because they have no choice.

Here’s where Dibspace comes in…

Dibspace lets you get back to work by giving you an easy way to trade goods and services with other great businesses.

So rather than spending your valuable time trying to grab a scrap of attention, you’re working for great clients, building your reputation and getting what you need to make your business grow.

If you’re yet a member, take a minute to sign up now and see just how easy it is to trade what you have and get what you need.

And if you are a member - tell your friends. They’ll thank you for it.

Lots of exciting changes here at Dibspace

If you didn’t catch the news, back in October we were acquired by BizXchange – which just so happens to be one of the biggest and best barter exchanges around.  These guys know the barter world inside and out, and I have to say, it’s absolutely amazing just to even have access to their many years of knowledge and experience.

It’s also amazing to go from a scrappy startup to being part of such a sizable and well-run company.  (I’m still getting used to working in an actual office, though, but I kind of like it.)

Anyways, we have many great plans to build and improve the Dibspace experience, but if you have any ideas or suggestions 0f your own, we’d love to hear from you.

Win Luxurious Spa Treatments at Crow’s Wing Spa

I loved Crow’s Wing Spa so much, I wanted to give you a chance to try it for yourself.

Of course, we can’t send all 4,500 members to the spa, so we are holding a good old fashioned raffle!

To throw your name in the virtual hat, just post a new offer between now and next Tuesday.

As the lucky winner you will receive:

Steam and body scrub (one hour)
Take a  steam, then get scrubbed down with fresh, organic, fair trade coffee grounds in a base of yogurt and honey until you glow! Followed by a coconut oil rub to moisturize.

And in case you missed it, here’s a video tour of the spa itself.

Dibspace at the CityClub Innovators Fair

What a whirlwind of a morning.

We were one of five local startups to exhibit at the CityClub Innovators Fair, which was part of their gigantic Gala Luncheon.

It was a great chance to rub elbows with about 500 of Seattle’s most influential people. We didn’t get a shot at joining their panel of the region’s top innovators though (give it a couple of years), but we did make some great contacts.

Alright – back to recruiting new businesses to Dibspace.

Dibit Life: Crow’s Wing Spa

Living on Dibits (the currency of Dibspace) is really opening my world!

I’ve never been much of a spa person, but now I’m HOOKED. Yesterday I spent about two hours at Crow’s Wing Spa in Fremont relaxing in a dry sauna, getting scrubbed, wrapped and massaged. And like a budding addict, I can’t stop thinking about getting my next fix.

One of the things I love about Crow’s Wing is that it’s located in a peaceful residential neighborhood, but when I went inside I was astounded by how much the place had been transformed into a fully-modern, full-services spa!

And Kay Rynerson (the owner) is a master. She’s been doing this for about 20 years and you can really tell.

See for yourself though. Kay usually has a few offers up on Dibspace so visit her profile and see what she has in store for you.

Dibit Life: New House

Dibit Life is off to a roaring start.

For a whole year I’ll be getting everything I need through Dibspace.com and paying for it all with Dibits – the site’s simple barter currency.

To kick things off, I moved into my beautiful new house – rented with Dibits, of course. Throughout the year, I’ll visiting a whole lot of great Dibspace businesses and video blogging about it all.

Truth be told, I’m a little nervous.  As far as I know, nobody has ever attempted to live entirely on a barter currency. And I know there will be rough spots, especially in the beginning stage.

But I’m going to push on through no matter what, because it’s not enough to just SAY you can do great things through Dibspace.  The time has come to SHOW it… in a big way.

And by living through Dibspace, it will give me a chance to bring in countless new businesses to give YOU – our beloved members – more of what you need.

Moving into My New Dibit Home (almost)

Maybe it was the allure of a big beautiful house with a hot tub that made me throw caution to the wind and sign on the dotted line… even though the place isn’t available until the 5th!

Yes, it is WAY too good to pass up – especially since it’s paid for in Dibits. But since I had to clear out of my old apartment on the 1st, I’ve been in limbo; staying with friends until I can fully move into my hot tub – I mean home.

I’ll give you a video tour real soon.

In other news, I’ve been rocking it lining up all the stuff my new landlord wants to spend her Dibits on. More on that as we seal the deals.

Rent for Dibits? Done and over-done!

They said it couldn’t be done, but they didn’t know who they were dealing with.

