Category: Tips & Tricks

  • Explore All Offers!

    Once again, I waited until the last minute to clean up my garden for spring. Who knew spring would arrive in February? I looked under new offers for help, but I didn’t find anything. I posted a request, then I remembered that wonderful “Explore All Offers” index. Check it out here: https://hourworld.org/bank/SearchSvcCat.php?PR=Pro

    I sent a couple of emails requesting garden help—and I have already received one yes—then noticed some other offers for things that I needed done. I sent out requests for bike repair training and slipcover tailoring—both now lined up to happen.

    If you haven’t used the index, now is a good time to explore the offers out there. You might find something that you had forgotten you needed.

    Some random offers I found in the index: tutoring in French, Spanish, help with exercise training, partner for cycling around town, help with doctor’s appointments and understanding medical jargon, cleaning out closets, general household chores, baking gluten-free breads and goodies, every sort of sewing imaginable, transportation, help with computers, eBay sales, kayaking instruction (boat can be provided!), help with digital photos, dog training, pet sitting, home maintenance, the list goes on and on. All those things you’ve been procrastinating on—get that stuff done!

    While you’re at it, look at your own profile and see if it needs updating. Have a new skill you might teach someone? Or maybe a skill you didn’t think about when you first posted your profile? I’ve heard there’s a big market for lasagna baking.

  • Check out the search bar, y’all!

    I just found out about the search bar on the Cville Timebank web page (once you’ve signed in as a member). It is really awesome. Check it out.  It searches:
    • Offers,
    • Requests,
    • Members,
    • Bios,
    • Messages
    • Help
    • and it is re-indexed nightly.
    So if I’m looking for, say, someone to help with a small electrical issue in my house instead of looking through all of the offers or through all of the bios for mention of electrical skills I can just type in “electrical” and it pulls up several people as well as any offers or requests that include that term. I can narrow the results further by including a city or zip code. Or if I would like to borrow a lawn mower or a sander, I can enter those into the search to see if anyone has one that I can borrow in exchange for hours.
    This tool just saved me a lot of time searching for people who have a tool or skill I need OR a tool or skill I have! The more you fill in your profile with skills and tools available for lending the better this search tool will work. I’m pretty excited!

    -Cathy Butler

  • What could I offer?

    Once you’ve figured out what time banking is and how to get involved, you’re probably going to spend some time worrying that you have nothing to offer.

    First, get over that. The beautiful thing about time banking is that it values what you do naturally. Tasks that are so simple for you that they might seem mundane could be truly exciting to others. Don’t believe me? Check out these lists.

    Brainstorming service offerings with the Cville TimeBank.

    Many services offered through the Cville TimeBank.

    Cville TimeBank loves brainstorming!

    At the Cville TimeBank Kickoff, we went around the room and brainstormed simple skills/services that could be offered. This list is impressive, right?

    What was even more impressive was the interaction in the room. I mentioned that I could offer photography, and immediately someone in the room asked, “What does that mean? Would you take my picture? Would you teach me how to take pictures? Could you show me how to get pictures off my camera? Could you help me organize pictures on my computer?” From that one offer, we had built a whole list of ideas! I never realized that the task of importing photos – something that I do quite mindlessly at this point – was a task I could help someone else learn.

    So, what are the tasks you accomplish regularly, without difficulty and without much thought? Can you stabilize wobbly furniture? Have you ever replaced an old thermostat with a new, programmable one? Do you know how to clean a fish? I’ve never done any of those things, and value your experience and expertise!