From AshevilleLETS

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                        A s h e v i l l e L E T S
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                                                            May 29, 2007

== Contents ==

- Trading Tips
  + Are You in the Print Directory?
  + Pricing: When Less is More
- Send Us Your Story!
- Wish List
- Website Updates
- Upcoming Events

Thank you all for participating in the preliminary, 'Soft Launch',
period of Asheville LETS! With your help, we have been able to refine
our system, incorporate some important feedback, and establish the value
of LETS. As of this writing, there are around 300 Offers and Wants and
over 650 LETS have been exchanged! We are set to go public in early June
and press releases have been sent to several media outlets. New tax
guidelines will be available shortly.

There are a number of upcoming events (listed below) including our June
9th Kick Off Party in Aston Park, which will be a great time to meet
some fellow LETS members and have fun (there will also be trading
tables if you want to bring things to exchange for LETS). Encourage friends
you want to trade with to attend an orientation and sign up! We are
especially looking for members in the area of health care and members
with technical skills - such as carpentry, auto repair and utility work.

== Trading Tips ==

We see a lot of people not getting responses to their Wants. If we all
keep an eye on each other's Wants and lend a hand when we can, that
effort will come back around when we list our own. So, remember not to
wait around for people to contact you regarding the Offers you've
posted. Instead, browse the Wants every once in a while to see if
there's an easy way for you to earn LETS and help someone out! The
web-directory shows the newest listings at the top, so it's easy to keep
up-to-date.

I. Are You in the Print Directory?

When you add new Offers and Wants to your account, they automatically appear in
the web-based directory but only show up in the print directory if you specify
them for inclusion. Just check the box next to "Print in quarterly directory?"
You can specify up to eight Offers and Wants for print. As some members do not
have access to the Internet, this will get your listing more exposure.

II. Pricing: When Less is More

The pricing of goods and services in LETS provides an exciting and
challenging opportunity for us to re-envision how we interact
economically with our neighbors. It may seem counterintuitive, but we
would suggest that "less is more." That's right, charging fewer LETS is
in your best interest and here is why...

Everyone participating in LETS at this formative stage is helping to
chart the course of it's future. How we price our Offers now will set
precedent and, over time, establish the accepted value of LETS. If we
choose to mirror the values of the dominant economic system, we will
simply recreate the problems and iniquities of the dollar economy on a
local scale. So while it may be tempting to "get as much as you can" for
your time or goods, doing so could have unintended repercussions,
quickly eroding whatever gains you make. Getting an extra couple of LETS
an hour for something that you know is in high demand won't do you much
good if, as a side-effect, it contributes to a culture of price
stratification, making things you need less and less affordable. If
participants start asking large amounts of LETS per hour or per item,
the value of your LETS will decrease as others in the system respond by
raising their prices. Currently, most members are asking 5 to 10 LETS an
hour for their work. If you like the idea of having access to the skills
of an electrician, plumber, masseuse or graphic designer, charging less
will get you more!

== Send Us Your Story! ==

Have you had a great LETS experience? We are collecting stories to share on our
website. Send your testimonials to info_ashevillelets.org.

== Wish List ==

Please call 800-627-9060 or email info_ashevillelets.org if you would
like to contribute tables, chairs, grills, or a battery powered boombox
to the Asheville LETS Kick Off Party on June 9th (details below). We
would especially love it if people volunteered to organize grills (meat
or vegetarian). Everyone should bring something to grill or a potluck
dish to share. Also, please hold onto any mention of Asheville LETS you
see in print publications and share them with the organizers.

== Website Updates ==

If you use the Asheville LETS website, you've probably noticed major
changes! Thanks to your feedback, we've worked to make browsing and
searching even easier and faster. For a complete list of changes, see
http://wiki.ashevillelets.org/index.php/Dev:Updates. Please continue to
send suggestions, feature requests and bug reports to
techsupport_ashevillelets.org.

Sincere thanks from the Asheville LETS Organizing Group. See you at the Kick Off
Party!

== Upcoming Events ==

New Member Orientation
 Saturday, June 2, 2-3:30pm
 West Asheville Library
 942 Haywood Road
 (West) Asheville, NC

New Member Orientation
 Tuesday, June 5, 6-7:30pm
 Reid Center (media Room)
 133 Livingston St. Asheville, NC

Asheville LETS Kick-Off Party!
 Saturday, June 9
 Aston Park, 336 Hilliard, Asheville, NC
 1pm New Member Orientation
 2pm Cook out, games & trading tables
 Bring something to grill or a dish to share!
 Feel free to bring something to trade for LETS!