As of today, I have officially lined up a place to rent for Dibits.  But this isn’t just ANY old place.

This is a 3 bedroom in-city house with a hot tub!

To tell you the truth, I don’t know what I’ll do with all that space. I’ll probably just put all my stuff in one room and pretend it’s a one-bedroom apartment.

Or, maybe I’ll put all my stuff in the hot-tub room and never leave (now that’s an idea!)

Anyways, my new landlord leaped at the opportunity because she already planned to get some work done on her house and she can get most of it through Dibspace, so why the heck not?

Thankfully she needs a few things that aren’t yet on Dibspace because it gives me  a great opportunity to recruit them for her and for YOU!

Day 34: Rawstock Film Festival

Tonight I’m headed to the Rawstock Film Festival at the ACT Theater.

If you act fast you may be able to pick up a few tickets on Dibspace. But if you can’t, I’m sure they’d let you buy some tickets the old fashioned way.

Rawstock is all about independent short films. But we’re not talking any old short films. To be fit for Rawstock, it’s got to be just a wee bit warped if not thoroughly inappropriate.

And tonight they launch “Every Day is a Journey” – a film series where one director picks up where the last one left off. (What a brilliant idea!)

Here’s what they have to say about themselves:

RAWSTOCK: INTERNATIONAL* gets a jump on Seattle’s Festival Season witH a cinematic clusterfest on SIFF Eve, May 19TH. RAWSTOCK is the satiating first-course appetizer to The gluttonous gorge to come. witH The Long anticipated premiere of “Every Day Is A Journey” a six-part cinematic serial told by six distinct local filmmakers. Bookending tHis momentous premiere are films from visionary animator Micheala Olson(Fuzzy Insides) and comedy wunderkind VogHt-Roberts(Lemonade Stand). Capping off the evening is Canadian Grindhouse Tour-de-force “Hobo with a SHotgun”.

Start Time:     Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at 8:00pm
End Time:     Thursday, May 20, 2010 at 2:00am
Location:     ACT Theatre

Day 28: Look’n good

It’s getting down to the wire in my quest to live on nothing but Dibits.

Fortunately I think I might have a place to stay.  Actually I have a few possibilities but I don’t want to start getting all giddy just yet.

Before

In other news…

After

I got myself a fine hair cut – for Dibits, of course.

This was from one of my favorite stylists – Bettina Zaga, owner of Running With Scissors.

Not only does she make me look real good – as you can see in the Before/After

shots – but SHE MAKES HOUSE CALLS.

I love it.  In part because I dread going to salons. I don’t know why but I’d rather be in the dentist’s chair than the barber’s chair.

Even if you’re a big fan of salons though, it’s so incredibly convenient to not have to deal with the travel and the parking and the waiting.

As for what SHE is going to spend her Dibits on – I hear she just hired someone to handle her yardwork and landscaping.

The Silent Killer (dun dun DUNNNNN)

A silent killer stalks your business…

Few businesses know what to call it. Some survive it, many don’t, and most spend their days battling it with every weapon at their disposal.

Economists call it “excess capacity.”

Excess Capacity is the valuable goods and services left over after you’ve loaded up with as many cash-paying customers as you can, traded with other businesses and slacked off enough to maintain your sanity.

Excess capacity can feel like a brick wall -  making it harder to sustain and improve your business, which makes it harder to attract and retain customers.

Now imagine that wall suddenly smashed to bits.

Imagine a fast-paced online marketplace where you quickly turn excess capacity into the things your business needs like branding, advertising, printing, admin support and computer hardware.

That’s exactly what Dibspace does.

As an online marketplace explicitly for excess capacity, Dibspace gives you the upper hand.

Rather than let valuable goods and services sit dangerously idle, businesses get paid for it in Dibits – the currency of Dibspace – then spend those Dibits improving their businesses and their lives.

With Dibspace, your business becomes more efficient, more resilient and ready to grow.

If you’re not already a member, sign up now.  Now only is it FREE, but you get up to 50 Dibits for joining!

Dibspace on KOMO TV

Now THAT was exciting!

I still haven’t gotten used to being on the TV but I think it turned out pretty good.  And it only took 2.5 hours of reporters following me with their cameras!

The best thing about all of this was all the offers that flooded in as a result. I think there were over 100 in just one day.

That might be some kind of record!

This Just in!

More great coverage!

And you know what that means: more members and more stuff to spend your Dibits on!

