Thursday, April 9, 2009

Massachusetts BerkShares: Not Such a Goofy Idea

"Communities Print Own Currencies to Keep Money Local"
FOXNews (April 9, 2009)

"GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — It looks like Monopoly money, but the colorful currency created by collaborators in the western Massachusetts town of Great Barrington is legal tender.

"The creative cash is called 'BerkShares,' a play on words, referring to the mountainous region called the Berkshires, where businesses and citizens have come together to support each other in these tough economic times...."

An interesting idea. I think I can understand the feelings behind having a strictly local currency: but I'm not at all sure that this is a good idea.

Beyond Great Barrington, Massachusetts and BerkShares: Business Bucks

The idea behind BerkShares is something that businesses can (and do) use: an association of businesses can agree to treat ChamberBucks, or whatever, as real money. Accounting could be tricky, of course.

I've got a notion for using the idea of 'play money' in an online setting, too - oops. Too late. It's gone now.

Maybe it'll come back.

2 comments:

Mark Herpel said...

There is a ton of info on how to treat CC's for accounting purposes.

Here is one of the links

Accounting Procedures for BerkShares
http://www.berkshares.org/accountingseminar.htmMark
Editor of Community Currency Magazine

Brian H. Gill said...

Mark Herpel,

Thanks for the link(s). I counted two of them: but think I know what you meant.

("Following" list moved here, after Blogger changed formats)

Small Business Watchers