Hoowah!

Pay rent with virtual currency? Seattle entrepreneur will try

Startup founder one rental away from living on virtual currency

Day 20: Working at Office Nomads

I love Office Nomads!

When you walk in, you might think it’s an ordinary fashionable office with all the traditional workplace accoutrements (printers, WiFi, kitchen, etc).

But THIS is no ordinary office.

Office Nomads is a “co-working” space on Capitol Hill where independent freelancers, consultants, solopreneurs, etc, come together to work, collaborate and generally get business done.

For me, it’s perfect. Most of the time, a cafe is all I need to do what I do. But yesterday I really needed a conference room, white board and WiFi so my Community Manager and I could and hammer out our game plan. So I bought an Office Nomads day pass on Dibspace and headed on over.

It worked out beautifully.  I am so glad these guys exist.

Dibit Life: Day 16: We’re on the CBS Blog!

Twenty-nine days left to set it all up and things are looking good. I’ve had talks with a few apartment owners but nothing set in stone yet. The response has been encouraging but it’s still scary as heck not knowing where you’re going to be living next month.

And now, with the recent post on the CBS News blog, people across the country will be watching to see how this grand experiment plays out. (Yikes)

Have a look. I ain’t gonna lie – talking with Shira Lazar was a bit intimidating but I think it turned out pretty darn good.

While you’re at it, you should check out her blog – the Pop Report. She’s a real badass, that one.

Capitol Hill has its own Currency (Yet another reason to wish you lived here)

As if Capitol Hill didn’t have enough going for it already, we now have the Capitol Hill Seattle Marketplace -  a private Dibit-based marketplace just for the Hill.

So, in effect, it’s like the neighborhood just got its very own community currency.

And because it’s so hyper-local, businesses go all out to give locals great deals. The Marketplace is pretty new but you can already get everything from dry cleaning to ice cream to bar tab.

All of which is a godsend for me since in about 30 days I’ll be living entirely on Dibits.

Now, if you’ve never used any of the 200 community currencies in this great land of ours, you might not realize just how exciting this is.

With the Capitol Hill Seattle Marketplace, local businesses and residents can come together and trade and build community, all without trifling with those scarce US dollars. Businesses get local customers and earn currency to spend on other local businesses. And local residents can sell their stuff and earn currency to spend local.

The Marketplace is brought to you by the venerable Capitol Hill Seattle Blog in collaboration with the neighborhood’s backbone organizations: the Capitol Hill Chamber, Capitol Hill Housing, Seattle Gay News, NW Film Forum and the Capitol Hill Community Council.

That’s a pretty awe-inspiring team, to say the least. You rarely meet anyone so willing to give all they got for their beloved neighborhood. And with these guys working together, there’s a good chance we could create our own local economic boom.

So if you live or work on the Hill, join the Marketplace now and help us kick start this sucker.

Barter for Health Care? No problem.

Nevada Senate candidate Sue Lowden is taking a lot of heat for advocating a barter system for health care.

Some of the ridicule is well-deserved. In particular, her focus on using chickens as a medium of exchange is just begging for parody.

She is onto something though.  If you just replace “Chickens” with “Barter Currency”, her plan works out beautifully.

As a core component of Dibit Life, in which I’ll be living entirely on Dibspace’s barter currency – the Dibit – I’ll probably need some form of health care at some point. But so long as there are docs out there with some vacant appointments who need some of the stuff on Dibspace, I’ll have no problem whatsoever.

Bartering for health care is a powerful idea that could be tremendously beneficial for doctors and patients. But for it to work, we need to get past the medieval notion of chicken-swapping and look to the modern tools that are right in front of us.

Day 9: Liberty = Your new favorite bar

Just got myself a $20 gift certificate for Liberty Bar (for 20 Dibits) and I’m sitting down for some of the best sushi around. Seriously. Their sushi chefs are rockstars!

When you come, order the Joe’s Hanoo Roll. Not only is it the universal favorite, but it was invented here and can be found nowhere else.

The other thing I love about Liberty is that they LOVE wracking up the Dibits, so you can imagine, in my quest to live on nothing but Dibits, I’ll be spending a LOT of time here.

Fortunately, it’s a great place to spend your time.  I’ve lived in this city my entire life (4th generation, thank you very much) and I have never seen a bar like this.

The so-called Seattle Freeze simply does not exist here. If you’re new in town or just want to meet stellar people, get your charming self down here. And stop by my table while you’re at it.

Oh, and they just opened a secret back-room which can hold 30 of your (new) closest friends.  You won’t be able to find it on your own, so look for Andrew (the owner) and he’ll point the way.

This Just In: Dibspace on KUOW and TechCrunch

In case you missed it, we had some great coverage on TechCrunch, which if you don’t know, is only the 300th most popular site on the internet!!

And just this morning there was a 5-minute spot on the local NPR station.

Give it a listen and tell me honestly, Do I have a lisp or am I imagining things?

Day 5: It’s all about the food and rent

Here we are – Day 5.  Lots to do. Not much time.

Still quite nervous, mostly about rent, because without it I’ll be sleeping on my brother’s couch (Chris. You’ve been warned).

So the plan for this week is to call one, two, or maybe 74 different apartments and apartment management companies. And if that doesn’t work out, I bet I could find someone renting out a home who could use lots of Dibits.

Mark my words. I shall prevail.

This week I’ll also be attempting to check off the whole sustenance thing.  To do that, I’ll be hitting up farmers markets, produce delivery services, local grocery stores, etc. Oh and those meal-delivery service, where they bring you like a whole week’s worth of dinners for your freezer.

Living on Dibits – Press Release

[If y'all know any bloggers or journalists, send them this release because this is one big scoop!]

Recession Be Damned!  Seattle Startup Founder Pledges to Live ENTIRELY on New Online Currency – the Dibit.

Modern day spin on age-old practice of bartering to help local community support each other and thrive during cash crunch

April 16, 2010 (Seattle) – With cash in short supply, the Puget Sound community is rapidly discovering a new way to come together and trade. Rather than relying on dollars, many are turning to “Dibits” – the online currency of Dibspace.com. And to prove that that you can, indeed, live on Dibits alone, company founder Dominic Canterbury has pledged to do just that – for an entire year.

“I’m excited,” said Canterbury. “Living purely on a secondary currency is uncharted territory, but given the strength of the Dibspace economy, I should be able to live pretty lavishly.”

With over 1,500 live offers to choose from, his chances are good and growing stronger by the day. With four thousand members and nearly a half-million dollars worth of goods and services already traded, the Dibit is quickly becoming the standard to break the stranglehold of an ever weakening U.S. dollar for small businesses and individuals.

Dibspace is a revolutionary new way to market your business. As a business, you choose exactly what to offer up for Dibits, whether it’s a specific appointment, an open spot in a class, a vacancy you want to fill or a product you want to move. And by accepting Dibits, you give thousands of potential customers a gigantic incentive to choose you over the competition.

A business can then turn around and spend the Dibits they earned to cover many core business and personal costs like web design, restaurants, legal services, ad space, home repair and even the occasional llama (seriously).

“Freelancers, solopreneurs and small businesses of all stripes are turning to Dibspace in droves,” said Canterbury. “With cash and clients in short supply, many are finding this new barter currency just might save them and their businesses from becoming another casualty of the economy.”

To promote his quest, Canterbury will blog and video blog about his experiences to highlight the fantastic businesses that are a vital part of the local economy and the Dibspace community.  You can follow his adventures at http://dibspace.wordpress.com/

Media Contact
Dominic Canterbury, CEO
http://www.Dibspace.com
206-245-5140
dominic@dibspace.com

Dibspace.com is a free online marketplace where businesses and individuals exchange goods and services using Dibits rather than dollars. Launched in February 2009 by marketing consultant Dominic Canterbury and former Microsoft Program Manager Aaron Brethorst, Dibspace has grown to 4,000 members with over $400,000 worth of trades. Though membership is currently centered in the Puget Sound region, Dibits can be earned and spent anywhere in the United States.

Day 3: Getting nervous.

To pull off this All-Dibit life, I might just have to hire a personal assistant (for Dibits).

In the three days since I started the 45-day count down, I accomplished almost NOTHING in my quest to switch from cash to Dibits.

WHY? Because being the CEO of a rising startup is a whole lot of work.

I spent Wednesday lining up new partnerships, doing taxes, talking to a reporter, replying to member questions, blogging, etc, etc.

Thursday I worked on our press list and press release for our big PR push. THEN I went to the big Block Party for the Elliot Bay Book Co. (where we had a table) to promote Dibspace. And THEN I went home to work some more then took off on a 2-hour errand which is too annoying to get into.

End of work: 11:20 PM.

I did, however, make quite a few incredible contacts with folks who could be VERY instrumental.

I must say no more, but I will brief you as the story develops.

Ceviche at 22 Doors – For Dibits!

Somehow, everything tastes better with Dibits.

Especially when you’re talking about the amazing Seafood Ceviche at Capitol Hill’s 22 Doors (405 15th Ave E).

As the kids say, OMG!!!!!1

I’m not sure what I like better – the tiny, tasty, 8-legged sea creatures, the scallops, or the fact that I paid for it ALL (plus a pint or four) for DIBITS.

I reiterate… OMG!

Maybe this Dibit-Life won’t be so bad.

And what’s 22 Doors going to spend those hard earned Dibits on?

I talked to the manager and so far he’s racked up enough to pay for ad space on Publicola and/or the venerable Capitol Hill Seattle Blog. (Holy MOLEY that’s awesome).

“What the *%#$ am I DOING?”

That’s the thought I woke up to this morning.

I mean, I have 44 days left to entirely shift my expenses from cash to Dibits…. for a whole YEAR!

In all of human history, has anyone ever done something like this?

Probably not.  But, momentary panic attacks aside, I’m happy to be the first.

With 1.5 months before the cliff, there’s a whole lot to line up.

The biggest one, of course, is rent.  For that, I’m going to reach out to some local developers to show them how they can use Dibspace to attract new tenants while earning Dibits to pay for things like cleaning and maintenance services.

For an apartment owner, it’s a pretty sweet deal, especially considering Seattle vacancy rates are at a historical high.

So, ahem, if YOU know any apartment owners – I need to talk to them like NOW! (otherwise I’ll be waking up with panic attacks every %#$% morning).

The other big expense is food, but we got some good stuff already. My two favorite Restaurants/Bars are big Dibspacers and their food is outstanding.

$25 off your tab! (25 Dibits) at 22 Doors

Cocktails, Beer and Sushi (20 Dibits) at Liberty

Of course I can’t chow down there every night, so I’ll be working my tush off to recruit new my other favorite restaurants AND maybe some local co-ops!

I’ll keep you posted.

How lavishly can you live without spending a dime?

I’m about to find out.

I’m giving myself 45 days to reduce my budget to $0, while maintaining a lavish lifestyle filled with nights on the town, great food, great health care, a nice apartment, entertainment, yoga classes and anything else that strikes my fancy.

Instead of dollars, I will pay for ALL of it in Dibits – the currency of Dibspace.com.

With 4,000 members and over $400,000 worth of trades in just 14 months, Dibspace is rapidly becoming a full fledged economy here in Seattle. And with the US Dollar in short supply and so many goods and services going to waste, the country badly needs a second national currency like the Dibit to fuel trade.

Of course, being such a young economy Dibspace doesn’t have everything you and I might need. But it will be my mission to round out the Dibspace economy, and to show how—with Dibits—businesses and individuals can thrive in even the worst economic times.

I have no idea what challenges lie ahead, but I believe deeply in this cause, both for me and for the nation. And when you believe so deeply in something so important, you have to go all in.

And to keep you right there with me, I’m going to blog and video-blog every struggle and every triumph: the awesome days of yoga and seven-course dinners, the not-very-awesome days of eating nothing but broccoli and everything in between.

One BIG caveat: Parking meters and public utilities don’t take Dibits…yet. So, for the rare occasion when I have to spend ‘real’ money, I will publicly document the amount and purpose.

You Could Start a Comic Book Store with That!

Holy MOLEY! Did you see this….

7,000 Comic Books (5000 Dibits)

Michael DeVenny

Some valued at over $100 I listed 3300 on ComicsPriceGuide.com with a value of $19,000. that is all I have looked at and they are in s…

Good one, Michael!

Then again, how about a new WiFi router? Routers are expensive and this is one heck of a great deal so get it before it’s gone!

Lynksis 4-Port Router (New) (25 Dibits)

And even though I’m really enjoying featuring the Spring Clean offers, I just have to tell you about THIS one…

Miki’s Flowers (55 Dibits)

Miki’s Flowers

Weekly floral arrangements for your home or office.  Pricing varies depending on delivery location.

Imagine that! Fresh flowers in your home, for Dibits!

Newsletter: Need a new Refrigerator? (2009 Amana, Energy Star!)

The Spring Clean is ramping up and the offers are flowing in!

Just today my new favorite member, Angelica N., posted on offer for a 2009 Amana 25.1 cu. ft. side-by- side refrigerator for 400 Dibits!

Man I wish I had that!

In fact, I wish I had every single one of the Featured Spring Clean Offers below.

I Can’t be greedy though.  Must fight the urge!

You, however, do NOT have to fight the urge to take every single one of them.

You DO need the Dibits to pay for those incredible items, though, so post all that great stuff you have lying around the house and earn those Dibits the old fashioned way.

Or if you just can’t wait another second, you could buy those Dibits. But you better be FAST because the DOUBLE DIBIT sale ends Friday.

Alright then, soldier. You have your marching orders.
1. Post your offers.
2. Earn your Dibits or buy your Dibits
3. Buy lots of stuff

Let’s rock and roll!

Spring Clean Featured Offers…

Two Currencies, One Nation

Capitalism might well be the best idea humanity ever devised.

(It’s so productive and efficient, I feel all warm and fuzzy just thinking about it!)

But lurking behind the stunning achievements of the free market lies a troublesome paradox: The medium of exchange which fuels market competition - the dollar – is entirely deprived of competitors.

In other words if, say, a bunch of big investment banks make some colossally bad decisions and screw up the money supply, spending stops and we’re all screwed.

But WHY?

Did businesses become less productive?  Did individuals suddenly want less stuff?

Most certainly not!

The people yearn to trade. The only thing missing is the medium of exchange.

But when the dollar is mismanaged and fails to perform, we have nowhere to turn.

Until now.

We created Dibspace to remedy this great inefficiency in the US economy. Now whenever the dollar isn’t doing its job, Americans can easily switch to a new medium of exchange – the Dibit – and keep trade humming.

In our modern free market economy, a secondary currency like the Dibit is essential to ensure the uninterrupted flow of goods and services.  When one currency is weak, the other is strong, and all citizens continue trade what they want and get what they need.

An Open Letter to Ben Bernanke

Dear Ben,

I know you’re doing your best to manage the US economy, but frankly it’s just not cutting it.

While vast amounts of goods and services sit idle, the nation is paring down and going hungry.

But why? When there’s ample supply and strong demand, it’s the job of the US dollar to facilitate the trade, but under your guidance, the dollar is failing to perform its duty.

To solve our national crisis, we have two options.

Option 1: Old Fashioned Barter. (I’ll give you a goat for that pig!)

Option 2: A second national currency designed to pick up the slack for the ailing Dollar.

The first option is right out! Humanity created money to overcome the negotiation nightmare of bartering.

The second option – a new currency – is not only where we should go. It is where we are.

A new national currency – the Dibit – is on the rise.

From this moment on, whenever the dollar fails to perform, the American people can instantly switch to the Dibit and keep commerce flowing.

The Dibit breaks the stranglehold of the Dollar.  Now any businesses or consumer can freely trade all the goods and services that the US Dollar leaves out in the cold.

Sorry but our slavish reliance on the US Dollar is over.

Recession be damned: with the Dibit, the people will trade.

Fear not, Ben. We do not intend to replace the Dollar.  But we do intend to make the US economy more efficient – to let American buyers and sellers exchange, no matter what turns the economy takes.  Because where where the dollar is weak, the Dibit is strong.

Thanks for listening, Ben.  I believe that by working together, you and I will keep the American economy the strongest in the world.

Sincerely,

Dominic Canterbury

CEO
Dibspace.com

Clear out your Closets – the Dibspace Spring Clean is Here!

It’s Spring and that means…
Out with the Old, In with the Awesome.

And we’re here to help.

Announcing the First Annual Dibspace Spring Clean!

The Spring Clean is your chance to quickly replace the great stuff you have with great stuff you want even more!

The Dibspace Team is kicking things off with some great offers of their own. Look for them over the coming weeks:

• Netbook computer
• New Wireless Apple Mouse
• Vintage handbags, from the 30′s, 40′s, 50′s and 60′s
• DVD sets like Grey’s Anatomy, James Bond collections and Seinfeld
• Scene It? games
• Belkin Wireless Router with digital display
• Books, fiction and non-fiction titles
• Graco Baby Stroller – Excellent condition
• XBOX games

Here’s how it’s going to work
From now until April 30th, we’re all about helping YOU sell what you have and get what you need.

Just gather up your stuff and post some offers in the “Shopping” section. It’s that easy.

As for our part, we’ll promote the heck out of your items through the website, Facebook, Twitter, blogs and anything else we can get our hands on!

And, we’ll be working our tushes off to constantly bring you great new items to spend your Dibits on!

Start selling your stuff right NOW because you’re going to need those Dibits for all the stupendous stuff to come!

Let the shopping frenzy begin!
Dominic

PS: If you have a particularly amazing item to sell, let us know and we’ll include it in the Spring Clean Raffle!

Dibspace LIVE: The Indie Business Trade Show

It’s ON, my friends.

The Dibspace LIVE: The Indie Business Trade Show will be a full two orders of magnitude beyond idle networking chit-chat. Not only will you be able to show, demo and display your talents, you’ll also be signing up new clients on the spot (more on that in a moment).

It’s gonna be a rowdy business blowout with free food and drinks, exciting contests, demonstrations, freebies and big prizes.

The event will be at the spacious Phinney Ridge Cabinet Company where they have tons of beautiful marble counter space for you to set up shop. But if you present, you better wrack your brain to make it rock because we’ll be giving out a big prize for the best one.

Here are some examples of rockingness.
Let’s say you’re a…

• Photographer: Setup a backdrop and offer free head shots
• Chef: Bring a tray of tasty treats
• Attorney: Offer 5-minute consults
• Yoga instructor: Offer a demo on workplace stretching
• SEO Guru: Bring your laptop and give free website reviews
• Carpenter: Build a model to highlight your skills

You get the point.

And even if you’re not officially presenting, bring your marketing materials, portfolio, or some kind of demo because we all want to see what you do.

But here’s where it gets really, REALLY exciting.

We’ll have a bank of laptops so you can sign up new clients on the spot through Dibspace.com.

What’s Dibspace.com, you ask?

Dibspace is a revolutionary new way to market your business. Next time you have some open space in your work day, you’d post an “offer” on Dibspace for just those hours. Your offer would then go out on the website for our 3,000 members to see.

But to give these thousands of potential new customers a gigantic incentive to try you above everyone else, they would hire you with the site currency – the Dibit – instead of US dollars. The thing is, you can turn around and spend those Dibits on tons of things that you and your business need, like web design, legal services and home repair. Or a llama (seriously). And with over 1,100 live offers to choose from, you’re pretty much guaranteed to find something you like.

Space is going to fill up very FAST so get on it NOW. To get on the presenter list, send me a brief description of your demo idea (dominic at dibspace dot com). And like I said, make it good because we’re only taking the best.

Or, if you’re not in a presenting mood… you can become an event sponsor by bringing food and/or drinks (beer, wine, non-alcoholic). As a sponsor you’ll get tons of publicity and even more gratitude.

Either way, contact me SOON.

Thanks!

Dominic Canterbury
Founder/CEO/Chief Customer Support Officer

Seattle PI: Seattle startup Dibspace hopes to cash in on bartering

The Seattle PI just published an article about our emerging barter economy.

Seattle startup Dibspace hopes to cash in on bartering

It’s a great piece highlighting how small businesses are using the Dibspace alternative currency to survive the recession.

Small Businesses Flocking to New Barter Currency

Freelancers, solopreneurs and small businesses of all stripes are turning to Dibspace in droves. With cash and clients in short supply, many are finding that the new barter currency just might save them and thier businesses from becoming another casualty of the economy.

Here are the facts:

• Six weeks old
• 582 members
• 187 active offers
• $27,000 worth of goods/services offered

This is incredible but not entirely surprising.  Small business owners are clever folk. And when one door closes they find another or make another. Dibspace, I think, is on the forefront of a coming wave of innovations in how business is done. The old modles are falling apart, and it’s time we made some new ones.

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New Seattle Small Business Barter Group

Interested in trading with other Seattle-area small businesses?  Join Barter Club, a new Biznik group that brings independent businesses together to talk the swap.

And while you’re there, RSVP for the next event, Barter Networking Happy Hour, where you can meet great businesses who want to fill their workdays and get the stuff they need. Most of the group has already joined Dibspace, so make sure you’re on board there too.  It’s free and it takes just a couple of minutes.